Atlantic City New Jersey: Encyclopedia - Atlantic City New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City is a city located in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 40,517. It is a resort community located on Absecon Island, off the Atlantic Ocean coast of New Jersey. Other towns on the island are Ventnor, Margate, and Longport.

Atlantic City New Jersey - History

Atlantic City has always been primarily a resort town. Its location in South Jersey, hugging the Atlantic Ocean between marshlands and islands, presented itself as prime real estate for developers. The city was incorporated in 1854, the same year in which train service began, linking this remote parcel of land with the more populated, urban centers of New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Atlantic City became a popular beach destination because of its proximity to Philadelphia.

In 1870 the first boardwalk was built along a portion of the beach to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. The idea caught on, and the boardwalk was expanded and modified several times in the following years. Today, it is several miles long and sixty feet wide, reinforced with steel and concrete.

In 1964 the city hosted the Democratic National Convention which nominated Lyndon Johnson for President and Hubert Humphrey as Vice President. The ticket won in a landslide that November. The convention and the press coverage it generated, however, cast a harsh light on Atlantic City, which by then was in the midst of a long period of economic decline.

Although a small city, it had been plagued with many large city problems, especially poverty and crime. The neighborhood known as the "inlet" was particularly impoverished. In an effort at revitalizing the city, New Jersey voters in 1976 approved casino gambling for the city of Atlantic City. Resorts International became the first legal casino in the eastern United States when it opened on May 26, 1978. Other casinos were soon added along the boardwalk and later in the marina district for a total of twelve today. The introduction of gambling did not, however, quickly eliminate many of the urban problems that plagued Atlantic City. Many have argued that it only served to magnify those problems, as evidenced in the stark contrast between tourism-intensive areas and the adjacent impoverished working-class neighborhoods. In addition, Atlantic City has played second-fiddle to Las Vegas, Nevada as a gambling mecca in the United States. On July 3, 2003, Atlantic City's newest casino, The Borgata, opened with much success.

Atlantic City New Jersey - Atlantic City in popular culture

Atlantic City has been a rather frequent subject in popular culture. The eccentric 1972 Bob Rafelson film The King of Marvin Gardens with Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn was shot on location there and strongly conveys a feel for the pre-casino/post-glory-days limbo the city was mired in at the time. The powerful Oscar-nominated 1981 movie, Atlantic City, by French director Louis Malle, starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon, reflects the city at the dawn of its casino-driven "rebirth". Atlantic City is cited as the Sundance Kid's birthplace in the 1969 classic western film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A popular Bruce Springsteen song, "Atlantic City," depicting a young couple's escape to the city, appears on Springsteen's 1982 album Nebraska.

More recently, several episodes of Donald Trump's television show The Apprentice have been based and filmed in Atlantic City.

It was the home of the Miss America pageant from 1921 to 2005. In August 2005, it was announced that the pageant would no longer be held in Atlantic City. On January 21, 2006, the pageant will take place at the Aladdin Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The streets of Atlantic City are used in the American version of the boardgame Monopoly.

The sticky confection salt water taffy is closely associated with the boardwalks of Atlantic City.

Atlantic City New Jersey - Geography

Atlantic City is located at 39°21'54" North, 74°26'21" West (39.364966, -74.439034)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.9 km² (17.4 mi²). 29.4 km² (11.4 mi²) of it is land and 15.5 km² (6.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 34.58% water.

Atlantic City New Jersey - Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 40,517 people, 15,848 households, and 8,700 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,378.3/km² (3,569.8/mi²). There are 20,219 housing units at an average density of 687.8/km² (1,781.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 26.68% White, 44.16% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 10.40% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.76% from other races, and 4.47% from two or more races. 24.95% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 15,848 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.8% are married couples living together, 23.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% are non-families. 37.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 3.26.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,969, and the median income for a family is $31,997. Males have a median income of $25,471 versus $23,863 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,402. 23.6% of the population and 19.1% of families are below the poverty line. 29.1% of those under the age of 18 and 18.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Atlantic City New Jersey - Government

Atlantic City New Jersey - Local Government

Atlantic City is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government. The current Mayor of Atlantic City is the Honorable Bob Levy.

