The first thing to know about Cape May City, New Jersey, is that it's a seaside town. The town's beach has been designated as one of the nation's most beautiful and is home to many Victorian structures. It's also one of the country's oldest vacation destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area and has a year-round population of 3,607 people, which can swell to 40,000 or more in the summer.
The city's infamously racist past is well-known. A mere drive through the city's residential areas reveals an apartheid township. A former power station, sewage treatment plant, and golf course line the route into the city. Then, the road into the township reveals the stark divides between white and black communities - distance, physical obstacles, pollution, and racial discrimination.
Today, Cape May City is considered a thriving community with many attractions. While it doesn't have as many amenities as Fort Myers and Naples, it's a city with a unique history. It was considered unfit for human habitation for most of its history, but now it has air conditioning, mosquito spray, and water control. Without all these modern comforts, the town would have never emerged from the swamp. Today, Tate sells the same dream to prospective residents as her father sold to the pioneers: "a beautiful place with a great beach.