Atlantic City – Las Vegas’ Smaller And Less Known Sibling
Looking back, I find it rather silly that anyone would go through all the trouble to build a city just for gamblers when gambling itself was not legalized in New Jersey. Yet, the absurd happened and, until the 1970s when gambling was finally legalized, Atlantic City was nothing more than a depressing, desolate place. What’s even worse is that the authorities promised to get involved in various renovation projects that would modernize Atlantic City and make it just as attractive as Las Vegas. Obviously, these things never happened.
All odds seem to be against Atlantic City
As if the lack of interest to rebuild this little gambling paradise was not enough, the location also has other downsides as well, including harsh weather, high salinity levels in the air and devastating hurricanes from time to time. As a matter of fact, the meteorological conditions are less than ideal for a tourist attraction, as many facilities are struggling to keep water out of the ground floors. Not to mention the fact that typical scorching summers and cruel winters are leaving visible signs on almost every building in Atlantic City, so renovations and maintenance need to be performed on a regular basis.
Atlantic City scares tourists away
In spite of the fact that great casinos and hotels, like the Taj Mahal, Ballys, Caesar and the Golden Nugget, which practically yielded opulence and sumptuousness back in the days, now they are nothing more than shadows of the former glory. The attractions of Atlantic City are simply so scarce and unappealing that most tourists prefer to spend the day there strolling, picking up salty souvenirs for their loved ones, stopping for a hot dog or a pizza and heading back home before nightfall. From time to time, you can see a tourist or two going into a casino to try his luck. And, that’s just for the warm season, since as soon as winter installs, the Boardwalk becomes a deserted place.
The future looks even grimmer
Interestingly enough, certain senior associations are still organizing bus trips to Atlantic City for their member on weekends. In fact, for most elderly citizens of Washington D.C., New York or Philadelphia, Atlantic City represents the Las Vegas of the East (Coast). However, irrespective of the various activities you can do there – be it seeing shows and events or trying your luck at the casino – the fact that Atlantic City is unable to retain its tourists for more than one day constitutes the indicator of a gloomy future.
