Posted March 23, 2009 by Kate Hamman
With a historic boardwalk and casinos aplenty, Atlantic City attracts those who want to gamble with an ocean view. However, among the sound of slot machines and shuffling cards, you'll also find happening nightlife, upscale shopping, and great eats at cheap prices.
Play
Harrah's Pool After Dark: When the sun goes down on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Harrah's poolside nightlife heats up. The dome-enclosed tropical oasis, with four wading areas and six hot tubs, becomes a happening place to grab a drink. DJs complete the club-like atmosphere by playing an array of music while you dance or swim the night away. The public is welcome, and admission is usually $10 or $20, depending on special events.
Shop
The Pier Shops at Caesars: Home to more than 90 retail stores and restaurants, the Pier Shops make any shopaholic's dream come true. The mall strives to incorporate natural elements into the design, offering three stories of glass displaying spectacular views of the surrounding ocean and boardwalk. With a slew of top designer stores such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co., it's not cheap to shop here. However, even if you don't buy a thing, you can still enjoy one of the world's largest indoor fountain shows every hour on the hour.
Eat
Harrah's Atlantic City Country Club Sunday Brunch: Bring your appetite and come to Harrah's country club for one of the greatest deals in town. On Sundays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., you can feast on salmon, turkey, ham, omelets, waffles, fresh fruit, and pastries for just $24.95. The club also has the largest chocolate pastry display in South Jersey, giving you all the more reason to come hungry. Reservations are highly recommended.
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(Photo: Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority)
Posted April 29, 2008 by Carl Unger
Look at the calendar, my friends—it ain't April Fool's Day. A Market Metrix survey of 35,000 combined visitors to both cities shows that people prefer Atlantic City to Las Vegas, albeit by a slim margin. A.C. edged out Sin City in overall customer satisfaction, as well as "emotion scores," which measure seemingly unquantifiable attributes such as how sophisticated and hip/cool each city is. Atlantic City was considered to be a far greater value, which is probably the source of most of its appeal.
I can't help but feel a little befuddled here. I grew up in Jersey, and I've been to Atlantic City a number of times, though admittedly not in years. I recall, however, a prevailing feeling of shabbiness, and what I remember most is seeing bus after bus unloading retirees from the northern suburbs. Not exactly hip and cool, right? Vegas, on the other hand, is a nonstop circus of over-the-top debauchery and glamour, even if the latter is mostly superficial.
That said, Atlantic City has changed a great deal in the past five or seven years. New hotels such as the Borgata have classed up the place, bringing in celebrity chefs and popular acts like Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton (and Paul Anka, but who's counting?). Conversely, Vegas is creeping toward overkill (which, for Vegas, is saying a lot), with mega-hotel after mega-hotel rising up like a bad poker player's debt.
I turn to you, my fair readers, for some insight here. Help a lost blogger make sense of this. Is Atlantic City, tucked away in stinky (but loveable) New Jersey, really preferable to the glitzy, elegant, celebrity-magnet kingdom of Las Vegas? Post your comments below!
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