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Atlantic City Is a Hard Place to Love
Somewhere around Indiana and Pacific avenues, I had a sinking feeling. Atlantic City seemed to consist entirely of strip clubs and skin dens, convenience stores and empty store fronts. The beach was a few blocks away, true. But would a sparkling bit of ocean be enough to make the uneasy feeling in my stomach subside? This seaside resort, stacked with casino resorts dwarfed by their cousins in Las Vegas, did not look promising as I drove up to my hotel.
It was a dive of a place, recommended to me by a fellow travel writer, and someone I think of as an Atlantic City aficionado. He told me to try the Inn at the Irish Pub, a spot perched precariously above a dark watering hole, emphasis on the hole, that's open 24 hours a day. The hotel is the sort of place that charges a deposit of $5 when you're handed a brass key fastened to a plastic yellow diamond, stamped with a number.
I hiked up the stairs to my room, whose bathroom connected to the room next door, and flopped on the lumpy bed. I needed to call my friend, Robert Reid, and ask him if he'd set me up for an elaborate travelers' joke, sending me to the inn to see if I'd actually go.
Traveling the American Road - Trying to Love Atlantic City
I told him, "This place is a dump," to which he replied, "Oh no, I love that place!" I still didn't believe him. "I wonder if you got a bad room," he said. "I mean, it's old, I know. I had fun there... You don't like the room?" I mentioned that while I'd stayed in worse, that's not really saying much, coming from a guy that's slept in a hammock in a garage in Nicaragua, among other less-than-luxe places. "To me, you know what, it's one of my favorite hotels in America."
He explained: "Most of my hotel stays are forgettable, cookie-cutter experiences. My room was totally fine. It was clean, this kind of mixed-matched random old furniture, slightly slanted floors, the window with the lace curtain blowing, the people are hilarious. It's just like, 'Why does this exist?!'"
Robert's interest in the hotel was unique, though, being informed by his Monopoly quest. See, the street names in the real estate game were drawn from Atlantic City, and last year, he set out to learn the stories of the avenues that we all know from the board. His trip-and resulting video-gave me high hopes for AC, even if they would soon be dashed.
For those not on a Monopoly quest, like me, it's a tough place to visit. There are vacant lots, disused by everyone except a lone golfer I saw, swinging an iron simply because he had the space. There's the grime you'll find at any casino resort, set a little deeper and in need of a month-long scrub. There's unemployment, too, bad and deep and forecast to last for many more years.
The boardwalk is a dimly bright spot. Even on a weekday evening, it was busy with families and couples, the famous pushcarts carrying tourists north and south. (There's a big billboard advertising Boardwalk Empire, the HBO show that's at least putting the name Atlantic City in people's homes again.) The casinos, with Wild West, Roman, Mughal themes, do have visitors, if only a few. As my friend told me, "It just isn't quite Vegas. It's not even quite Reno."
Robert insists–and I believe him–that the people in AC are proud of their hometown. But for those not interested in where Monopoly comes from or cheap blackjack tables, it's a tough place to love. At least you can still get unbelievably good sandwiches at White House Sub Shop on Arctic and Mississippi. I took mine to go.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ACbeach11 Jul 4th 2011 11:14PM
It seems that according to this article, you can judge a book by its cover quite well. Paul Brady's review of his stay in Atlantic City is just that short sited. Perhaps I should write a review of New York City by simply traveling in from the Jersey turnpike via the Lincoln Tunnel to time square, and then turn around and leave.
It might read something like: "From the the ungodly traffic and some of the rudest drivers I've ever come across, we trudged our way onto Manhattan Island, only to become stuck in more traffic amid aging brick apartment buildings that look like they could be part of the USSR public housing. After almost an hour we arrived at our destination. It was nothing but tacky glitz and an orgy of the ugly side of capitalism. The food is overpriced, the streets are crowded and the experience is nothing of the "high culture" I've come to expect from New York City."
Times Square is not a good representation of everything NYC has to offer, and a stay in the Irish Pub on the advise of a friend is not a representation of Atlantic City. Did you ride a bike on the Boardwalk at 9am on a sunny morning? Did you find the restaurants on the water that are a wonderful place for an afternoon drink?Did you try surfing? Kayaking? Parasailing? Did you see The Pool at Harrah's?
In my estimation, Paul Brady just went with what he has heard about Atlantic City. He took the easy route out. Here is Atlantic City the way it really is, if you are able to open your eyes and see it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/64831427@N03/
Sharon Jul 13th 2011 9:08AM
@ACbeach11 Great comments...and really nice pictures. We were just there for a three day stay at Harrah's and had a great time. We had a beautiful view of the city and the boardwalk was fun. The Pool is beautiful. I really enjoyed your pictures. Good job! :)
Timothultz smith Jul 5th 2011 3:13AM
If you value the well being of your mind then its best to end it early because if you leave it too late the effects will be with you for a long time.
http://www.zimbio.com/Weight+Loss/articles/jpXbTZaghon/Shake+Away+Review+Eat+way+out+yet+Slim
steve Jul 5th 2011 6:41AM
Was the author really there? The 'pushcarts' are actually called rolling chairs. The vacant lots and other 'charming ' areas mentioned are few and scattered; the city is building another casino and continues to draw visitors and business. Perhaps the author would have been better served sampling The Walk, or the eclectic nightlife of the Trop, or the elegance of the Borgata. Like any city, there are hotels, shops and restaurants to satisfy every taste and every pocketbook. I find AC much more pleasing than Reno, which seems lost in a time warp. Funny, he never mentioned the Jitneys either.
Sharon Jul 13th 2011 9:04AM
@ACbeach11 Great comments...and really nice pictures. We were just there for a three day stay at Harrah's and had a great time. We had a beautiful view of the city and the boardwalk was fun. The Pool is beautiful. I really enjoyed your pictures. Good job! :)
jwill856 Jul 19th 2011 11:40AM
This kid seems hell bent on dising lots of places... his review of Philly was a joke also... I would not trust his judgement. There were not even any pics of him on the beach or boardwalk
he is correct about the Irish Pub... but it is a fun place... he could have stayed at one of the Casino hotels or better yet the Chelsea Hotel. AC has always been a bit gritty... even in it's hay days of the 1930's and 40's... Margate and Ventnor were always the Classy Sisters.
vernals Jul 22nd 2011 1:08PM
I'm tired of people writing falsely negative reports on Atlantic City. In reality, it's a very easy place to love. This video shows the absolutely worst part of the city, on a gray, rainy day no less. Most cities, including Las Vegas, have rough areas. But the difference is people look for them in Atlantic City and look past them in Las Vegas. Where is the broad, attractive and very clean beach? Where are the upscale stores like Gucci, Tiffany and Ferrangamo? Where are the many wonderful restaurants run by celebrity chiefs? If you saw inside shots of the so-called "plastic" casinos you would see they are not plastic at all but actually beautifully-designed, themed environments that are lovely. Also, the night life in Atlantic City is first rate, with talent that rivals the best in NYC. Don't believe this slanted video.