Atlantic City, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Atlantic City is a city
in Atlantic County
, New Jersey
, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly
. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island
on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. , the city has a population of 39,558. There were 274,549 people living in the Atlantic City–Hammonton
metropolitan statistical area.
Atlantic City officially became a city in 1854. The new city contained portions of Egg Harbor Township
and Galloway Township
.
The three routes into Atlantic City are the Black Horse Pike
/Harding Highway (US 322
/40
), White Horse Pike (US 30
) and the Atlantic City Expressway
. Atlantic City is roughly 120 miles south of New York City by road, 62 miles southeast of Philadelphia, and borders Absecon, Brigantine, Pleasantville, Ventnor and West Atlantic City (part of Egg Harbor Township).
, hugging the Atlantic Ocean between marshlands and islands, Atlantic City presented itself as prime real estate and a potential resort town for developers. In 1853, the first commercial hotel, The Belloe House, located at Massachusetts and Atlantic Avenue, was built.
The city was incorporated in 1854, the same year in which the Camden and Atlantic Railroad train service began. Built on the edge of the bay, this served as the direct link of this remote parcel of land with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By 1874, almost 500,000 passengers a year were coming to Atlantic City by rail.
The first boardwalk was built in 1870, along a portion of the beach to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. Because of its effectiveness and popularity the boardwalk was expanded and modified several times in the following years. The historic length of the boardwalk, before the 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane
, was about 7 miles (11.3 km) and it extended from Atlantic City to Longport
, through Ventnor
and Margate
.
The first official road from the mainland to the island was completed in 1870, after 17 years of construction. The road, which ran from Pleasantville
, had a toll of thirty cents. The first free road was Albany Avenue, constructed over the meadows from Pleasantville.
By 1878 because of the growing popularity of the city, one railroad line could no longer keep up with demand. Soon, the Philadelphia-Atlantic City railroad
and the Reading railroad
were constructed to transport tourists to Atlantic City. At this point massive hotels like The United States and Surf House, as well as smaller rooming houses, had sprung up all over town. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Pacific, Delaware, and Maryland Avenues. These hotels were not only impressive in size, but featured the most updated amenities, and were considered quite luxurious for their time. On Wednesday June 16, 1880, Atlantic City was formally opened.
During the early part of the 20th century, Atlantic City went through a radical building boom. Many of the modest boarding houses that dotted the boardwalk were replaced with large hotels. Two of the city’s most distinctive hotels were the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel
and the Traymore Hotel
.
In 1903, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the boardwalk and built the Queen Anne style
Marlborough House. The hotel was a hit and, in 1905–06, he chose to expand the hotel and bought another parcel of land next door to his Marlborough House. In an effort to make his new hotel a source of conversation, White hired the architectural firm of Price and McLanahan. The firm made use of reinforced concrete
, a new building material invented by Jean-Louis Lambot in 1848 (Joseph Monier received the patent in 1867). The hotel’s Spanish and Moorish themes, capped off with its signature dome and chimneys, represented a step forward from other hotels that had a classically designed influence. White named the new hotel the Blenheim and merged the two hotels into the Marlborough-Blenheim. Bally's Atlantic City
was later constructed at this location.
The Traymore Hotel was located at the corner of Illinois Avenue and the boardwalk. Begun in 1879 as a small boarding house, the hotel grew through a series of uncoordinated expansions. By 1914, the hotel’s owner, Daniel White, taking a hint from the Marlborough-Blenheim, commissioned the firm of Price and McLanahan to build an even bigger hotel. Sixteen stories high, the tan brick and gold-capped hotel would become one of the city’s best-known landmarks. The hotel made use of ocean-facing hotel rooms by jutting its wings farther from the main portion of the hotel along Pacific Avenue.
One by one, additional large hotels were constructed along the boardwalk, including the Brighton, Chelsea, Shelburne, Ambassador, Ritz Carlton, Mayflower, Madison House, and the Breakers. The Quaker-owned Chalfonte House, opened in 1868, and Haddon House, opened in 1869, flanked North Carolina Avenue at the beach end. Their original wood-frame structures would be enlarged, and even moved closer to the beach, over the years. The modern Chalfonte Hotel, eight stories tall, opened in 1904. The modern Haddon Hall was built in stages and was completed in 1929, at eleven stories. By this time, they were under the same ownership and merged into the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel, becoming the city's largest hotel with nearly 1,000 rooms. By 1930, the Claridge, the city's last large hotel before the casinos, opened its doors. The 400-room Claridge was built by a partnership that included renowned Philadelphia contractor John McShain
. At 24 stories, it would become known as the "Skyscraper By The Sea." The city became known as the "The World's Playground.
In 1883, the Salt water taffy
was conceived in Atlantic city by David Bradley, who later produced and marketed the taffy in the Atlantic City area. While unconfirmed, a popular belief of its creation came after Bradley's shop was flooded after a major storm. His entire stock of taffy was soaked with salty Atlantic Ocean
water. When a young girl came into his shop and asked if he had any taffy for sale, he is said to have offered some "salt water taffy." At the time it was a joke, because all his taffy had been soaked with salt water, but the girl was delighted, she bought the candy and proudly walked down to the beach to show her friends. Bradley's mother was in the back and heard the exchange. She loved the name and so salt water taffy
was born.
, much liquor was consumed and gambling regularly took place in the back rooms of nightclubs and restaurants.
It was during Prohibition, which was enacted nationally in 1919 and lasted until 1933, that racketeer and political boss Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson
rose to power. Prohibition was effectively unenforced in Atlantic City, and, as a result, the resort's popularity grew further. The city then dubbed itself as "The World's Playground". Most of Nucky Johnson’s income came from the percentage he took on every gallon of illegal liquor sold, and on gambling and prostitution operations in Atlantic City.
During this time, Atlantic City was under the mayoral reign of Edward L. Bader
, known for his contributions to the construction, athletics and aviation of Atlantic City. Despite the opposition of many others, he purchased land that became the city's municipal airport and high school football stadium; both of which were later named Bader Field
in his honor. He led the initiative, in 1923, to construct the Atlantic City High School
at Albany and Atlantic Avenues. Bader, in November 1923, initiated a public referendum, during the general election, at which time residents approved the construction of a Convention Center. The city passed an ordinance approving a bond issue for $1.5 million to be used for the purchase of land for Convention Hall, now known as the Boardwalk Hall
, finalized September 30, 1924. Bader was also a driving force behind the creation of the Miss America
competition.
Like many older east coast cities after World War II, Atlantic City became plagued with poverty, crime, corruption, and disinvestment
in the mid-to-late 20th century. The neighborhood known as the "Inlet" became particularly impoverished. The reasons for the resort's decline were multi-layered. First of all, the automobile became more readily available to many Americans after the war. Atlantic City had initially relied upon visitors coming by train and staying for a couple of weeks. The car allowed them to come and go as they pleased, and many people would spend only a few days, rather than weeks. Also, the advent of suburbia played a huge role. With many families moving to their own private houses, luxuries such as home air conditioning and swimming pools diminished their interest in flocking to the luxury beach resorts during the hot summer. But perhaps the biggest factor in the decline in Atlantic City's popularity came from cheap, fast jet service to other premiere resorts, such as Miami Beach
and the Bahamas.
The city hosted the 1964 Democratic National Convention
which nominated Lyndon Johnson for President and Hubert Humphrey
as Vice President. The convention and the press coverage it generated, however, cast a harsh light on Atlantic City, which by then was in the midst of a long period of economic decline. Many felt that the friendship between Johnson and the Governor of New Jersey
at that time, Richard J. Hughes
, led Atlantic City to host the Democratic Convention.
By the late 1960s, many of the resort's once great hotels were suffering from embarrassing vacancy rates. Most of them were either shut down, converted to cheap apartments, or converted to nursing home facilities by the end of the decade. Prior to and during the advent of legalized gaming
, many of these hotels were demolished. The Breakers, the Chelsea, the Brighton, the Shelburne, the Mayflower, the Traymore
, and the Marlborough-Blenheim
were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s. Of the many pre-casino resorts that bordered the boardwalk, only the Claridge, the Dennis, the Ritz-Carlton, and the Haddon Hall survive to this day as parts of Bally's Atlantic City
, a condo complex, and Resorts Atlantic City
. The old Ambassador Hotel was gutted to become the Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City, only reusing the steelwork of the original building. Smaller hotels off the boardwalk, such as the Madison
also survived.
gambling for Atlantic City; this came after a 1974 referendum on legalized gambling failed to pass. Immediately after the legislation passed, the owners of the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel began converting it into the Resorts International. It was the first legal casino in the eastern United States when it opened on May 26, 1978. Other casinos were soon constructed along the Boardwalk and, later, in the marina district for a total of eleven today. The introduction of gambling did not, however, quickly eliminate many of the urban problems that plagued Atlantic City. Many have argued that it only served to magnify those problems, as evidenced in the stark contrast between tourism-intensive areas and the adjacent impoverished working-class neighborhoods. In addition, Atlantic City has played second-fiddle to Las Vegas, as a gambling city in the United States, although in the late 1970s and 1980s, when Las Vegas was experiencing a massive drop in tourism due to crime, particularly the Mafia
's role, and other economic factors, Atlantic City was favored over Las Vegas. The rise of Mike Tyson
in boxing, having most of his fights in Atlantic City in the '80s, also helped Atlantic City burst into the national spotlight as a gambling resort. Numerous highrise condominiums were built for use as permanent residences or second homes. By end of the decade it was the most popular tourist destination in the States.
and the opening of two casinos in Connecticut
in the early 1990s, Atlantic City's tourism began to slide. Determined to expand, in 1999 the Atlantic City Redevelopment Authority partnered with Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn to develop a new roadway to a barren section of the city near the Marina. Nicknamed "The Tunnel Project", Steve Wynn planned the proposed 'Mirage Atlantic City' around the idea that he would connect the $330 million, 2.5-mile (4.0 km) tunnel from the Atlantic City Expressway
to his new resort. The roadway was later officially named the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector
. The highway funnels incoming traffic off the expressway into the city's marina district and Brigantine, New Jersey
.
Although Wynn's plans for development in the city were scrapped in 2002, the tunnel opened in 2001. The new roadway prompted Boyd Gaming in partnership with MGM/Mirage to build Atlantic City's newest casino. The Borgata
opened in July 2003, and its success brought an influx of developers to Atlantic City with plans on building grand Las Vegas style mega casinos to revitalize the aging city. MGM/Mirage due to problems with regards to their dealings with Stanley Ho in Macau were later forced to divest their shares of the Borgata resort.
Due to economic conditions and the late-2000s recession, many proposed mega casinos never moved further than the initial planning stages. One of these developers Pinnacle Entertainment
, who purchased the Sands Atlantic City
, permanently closing it on November 11, 2006. The following year, the resort was demolished in a dramatic, Las Vegas styled implosion, the first of its kind in Atlantic City. While Pinnacle Entertainment intended to replace it with a $1.5–2 billion casino resort, the company canceled its construction plans and plans to sell the land. The biggest disappointment was when MGM Resorts International announced that it would pull out of all development for Atlantic City, effectively killing their plans for the MGM Grand Atlantic City
.
In 2006, Morgan Stanley
purchased 20 acres directly north of the Showboat Atlantic City Hotel and Casino
for a new $2 billion-plus casino resort. Revel Entertainment Group was named as the project's developer for the Revel Casino. Revel was hit with many problems, with the biggest blow to the company being in April 2010 when Morgan Stanley, the owner of 90% of Revel Entertainment Group, decided to discontinue funding for continued construction and put its stake in Revel up for sale. Early in 2010 the N.J. state legislature passed a bill offering tax incentives to attract new investors and complete the job, but a poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University
's PublicMind released in March 2010 showed that three of five voters (60%) opposed the legislation, and two of three of those who opposed it "strongly" opposed it. Ultimately, Governor Chris Christie offered Revel $261 million in state tax credits to assist the casino once it opens. , Revel has completed all of the exterior work and has continued work on the interior after finally receiving the funding necessary to complete construction. It is scheduled to be opened for summer 2012.
, Pennsylvania
, Connecticut
, and more recently, Maryland
. In January 2011, Chris Christie announced the Atlantic City Tourism District, a state-run district encompassing the boardwalk casinos, the marina casinos, the Atlantic City Outlets, and Bader Field
. Fairleigh Dickinson University
's PublicMind poll surveyed N.J. voters' attitudes on the takeover. The February 16th, 2011 survey showed that 43% opposed the measure while 29% favored direct state oversight. Interestingly, the poll also found that even South Jersey voters expressed opposition to the plan; 40% reported they opposed the measure and 37% reported they were in favor of it.
On April 29, 2011, the boundaries for the state-run tourism district were set. The district would include heavier police presence, as well as beautification and infrastructure improvements. The CRDA would oversee all functions of the district and will make changes to attract new businesses and attractions. New construction would be ambitious and may resort to eminent domain
.
