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All About Atlantic City

One of America's oldest seaside resorts, Atlantic City is most famous these days as a weekend gambler's mecca. It's the East Coast's answer to Las Vegas, and home to many of the same names: Caesars, Bally's, Sands, the Tropicana. Tourists come by the millions (more than 35 million of them, to be exact) to try their luck at the city's 12 casinos, 9 of which line the world's first oceanfront boardwalk, opened in 1870. The city itself began life in 1854 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004 with a lot of fanfare.

Despite its historic pedigree, Atlantic City went to seed in the years following World War II, abandoned in the wake of cheap and easy air travel to Florida and the Caribbean. In the 1970s, in a last-ditch effort to reinvigorate this once-proud Victorian vacation resort, the state of New Jersey instituted casino gambling -- and the unconventional urban-renewal plan has been something of a success, though not quite the bonanza that organizers might have hoped for. Still, when you consider that Atlantic City is within easy reach of New York City, Philadelphia, and most of the major Midwest and mid-Atlantic metropolitan areas, its status as a vacation destination seems assured.

The city is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar renewal plan that has already resulted in sparkling new convention and visitor centers, new bus and train terminals, a new outlet mall complex, and a generally more cleaned-up appearance. The opening of the Borgata in the Marina District in 2003, and its recent addition of a second tower, added quite a bit of luster to the city's revitalization efforts. In addition, in 2004, the Tropicana launched The Quarter, an Old Havana-themed complex consisting of added hotel space, restaurants, retail venues, and an IMAX theater. Meanwhile, Caesars has just debuted The Pier at Caesars, a multimillion-dollar retail and entertainment complex featuring fabulous Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. boutiques.

Most important of all is a change in attitude. Atlantic City clearly has Vegas aspirations: It hopes to reemerge as a luxe playground catering to adults, and has already succeeded in ratcheting up its cool factor enormously. We couldn't help but notice all of the signs in the casino hotels politely but firmly telling kids who aren't guests to get lost (we also couldn't help but wonder at the irony of that given all the kid-friendly stuff going on at the Boardwalk just outside the casino hotels' doorsteps). We doubt the Boardwalk is going to be as successful as Sin City in this regard (and, indeed, plenty of families do take advantage of the beach), but we must note that few kids are to be found in the Marina District and the vacationing couples there seemed to be all the happier for it.

Still, this isn't Vegas. First of all, there's not a lot to do beyond the casino hotels and the beach, and though the neighborhood in the immediate vicinity of the Boardwalk is looking better nowadays, we still don't recommend walking around that area after dark. If you're looking for relaxation, and you aren't a gambling fan or don't want to catch a show or hit a late-night club, Cape May is a better option: It's cleaner and quieter, and the beaches are nicer. Second, while some of the casinos are on par with their desert counterparts in sophistication if not in scale (the lone exception being the Borgata, which we can imagine in Vegas), the Boardwalk still has some growing up to do before it will ever compete with the Vegas Strip.

Frommer's Unlimited © 2009 Wiley Publishing

Events in Atlantic City

Atlantic City Classic Car Auction

26 Feb - 1 Mar 2009 (annual)
Atlantic City Convention Centre
The Atlantic City Convention Centre hosts this Classic Car auction, a must for enthusiasts, especially those with some cash to...

Marine Mammal Stranding Centre

Daily
Marine Mammal Stranding Center
The Marine Mammal Stranding Centre is a private non-profit organisation based in Brigantine, New Jersey with the express purpose of...

Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp

Daily
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp
If you're driving through New Jersey with the kids in the back of the car and dwindling patience, head for Yogi Bear's...

Frommer's Unlimited © 2009 Whatsonwhen Ltd

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