Atlantic City Weekly

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The

Wall Street Journa

l, a newspaper with a circulation of over two million, ran a very positive story about Atlantic City’s forthcoming summer. It was written by

Maya Pope-Chappell

. The following are excerpts from the story.

“Over the past five to seven years, about $2 billion has been invested in mostly non-gambling amenities such as retail, dining and entertainment, said Jeff Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. ‘Gaming is no longer what’s going to do it for us,’ said Vasser. This summer, the city is introducing many new attractions and entertainment. A new seafood restaurant, FIN, just opened at the Tropicana. The Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival will be held from July 29 to Aug. 1, sponsored by the Food Network, and some of the music industry’s top acts such as Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas will perform at Boardwalk Hall. Conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck and former President Bill Clinton will headline the Hilton’s Summer Speaker Series, on June 24 and July 23 respectively.

Even getting to Atlantic City has gotten easier. The Atlantic City Express Service, known as ACES, has four-car weekend-only express trains, which [leave] Friday from Penn Station and [start] at $29 one way. After arriving in Atlantic City, festivities can begin immediately. At the newly opened Chelsea the city’s only non-gambling boutique hotel, guests can relax at the Sea Spa or take a dip in the saltwater pool and Jacuzzi. A short walk from the hotel is a chance to take advantage of New Jersey’s tax-free shopping on clothing. The Pier Shops at Caesars or The Walk, an outlet strip mall, are the city’s main shopping areas. Each of the casino hotels offers restaurants with the usual buffets and gourmet fare. But one new option is the Viking Cooking School, at Harrah’s Resort.

“To unwind, many hang out at Shoreline bars such as the new Sammy Hagar’s Beach Bar, at Bally’s. Bikini-clad waitresses serve a variety of cocktails, beers or 24-ounce yard glasses. Once night falls, parties abound: The Pool After Dark, at Harrah’s, and C5 at the Chelsea are the city’s premier spots. In this city by the sea, there is always the beach or biking along the [Boardwalk], which has a bevy of shops. At the Steel Pier amusement park, a new ride, the spinning drop tower, will be unveiled this summer.

Elaine McCarthy, who sipped a margarita at Bally’s beach bar, said she’s been coming to Atlantic City since she was a child. Miss McCarthy said, ‘It’s been built up tremendously. I have bad memories of Atlantic City. It was very run down. Old, beat up. It’s amazing what happened here.’”

That kind of publicity is certainly a nice way to start the summer.

Empty Billboards

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Committee expressed its concern about empty billboards throughout the community. It is distressing to see them as it provides a negative view of the city’s business activities. It was decided that something needed to be done.

There were two billboards on top of the peanut store at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and the Boardwalk. We had previously noted that the billboards are jointly owned by Pinnacle Entertainment and the Schiff Brothers. Permission was granted to get a nonprofit organization to put up a sign on each of those boards. The request was made to the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority to provide the $4,600 necessary to make vinyl coverings and have them installed.

I am happy to inform you that next week those boards will be covered with a message about Atlantic City. Concerns were also raised about the large billboards on the Central Pier. Bob and Abe Schiff, the brothers who own the pier, told me that they are currently cleaning them with white paint. They said that if they are not rented within the next couple of weeks, they would grant permission to have the boards covered with signs promoting Atlantic City. We thank Pinnacle Entertainment and the Schiff brothers for their cooperation in helping to clean up Atlantic City.

I also spoke with Atlantic City’s Solicitor Bruce Ward and his deputy, Irv Jacoby, about coming up with an ordinance stating that if a billboard is empty for 30 days, with no immediate sign of being rented, it would be made available to the city or a non-profit organization until such time as it is rented. Councilmen Frank Gilliam and Moisse Delgado have expressed interest in sponsoring this ordinance. Hopefully, all the billboards in this city will be rented, but if they remain empty, they need to be covered.