Atlantic City

Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island, which is a 5-mile barrier island that was once a summer camp of the Lenni-Lenape Indians. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Absecon Island was originally selected as the location of Alantic City because it is the closest shore point to Philadelphia.

Atlantic City is the 4th most popular city to visit in the United States. Only Orlando,
New York and Las Vegas receive more visitors.

The City's popularity is mainly due to its unique combination of casinos, the Atlantic Ocean, beautiful sand beaches, clean salt air, pleasant climate and famous boardwalk. However the City also offers gourmet dining, great shopping, boating and fishing, and golf.

Atlantic City also features world class entertainers and shows. Many of the same famous entertainers and shows that play Las Vegas, also make stops in Atlantic City.

Through the 1920's and up to about 1960, Atlantic City was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. In its prime, the nation's most popular entertainers regularly performed there. During the 1950s Frank Sinatra regularly appeared at Atlantic City clubs. During the 1960's the City's popularity decreased as low-cost, fast jet air travel became available, and tourists started heading elsewhere, including Miami Beach, Florida and the Caribbean.

Atlantic City went through a decline and then a rebirth, with casino gambling being the catalyst for its resurgence.

The first casino, Resorts, opened in Atlantic City in 1978, and it soon became a big destination for senior citizen day trippers.

Most of the City's hotels were converted to casinos, or demolished and replaced by bigger and more elaborate casinos.

With the opening of the City's newest casino, the Borgata, the present trend is for even larger casinos which are designed to appeal to a more up-scale clientele. The Borgata opened in 2003, introducing a new era with restaurants from big name-chefs, pulsing night clubs, and up-scale shopping, and no drop-off zones for buses full of senior citizens.

Atlantic City now has 11 casinos, and is still growing. The Borgata just recently opened a new 800 room "Water Club" tower that has
3 heated pools and a "Spa in the Sky."
Harrah's, also in 2008, added a new 44 story Waterfront Tower. In September 2008, the Trump Taj Mahal opened a new 782 room "Chairman Tower". Three more mega-resort casinos are planned to be built in Atlantic City, including a MGM Grand Mega-Resort.

To find out about Atlantic City's casinos follow this Link: Atlantic City Casinos

To see more scenes of Atlantic City follow this Link:
Atlantic City Scenes

To find out which Popular entertainers are coming to Atlantic City, follow this Link: Coming Entertainment

Although the casinos are now the major draw, the Atlantic City beaches and boardwalk still have much appeal.

To find out about Atlantic City's beaches follow this Link: Atlantic City Beaches

To find out about Atlantic City's boardwalk follow this Link: Atlantic City Boardwalk

To find out about the history of Atlantic City follow this Link:
Atlantic City History

To see scenes from Atlantic City's nostalgic early days follow this Link: Glimpses of the Past