A look back at Atlantic City's past as it relates to its present state.
Atlantic City then and now fused together seamlessly by AC Weekly art director Kevin McCarty. Older photo from Library of Congress.
SPEND SOME TIME IN ATLANTIC CITY AMID ITS FLASHY CASINOS, the fine restaurants, and the rolling beaches and Boardwalk, and you can’t help but marvel at how far the resort has come. But every step you take is still gently haunted by all that has been here before. Atlantic City wears its history like a comfortable old coat — tattered, but comfortable. From its days as a “health” resort in the 19th century, to its naughty and haughty days of irreverence during Prohibition (highlighted in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) to its eventual decline and then rebirth as an East Coast gambling mecca, Atlantic City and the region has been attracting visitors since its inception. In this issue, our first “Then & Now” issue, we look at Atlantic City’s long journey to get to this point in time. We look at a resort thriving and alive, from its driving nightclubs to its packed showrooms. And we look at its ghosts, from bosses like “Nucky” Johnson to the crowds at Captain Starn’s and Grace’s Little Belmont. As Atlantic City braces for a challenging future, the Queen of Resorts brings those ghosts and some of that past magic along for the ride. It’s a magic that never really leaves.
Enjoy the issue...and don't miss the Then & Now party at The Disco at Trump Marina. Click here for details.
This article is the first of four to be published this month on ‘haunted houses’ and ghosts in the Atlantic City region, written by Amanda Hopkins.
For past interviews, photo galleries, your favorite columns, features and more, check out the Atlantic City Weekly archives where you can read every back issue over the past 11 years!
Nina Simone had never been in a bar, nor had she ever sang before, but both were required for her summer gig at the Midtown Bar, located at 1719 Pacific Avenue, between Indiana and MLK Blvd., and just “two blocks back from the seafront" Atlantic City Boardwalk.
So often the nostalgia associated with Atlantic City’s past is spoken of with a special brand of sincerity — particularly a section of Kentucky Avenue between Arctic and Atlantic avenues, where the jazz clubs once ruled the day (and nights)...
If you’re ready to blast your way onto the dance floor and keep on truckin’ into the night, then Trump Marina is the place to be on Friday, Nov. 12 from 7-9pm for AC Weekly's Then & Now party at the Disco.
Anyone who thinks gambling in Atlantic City can be traced back to the opening of the Resorts Casino in 1978 is cutting out a huge portion of the resort’s gaming history. Atlantic City’s history of back-room casinos and gambling dens is as old as the city’s Boardwalk. Still, gambling went through a dry spell as the city began to decline in the 1950s and ’60s and ...
Captain Starn’s and Hackney’s Seafood Restaurant, both located off the Boardwalk in the Inlet section of town, were two of the most famous restaurants on the entire East Coast.
Then: In the early years of the gaming era, catching two shows in one night was not only possible, it was easy. Resorts (and the first few casinos that followed) usually offered shows at 8 and 11:30pm. So seeing a show at Resorts and then moseying on down to the former (Caesars) Boardwalk Regency left plenty of time to enjoy a drink and catch a lounge act in between.
“I don’t believe you can compare a decade like the ’20s to today. Society was completely different. Clearly there was much more formality in terms of design and dressing as opposed to today where we are a completely liberal and informal society. Women’s roles were entirely different [back then].”
The 11 Atlantic City casinos of today are not the only ones that have existed in Atlantic City since gambling was legalized. Here is a look at the Atlantic City casinos that were...
Article:
Parrothead Paradise: Margaritaville to Debut at Resorts
Article:
Rush to the Taj
Article:
Sip ’n’ Stroll
at the Boardwalk Wine Promenade
Article:
Without Furthur Ado
Article:
Paul Reiser: Mad About Comedy
Article:
Alicia Keys: Smokin' in Atlantic City
Article:
Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival - Hop Heads Unite!
Article:
VIPs in the House
Share this Story: