Anyone remember the old Bimini ? Got a story ?

[WA2DDL]

In my lifetime, Bimini is divided into 2 time frames...before and after Ossie died.
Weekends In the summer, when the Angler was really hopping with Ossie's band and the dance floor was standing room only was truly something to be experienced. The electrical outlets were plug upon plug as each guitar and microphone were begging for current. It was THE place to be in Bimini.

[Pascal]

The old Bimini is gone, sadly, bulldozed and concreted over. While the construction took place on the northern half of the island it sucked the life out of Alice town. Sad

[WA2DDL]

I think the loss of Ossie marked the start of a turning point in Bimini that was solidified by the fire at the Angler and the development in Northern Bimini.
Initially, I felt the development there would be a great asset to the biminites and a shot in the arm for much needed work; however upon my last trip there a couple of years ago, I found the hotel and casino staffed mainly by off-island residents and few if any Biminites were even employed.
You might recall Don Smith, Dockmaster at the Big Game Club...he was also a barber and had actually cut my hair several times while I stayed there for a few months aboard my boat, back in the 90's. He said I was there for so long that I was not a Bimi-nite, but rather a bimi-white.
He really had a good sense of humor.

[WA2DDL]

Also, some might not be aware that Julian Brown, Ossie's brother and son of Harcourt, was an Olympic contender (for track, I believe) during the 1960 games In Rome.

[hatteras 1985]

Have not been to Bimini since the construction of the cruise ship pier off what used to be the DuPont mansion. I am curious to know how Alice Town is surviving. Does anyone have any reports? Are the Red Lion and the End of the World bar still open? Are there any new places?

Also, what is new on South Bimini?

[Pascal]

Resort world Bimini bay has sucked energy out of Alice town... that's the best way to describe it. Big game and the other marinas are still there, End of the World bar too, plus Big John but it s all dusty, dirty, littered etc

Haven't been in south Bim in a long time as the marina entrance is shallow.

Honestly we avoid BIM altogether. On the way to the exumas, I clear at cat cay, much quicker. If we need to spend the night before crossing the bank eastbound or before corrsijg the stream westbound we anchor on the east side of gun cay

Two months ago we had some guests who really wanted to go to Bimini bay. I have to say the architecture of the new Hilton is beautiful, lots of stainless steel, a long pool running along the whole building etc... pretty. Besides being to modern and too big for Bimini, the crowds they are bringing are just plain awful. Cheap, low end mass tourism brought in by ferries and cheap airfare to spend money gambling. Best described as Hialeah meets trailer park.