The tourism district would comprise several key areas in the city; the Marina District, Ducktown
, Chelsea, South Inlet, Bader Field
, and Gardner's Basin. Also included are 10 roadways that lead into the district, including several in the city's northern end, or North Beach. Gardner's Basin, which is home to the Atlantic City Aquarium, was initially left out of the tourism district, while a residential neighborhood in the Chelsea section was removed from the final boundaries due to complaints from the city. Also, the inclusion of Bader Field in the district was controversial and received much scrutiny from mayor Lorenzo Langford, who cast the lone "no" vote on the creation of the district citing its inclusion.
The Boardwalk starts at Absecon Inlet and runs along the beach for four miles (six kilometers) to the city limit. An additional one and one half miles (two kilometers) of the Boardwalk extend into Ventnor City
. Casino/hotels front the boardwalk, as well as retail stores, restaurants, and amusements. Notable attractions include the Boardwalk Hall
, House of Blues
, and the Ripley's Believe It or Not!
museum.
The Boardwalk has been home to several piers over the years. The first pier, Ocean Pier, was built in 1882. It eventually fell into disrepair and was demolished. Another famous pier built during that time was Steel Pier
, opened in 1898, which once billed itself as "The Showplace of the Nation". It now operates as an amusement pier across from the Trump Taj Mahal. The Million Dollar Pier opened as an arcade hall in 1906 and was transformed into a shopping mall in the 1980s, known as "Shops on Ocean One". In 2006, the Ocean One mall was bought, renovated and re-branded as The Pier Shops at Caesars
. Garden Pier, located opposite Revel Atlantic City
, once housed a movie theater, and is now home to the Atlantic City Historical Society and Arts Center. Two other piers, an amusement pier named Steeplechase Pier and a Heinz 57
-owned pier named Heinz Pier were destroyed in The Great Hurricane of 1944. The last of the four piers still standing is Schiff's Central Pier, which is the only one still offering the same attractions it did when it opened - a few stores, and arcade, and a Go-Kart track.
Boardwalk Hall
, formally known as the "Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall", is an arena
in Atlantic City along the boardwalk. Boardwalk Hall was Atlantic City's primary convention center
until the opening of the Atlantic City Convention Center
in 1997. The Atlantic City Convention Center includes 500000 sq ft (46,451.5 m²) of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with 109000 sq ft (10,126.4 m²) of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton
hotel. Both the Boardwalk Hall and Convention Center are operated by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.
, in which properties on the board are named after locations in and near Atlantic City. While the original incarnation of the game did not feature Atlantic City, it was in Indianapolis that Ruth Hoskins learned the game, and took it back to Atlantic City. After she arrived, Hoskins made a new board with Atlantic City street names, and taught it to a group of local Quakers.
Some board elements have been changed since the game's release. Illinois Avenue was renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in the 1980s. St. Charles Place no longer exists, as the Showboat Casino Hotel was developed where it once ran.
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, "Marven Gardens
". The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker Brothers. It was not until 1995 that Parker Brothers acknowledged this mistake and formally apologized to the residents of Marven Gardens for the misspelling.
The "Short Line" is believed to refer to the Shore Fast Line
, a streetcar line
that served Atlantic City. The B&O Railroad
did not serve Atlantic City. A booklet included with the reprinted 1935 edition states that the four railroads that served Atlantic City in the mid 1930s were the Jersey Central
, the Seashore Lines
, the Reading Railroad
, and the Pennsylvania Railroad
.
The actual "Electric Company" and "Water Works" serving the city are respectively, Atlantic City Electric Company and the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority.
Ever since Atlantic City's growth as a resort town, numerous attractions and tourist traps have originated in the city. A popular fixture in the early 20th century at the Steel Pier was horse diving, which was introduced by William "Doc" Carver
. The Steel Pier featured several other novelty attractions, including baby animals on display and a water circus. Advertisements for the Steel Pier in its heyday featured plaster sculptures set upon wooden bases along roads leading up to Atlantic City. By the end of WW2, many animal demonstrations declined in popularity after criticisms of animal abuse and neglect.
Rolling chairs, which were introduced in the 1800s, have been a boardwalk fixture to this day. The wicker, canopied chairs-on-wheels are manually pushed the length of the boardwalk by attendants, much like a Rickshaw.
The Absecon Light
is a coastal lighthouse
located in the north end of Atlantic City overlooking Absecon Inlet
. It is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit on January 15, 1857. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and although the light still shines every night, it is no longer an active navigational aid.
While located two miles south of Atlantic City in Margate City
, Lucy the Elephant
has become almost an icon for the Atlantic City area. Lucy is a six-story elephant
-shaped example of novelty architecture
, constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1882 by James V. Lafferty
in an effort to sell real estate and attract tourism. Over the years, Lucy had served as a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern (the last closed by Prohibition
). Lucy had fallen into disrepair by the 1960s and was scheduled for demolition. The structure was moved and refurbished as a result of a "Save Lucy" campaign in 1970 and received designation as a National Historic Landmark
in 1976, and is currently open as a museum.
competition from its founding until 2005, when it moved to Las Vegas. The Miss America competition originated on September 7, 1921, as a two-day beauty contest. The event that year was called the "Atlantic City Pageant", and the winner of the grand prize, the 3-foot Golden Mermaid trophy, was not called "Miss America" until 1922, when she re-entered the pageant. The pageant was initiated in to extend the tourist season after the Labor Day weekend The pageant has been nationally televised
since 1954. It peaked in the early 1960s, when it was repeatedly the highest-rated program on American television. It was seen as a symbol of the United States, with Miss America often being referred to as the female equivalent of the President
. The pageant's longtime emcee, Bert Parks
, hosted the event from 1955 to 1979. At the Atlantic City Convention Center
, there is an interactive statue of Parks holding a crown. When a visitor puts their head inside the crown, sensors activate a recorded playback of his "There She Is..." line through speakers hidden behind nearby bushes.
Since the departure of the Miss America pageant from the city, a LGBT
event known as the "Miss'd America Pageant" is held annually at the Boardwalk Hall. Originally started as a fundraiser, the event features drag queens donning the runway in a similar manner to the Miss America pageant.
Since 2003, Atlantic City has hosted Thunder over the Boardwalk
, an annual airshow
over the boardwalk. The August event, a joint venture between the New Jersey Air National Guard
's 177th Fighter Wing
along with several casinos, attracts over 750,000 visitors each year.
, has cast a new light on the city. Starring Steve Buscemi
, the show was adapted from a chapter about historical criminal kingpin Enoch "Nucky" Johnson
in Nelson Johnson's book, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. The series is filmed in Brooklyn, New York on a set built to resemble the Atlantic City boardwalk in the 1920s.
Around the same time of the September 2010 premiere of the show, the Press of Atlantic City created “Boss of the Boardwalk,” a 45-minute documentary which premiered on August 21, 2010 on NBC TV-40
and aired six additional times in the following weeks.
Since the premiere of Boardwalk Empire, interest in the Roaring Twenties
-era Atlantic City has grown. In October 2010, a plan was revealed to renovate the ailing Resorts Casino Hotel into a Roaring Twenties theme. The re-branding was proposed by current owner Dennis Gomes, and was initiated in December 2010 when he took over the casino. The changes accentuate the resort's existing art deco design, as well as presenting new 20s-era uniforms for employees and music from the time period. The casino also introduced drinks and shows reminiscent of the period.
The actual building where he lived, The Ritz-Carlton
, offer tours.
In 2011, the Academy Bus
Company began a trolley tour called "Nucky's Way", a tour bus service that features actors portraying Nucky as well as other characters as it loops around the city. Nucky's Way is the second trolley tour to capitalize off of Boardwalk Empire, after The Great American Trolley company started a weekly tour of Atlantic City with a Roaring Twenties theme in early June 2011.
On August 1, 2011, a facade modeled after the set of Boardwalk Empire was unveiled on the boardwalk in front of an empty lot at the former site of the Trump World's Fair
resort. The facade of storefronts, which consists of vinyl tacked onto three large sections of plywood, was the brainchild of longtime area radio host Pinky Kravitz, who is also a columnist for The Press of Atlantic City.
Atlantic City is located on 8.1 miles (13 km) long Absecon Island
, along with Ventnor City
, Margate City
and Longport
to the southwest.
The city has a total area, according to the United States Census Bureau
, of 17.35 square miles (44.9 km²), of which, 11.35 square miles (29.4 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) of it (34.58%) is water.
(Köppen
), with some maritime moderation, especially during the summer.
Summers are typically warm and humid with a July daily average of 75.2 °F (24 °C). During this time, the city gets a sea breeze off the ocean that often makes daytime temperatures much cooler than inland areas, making Atlantic City a prime place for beating the summer heat. Average highs even just a few miles west of Atlantic City are in the mid to upper 80s in the summer. Near the coast, temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on only 5 days a year. Winters are cool, with January averaging 35.2 °F (1.8 °C), with 12 or 13 days with highs that do not break the freezing mark. Spring and autumn are erratic, although they are usually mild with low humidity.
Annual precipitation is 38 inches (97 cm) which is fairly spread throughout the year. Due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its location in South Jersey, Atlantic City receives less snow than a good portion of the rest of New Jersey. Even at the airport, snow averages only 5-15 in each winter. It is very common for rain to fall in Atlantic City while the northern and western parts of the state are receiving snow.
, 10.0% Asian, 1.8% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 18.3% from other races
, and 0.6% from two or more races. 24.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.2% of the population was non-Hispanic whites.
There were a total of 20,637 housing units, with 23.9% of them vacant. Atlantic City's unemployment rate was 12.8%. The city had 26.3% of all people living below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under 18 and 22.5% of those over 65. 61.2% speak only English, while 21.3% of the population speaks Spanish.
As of the census of 2000, there were 40,517 people, 15,848 households, and 8,700 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,569.8 people per square mile (1,378.3/km2). There were 20,219 housing units at an average density of 1,781.4 per square mile (687.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 44.16% black or African American, 26.68% White, 0.48% Native American, 10.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.76% other races, and 4.47% from two or more races. 24.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.44% of the population was non-Hispanic whites.
There were 15,848 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.8% were married couples living together, 23.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,969, and the median income for a family was $31,997. Males had a median income of $25,471 versus $23,863 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,402. About 19.1% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.
system of municipal government.
The City Council is the governing body of Atlantic City. Members of Council are elected to serve for a term of four years. There are nine Council members, one from each of six wards and three serving at-large. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In addition, Council members review budgets submitted by the Mayor; provide for an annual audit of the City’s accounts and financial transactions; organize standing committees and hold public hearings to address important issues which impact Atlantic City. Former Mayor Bob Levy created the Atlantic City Ethics Board in 2007, but the Board was dissolved two years later by vote of the Atlantic City Council.
, the Mayor is Lorenzo T. Langford
. Members of the City Council are Aaron Randolph (1st Ward), Marty Small (2nd Ward), Vice-President Steven L. Moore (3rd Ward), President William "Speedy" Marsh (4th Ward), Dennis Mason (5th ward), Timothy Mancuso (6th Ward), Moisse Delgado (at-large), Frank M. Gilliam, Jr. (at-large) and George Tibbitt (at-large).
, a rehabilitation hospital. Levy resigned in October 2007 and then-Council President William Marsh assumed the office of Mayor and served the six-week remainder of his term.
The New Jersey Casino Control Commission is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1977 as the state's gaming control board
, responsible for administering the Casino Control Act and its regulations to assure public trust and confidence in the credibility and integrity of the casino industry and casino operations in Atlantic City. Casinos operate under licenses granted by the Commission. The commission is headquartered in the Arcade Building at Tennessee Avenue and Boardwalk in Atlantic City.
Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
The CRDA was founded in 1984 and is responsible for directing the spending of casino reinvestment funds in public and private projects to benefit Atlantic City and other areas of the state. From 1985 through April 2008, CRDA spent US$1.5 billion on projects in Atlantic City and US$300 million throughout New Jersey.
Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority
The Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) was in charge of advertising and marketing for the city as well as promoting economic growth through convention and leisure tourism development. The ACCVA managed the Boardwalk Hall
and Atlantic City Convention Center
, as well as the Boardwalk Welcome Center inside Boardwalk Hall as well as a welcome center on the Atlantic City Expressway
. In 2011, the ACCVA was absorbed into the CRDA as part of the state takeover that created the tourism district.
Atlantic City Special Improvement District
The Atlantic City Special Improvement District (SID) was a nonprofit organization created in 1992, which funded by a special assessment tax on businesses within the improvement district and carries out various activities to improve the city's business community, including street cleaning and promotional efforts. In 2011, the SID was absorbed by the CRDA, in which the former SID boundaries would be expanded to the include all areas in the newly formed tourism district. Under the new structure, established by state legislation, the CRDA assumed the staff, equipment and programs of the SID. The new SID division is accompanied by a SID committee made up of CRDA board members and an advisory council consisting of the current trustees and others.
serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades. Schools in the district (with 2005–06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
Brighton Avenue School for preschool (72 students),
eight K-8 elementary schools —
Chelsea Heights School (383),
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School Complex (613),
New Jersey Avenue School (403),
New York Avenue School (587),
Richmond Avenue School (378),
Sovereign Avenue School (792),
Texas Avenue School (411) and
Uptown School Complex (732) —
Atlantic City High School
for grades 9–12 (2,574), along with
Venice Park School (35) and
Viking Academy.
