Should Atlantic City become a beach city?

**eldondre** · 03-13-2009, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by desolate

the white house sucks. Make geno's customer service appear to be the four seasons.

at least I'm not claiming AC died because people started flying to finland.

**desolate** · 03-13-2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

at least I'm not claiming AC died because people started flying to finland.

AC and New Jersey sucks compared to Bermuda and Jamaica.

Is the problem.

AC has a beach for 3 months of he year. 9 months it's a cold desert with a view.

Maybe those factor it.

Competing with Florida. Islands. etc.

Vegas being better for actual gambling. Foxwoods etc..

**eldondre** · 03-13-2009, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by desolate

AC and New Jersey sucks compared to Bermuda and Jamaica.

Is the problem.

AC has a beach for 3 months of he year. 9 months it's a cold desert with a view.

Maybe those factor it.

Competing with Florida. Islands. etc.

Vegas being better for actual gambling. Foxwoods etc..

unless I'm mistaken, all of those places require expensive airfare where as AC is a short drive or train ride away. my epmhasis on a faster train is to make it easier for people to make day trips to AC. vegas is hurting too, with the economy down. all of plane tickets bought to lose even more money don't look like sucha bright idea. travel to the carribean is down. I think you're overemphasizing those as competition. AC needs to go for a different market, beach convenience. there's no reason they can't compete on daytrips to the beach.

**desolate** · 03-15-2009, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

unless I'm mistaken, all of those places require expensive airfare where as AC is a short drive or train ride away. my epmhasis on a faster train is to make it easier for people to make day trips to AC. vegas is hurting too, with the economy down. all of plane tickets bought to lose even more money don't look like sucha bright idea. travel to the carribean is down. I think you're overemphasizing those as competition. AC needs to go for a different market, beach convenience. there's no reason they can't compete on daytrips to the beach.

and a switch at Lindenwold isn't "daytrip"

Getting on at 8th street in flip flops.

Carrying an umbrella and chairs on the PATCO line then swapping trains.

If you did it at 30th it would be easier.

People can park and the facility is set up for luggage and 24/7 security.

You could also cab it a lot easier at 30th than 8th or Walnut Locust.

So I do totally agree with direct 30th to AC train service.

The fact that the NYC express goes through but doesn't bother to stop at even Cornwells Heighs is a disgrace.

**Polar Cub** · 03-17-2009, 02:31 PM

They should make AC The World's Playground once again. Legalize and tax everything.

**eldondre** · 03-17-2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by desolate

The fact that the NYC express goes through but doesn't bother to stop at even Cornwells Heighs is a disgrace.

if they had selected amtrak as the provider that may have been a different story. the two are required not to compete with each other. do you think Amtrak is going to let NJT sell $50 tickets to NYC from Philly? I don't even know if they're allowed to, I believe Amtrak's pricing is required to be above the commuter's to as to not compete. thank uncle sam for breaking up penn central from K street.

**D-man** · 04-15-2009, 10:34 AM

If you want to see what AC was like before the casinos and in the early '80s, check out this video:

YouTube - Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City

The casinos didn't bring decline to AC - AC had already hit rock bottom by the early '70's. The casinos only improved the city, albeit at a snails pace. My mother visited AC a few times in the 1960s, and she said it was dumpy back then.

I think AC can be revived as a beach resort. I have already started to see some families on the beach, at the south end of the boardwalk, near the Knife and Fork (there's a public parking lot there). We do need more family friendly hotels, or for the casinos to better adapt to family guests. I stayed at Harrah's recently, and the place was packed with kids. They have an indoor pool and some ammenities for children. The problem is that Harrah's is in the Marina district, which is separated from the boardwalk by blight. However, there are a couple timeshares and non-casino suites springing up in the boardwalk area.

El, if you don't mind staying during the week, its very easy to get a free or cheap room in one of the casino hotels. Just sign-up for a players card (A Harrah's card is good at half the casinos). My fiancee and I never spend more than $100/trip at the video poker or slot machines (usually to pass the time and get free drinks) and we are consistantly rewarded with free room offers on weekdays and deep discounts on the weekends. Most of the hotels (except Resorts) are basically 4-star quality.

**xxxTHX1138xxx** · 07-02-2009, 07:38 PM

Ummm...... I thought the reason AC got casino's was because it was turning into a slum and the money revenue from the casino's was to revitalize it which it did not?

Originally Posted by forkiks

AC existed just fine prior to the casinos. It WAS a beach town.
Then the casinos came and made it slums. Perhaps there is no turning back though....

If the casinos weren't there, AC would've been just like Ocean city, wildwood, or even Stone Harbor, Avalon. But because of the casinos, the focus on the actual beach shifted long time ago.

**Stripes** · 08-16-2009, 09:10 AM

For the record. Atlantic City is not dead or declining. The reality is lots of people go there all the time, and not just to gamble. We make a point to go down to AC regularly, even in the dead of winter. We were down about a month ago and the beach had lots of people, yet not wall to wall people like in every other "nicer" beach town. I love that it's not congested. It's a super easy commute, just 1 hour from Philly...and only 40/45 minutes from Cherry Hill/Collingswood areas. There are trains. And Buses. And it's really easy/cheap to park your car. We prefer the long term meters on various beach blocks.

