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If you love the ocean, casinos, family amusements and history consider Atlantic City.
Atlantic City, New Jersey is a resort community on the Atlantic Coast. Mention Atlantic City and people immediately make associations. It is famous for the boardwalk, casino gambling, and it was the inspiration for the popular board game Monopoly.
In 1894 Atlantic City was incorporated and has always been a resort town. The land hugging the Atlantic Ocean is between marshlands and islands and has been a prime attraction for real estate developers. Train service began in the first year of incorporation and soon the first boardwalk was built to help hotel owners keep sand from the beach out of the hotel lobbies. There have been several expansions and modifications. The boardwalk was 7 miles long before the 1944 hurricane. Today it is 4 miles long and about 60 feet wide and has been reinforced with steel and concrete.
There several piers but Ocean Pier which was constructed in 1882 is the world’s first amusement pier. Steel Pier opened in 1898 and is now used as an amusement park. Million Dollar Pier opened in 1906 and is now the site of a shopping mall.
Atlantic City went through a radical building boom in the 20th century. Modest boarding houses were replaced by large hotels.
The Queen Anne style Marlborough House was built in 1903. It was expanded and a sister hotel built in 1906. In order to make his new hotel a source of conversation, Josiah White III brought in an architect to create a unique design. Using reinforced concrete which was a new building material the hotel’s Spanish and Moorish design was topped off with a dome and chimneys. This new hotel was named the Blenheim and the two hotels merged into one. Bally’s Atlantic City was later built nearby.
The Traymore Hotel was built at the corner of Illinois Ave and the boardwalk. In 1879 it was a small boarding house. In 1914 it was made over into a 16 story hotel with tan brick and gold-capped roof. The hotel features ocean facing rooms in jutting wings that reach out from the main portion of the hotel along the Pacific Ocean.
More and more large hotels were built along the boardwalk in the 1890’s.
In 1964 the city hosted the Democratic National Convention which nominated Lyndon Johnson for President and Hubert Humphrey for Vice President. The news media shone a harsh light on Atlantic City which had been in an economic decline.
During World War II Atlantic City joined many East Coast communities in decline. The city became overrun with crime, poverty and the middle class that once made it so popular withdrew participation and support. There were many reasons for this decline.The automobile was more available after the war. When people came in by train they would usually stay for a couple of weeks or so but now the car made it possible for people to come and go readily. People would stay only a few days and move on. The suburbs also played a role in the decline. Many families were moving into their own homes with air conditioning and swimming pools. This diminished the desire to go to the beach community during the hot summers.
Atlantic City was soon favored by tourists who were invariably poor, elderly or both. Great hotels fell victim to this economic downturn and were converted to cheap apartments and nursing home facilities. The Breakers, the Chelsea, the Brighton, the Shelbourne, the Mayflower and the Traymore were closed down and eventually demolished.
Then, in the nick of time, came casino gambling. It was approved by a statewide vote in 1976. And next came the first legal casino in the eastern United States. Other casinos were soon added along the boardwalk and marina district. Gambling did not immediately eliminate many of the urban problems and some have argued that it only magnified and increased those problems. As in many resort communities glamorous, luxury hotels and casinos stand next to tenements populated by the impoverished working class.
In 2007 Atlantic City’s City Council imposed a 75% ban on smoking. limiting smoking to only 25% of the casino floor. Casino operators argue that this places them at an economic disadvantage with other New Jersey cities and with Las Vegas, NV. It is their claim that this ban has led to a revenue decline for them.
Gambling halted in Atlantic City for the first time since 1978 during the New Jersey State Government Shutdown. The casinos stayed open for entertainment and hotel services but ceased gambling operations in the absence of state regulators. On July 8, only 3 days later gambling resumed.
The climate in Atlantic City is mild in the summer except in July and August when temperatures can rise to 100 plus. In the winter there is not so much snowfall. Breezes from the Ocean help to keep the temperatures lower than in the inland areas.
In October 2007 plans were approved for the MGM Grand Atlantic City to sit on 60 acres. City Center East will be the biggest and tallest casino resort in the city. It will have a total of 3,000 rooms and suites each offering different guest experiences. There will be a spa, a variety of restaurants as well as a 1500 seat theater and a convention center. The will also be a 500,000 square foot retail center. They will boast the largest casino floor in the state with 5,000 slot machines and 200 table games. There will be groundbreaking in 2008 and the complex is scheduled to open in 2010.
Pinnacle Gaming purchased the Sands Hotel and Casino. In 2006 the Board of New Jersey Transit approved a 3 year trial express train service bringing people from New York Penn Station to bring visitors in with only a 2 ½ hour trip. This is also a part of the Casino’s multi million dollar investments in Atlantic City. In addition to the Greyhound bus service many buses are owned by Chinese immigrants and will reimburse the cost of the trip from Chinatown in New York as another incentive for tourists and gamblers.
Anyone tiring of gambling will find two shopping malls and two nearby regional malls. There also renowned museums such as the Atlantic City Historical Museum featuring numerous exhibits that showcase the city. This museum is home to historical pictures, posters, souvenirs, and assorted artifacts from the city’s history. The also have an excellent collection of Miss America Pageant memorabilia.
The Noyes Museum of Art showcases 19th and 20th century folk art.
Gillians Island Water Park has water slides and a splash pool for small children. Storybook Land is a twenty acre theme park where children can walk through classic children’s literature. Nursery rhymes come to life in more than 50 attractions and family rides.
Ocean Life Center is a first rate marine biology center that offers numerous interactive hands-on exhibits. You may see them from atop the observation level.
Steel Pier is a famous park that is definitive part of the Atlantic City’s history. It first opened in 1898 and is synonymous with family entertainment. A devastating fire is 1982 threatened the park and required a massive rebuilding project. There are thrilling rides, games and attractions including a wonderful custom made carousel.
The Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm in Atlantic City is the first coastal wind farm in the United State. It became operational in December 2005 and consists of five 1.5MW turbines built by General Electric. Each wind turbine reaches a height of 397 feet.
There is something for everyone in the Atlantic City, New Jersey. New York City is just a train or bus ride away. You are invited to spend a day, a weekend, a week or a month. With so much to do there you may wish to return again and again. One visit will leave you longing for another.
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