Students from Brigantine
, Longport
, Margate City
and Ventnor City
attend Atlantic City High School as part of sending/receiving relationship
s with the respective school districts.
Oceanside Charter School
, which offers pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, was founded in 1999.
Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School is a Catholic elementary school
, operated under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden
.
Nearby college campuses include those of Atlantic Cape Community College
and Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
, the latter of which offers classes and resources in the city such as the Carnegie Library Center
.
On November 16, 2006, Hal Handel, CEO of Greenwood Racing, announced that the Atlantic City Race Course
would increase live racing dates from four days per year, to up to 20 days per year. www.saveacrc.com has been actively involved in expanding racing at the Atlantic City Race Course and created the movement to bring full time racing back to ACRC in 2005.
WAYV
95.1 FM – Top 40
WTTH
96.1 FM – Urban AC (The Touch)
WFPG
96.9 FM – AC (Lite Rock 96.9)
WENJ 97.3 FM – ESPN Radio/Sports
WTKU 98.3 FM – Classic Hits (Kool 98.3)
WZBZ
99.3 FM – Rhythmic (Kiss FM)
WZXL
100.7 FM – Rock (The Rock Station)
WWAC 102.7 FM – Top 40 (AC 102.7)
WMGM
103.7 FM – Mainstream Rock (WMGM Rocks)
WSJO
104.9 FM – Hot AC (Sojo 104.9)
WPUR
107.3 FM – Country (Cat Country 107.3)
WWJZ
640 AM – Kids (Radio Disney)
WMID
1340 AM – Oldies
WOND
1400 AM – News/Talk
WENJ 1450 AM – ESPN Radio/Sports
WBSS 1490 AM – Sports
The Federal Communications Commission
has recently awarded a license for a full-power digital TV station at Atlantic City on VHF channel 4.
Atlantic City is connected to other cities in several ways. New Jersey Transit's
Atlantic City Line
runs from Philadelphia
and several smaller South Jersey communities directly to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal
at the Atlantic City Convention Center
. Within the city, public transportation is provided by New Jersey Transit
along thirteen routes, and by the Atlantic City Jitney Association
(ACJA) on another four fixed-route lines and on shuttles to and from the rail terminal.
On June 20, 2006, the board of New Jersey Transit approved a three-year trial of express train service between New York Penn Station
and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal. The approximate travel time is 2½ hours with a stop at Newark
's Penn Station and is part of the Casinos' multi-million dollar investments in Atlantic City. Most of the funding for the new transit line is provided by Harrah's Entertainment
(owners of both Harrah's Atlantic City
and Caesars Atlantic City
) and the Borgata
. The line, known as ACES (Atlantic City Express Service
), began service on February 6, 2009.
The Atlantic City Bus Terminal
is the home to local, intrastate and interstate bus companies including New Jersey Transit and Greyhound
bus lines. The Greyhound Lucky Streak Express offers service to Atlantic City from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington, D.C..
, US 30
(commonly known as the White Horse Pike), and US 40
/322
(commonly known as the Black Horse Pike
). Atlantic City has an abundance of taxi cabs and a local jitney
providing continuous service to and from the casinos and the rest of the city.
, located 9 miles (14.5 km) northwest of the city in Egg Harbor Township
. Many travelers also fly into Philadelphia International Airport
or Newark Liberty International Airport
, where there are wider selections of carriers from which to choose. The historic downtown Bader Field
airport is now permanently closed and plans are in the works to redevelop the land.
The two airlines serving Atlantic City International Airport
are AirTran Airways
and Spirit Airlines
.
AirTran Airways
provides direct service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
in Atlanta.
Spirit Airlines
provides direct service to Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. Both are Low-cost carrier
s.
is a health system based in Atlantic City. Founded in 1898, it includes two hospitals; the Atlantic City Campus and the Mainland Campus in Pomona, New Jersey
. It has Atlantic City's only cancer institute, heart institute, and neonatal intensive care unit.
provides natural gas
to the city under the South Jersey Gas division. Marina Energy and its subsidiary
, Energenic, a joint business venture
with a long-time business partner
, operate two Thermal plants in the city. The Marina Thermal Plant serves the Borgata while a second plant serves the Resorts Hotel and Casino. Another Thermal plant is the Midtown Thermal Control Center on Atlantic and Ohio Avenues built by Conectiv.
Electrical power in Atlantic City as well as the surrounding area is primarily served by Atlantic City Electric
, with power sources coming from the Beesley's Point Generating Station
in Upper Township
, as well as other locations.
The Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm
, opened in 2005, is the first onshore coastal wind farm
in the United States. In October 2010, North American Offshore Wind Conference was held in the city and included tours of the facility and potential sites for further development. In February 2011, the state passed legislation permitting the construction of windmills for electricity along pre-existing piers, such as the Steel Pier
. The first phase of the Atlantic Wind Connection
, a planned electrical transmission backbone
along the Jersey Shore
is planned to be operational in 2013.
The development of wind power in New Jersey
could lead to the construction of the first American windfarm
using offshore wind power
off the coast at Atlantic City as early as 2012. In May 2011, Cape May
-based Fisherman's Energy gained New Jersey approval for a demonstration project to built six wind turbines 2.5 miles (4 km) off the coast called "Fisherman's Atlantic City Windfarm". The project still needs a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit before construction can begin. Sited in state waters, less than 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) from shore, it will not require other federal approval. It will have power generation capacity of less than 25 megawatts and will cost between $250 million to $300 million. The project may come on line late 2012, making the first commercial offshore wind farms in the USA, earning the city the title of "Birthplace of Offshore Wind Energy in the Americas".
City (New Jersey)
A City in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Atlantic County
Atlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island
Absecon Island
Absecon Island is a barrier island located on the Jersey Shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. On the island are the resort communities of Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and Longport...
on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. , the city has a population of 39,558. There were 274,549 people living in the Atlantic City–Hammonton
Hammonton, New Jersey
Hammonton is a town in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 14,791. It is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad currently used by New Jersey...
metropolitan statistical area.
Atlantic City officially became a city in 1854. The new city contained portions of Egg Harbor Township
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 43,323, a growth of more than 40% since the previous enumeration....
and Galloway Township
Galloway Township, New Jersey
Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 37,349...
.
The three routes into Atlantic City are the Black Horse Pike
Black Horse Pike
The Black Horse Pike is a designation used for a number of different roadways that had been part of a historic route connecting the Camden area to the area of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Roadways now bearing the Black Horse Pike designation include portions of New Jersey Route 168, New Jersey Route...
/Harding Highway (US 322
U.S. Route 322 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 322 is a U.S. highway running from Cleveland, Ohio east to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The easternmost segment of the route in New Jersey runs from the Commodore Barry Bridge over the Delaware River in Logan Township, Glocuester County, where it continues into Chester, Pennsylvania,...
/40
U.S. Route 40 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 40 is a U.S. highway running from Park City, Utah east to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The easternmost segment of the route runs through the southern part of New Jersey between the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where it continues...
), White Horse Pike (US 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
) and the Atlantic City Expressway
Atlantic City Expressway
The Atlantic City Expressway is a , controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority...
. Atlantic City is roughly 120 miles south of New York City by road, 62 miles southeast of Philadelphia, and borders Absecon, Brigantine, Pleasantville, Ventnor and West Atlantic City (part of Egg Harbor Township).
Early days
Because of its location in South JerseySouth Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...
, hugging the Atlantic Ocean between marshlands and islands, Atlantic City presented itself as prime real estate and a potential resort town for developers. In 1853, the first commercial hotel, The Belloe House, located at Massachusetts and Atlantic Avenue, was built.
The city was incorporated in 1854, the same year in which the Camden and Atlantic Railroad train service began. Built on the edge of the bay, this served as the direct link of this remote parcel of land with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By 1874, almost 500,000 passengers a year were coming to Atlantic City by rail.
The first boardwalk was built in 1870, along a portion of the beach to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. Because of its effectiveness and popularity the boardwalk was expanded and modified several times in the following years. The historic length of the boardwalk, before the 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane
1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane
The Great Atlantic Hurricane in 1944 was an intense Atlantic hurricane sometimes compared to the New England Hurricane of 1938.-Meteorological history:...
, was about 7 miles (11.3 km) and it extended from Atlantic City to Longport
Longport, New Jersey
Longport is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean shore of Absecon Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 895....
, through Ventnor
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
and Margate
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...
.
The first official road from the mainland to the island was completed in 1870, after 17 years of construction. The road, which ran from Pleasantville
Pleasantville, New Jersey
-Local government:Pleasantville operates under the City form of New Jersey municipal government, led by a Mayor and a seven-member City Council. The City Council consists of two members elected from wards to three-year terms, and five members elected at-large to four-year terms in office, all of...
, had a toll of thirty cents. The first free road was Albany Avenue, constructed over the meadows from Pleasantville.
By 1878 because of the growing popularity of the city, one railroad line could no longer keep up with demand. Soon, the Philadelphia-Atlantic City railroad
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in southern New Jersey in the 20th century. It was created as a joint venture of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company .- History :...
and the Reading railroad
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in southern New Jersey in the 20th century. It was created as a joint venture of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company .- History :...
were constructed to transport tourists to Atlantic City. At this point massive hotels like The United States and Surf House, as well as smaller rooming houses, had sprung up all over town. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Pacific, Delaware, and Maryland Avenues. These hotels were not only impressive in size, but featured the most updated amenities, and were considered quite luxurious for their time. On Wednesday June 16, 1880, Atlantic City was formally opened.
Boom period
Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel
The Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel was a historic resort hotel property in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built in 1902-1906, demolished in 1979.In 1902, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the Boardwalk, and built the Queen Anne style Marlborough House. The hotel was financially...
and the Traymore Hotel
Traymore Hotel
The Traymore Hotel was a resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Begun as a small boarding house in 1879, the hotel expanded and became one of the city's premier resorts. As Atlantic City began to decline in its popularity as a resort town, during the 1950s and 1960s, the Traymore diminished in...
.
In 1903, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the boardwalk and built the Queen Anne style
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
Marlborough House. The hotel was a hit and, in 1905–06, he chose to expand the hotel and bought another parcel of land next door to his Marlborough House. In an effort to make his new hotel a source of conversation, White hired the architectural firm of Price and McLanahan. The firm made use of reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
, a new building material invented by Jean-Louis Lambot in 1848 (Joseph Monier received the patent in 1867). The hotel’s Spanish and Moorish themes, capped off with its signature dome and chimneys, represented a step forward from other hotels that had a classically designed influence. White named the new hotel the Blenheim and merged the two hotels into the Marlborough-Blenheim. Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was...
was later constructed at this location.
The Traymore Hotel was located at the corner of Illinois Avenue and the boardwalk. Begun in 1879 as a small boarding house, the hotel grew through a series of uncoordinated expansions. By 1914, the hotel’s owner, Daniel White, taking a hint from the Marlborough-Blenheim, commissioned the firm of Price and McLanahan to build an even bigger hotel. Sixteen stories high, the tan brick and gold-capped hotel would become one of the city’s best-known landmarks. The hotel made use of ocean-facing hotel rooms by jutting its wings farther from the main portion of the hotel along Pacific Avenue.
One by one, additional large hotels were constructed along the boardwalk, including the Brighton, Chelsea, Shelburne, Ambassador, Ritz Carlton, Mayflower, Madison House, and the Breakers. The Quaker-owned Chalfonte House, opened in 1868, and Haddon House, opened in 1869, flanked North Carolina Avenue at the beach end. Their original wood-frame structures would be enlarged, and even moved closer to the beach, over the years. The modern Chalfonte Hotel, eight stories tall, opened in 1904. The modern Haddon Hall was built in stages and was completed in 1929, at eleven stories. By this time, they were under the same ownership and merged into the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel, becoming the city's largest hotel with nearly 1,000 rooms. By 1930, the Claridge, the city's last large hotel before the casinos, opened its doors. The 400-room Claridge was built by a partnership that included renowned Philadelphia contractor John McShain
John McShain
John McShain was a highly successful American building contractor known as "The Man Who Built Washington."...
. At 24 stories, it would become known as the "Skyscraper By The Sea." The city became known as the "The World's Playground.
In 1883, the Salt water taffy
Salt water taffy
Salt water taffy is a variety of soft taffy originally produced and marketed in the Atlantic City, New Jersey, area beginning in the late 19th century.-Etymology:...
was conceived in Atlantic city by David Bradley, who later produced and marketed the taffy in the Atlantic City area. While unconfirmed, a popular belief of its creation came after Bradley's shop was flooded after a major storm. His entire stock of taffy was soaked with salty Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
water. When a young girl came into his shop and asked if he had any taffy for sale, he is said to have offered some "salt water taffy." At the time it was a joke, because all his taffy had been soaked with salt water, but the girl was delighted, she bought the candy and proudly walked down to the beach to show her friends. Bradley's mother was in the back and heard the exchange. She loved the name and so salt water taffy
Salt water taffy
Salt water taffy is a variety of soft taffy originally produced and marketed in the Atlantic City, New Jersey, area beginning in the late 19th century.-Etymology:...
was born.
