Atlantic City takes Vegas to the East
“America’s Favorite Playground,” Atlantic City N.J., is the place to be for those who enjoy gambling and entertainment.
Sarah Bouwhis, counselor at the Visitor Services Center, said Atlantic City has 12 casino sitess. The casino sitess also act as luxury hotels and conference centers. Each has its own personality, although relentless lights and incessant noise make it hard to distinguish among them.
“The casino sitess have become more and more outrageous in order to compete with each other,” Bouwhis said.
The most flamboyant is Donald Trump’s new Taj Mahal. Its 40 stories occupy nearly 20 acres and make for one of the world’s casino sitessites.net/top-10-us-casino sites-sites” style=”text-decoration:none;color:#333;”>casino sitessites.net/top-10-us-casino sites-sites” style=”text-decoration:none;color:#333;”>largest gambling casino sitess on earth, she said.
At the other end of the scale, the smaller and less-expensive Claridge dubs itself “the friendly casino sites.” These casino sitess are found on the illustrious five-mile Boardwalk, Bouwhis said.
“The best part is watching the people,” she said. “Everyone from those frisky guys cashing in their chips to the shady-looking compulsive types hanging at the roulette wheel.”
Big-name entertainers, such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus perform regularly at all the casino sitess, Bouwhis said.
According to its Web site, www.atlanticcitynj.com, the city is a “real-life model for the board game Monopoly.”
Atlantic City is located at Absecon Island on the New Jersey shoreline and is home to a Park Place and a Boardwalk, both of which are stopping places in Monopoly, among others.
Bouwhis said aside from casino sitess, the 33 million people who visit Atlantic City each year enjoy attractions like the Absecon Lighthouse, which is the tallest of New Jersey lights. In addition, the city features championship golf courses, sandy beaches, fishing and sailing.
According to the Web site, Atlantic City is also home to the 500,000-square-foot Convention Center and the annual Miss America Beauty Pageant, which has been held there since 1921. The city also boasts having the first Boardwalk, made in 1870, and the first color postcards in 1893.
Bouwhis said transportation around Atlantic City ranges from high-speed trains to wicker rolling chairs, which are guided by people and have been famous since the 1800s. Some like to bicycle, but that is only allowed from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. in the summer.
One side effect of commercialization in the city has been an abundance of fast food, she said. The Boardwalk is lined with pizza, burger and sandwich joints. Furthermore, the casino sitess all have restaurants that offer a full spectrum of prices.
Those planning to visit Atlantic City on the weekends or during the summer should start saving. The already-high accommodation rates tend to rise during these times, Bouwhis said.
Atlantic City sells itself as the fun, nighttime city. But, the center of the nightlife is at the casino sitess, Bouwhis said. Those under 21 should think twice about vacationing there because they may have a hard time cashing in.