Atlantic City is our preferred beach because of the convenience, the always wonderful Irish Pub on St. James (cheapest place ever to eat/drink and stay over night on a beach block), and the urban atmosphere. And great facilities. Bathrooms, showers, and a bar on the beach. Nice.

No, it's not perfect. And neither is Philly but people choose to live/play there.

I hate beaches where you have to buy beach badges and there are minimal public facilities.

**Nytecat** · 10-05-2009, 08:46 PM

What is the key to Atlantic City's future?

A. Gambling.
B. The Beach.
C. Retail.
D. All of the above.

The correct answer, of course, is D. The challenge, however, is linking them all together. A lot of ideas that look great on paper have been maddeningly difficult to put into practice. For instance, I would've thought that the Trump Marina's easy access to private boats would be the key to profitability. But it hasn't worked out. Why hasn't an industry mogul like Donald Trump been able to capitalize on this property's marina location?

Another big challenge will be linking the shops at the Walk into the existing retail strip along Atlantic Avenue. Yes, I know that one is a brand new collection of national chain stores and the other consists of old stores catering to low income Atlantic City residents. But the Walk finally gives Atlantic Avenue something it hasn't had for decades: Exposure to pedestrians of all races, ethnicities, and incomes. Atlantic Avenue is no longer drive through territory for tourists and suburbanites.

Finally, as far as I know, Atlantic City is still the only American city where gambling is allowed next to the beach. While AC's gambling industry will have to no doubt go through a period of painful downsizing due to competition in other states, it still offers a unique combination of sun and fun.

**eldondre** · 10-05-2009, 09:06 PM

you can shop anywhere

**Nytecat** · 10-05-2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

you can shop anywhere

You can gamble anywhere too.

But where else can you gamble, shop, AND hit the beach?

**solibs** · 10-16-2009, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Nytecat

You can gamble anywhere too.

But where else can you gamble, shop, AND hit the beach?

Exactly.

Unfortunately I think the casino industry and the state got too comfortable with all the gray hairs that live in a 200 mile radius that just kept feeding the slot machines.

Until the last two years there hasn't been any serious focus on improving the rail links to AC (quicker service to NYC and Philly) and they've completely neglected the airport and having a rail connection there - if you've taken the train to AC you can see the runway as you roll past it.

They've also let the jitney operators hold up any meaningful improvements to transit in the city.

I agree with others that it might be a good idea, at this point, to push the casinos further north or west and not encourage more of them on the boardwalk.

I also think that Atlantic Ave. has great bones for being a major retail and condo corridor that could be an excellent counterpoint to the casinos. It really boggles my mind that the outlets were built with no residential component.

IMO, Atlantic City shouldn't try to compete with Vegas by having more huge, flashy casinos. It should focus on being the urban, walkable, city on the beach that is - a place that happens to have nice casinos.

**eldondre** · 10-17-2009, 03:00 AM

atlantic city looks like it was nicer berfore they demo'd all the hotels or slots barns

**Fergie** · 10-18-2009, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Nytecat

You can gamble anywhere too.

But where else can you gamble, shop, AND hit the beach?

Monte Carlo.

I go to AC more now for concerts than anything else. I'll play a few hands of Black Jack before and after but I never feel like staying. The biggest reason is that it's very expensive to go there for a night out. When you are playing the tables the drinks are free but if you are at a concert they are a major rip off. I was @ the house of blues a couple of weeks ago and they were selling cans of beer for $7-8 dollars, a Jack and coke was $9 bucks and it was very small. A few years ago I would probably get a room and spend the night but now I want to get in and get out because of how they soak you.

It isn't Vegas and it isn't New York but the prices are about the same as those places and it just not worth it.

oh and turn down the goddam air conditioners already

**solibs** · 10-20-2009, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Fergie

It isn't Vegas and it isn't New York but the prices are about the same as those places and it just not worth it.
y

I was there with my brother last summer and as we were waiting for the train he went over to the newsstand to buy a paper and when he came back he pointed to the corner showing the original price crossed out with a significant mark-up. He said, "it's like this whole town is one big airport - they even try to keep you here longer so they can rip you off some more."

**desolate** · 10-20-2009, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

atlantic city looks like it was nicer berfore they demo'd all the hotels or slots barns

it was nice.

Then they invented airplanes so you didn't have to go there anymore.

Kinda like the Sears Catalog used to be awesome but now there's malls.

**MizFormaldehyde** · 10-20-2009, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by Stripes

No, it's not perfect. And neither is Philly but people choose to live/play there.

I hate beaches where you have to buy beach badges and there are minimal public facilities.

Exactly and that's annoying,too. Who cares if those places are more "family-oriented"? Nobody should pay to be on the beach.

**R8CHEL** · 10-20-2009, 08:27 PM

They should bring in the gays. The gays will fix AC.

As someone already mentioned, there's potential for a charming commercial corridor on Atlantic ave.

**solibs** · 10-22-2009, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by MizFormaldehyde

Nobody should pay to be on the beach.

Lifeguards and beach cleaning don't come free. Other states use sales taxes, hotel taxes, parking fees, etc. to pay for it. NJ has beach badges.

I lived in North Carolina for a while and the beaches were "free" but you had to pay Center City prices to park there and the state still had to chip in. They can get away with that because the only really "urban" beach areas that they have are from Wrightsville Beach and north. The rest of the beaches are pretty remote and don't see anything close to the crowds that NJ beaches do.

Not saying I like the NJ system - just saying that it's never really free.