Prohibition era
In the 1920s, with tourism at its peak, many historians consider this decade Atlantic City's golden age. During ProhibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, much liquor was consumed and gambling regularly took place in the back rooms of nightclubs and restaurants.
It was during Prohibition, which was enacted nationally in 1919 and lasted until 1933, that racketeer and political boss Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson
Enoch L. Johnson
Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson was an Atlantic City, New Jersey political boss and racketeer. From the 1910s until his imprisonment in 1941, he was the undisputed “boss” of the Republican political machine that controlled Atlantic City and the Atlantic County government...
rose to power. Prohibition was effectively unenforced in Atlantic City, and, as a result, the resort's popularity grew further. The city then dubbed itself as "The World's Playground". Most of Nucky Johnson’s income came from the percentage he took on every gallon of illegal liquor sold, and on gambling and prostitution operations in Atlantic City.
During this time, Atlantic City was under the mayoral reign of Edward L. Bader
Edward L. Bader
Edward Lawrence Bader was an American politician who served as Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey for much of the Roaring Twenties, when the city was arguably at the peak of its popularity, as a vacation spot...
, known for his contributions to the construction, athletics and aviation of Atlantic City. Despite the opposition of many others, he purchased land that became the city's municipal airport and high school football stadium; both of which were later named Bader Field
Bader Field
Bader Field , also known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport, was a city-owned public-use general aviation airport located in west of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It was approximately one mile from the terminus of U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 322. Bader Field...
in his honor. He led the initiative, in 1923, to construct the Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School is a four-year public high school located in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Atlantic City School District. The current school building opened in 1994 and holds approximately 2,500 students...
at Albany and Atlantic Avenues. Bader, in November 1923, initiated a public referendum, during the general election, at which time residents approved the construction of a Convention Center. The city passed an ordinance approving a bond issue for $1.5 million to be used for the purchase of land for Convention Hall, now known as the Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
, finalized September 30, 1924. Bader was also a driving force behind the creation of the Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
competition.
Decline and resurgence
Like many older east coast cities after World War II, Atlantic City became plagued with poverty, crime, corruption, and disinvestment
Disinvestment
Disinvestment, sometimes referred to as divestment, refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott, with specific emphasis on liquidating stock, to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change...
in the mid-to-late 20th century. The neighborhood known as the "Inlet" became particularly impoverished. The reasons for the resort's decline were multi-layered. First of all, the automobile became more readily available to many Americans after the war. Atlantic City had initially relied upon visitors coming by train and staying for a couple of weeks. The car allowed them to come and go as they pleased, and many people would spend only a few days, rather than weeks. Also, the advent of suburbia played a huge role. With many families moving to their own private houses, luxuries such as home air conditioning and swimming pools diminished their interest in flocking to the luxury beach resorts during the hot summer. But perhaps the biggest factor in the decline in Atlantic City's popularity came from cheap, fast jet service to other premiere resorts, such as Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
and the Bahamas.
1964 Democratic National Convention
The 1964 Democratic National Convention was the 1964 presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party. It took place at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey from August 24 to 27, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson -- who had been Vice President under...
which nominated Lyndon Johnson for President and Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
as Vice President. The convention and the press coverage it generated, however, cast a harsh light on Atlantic City, which by then was in the midst of a long period of economic decline. Many felt that the friendship between Johnson and the Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
at that time, Richard J. Hughes
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 45th Governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973–1979...
, led Atlantic City to host the Democratic Convention.
By the late 1960s, many of the resort's once great hotels were suffering from embarrassing vacancy rates. Most of them were either shut down, converted to cheap apartments, or converted to nursing home facilities by the end of the decade. Prior to and during the advent of legalized gaming
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, many of these hotels were demolished. The Breakers, the Chelsea, the Brighton, the Shelburne, the Mayflower, the Traymore
Traymore Hotel
The Traymore Hotel was a resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Begun as a small boarding house in 1879, the hotel expanded and became one of the city's premier resorts. As Atlantic City began to decline in its popularity as a resort town, during the 1950s and 1960s, the Traymore diminished in...
, and the Marlborough-Blenheim
Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel
The Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel was a historic resort hotel property in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built in 1902-1906, demolished in 1979.In 1902, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the Boardwalk, and built the Queen Anne style Marlborough House. The hotel was financially...
were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s. Of the many pre-casino resorts that bordered the boardwalk, only the Claridge, the Dennis, the Ritz-Carlton, and the Haddon Hall survive to this day as parts of Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was...
, a condo complex, and Resorts Atlantic City
Resorts Atlantic City
Not to be confused with the Las Vegas, Nevada based casino/resort operator Resorts International Holdings.Resorts Casino Hotel is a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Resorts was the first casino hotel in Atlantic City, becoming the first legal casino outside of Nevada in the United...
. The old Ambassador Hotel was gutted to become the Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City, only reusing the steelwork of the original building. Smaller hotels off the boardwalk, such as the Madison
Madison Hotel (Atlantic City)
The Madison Hotel is located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The building was built in 1929 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 20, 1984.The 14 story building was once part of Sands Atlantic City.-See also:...
also survived.
Legalized gambling
In an effort at revitalizing the city, New Jersey voters in 1976 approved casinoCasino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
gambling for Atlantic City; this came after a 1974 referendum on legalized gambling failed to pass. Immediately after the legislation passed, the owners of the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel began converting it into the Resorts International. It was the first legal casino in the eastern United States when it opened on May 26, 1978. Other casinos were soon constructed along the Boardwalk and, later, in the marina district for a total of eleven today. The introduction of gambling did not, however, quickly eliminate many of the urban problems that plagued Atlantic City. Many have argued that it only served to magnify those problems, as evidenced in the stark contrast between tourism-intensive areas and the adjacent impoverished working-class neighborhoods. In addition, Atlantic City has played second-fiddle to Las Vegas, as a gambling city in the United States, although in the late 1970s and 1980s, when Las Vegas was experiencing a massive drop in tourism due to crime, particularly the Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
's role, and other economic factors, Atlantic City was favored over Las Vegas. The rise of Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
in boxing, having most of his fights in Atlantic City in the '80s, also helped Atlantic City burst into the national spotlight as a gambling resort. Numerous highrise condominiums were built for use as permanent residences or second homes. By end of the decade it was the most popular tourist destination in the States.
Modern day
With the redevelopment of Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and the opening of two casinos in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in the early 1990s, Atlantic City's tourism began to slide. Determined to expand, in 1999 the Atlantic City Redevelopment Authority partnered with Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn to develop a new roadway to a barren section of the city near the Marina. Nicknamed "The Tunnel Project", Steve Wynn planned the proposed 'Mirage Atlantic City' around the idea that he would connect the $330 million, 2.5-mile (4.0 km) tunnel from the Atlantic City Expressway
Atlantic City Expressway
The Atlantic City Expressway is a , controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority...
to his new resort. The roadway was later officially named the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector
Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector
The Atlantic City – Brigantine Connector, also known as the Atlantic City Expressway Connector or simply the Brigantine Connector, is a highway connector in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It connects the Atlantic City Expressway with Route 87, which leads into Brigantine, a beach resort along the...
. The highway funnels incoming traffic off the expressway into the city's marina district and Brigantine, New Jersey
Brigantine, New Jersey
Brigantine is an island city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,450....
.
Although Wynn's plans for development in the city were scrapped in 2002, the tunnel opened in 2001. The new roadway prompted Boyd Gaming in partnership with MGM/Mirage to build Atlantic City's newest casino. The Borgata
Borgata
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International...
opened in July 2003, and its success brought an influx of developers to Atlantic City with plans on building grand Las Vegas style mega casinos to revitalize the aging city. MGM/Mirage due to problems with regards to their dealings with Stanley Ho in Macau were later forced to divest their shares of the Borgata resort.
Due to economic conditions and the late-2000s recession, many proposed mega casinos never moved further than the initial planning stages. One of these developers Pinnacle Entertainment
Pinnacle Entertainment
Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. is a gaming and hospitality company based in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada that was created in 1938. It owns and operates casinos in the United States and Argentina.- Company names over time :...
, who purchased the Sands Atlantic City
Sands Atlantic City
The Sands Casino Hotel was a casino and hotel that operated from August 31, 1980 until November 11, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was formerly known as the Brighton Hotel & Casino. It consisted of a 21-story hotel tower with 532 rooms and a 5-story podium housing the casino and various...
, permanently closing it on November 11, 2006. The following year, the resort was demolished in a dramatic, Las Vegas styled implosion, the first of its kind in Atlantic City. While Pinnacle Entertainment intended to replace it with a $1.5–2 billion casino resort, the company canceled its construction plans and plans to sell the land. The biggest disappointment was when MGM Resorts International announced that it would pull out of all development for Atlantic City, effectively killing their plans for the MGM Grand Atlantic City
MGM Grand Atlantic City
MGM Grand Atlantic City was a planned resort casino by MGM Mirage in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was to be located on of land between the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and Harrah's Atlantic City....
.
In 2006, Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
purchased 20 acres directly north of the Showboat Atlantic City Hotel and Casino
Showboat Atlantic City
Showboat Atlantic City is a Mardi Gras themed casino located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1998, the property was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment, now Caesars Entertainment, which has since sold off similar Showboat themed properties in other cities. The Showboat is currently the...
for a new $2 billion-plus casino resort. Revel Entertainment Group was named as the project's developer for the Revel Casino. Revel was hit with many problems, with the biggest blow to the company being in April 2010 when Morgan Stanley, the owner of 90% of Revel Entertainment Group, decided to discontinue funding for continued construction and put its stake in Revel up for sale. Early in 2010 the N.J. state legislature passed a bill offering tax incentives to attract new investors and complete the job, but a poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
's PublicMind released in March 2010 showed that three of five voters (60%) opposed the legislation, and two of three of those who opposed it "strongly" opposed it. Ultimately, Governor Chris Christie offered Revel $261 million in state tax credits to assist the casino once it opens. , Revel has completed all of the exterior work and has continued work on the interior after finally receiving the funding necessary to complete construction. It is scheduled to be opened for summer 2012.
Tourism district
In July 2010, Governor Chris Christie announced that a state takeover of the city and local government "was imminent". Comparing regulations in Atlantic City to an "antique car", Atlantic City regulatory reform is a key piece of Gov. Chris Christie's plan, unveiled on July 22, to reinvigorate an industry mired in a four-year slump in revenue and hammered by fresh competition from casinos in the surrounding states of DelawareDelaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and more recently, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. In January 2011, Chris Christie announced the Atlantic City Tourism District, a state-run district encompassing the boardwalk casinos, the marina casinos, the Atlantic City Outlets, and Bader Field
Bader Field
Bader Field , also known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport, was a city-owned public-use general aviation airport located in west of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It was approximately one mile from the terminus of U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 322. Bader Field...
. Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
's PublicMind poll surveyed N.J. voters' attitudes on the takeover. The February 16th, 2011 survey showed that 43% opposed the measure while 29% favored direct state oversight. Interestingly, the poll also found that even South Jersey voters expressed opposition to the plan; 40% reported they opposed the measure and 37% reported they were in favor of it.
On April 29, 2011, the boundaries for the state-run tourism district were set. The district would include heavier police presence, as well as beautification and infrastructure improvements. The CRDA would oversee all functions of the district and will make changes to attract new businesses and attractions. New construction would be ambitious and may resort to eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
.
The tourism district would comprise several key areas in the city; the Marina District, Ducktown
Ducktown, Atlantic City
Ducktown is a historically Italian American district of Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States, stretching from Missouri Avenue to Texas Avenue...
, Chelsea, South Inlet, Bader Field
Bader Field
Bader Field , also known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport, was a city-owned public-use general aviation airport located in west of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It was approximately one mile from the terminus of U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 322. Bader Field...
, and Gardner's Basin. Also included are 10 roadways that lead into the district, including several in the city's northern end, or North Beach. Gardner's Basin, which is home to the Atlantic City Aquarium, was initially left out of the tourism district, while a residential neighborhood in the Chelsea section was removed from the final boundaries due to complaints from the city. Also, the inclusion of Bader Field in the district was controversial and received much scrutiny from mayor Lorenzo Langford, who cast the lone "no" vote on the creation of the district citing its inclusion.
Casino resorts
Atlantic City is considered the "Gambling Capital of the East Coast" and is second to Las Vegas in number of casinos, yearly gaming revenue, and number of rooms. The Atlantic City Skyline has been transformed by construction of new casino hotels and condominiums.Casino Hotels
| Casino | Opening Date: | Theme: | Number of Rooms: | Parent Company: | District: |
| ACH Casino Resort | December 12, 1980 | Beach Resort | 800 | Colony Capital | Downbeach |
| Bally's Atlantic City Bally's Atlantic City Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was... |
December 29, 1979 | Modern | 1,753 | Caesars Entertainment | Midtown |
| The Borgata | July 2, 2003 | Tuscany | 2,802 | Marina District Development Marina District Development The Marina District Development Company, LLC is a joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corporation and a divestiture trust for MGM Resorts International that was established to develop and operate The Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey... |
The Marina |
| Caesars Atlantic City Caesars Atlantic City Caesars Atlantic City is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Like Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, it has an ancient Roman theme. Atlantic City's second casino, it opened in 1979 as the Caesars Boardwalk Regency. The . casino has over 3,400 slot machines, and is one of... |
June 26, 1979 | Roman Empire | 1,158 | Caesars Entertainment | Midtown |
| Harrah's Atlantic City Harrah's Atlantic City Harrah's Resort Atlantic City is a hotel and casino, located in the marina district of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and is Harrah's flagship casino.The casino is one of three in the marina district of the city, along with the Borgata and the Golden Nugget... |
November 27, 1980 | Marina Waterfront | 2,588 | Caesars Entertainment | The Marina |
| Golden Nugget Atlantic City Golden Nugget Atlantic City The Golden Nugget Atlantic City was a casino from 1980 to 1987 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is currently the Atlantic City Hilton.It was built in 1980 by a partnership of Golden Nugget Companies and Michael R. Milken for $140 million.... |
June 19, 1985 | Gold Rush Era | 728 | Landry's Restaurants Landry's Restaurants -External links:*... |
The Marina |
| Resorts Casino Hotel | May 28, 1978 | Roaring Twenties | 942 | DGMB Casinos | Uptown |
| Showboat Atlantic City Showboat Atlantic City Showboat Atlantic City is a Mardi Gras themed casino located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1998, the property was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment, now Caesars Entertainment, which has since sold off similar Showboat themed properties in other cities. The Showboat is currently the... |
April 2, 1987 | Mardi Gras | 1,331 | Caesars Entertainment | Uptown |
| Tropicana Atlantic City | November 26, 1981 | Old Havana | 2,129 | Tropicana Entertainment Tropicana Entertainment Tropicana Entertainment Inc, is a privately owned but publicly reporting corporation located in Las Vegas, Nevada, that owns or operates 9 casinos and resorts in the United States.... |
Downbeach |
| Trump Plaza | May 26, 1984 | Luxury Resort | 906 | Trump Entertainment Resorts Trump Entertainment Resorts Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. is a holding company that owns and manages two casinos/hotels in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. Formerly known as Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, it was founded by Donald J. Trump, who was Chairman of the Board of Directors until his resignation in 2009.... |
Midtown |
| Trump Taj Mahal Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort The Trump Taj Mahal is located at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States, in the casino area along the shore. The casino is one of two owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts... |
April 2, 1990 | Taj Mahal | 2,248 | Trump Entertainment Resorts Trump Entertainment Resorts Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. is a holding company that owns and manages two casinos/hotels in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. Formerly known as Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, it was founded by Donald J. Trump, who was Chairman of the Board of Directors until his resignation in 2009.... |
Uptown |
Gambling Halls
| Casino | Opening Date: | Theme: | Number of Rooms: | Parent Company: | District: |
| The Wild Wild West Casino The Wild Wild West Casino The Wild Wild West Casino is a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, it was originally an expansion of Bally's Atlantic City, but in recent years it has been considered a separate property... |
July 2, 1997 | American Old West | N/A (shared with Bally's) | Caesars Entertainment | Midtown |
Under Construction
| Casino | Opening Date: | Theme: | Number of Rooms: | Parent Company: | District: |
| Revel | May 15, 2012 | Oceanfront | 1,100 | Revel Entertainment Group | Uptown |
Planned
| Casino | Opening Date: | Theme: | Number of Rooms: | Parent Company: | District: |
| Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Atlantic City) Hard Rock Atlantic City is a potential $460 million resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, opening in Spring 2014. The location of the planned casino is at the Boardwalk and Albany Avenue, near the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 322 and U.S... |
Spring 2014 | Rock & Roll | 850 | Hard Rock | Downbeach |
Boardwalk
The Atlantic City Boardwalk was one of the first boardwalks of its type in the United States, having opened on June 26, 1870.Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
. Casino/hotels front the boardwalk, as well as retail stores, restaurants, and amusements. Notable attractions include the Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
, House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
, and the Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
museum.
The Boardwalk has been home to several piers over the years. The first pier, Ocean Pier, was built in 1882. It eventually fell into disrepair and was demolished. Another famous pier built during that time was Steel Pier
Steel Pier
Steel Pier is a amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, located opposite The Boardwalk from Trump Taj Mahal.The pier was owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts until 2011, when it was sold to the Catanoso Family under the "Steel Pier Associates, LLC" name. The Catanosos previously leased the...
, opened in 1898, which once billed itself as "The Showplace of the Nation". It now operates as an amusement pier across from the Trump Taj Mahal. The Million Dollar Pier opened as an arcade hall in 1906 and was transformed into a shopping mall in the 1980s, known as "Shops on Ocean One". In 2006, the Ocean One mall was bought, renovated and re-branded as The Pier Shops at Caesars
The Pier Shops at Caesars
The Pier Shops at Caesars is a luxury shopping mall located on a four-story pier adjacent to Caesars Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is connected to the casino via a second-story skybridge. Constructed by Perini Building Company of Framingham, MA...
. Garden Pier, located opposite Revel Atlantic City
Revel Atlantic City
Revel Atlantic City, commonly referred to as Revel, is an entertainment resort, hotel, casino and spa under construction in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States on beachfront of land adjacent to the Showboat Hotel & Casino....
, once housed a movie theater, and is now home to the Atlantic City Historical Society and Arts Center. Two other piers, an amusement pier named Steeplechase Pier and a Heinz 57
Heinz 57
Heinz 57 is a shortened, popular form of the "57 Varieties" slogan ofPittsburgh's H. J. Heinz Company. In its early days, the company wanted to advertise the great number of choices of canned and bottled foods it offered for sale. Although the company had more than 60 products in 1892, the number...
-owned pier named Heinz Pier were destroyed in The Great Hurricane of 1944. The last of the four piers still standing is Schiff's Central Pier, which is the only one still offering the same attractions it did when it opened - a few stores, and arcade, and a Go-Kart track.
Shopping
Atlantic City has many different shopping districts and malls, many of which are located inside or adjacent to the casino resorts. Several smaller themed retail and dining areas in casino hotels include the Borgata Shops and The Shoppes at Water Club inside the Borgata, the Waterfront Shops inside of Harrah's, Spice Road inside the Trump Taj Mahal, while Resorts Casino Hotel has a small collection of stores and restaurants. Major shopping malls are also located in and around Atlantic City.- Atlantic City Outlets The Walk, an outdoor outlet shopping center spanning several blocks. The only outlet mall in South Jersey, The Walk first opened in 2003 and is currently undergoing an expansion.
- The Quarter at TropicanaThe Quarter at TropicanaThe Quarter at Tropicana is an Old Havana-themed enclosed shopping mall located at the Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It contains over 40 stores, nine restaurants, eleven nightclubs, and a spa.-History:...
, an old Havana-themed indoor shopping center at the Tropicana, which contains over 40 stores, restaurants, and nightclubs. - Pier Shops at Caesars, an underwater-themed indoor high end shopping center located on the Million Dollar Pier which was formerly known as "Shops on Ocean One". The four-story shopping mall contains themed floors as well as a fountain show.
- Shore MallShore MallShore Mall is a regional mall, opened in 1968, located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey on U.S. Route 40 / U.S. Route 322. The mall is accessible from Exit 36 off the Garden State Parkway. The mall is owned by Cedar Shopping Centers. The mall has a gross leasable area of 620,000 ft², located...
in nearby Egg Harbor TownshipEgg Harbor Township, New JerseyEgg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 43,323, a growth of more than 40% since the previous enumeration....
is anchored by discount anchors Boscov'sBoscov'sBoscov's is an American department store founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911. The first store was in Reading, Pennsylvania, and today 40 stores are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Delaware....
and Burlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, as well as a movie theater and several recently opened restaurants, including Golden CorralGolden CorralGolden Corral is an American family-style restaurant chain that features a large buffet and grill offering numerous hot and cold items, a carving station and their Brass Bell Bakery...
, which opened in 2010. - Hamilton MallHamilton MallThe Hamilton Mall is a major shopping destination in Mays Landing, in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 1987, the two-story enclosed mall is anchored by J.C. Penney, Macy's and Sears .The mall is adjacent to the Black Horse Pike and U.S...
in nearby Mays LandingMays Landing, New JerseyMays Landing is a census-designated place located within Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 2,321. It is the county seat of Atlantic County...
, anchored by Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, JCPenney, and Sears, contains over 140 stores and several restaurants. - Smithville Towne Center and Village Greene, a complex of over 60 stores and restaurants centered around a lake in historic Smithville, a section of Galloway TownshipGalloway Township, New JerseyGalloway Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 37,349...
. The center contains boutique stores, paddleboats, a hotel, as well as small amusement rides.
Exhibition
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
, formally known as the "Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall", is an arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Atlantic City along the boardwalk. Boardwalk Hall was Atlantic City's primary convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
until the opening of the Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City Convention Center
The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large convention center located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, the center includes of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton hotel.-History:The Center was...
in 1997. The Atlantic City Convention Center includes 500000 sq ft (46,451.5 m²) of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with 109000 sq ft (10,126.4 m²) of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
hotel. Both the Boardwalk Hall and Convention Center are operated by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.
Monopoly
Atlantic City has become well-known over the years for its portrayal in the U.S. version of the popular board game, MonopolyMonopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
, in which properties on the board are named after locations in and near Atlantic City. While the original incarnation of the game did not feature Atlantic City, it was in Indianapolis that Ruth Hoskins learned the game, and took it back to Atlantic City. After she arrived, Hoskins made a new board with Atlantic City street names, and taught it to a group of local Quakers.
Some board elements have been changed since the game's release. Illinois Avenue was renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in the 1980s. St. Charles Place no longer exists, as the Showboat Casino Hotel was developed where it once ran.
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, "Marven Gardens
Marven Gardens
Marven Gardens is a housing area in Margate City, New Jersey, in the United States, located two miles south of Atlantic City. It is famous as a Yellow property on the original Atlantic City version of the Monopoly game board, although the game misspelled the name as Marvin Gardens...
". The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker Brothers. It was not until 1995 that Parker Brothers acknowledged this mistake and formally apologized to the residents of Marven Gardens for the misspelling.
The "Short Line" is believed to refer to the Shore Fast Line
Shore Fast Line
The Shore Fast Line was a line of fast trolley cars running from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Ocean City, New Jersey, by way of the mainland communities of Pleasantville, Northfield, Linwood and Somers Point. The line ran from 1907 until 1948...
, a streetcar line
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
that served Atlantic City. The B&O Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
did not serve Atlantic City. A booklet included with the reprinted 1935 edition states that the four railroads that served Atlantic City in the mid 1930s were the Jersey Central
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
, the Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in southern New Jersey in the 20th century. It was created as a joint venture of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company .- History :...
, the Reading Railroad
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
, and the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
.
The actual "Electric Company" and "Water Works" serving the city are respectively, Atlantic City Electric Company and the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority.
Attractions
William Frank Carver
William Frank "Doc" Carver was a late 19th century sharpshooter and creator of a popular diving horse attraction. He was born at Winslow, Illinois, to William Daniel Carver, a physician, and Deborah Tohapenes Carver . The parents had migrated to Illinois from Pennsylvania in 1849...
. The Steel Pier featured several other novelty attractions, including baby animals on display and a water circus. Advertisements for the Steel Pier in its heyday featured plaster sculptures set upon wooden bases along roads leading up to Atlantic City. By the end of WW2, many animal demonstrations declined in popularity after criticisms of animal abuse and neglect.
Rolling chairs, which were introduced in the 1800s, have been a boardwalk fixture to this day. The wicker, canopied chairs-on-wheels are manually pushed the length of the boardwalk by attendants, much like a Rickshaw.
The Absecon Light
Absecon Light
The Absecon Light is a coastal lighthouse located in the north end of Atlantic City, New Jersey overlooking Absecon Inlet. It is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit...
is a coastal lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located in the north end of Atlantic City overlooking Absecon Inlet
Absecon Inlet
Absecon Inlet is a narrow strait on the southeastern coast of New Jersey in the United States.Absecon Inlet leads from the Atlantic Ocean through barrier islands in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Its southern shore is the north end of Absecon Island, on which lies Atlantic City, New Jersey...
. It is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit on January 15, 1857. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and although the light still shines every night, it is no longer an active navigational aid.
While located two miles south of Atlantic City in Margate City
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...
, Lucy the Elephant
Lucy the Elephant
Elephant hotel redirects here. For the National Historic Landmark located in Somers, New York, see Elephant Hotel.Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped example of novelty architecture, constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1882 by James V...
has become almost an icon for the Atlantic City area. Lucy is a six-story elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
-shaped example of novelty architecture
Novelty architecture
Novelty architecture is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes as a novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the owner or architect. Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that...
, constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1882 by James V. Lafferty
James V. Lafferty
James Vincent de Paul Lafferty, Jr. was an Irish-American inventor, most famous for his construction of Lucy the Elephant. Born to Irish parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he received Patent Number 268503, on December 5, 1882 to protect his original invention, as well as any animal-shaped...
in an effort to sell real estate and attract tourism. Over the years, Lucy had served as a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern (the last closed by Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
). Lucy had fallen into disrepair by the 1960s and was scheduled for demolition. The structure was moved and refurbished as a result of a "Save Lucy" campaign in 1970 and received designation as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1976, and is currently open as a museum.
Events
Atlantic City was the home of the Miss AmericaMiss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
competition from its founding until 2005, when it moved to Las Vegas. The Miss America competition originated on September 7, 1921, as a two-day beauty contest. The event that year was called the "Atlantic City Pageant", and the winner of the grand prize, the 3-foot Golden Mermaid trophy, was not called "Miss America" until 1922, when she re-entered the pageant. The pageant was initiated in to extend the tourist season after the Labor Day weekend The pageant has been nationally televised
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
since 1954. It peaked in the early 1960s, when it was repeatedly the highest-rated program on American television. It was seen as a symbol of the United States, with Miss America often being referred to as the female equivalent of the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The pageant's longtime emcee, Bert Parks
Bert Parks
Bert Parks, born Bertram Jacobson , was an American actor, singer, and radio and television announcer, best known for hosting the annual Miss America telecast from 1955 to 1979....
, hosted the event from 1955 to 1979. At the Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City Convention Center
The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large convention center located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, the center includes of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton hotel.-History:The Center was...
, there is an interactive statue of Parks holding a crown. When a visitor puts their head inside the crown, sensors activate a recorded playback of his "There She Is..." line through speakers hidden behind nearby bushes.
Since the departure of the Miss America pageant from the city, a LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
event known as the "Miss'd America Pageant" is held annually at the Boardwalk Hall. Originally started as a fundraiser, the event features drag queens donning the runway in a similar manner to the Miss America pageant.
Since 2003, Atlantic City has hosted Thunder over the Boardwalk
Thunder over the Boardwalk
The Thunder Over the Boardwalk Airshow is the annual airshow held over the Atlantic City boardwalk every August. Since 2003, it has set the bar for beachfront airshows across the United States and is currently one of the largest airshows in North America...
, an annual airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
over the boardwalk. The August event, a joint venture between the New Jersey Air National Guard
New Jersey Air National Guard
The New Jersey Air National Guard consists of almost 2300 Guardsmen from New Jersey.The New Jersey Air National Guard is governed through the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs....
's 177th Fighter Wing
177th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 177th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Atlantic City IAP, New Jersey.-Mission:Federal Mission: provide combat-ready citizen airmen, aircraft and equipment for worldwide deployment in support of United States Air Force objectives.State...
along with several casinos, attracts over 750,000 visitors each year.
Boardwalk Empire
In 2010, Boardwalk Empire, an American television series from cable network HBO set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition eraProhibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, has cast a new light on the city. Starring Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
, the show was adapted from a chapter about historical criminal kingpin Enoch "Nucky" Johnson
Enoch L. Johnson
Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson was an Atlantic City, New Jersey political boss and racketeer. From the 1910s until his imprisonment in 1941, he was the undisputed “boss” of the Republican political machine that controlled Atlantic City and the Atlantic County government...
in Nelson Johnson's book, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. The series is filmed in Brooklyn, New York on a set built to resemble the Atlantic City boardwalk in the 1920s.
Around the same time of the September 2010 premiere of the show, the Press of Atlantic City created “Boss of the Boardwalk,” a 45-minute documentary which premiered on August 21, 2010 on NBC TV-40
WMGM-TV
WMGM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Jersey that is licensed to Wildwood. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter along CR 601 in Swainton east of the Garden State Parkway. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 4 and in...
and aired six additional times in the following weeks.
Since the premiere of Boardwalk Empire, interest in the Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
-era Atlantic City has grown. In October 2010, a plan was revealed to renovate the ailing Resorts Casino Hotel into a Roaring Twenties theme. The re-branding was proposed by current owner Dennis Gomes, and was initiated in December 2010 when he took over the casino. The changes accentuate the resort's existing art deco design, as well as presenting new 20s-era uniforms for employees and music from the time period. The casino also introduced drinks and shows reminiscent of the period.
The actual building where he lived, The Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton Atlantic City
The Ritz-Carlton was a hotel on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built at the beginning of the Roaring Twenties and renowned for its luxurious appointments and famous guests. The building was converted to condominums in 1982.-Architecture:...
, offer tours.
In 2011, the Academy Bus
Academy Bus
Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus service in northern New Jersey, line run service to/from New York City from points in central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the northeastern United States from Boston to Northern Virginia.-Under contract to NJ...
Company began a trolley tour called "Nucky's Way", a tour bus service that features actors portraying Nucky as well as other characters as it loops around the city. Nucky's Way is the second trolley tour to capitalize off of Boardwalk Empire, after The Great American Trolley company started a weekly tour of Atlantic City with a Roaring Twenties theme in early June 2011.
On August 1, 2011, a facade modeled after the set of Boardwalk Empire was unveiled on the boardwalk in front of an empty lot at the former site of the Trump World's Fair
Trump World's Fair
Trump World's Fair at Trump Plaza was a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey that was 280 feet and 21 floors in height. It had 500 guest rooms...
resort. The facade of storefronts, which consists of vinyl tacked onto three large sections of plywood, was the brainchild of longtime area radio host Pinky Kravitz, who is also a columnist for The Press of Atlantic City.
Geography
Atlantic City is located at 39.364966°N 74.439034°W.Atlantic City is located on 8.1 miles (13 km) long Absecon Island
Absecon Island
Absecon Island is a barrier island located on the Jersey Shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. On the island are the resort communities of Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and Longport...
, along with Ventnor City
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
, Margate City
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...
and Longport
Longport, New Jersey
Longport is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean shore of Absecon Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 895....
to the southwest.
The city has a total area, according to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, of 17.35 square miles (44.9 km²), of which, 11.35 square miles (29.4 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) of it (34.58%) is water.
Climate
Atlantic City has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with some maritime moderation, especially during the summer.
Summers are typically warm and humid with a July daily average of 75.2 °F (24 °C). During this time, the city gets a sea breeze off the ocean that often makes daytime temperatures much cooler than inland areas, making Atlantic City a prime place for beating the summer heat. Average highs even just a few miles west of Atlantic City are in the mid to upper 80s in the summer. Near the coast, temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on only 5 days a year. Winters are cool, with January averaging 35.2 °F (1.8 °C), with 12 or 13 days with highs that do not break the freezing mark. Spring and autumn are erratic, although they are usually mild with low humidity.
Annual precipitation is 38 inches (97 cm) which is fairly spread throughout the year. Due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its location in South Jersey, Atlantic City receives less snow than a good portion of the rest of New Jersey. Even at the airport, snow averages only 5-15 in each winter. It is very common for rain to fall in Atlantic City while the northern and western parts of the state are receiving snow.
Demographics
As of the 2006–2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, Atlantic City had 34,769 people. The racial makeup of the city was 24.0% White, 40.0% Black or African AmericanRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 10.0% Asian, 1.8% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 18.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.6% from two or more races. 24.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.2% of the population was non-Hispanic whites.
There were a total of 20,637 housing units, with 23.9% of them vacant. Atlantic City's unemployment rate was 12.8%. The city had 26.3% of all people living below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under 18 and 22.5% of those over 65. 61.2% speak only English, while 21.3% of the population speaks Spanish.
As of the census of 2000, there were 40,517 people, 15,848 households, and 8,700 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,569.8 people per square mile (1,378.3/km2). There were 20,219 housing units at an average density of 1,781.4 per square mile (687.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 44.16% black or African American, 26.68% White, 0.48% Native American, 10.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.76% other races, and 4.47% from two or more races. 24.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.44% of the population was non-Hispanic whites.
There were 15,848 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.8% were married couples living together, 23.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,969, and the median income for a family was $31,997. Males had a median income of $25,471 versus $23,863 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,402. About 19.1% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Atlantic City is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...
system of municipal government.
The City Council is the governing body of Atlantic City. Members of Council are elected to serve for a term of four years. There are nine Council members, one from each of six wards and three serving at-large. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In addition, Council members review budgets submitted by the Mayor; provide for an annual audit of the City’s accounts and financial transactions; organize standing committees and hold public hearings to address important issues which impact Atlantic City. Former Mayor Bob Levy created the Atlantic City Ethics Board in 2007, but the Board was dissolved two years later by vote of the Atlantic City Council.
, the Mayor is Lorenzo T. Langford
Lorenzo Langford (politician)
Lorenzo Tyrone Langford is the Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey and the resort city's second African American mayor.-Biography:Langford was educated in the Atlantic City public school system and graduated from Atlantic City High School, Class of 1974...
. Members of the City Council are Aaron Randolph (1st Ward), Marty Small (2nd Ward), Vice-President Steven L. Moore (3rd Ward), President William "Speedy" Marsh (4th Ward), Dennis Mason (5th ward), Timothy Mancuso (6th Ward), Moisse Delgado (at-large), Frank M. Gilliam, Jr. (at-large) and George Tibbitt (at-large).
Mayoral disappearance and resignation
Following questions about false claims he had made about his military record, Mayor Bob Levy left City Hall in September 2007 in a city-owned vehicle for an unknown destination. After a 13 day absence, his lawyer revealed that Levy was in Carrier ClinicCarrier Clinic
Carrier Clinic is an American private, not-for-profit behavioral healthcare system, that specializes in psychiatric and addiction treatment. Carrier’s system includes: 281 licensed bed inpatient psychiatric hospital, 32 bed detoxification and rehabilitation center, a 78 bed adolescent residential...
, a rehabilitation hospital. Levy resigned in October 2007 and then-Council President William Marsh assumed the office of Mayor and served the six-week remainder of his term.
Federal, state and county representation
Atlantic City is in the 2nd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district. The legislative district was unchanged based on the results of the 2010 Census.City and State agencies
New Jersey Casino Control CommissionThe New Jersey Casino Control Commission is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1977 as the state's gaming control board
Gaming Control Board
A gaming control board , also called by various names including gambling control board, casino control board, gambling board, and gaming commission) is a government agency charged with regulating casino and other types of gaming in a defined geographical area, usually a state, and of enforcing...
, responsible for administering the Casino Control Act and its regulations to assure public trust and confidence in the credibility and integrity of the casino industry and casino operations in Atlantic City. Casinos operate under licenses granted by the Commission. The commission is headquartered in the Arcade Building at Tennessee Avenue and Boardwalk in Atlantic City.
Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
The CRDA was founded in 1984 and is responsible for directing the spending of casino reinvestment funds in public and private projects to benefit Atlantic City and other areas of the state. From 1985 through April 2008, CRDA spent US$1.5 billion on projects in Atlantic City and US$300 million throughout New Jersey.
Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority
The Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) was in charge of advertising and marketing for the city as well as promoting economic growth through convention and leisure tourism development. The ACCVA managed the Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
and Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City Convention Center
The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large convention center located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, the center includes of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton hotel.-History:The Center was...
, as well as the Boardwalk Welcome Center inside Boardwalk Hall as well as a welcome center on the Atlantic City Expressway
Atlantic City Expressway
The Atlantic City Expressway is a , controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority...
. In 2011, the ACCVA was absorbed into the CRDA as part of the state takeover that created the tourism district.
Atlantic City Special Improvement District
The Atlantic City Special Improvement District (SID) was a nonprofit organization created in 1992, which funded by a special assessment tax on businesses within the improvement district and carries out various activities to improve the city's business community, including street cleaning and promotional efforts. In 2011, the SID was absorbed by the CRDA, in which the former SID boundaries would be expanded to the include all areas in the newly formed tourism district. Under the new structure, established by state legislation, the CRDA assumed the staff, equipment and programs of the SID. The new SID division is accompanied by a SID committee made up of CRDA board members and an advisory council consisting of the current trustees and others.
Education
The Atlantic City School DistrictAtlantic City School District
Atlantic City School District is a comprehensive community public school district in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States....
serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades. Schools in the district (with 2005–06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are
Brighton Avenue School for preschool (72 students),
eight K-8 elementary schools —
Chelsea Heights School (383),
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School Complex (613),
New Jersey Avenue School (403),
New York Avenue School (587),
Richmond Avenue School (378),
Sovereign Avenue School (792),
Texas Avenue School (411) and
Uptown School Complex (732) —
Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School is a four-year public high school located in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Atlantic City School District. The current school building opened in 1994 and holds approximately 2,500 students...
for grades 9–12 (2,574), along with
Venice Park School (35) and
Viking Academy.
Students from Brigantine
Brigantine, New Jersey
Brigantine is an island city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,450....
, Longport
Longport, New Jersey
Longport is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean shore of Absecon Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 895....
, Margate City
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...
and Ventnor City
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
attend Atlantic City High School as part of sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
s with the respective school districts.
Oceanside Charter School
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
, which offers pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, was founded in 1999.
Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School is a Catholic elementary school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
, operated under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden is a particular church or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, located in New Jersey, United States, and presides over Roman Catholic parishes and schools in the six southern New Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,...
.
Nearby college campuses include those of Atlantic Cape Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in both Atlantic County and Cape May County in New Jersey. ACCC enrolls more than 6,000 students...
and Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, located in Galloway Township, New Jersey, an hour from Philadelphia and 20 minutes from Atlantic City, is an undergraduate and graduate college of the arts, sciences and professional studies of the New Jersey system of higher education. The College was...
, the latter of which offers classes and resources in the city such as the Carnegie Library Center
Carnegie Library Center
The Carnegie Library Center is the cultural and educational center of the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Atlantic City, New Jersey located at Pacific Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard one block west of the Boardwalk.-Architecture and history:...
.
Sports
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Year(s) |
| Atlantic City Diablos Atlantic City Diablos Atlantic City Diablos was an American soccer team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the... |
Soccer | NPSL National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league... |
St. Augustine Prep School | 2007–2008 |
| Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were an ECHL hockey team in Atlantic City, New Jersey from 2001 to 2005. The team's venue was the historic Boardwalk Hall, which seats 6,979.... |
Ice Hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
Boardwalk Hall Boardwalk Hall Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States... |
2001–2005 |
| Atlantic City CardSharks Atlantic City CardSharks The Atlantic City CardSharks were a professional indoor football team that played in the NIFL for a single season.... |
Indoor football | NIFL National Indoor Football League National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL... |
Boardwalk Hall Boardwalk Hall Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States... |
2004 |
| Atlantic City Surf Atlantic City Surf The Atlantic City Surf were a professional baseball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Surf was most recently a member of the Can-Am League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball... |
Baseball | Can-Am League | Bernie Robbins Stadium Bernie Robbins Stadium Bernie Robbins Stadium is a 5,500-seat baseball-only stadium in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1998. It was built as the home of the Atlantic City Surf baseball team, which discontinued operations prior to the 2009 season. College teams have also used the stadium... |
1998–2008 |
| Atlantic City Seagulls | Basketball | USBL United States Basketball League The United States Basketball League , often abbreviated to the USBL, was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.-History:... |
Atlantic City High School Atlantic City High School Atlantic City High School is a four-year public high school located in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Atlantic City School District. The current school building opened in 1994 and holds approximately 2,500 students... |
1996–2001 |
On November 16, 2006, Hal Handel, CEO of Greenwood Racing, announced that the Atlantic City Race Course
Atlantic City Race Course
The Atlantic City Race Course , formerly the Atlantic City Race Track, is a thoroughbred horse race track located in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The track is located off the Black Horse Pike next to the Hamilton Mall...
would increase live racing dates from four days per year, to up to 20 days per year. www.saveacrc.com has been actively involved in expanding racing at the Atlantic City Race Course and created the movement to bring full time racing back to ACRC in 2005.
Newspapers and magazines
- The Press of Atlantic CityThe Press of Atlantic CityThe Press of Atlantic City is a daily newspaper based in Pleasantville, New Jersey. It is the primary newspaper for most of southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore, publishing regional editions for Atlantic County, Cumberland County, Cape May County, and southern Ocean County...
(official website) - GoAC.com (official website)
- Atlantic City WeeklyAtlantic city weeklyAtlantic City Weekly , The Atlantic City Weekly, is a free newspaper based in Atlantic City since 1974. Atlantic City Weekly is the source for what's happening in South Jersey...
(official website) - Su VozSu VozSu Voz newspaper is a weekly Spanish publication in South Jersey. Su Voz services Cumberland County & Atlantic County in New Jersey....
(official website) - Casino Connection (official website)
Radio stations
Atlantic City's radio market is ranked #139 in the nation.WAYV
WAYV
WAYV is a commercial radio station located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. WAYV airs a contemporary hit radio format. It has been among the top rated and billing stations in the Atlantic City market since 1980....
95.1 FM – Top 40
WTTH
WTTH
WTTH is an urban adult contemporary music formatted radio station based in Margate City, New Jersey. It serves the general Atlantic City, NJ, metro area.-History:...
96.1 FM – Urban AC (The Touch)
WFPG
WFPG
This article is about the FM radio station. For the former WFPG AM 1450 and TV 46, see WENJ and WFPG-TV.WFPG is an adult contemporary music radio station based in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
96.9 FM – AC (Lite Rock 96.9)
WENJ 97.3 FM – ESPN Radio/Sports
WTKU 98.3 FM – Classic Hits (Kool 98.3)
WZBZ
WZBZ
WZBZ is a radio station also known as "99.3 Kiss FM" in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The station plays a Rhythmic Top 40/Rhythmic Contemporary format. It is simulcast on WSNQ.-History:...
99.3 FM – Rhythmic (Kiss FM)
WZXL
WZXL
WZXL is a radio station also known as "South Jersey's Rock Station", playing classic rock. WZXL is licensed to Wildwood, NJ....
100.7 FM – Rock (The Rock Station)
WWAC 102.7 FM – Top 40 (AC 102.7)
WMGM
WMGM (FM)
WMGM is a radio station based in Atlantic City, New Jersey playing mainstream rock. WMGM serves most of southern New Jersey from Toms River to Cape May.-History:103.7 first signed on June 14, 1961 as WOSJ, later as WMGM...
103.7 FM – Mainstream Rock (WMGM Rocks)
WSJO
WSJO
WSJO is a commercial radio station whose transmitter is located in Egg Harbor City, 20 miles northwest of Atlantic City. Unlike other most FM stations, they broadcast from Trenton in the same studio as WKXW-FM, broadcasting to the Atlantic City and greater southeastern New Jersey. WSJO airs a hot...
104.9 FM – Hot AC (Sojo 104.9)
WPUR
WPUR
WPUR is a country music formatted radio station in Atlantic City, New Jersey. WPUR is more commonly known as "Cat Country 107.3".-History:...
107.3 FM – Country (Cat Country 107.3)
WWJZ
WWJZ
WWJZ is a Radio Disney branded radio station serving the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, market. The station is owned by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney-ABC Cable Networks division. WWJZ broadcasts with a power of 50,000 watts daytime with a 4-tower array and is licensed to...
640 AM – Kids (Radio Disney)
WMID
WMID
WMID is a radio station in Atlantic City, New Jersey which plays "the classic oldies". Its parent company is Equity Communications ....
1340 AM – Oldies
WOND
WOND
WOND is an American news-talk radio station from Pleasantville, New Jersey, broadcasting to the Atlantic City, New Jersey, radio market. In the 1960s it was a Top 40 radio station, and its morning show was hosted by Bob Weems, one of the area's most well-remembered DJs. The station is home to the...
1400 AM – News/Talk
WENJ 1450 AM – ESPN Radio/Sports
WBSS 1490 AM – Sports
Television stations
- WQAV-LP Channel 34 Atlantic City (AsiaVisionAsiavisionAsiavision is a daily exchange of news by satellite among television stations in 20 countries in Asia. Launched in January 1984, it brings together many of Asia's leading broadcasters...
/IndependentIndependent stationAn independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
) - WMGM-TV Channel 40WMGM-TVWMGM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Jersey that is licensed to Wildwood. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter along CR 601 in Swainton east of the Garden State Parkway. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 4 and in...
Atlantic City (NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) - WMCN-TV Channel 53WMCN-TVWMCN-TV is an independent television station licensed in Atlantic City, New Jersey serving the Philadelphia DMA, broadcasting regionally on digital channel 44. It is also carried throughout the market by DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and most Comcast cable systems...
Atlantic City (ShopNBCShopNBCShopNBC is an American broadcast and cable home shopping network, owned and operated by ValueVision Media, which is in turn 30% owned by GE Equity and NBC Universal...
) - W60CX Channel 60WGTW-TVWGTW-TV, digital channel 27, is a Trinity Broadcasting Network-owned and operated television station licensed to Burlington, New Jersey, and serving the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area...
Atlantic City (TBNTrinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
) - WWSI-TV Channel 62WWSIWWSI, digital channel 49, is a television station licensed to Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is considered to be the Philadelphia affiliate of the Spanish-language Telemundo television network. WWSI's transmitter is in Tuckerton, New Jersey; its tower is the tallest structure in New Jersey. The...
Atlantic City (TelemundoTelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
)
The Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
has recently awarded a license for a full-power digital TV station at Atlantic City on VHF channel 4.
Rail and bus
New Jersey Transit rail operations
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
Atlantic City Line
Atlantic City Line
The Atlantic City Line is a rail line operated by New Jersey Transit between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage that was controlled by both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pennsylvania-Reading...
runs from Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and several smaller South Jersey communities directly to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal
Atlantic City Rail Terminal
The Atlantic City Rail Terminal is Atlantic City, New Jersey's train station. It is the easternmost stop on the Atlantic City Line to and from Philadelphia and the Atlantic City Express Service to and from New York City and Newark. The Atlantic City terminal is a 5-track, 3-platform terminal...
at the Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City Convention Center
The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large convention center located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Opened in 1997, the center includes of showroom space, 5 exhibit halls, 45 meeting rooms with of space, a garage with 1,400 parking spaces, and an adjacent Sheraton hotel.-History:The Center was...
. Within the city, public transportation is provided by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Bus Operations
New Jersey Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of New Jersey Transit, providing bus service throughout New Jersey along with service along one light rail line, with many routes going to New York City and Philadelphia.-History:...
along thirteen routes, and by the Atlantic City Jitney Association
Atlantic City Jitney Association
The Atlantic City Jitney Association is an association of operators of minibus service in Atlantic City, New Jersey, providing service at all times on 3 fixed routes, daytime service on a fourth fixed route, and bus-to-rail connections from the Atlantic City Rail Terminal, providing connections to...
(ACJA) on another four fixed-route lines and on shuttles to and from the rail terminal.
On June 20, 2006, the board of New Jersey Transit approved a three-year trial of express train service between New York Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal. The approximate travel time is 2½ hours with a stop at Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
's Penn Station and is part of the Casinos' multi-million dollar investments in Atlantic City. Most of the funding for the new transit line is provided by Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a private gaming corporation that owns and operates over 50 casinos, hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands. The company, based in Paradise, Nevada, is the largest gaming company in the world, with yearly revenues $8.9 billion...
(owners of both Harrah's Atlantic City
Harrah's Atlantic City
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City is a hotel and casino, located in the marina district of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and is Harrah's flagship casino.The casino is one of three in the marina district of the city, along with the Borgata and the Golden Nugget...
and Caesars Atlantic City
Caesars Atlantic City
Caesars Atlantic City is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Like Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, it has an ancient Roman theme. Atlantic City's second casino, it opened in 1979 as the Caesars Boardwalk Regency. The . casino has over 3,400 slot machines, and is one of...
) and the Borgata
Borgata
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International...
. The line, known as ACES (Atlantic City Express Service
Atlantic City Express Service
ACES is an inter-city train service offered by the Borgata, Caesars Atlantic City, and Harrah's Entertainment. It is operated by New Jersey Transit under contract, and funded by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority...
), began service on February 6, 2009.
The Atlantic City Bus Terminal
Atlantic City Bus Terminal
The Atlantic City Bus Terminal is a regional bus station and a major stop for New Jersey Transit buses in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Located at the 1900 block of Atlantic Avenue, the station is now only half its size as part of it was built for a Polo Ralph Lauren store in the Atlantic City Outlets...
is the home to local, intrastate and interstate bus companies including New Jersey Transit and Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
bus lines. The Greyhound Lucky Streak Express offers service to Atlantic City from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and Washington, D.C..
Highways
Access to Atlantic City by car is available via the 44 miles (70.8 km) Atlantic City ExpresswayAtlantic City Expressway
The Atlantic City Expressway is a , controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority...
, US 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
(commonly known as the White Horse Pike), and US 40
U.S. Route 40 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 40 is a U.S. highway running from Park City, Utah east to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The easternmost segment of the route runs through the southern part of New Jersey between the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where it continues...
/322
U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322 is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926...
(commonly known as the Black Horse Pike
Black Horse Pike
The Black Horse Pike is a designation used for a number of different roadways that had been part of a historic route connecting the Camden area to the area of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Roadways now bearing the Black Horse Pike designation include portions of New Jersey Route 168, New Jersey Route...
). Atlantic City has an abundance of taxi cabs and a local jitney
Share taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
providing continuous service to and from the casinos and the rest of the city.
Airline service
Commercial airlines serve Atlantic City via Atlantic City International AirportAtlantic City International Airport
Atlantic City International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located nine nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey...
, located 9 miles (14.5 km) northwest of the city in Egg Harbor Township
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 43,323, a growth of more than 40% since the previous enumeration....
. Many travelers also fly into Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
or Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, where there are wider selections of carriers from which to choose. The historic downtown Bader Field
Bader Field
Bader Field , also known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport, was a city-owned public-use general aviation airport located in west of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It was approximately one mile from the terminus of U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 322. Bader Field...
airport is now permanently closed and plans are in the works to redevelop the land.
The two airlines serving Atlantic City International Airport
Atlantic City International Airport
Atlantic City International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located nine nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey...
are AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
and Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
.
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
provides direct service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
in Atlanta.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
provides direct service to Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. Both are Low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s.
Healthcare
The AtlantiCare Regional Medical CenterAtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center is a health system based in Atlantic County, NJ. It includes two hospitals; the Atlantic City Campus in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Mainland Campus in Pomona, New Jersey. It has Atlantic City's only cancer institute, heart institute, and neonatal intensive...
is a health system based in Atlantic City. Founded in 1898, it includes two hospitals; the Atlantic City Campus and the Mainland Campus in Pomona, New Jersey
Pomona, New Jersey
Pomona is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Galloway Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey. At the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 4,019...
. It has Atlantic City's only cancer institute, heart institute, and neonatal intensive care unit.
Utilities
South Jersey IndustriesSouth Jersey Industries
South Jersey Industries is a publicly-held energy services holding company for a natural gas utility and other, non-regulated companies...
provides natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
to the city under the South Jersey Gas division. Marina Energy and its subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
, Energenic, a joint business venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with a long-time business partner
Business partner
Business partner is a term used to denote a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a highly contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties...
, operate two Thermal plants in the city. The Marina Thermal Plant serves the Borgata while a second plant serves the Resorts Hotel and Casino. Another Thermal plant is the Midtown Thermal Control Center on Atlantic and Ohio Avenues built by Conectiv.
Electrical power in Atlantic City as well as the surrounding area is primarily served by Atlantic City Electric
Pepco Holdings
Pepco Holdings, Inc. is a holding company incorporated in February of 2001 for the purpose of effecting the acquisition of Conectiv Power Delivery by Potomac Electric Power Company . The acquisition was completed on August 1, 2002 at which time Pepco and Conectiv became wholly owned subsidiaries...
, with power sources coming from the Beesley's Point Generating Station
Beesley's Point Generating Station
The Beesley's Point Generating Station, also called the B.L. England Generating Station, is a power plant in Upper Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, on the Great Egg Harbor River. The facility provides approximately 450 megawatts of generating capacity from three generating units...
in Upper Township
Upper Township, New Jersey
Upper Township is a large township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population was 12,115 as of the United States 2000 Census...
, as well as other locations.
The Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm
Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm
The Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is the first coastal wind farm in the United States and the first wind farm in New Jersey. It became operational in December 2005 and consists of five 1.5 MW turbines built by General Electric. Each wind turbine reaches a height of .The...
, opened in 2005, is the first onshore coastal wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in the United States. In October 2010, North American Offshore Wind Conference was held in the city and included tours of the facility and potential sites for further development. In February 2011, the state passed legislation permitting the construction of windmills for electricity along pre-existing piers, such as the Steel Pier
Steel Pier
Steel Pier is a amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, located opposite The Boardwalk from Trump Taj Mahal.The pier was owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts until 2011, when it was sold to the Catanoso Family under the "Steel Pier Associates, LLC" name. The Catanosos previously leased the...
. The first phase of the Atlantic Wind Connection
Atlantic Wind Connection
Atlantic Wind Connection is an electrical transmission backbone proposed by Trans-Elect Development Company that could be constructed starting in 2013 off the East Coast of the United States to service off-shore wind farms...
, a planned electrical transmission backbone
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
along the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
is planned to be operational in 2013.
The development of wind power in New Jersey
Wind power in New Jersey
Wind power in New Jersey is in the early stages of development. There are various projects underway to create windfarms along coastal areas in the state on land, on piers, and on the continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean off the southern Jersey Shore. Legislation has been enacted to support the...
could lead to the construction of the first American windfarm
WindFarm
WindFarm is wind energy software used to analyse, design, optimise and visualise wind farms. It calculates and optimises the energy yield subject to natural, planning and engineering constraints. WindFarm has the wind modelling software MS-Micro integrated. MS-Micro is based on the same...
using offshore wind power
Offshore wind power
Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher....
off the coast at Atlantic City as early as 2012. In May 2011, Cape May
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
-based Fisherman's Energy gained New Jersey approval for a demonstration project to built six wind turbines 2.5 miles (4 km) off the coast called "Fisherman's Atlantic City Windfarm". The project still needs a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit before construction can begin. Sited in state waters, less than 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) from shore, it will not require other federal approval. It will have power generation capacity of less than 25 megawatts and will cost between $250 million to $300 million. The project may come on line late 2012, making the first commercial offshore wind farms in the USA, earning the city the title of "Birthplace of Offshore Wind Energy in the Americas".
In popular culture
In addition to the city's recent exposure in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, Atlantic City has been featured in several other aspects of pop culture.In film
- A majority of the 1972 film, The King of Marvin GardensThe King of Marvin GardensThe King of Marvin Gardens is a 1972 American drama film. It stars Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn and Scatman Crothers. It is one of several collaborations between Nicholson and director Bob Rafelson. The majority of the film is set in a wintry Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the plot...
, takes place in a snow-covered Atlantic City prior to casino gambling. - The 1980 movie, Atlantic City, took place in various parts of the city.
- The 1998 film, Snake EyesSnake Eyes (film)Snake Eyes is a conspiracy thriller film directed by Brian De Palma, one featuring his trademark use of long tracking shots and split screens. It starred Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise and Carla Gugino....
, was set at a boxing match inside Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. - Part of the 2010 movie, The Bounty HunterThe Bounty Hunter (2010 film)The Bounty Hunter is a 2010 American action comedy film directed by Andy Tennant, starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. The story centers on a bounty hunter hired to retrieve his ex-wife who has skipped bail...
, takes place at the BorgataBorgataThe Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International...
and Trump Taj Mahal. - One of the early fights in the 2010 film, The FighterThe FighterThe Fighter is a 2010 biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams. The film centers on the life of professional boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund . The film also stars Amy Adams as...
, took place in Atlantic City. - One of the fights in the 2011 movie, Warrior, takes place inside Boardwalk HallBoardwalk HallBoardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
, with the post-fight press conference taking place on the boardwalk and a pre-fight talk between the two brothers taking place on the beach outside Trump Plaza
In literature
- Judy BlumeJudy BlumeJudy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
's 1981 novel, Tiger EyesTiger EyesTiger Eyes is a young adult novel written by Judy Blume in 1981 about a young girl attempting to cope with the murder of her father.-Plot summary:...
, is partially set in Atlantic City; the family temporarily relocate to New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
after a tragic event.
In music
- The video for the Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
1982 song, "Atlantic CityAtlantic City (song)"Atlantic City" is a song written and recorded by rock musician Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska, considered to be one of Springsteen's most dour albums in tone...
", begins with the demolition of the TraymoreTraymore HotelThe Traymore Hotel was a resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Begun as a small boarding house in 1879, the hotel expanded and became one of the city's premier resorts. As Atlantic City began to decline in its popularity as a resort town, during the 1950s and 1960s, the Traymore diminished in...
and the Marlborough-BlenheimMarlborough-Blenheim HotelThe Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel was a historic resort hotel property in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built in 1902-1906, demolished in 1979.In 1902, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the Boardwalk, and built the Queen Anne style Marlborough House. The hotel was financially...
, two of the old hotels in Atlantic City, then shows many of the early casinos in the city such as CaesarsCaesars Atlantic CityCaesars Atlantic City is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Like Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, it has an ancient Roman theme. Atlantic City's second casino, it opened in 1979 as the Caesars Boardwalk Regency. The . casino has over 3,400 slot machines, and is one of...
, Playboy, and an under-construction Harrah'sHarrah's Atlantic CityHarrah's Resort Atlantic City is a hotel and casino, located in the marina district of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and is Harrah's flagship casino.The casino is one of three in the marina district of the city, along with the Borgata and the Golden Nugget...
.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Atlantic City include:- Jack AbramoffJack AbramoffJack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
(born 1958), former lobbyist who was embroiled in high-profile political scandals. Abramoff was born in Atlantic City and lived there until the age of ten. - Edward L. BaderEdward L. BaderEdward Lawrence Bader was an American politician who served as Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey for much of the Roaring Twenties, when the city was arguably at the peak of its popularity, as a vacation spot...
(1874–1927), Mayor from 1920–1927. - Joseph Carleton Beal (1900-1967), co-writer of the famous Christmas song, Jingle Bell RockJingle Bell Rock"Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal , and James Ross Boothe...
. - Benjamin BurnleyBenjamin BurnleyBenjamin Jackson Burnley IV is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the band Breaking Benjamin.-Early days as a musician:...
(born 1978), musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the band Breaking BenjaminBreaking BenjaminBreaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
. - Greg ButtleGreg ButtleGregory Ellis Buttle is a retired American football linebacker for the New York Jets. He played college football at Penn State University. He was named a Consensus All-American in 1975. In 2005, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.-High school:Buttle grew up in Linwood, New...
(born 1954), former linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Rosalind CashRosalind CashRosalind Cash was an American singer and actress, whose best known film role was as Charlton Heston's character's love interest Lisa, in the 1971 science fiction cult classic, The Omega Man...
(1938–95), actress nominated for an Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for her work on the Public Broadcasting ServicePublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
production of Go Tell It on the Mountain. - Karen S. DavisKaren S. DavisKaren Susan Davis is an American photographer, author, editor, singer-songwriter, and actor. She is best known for Santa Anita Morning Rhapsody, the first coffee table book to document morning thoroughbred horse training at a racetrack.-Photographer and Author:Karen S...
(born 1955), photographer and author of Santa Anita Morning Rhapsody, the first art book documenting morning thoroughbred racetrack training; also noted musician, performer, editor, and former Thomson OrganizationThomson OrganizationInternational Thomson Organization was a development of the commercial empire founded by Lord Thomson of Fleet . It was formed in 1978 as a holding company for interests in publishing, travel, and natural resources...
journalist. Davis was born in Atlantic city and lived in the area 17 years. - Chris FordChris FordChristopher Joseph Ford is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6-foot-5 guard, he played high school basketball at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey,...
(born 1949), former head coach of the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, and the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. - John J. GardnerJohn J. GardnerJohn James Gardner was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1893 to 1913, and was Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey.-Biography:Born in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Gardner attended the...
(1845–1921) represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's Second Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
from 1885 to 1893, and was mayor of Atlantic City for most of 1868–1875. - Milton W. GlennMilton W. GlennMilton Willits Glenn was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1957-1965.-Biography:Glenn attended the schools of the Atlantic City School District...
(1903–1967), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's Second Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
from 1957–1965. - William Green (born 1979), running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who currently is a free agentFree agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
of the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - Pete HunterPete HunterRalph Everette Hunter is a professional American football defensive back free agent.-Early life:Pete graduated from Atlantic City High School, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with honors.-College years:...
(born 1980), cornerbackCornerbackA cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the NFL's Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. A fifth-round pick in 2002. - Candy JonesCandy JonesCandy Jones, originally known as Jessica Arline Wilcox , was an American fashion model, writer and radio talk show hostess....
(1925–90), fashion model, writer and radio talk show host. - Allan KaprowAllan KaprowAllan Kaprow was an American painter, assemblagist and a pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance art. He helped to develop the "Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. His Happenings - some 200 of them - evolved over the years...
(1927–2006), pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance artPerformance artIn art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, painter, influenced FluxusFluxusFluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
. - John P. O'NeillJohn P. O'NeillJohn Patrick O'Neill was an American counter-terrorism expert, who worked as a special agent and eventually a Special Agent in Charge in the Federal Bureau of Investigation until late 2001...
(1952–2001), FBI Terrorist Specialist, Director of Security World Trade CenterWorld Trade CenterThe original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, died in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. - Chris PalliesKing Kong BundyChristopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
(born 1957), professional wrestler known widely by his stage name King Kong BundyKing Kong BundyChristopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
. - Alfredo SilipigniAlfredo SilipigniAlfredo Silipigni was a conductor and specialist in lesser-known Italian operas who founded the New Jersey State Opera and ran it for four decades.-Early life:...
(1932–2006), conductor and founder of the New Jersey State OperaNew Jersey State OperaThe New Jersey State Opera is an opera company based in Newark, New Jersey. It was established in 1964 as the Opera Theater of Westfield, and shortly after opening Alfredo Silipigni was hired as Artistic Director. The name was changed to the Opera Theatre of New Jersey in 1965, and in 1968 the...
. - George SmathersGeorge SmathersGeorge Armistead Smathers was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Florida in the United States Senate for eighteen years, from 1951 until 1969, as a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:...
(1913–2007), former United States Senator from FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. - Dave ThomasDave Thomas (American businessman)David "Dave" Thomas was an American fast-food entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers...
(1932–2002), founder of Wendy'sWendy'sWendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
fast-food restaurant, was born in Atlantic City. - Jim WhelanJim WhelanJim Whelan is an American Democratic Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey State Senate where he represents the 2nd legislative district, having taken office on January 8, 2008....
(born 1948), member of the General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
who represents the 2nd legislative district. Whelan was Mayor of Atlantic City from 1990–2001.