Atlantic City New Jersey - Federal state and county representation

Atlantic City is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District.

New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Vineland). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken) and Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park).

The 2nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by William Gormley (R) and in the Assembly by Francis J. Blee (R, Absecon) and Kirk W. Conover (R, Absecon). The Acting Governor of New Jersey is Richard Codey (D, West Orange).

Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders, administers all county business. Atlantic County's Freeholders are James A. Carney, James Curcio, Frank Finnerty, Steven K. Johnson (Freeholder Vice Chairman), Joe Kelly, Rev. Lawton Nelson, Thomas Russo, Sue Schilling and Joseph F. Silipena (Freeholder Chairman).

Atlantic City New Jersey - Casino resorts

• Atlantic City Hilton (New), Boston Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Bally's Atlantic City:¹, ² Park Place & The Boardwalk
• The Borgata, One Borgata Way or 1501 MGM Mirage Boulevard
• Caesars Atlantic City, Pacific Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Harrah's Atlantic City, 777 Harrah's Boulevard
• Resorts Atlantic City, North Carolina Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Sands, Indiana Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Showboat, South States Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Tropicana, Brighton Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Trump Marina, Huron Avenue and Brigantine Boulevard
• Trump Plaza, Mississippi Avenue & The Boardwalk
• Trump Taj Mahal, Virginia Avenue & The Boardwalk

Atlantic City New Jersey - Former closed and never opened casino/resorts

• Atlantic City Hilton Casino/Hotel (Original) - Never opened. Casino license denied. Renamed Trump Castle Casino/Hotel.
• Atlantis Casino/Hotel - Casino license revoked on 4 July 1989. Renamed Trump Regency (Non-Casino)
• Bally's Park Place Casino/Hotel - Renamed Bally's Atlantic City Casino/Hotel.
• Bally's Grand Casino/Hotel - Renamed The Grand Casino/Hotel.
• Boardwalk Regency Hotel/Casino - Renamed Caesars Boardwalk Regency Casino/Hotel.
• Brighton Casino/Hotel - Renamed Sands Casino/Hotel Atlantic City.
• Caesars Boardwalk Regency Casino/Hotel - Renamed Caesars Atlantic City Casino/Hotel.
• Claridge Casino/Hotel - Renamed Claridge Tower at Bally's.
• Del Webb's Claridge Hotel and Hi-Ho Casino - Renamed Del Webb's Claridge Casino/Hotel.
• Del Webb's Claridge Hotel/Casino - Renamed Claridge Casino/Hotel.
• Golden Nugget Casino/Hotel - Renamed Bally's Grand Casino/Hotel.
• Harrah's Marina Casino/Hotel - Renamed Harrah's Atlantic City Casino/Hotel.
• Harrah's at Trump Plaza Casino/Hotel - Renamed Trump Plaza Casino/Hotel.
• Le Jardin - Project scrapped due to Mirage Resorts-MGM Grand merger.
• Merv Griffin's Resorts Casino/Hotel - Renamed Resorts International Casino/Hotel.
• Park Place Casino/Hotel - Renamed Bally's Park Place Casino/Hotel.
• Penthouse International Casino/Hotel - Never opened, Developer ran out of money.
• Playboy Casino/Hotel - Permanent casino license denied. Renamed Atlantis Casino/Hotel.
• Resorts International Casino/Hotel - Renamed Resorts Atlantic City Casino/Hotel.
• The Grand Casino/Hotel - Renamed Atlantic City Hilton Casino/Hotel.
• Tropicana Casino Resort - Renamed TropWorld Casino Resort
• TropWorld Casino Resort - Reverted back to Tropicana Casino Resort name.
• Trump Castle Casino/Hotel - Renamed Trump Marina Casino/Hotel.
• Trump Regency Hotel (Non Casino) - Renamed Trump World's Fair Casino at Trump Plaza.
• Trump World's Fair Casino at Trump Plaza - Closed and demolished in 2000. Property now an empty lot.

Atlantic City New Jersey - Media outlets

Newspapers

• The Press of Atlantic City
• The Courier-Post
• The Philadelphia Daily News
• The Philadelphia Inquirer
• The Star Ledger
• The Trenton Times
• The Trentonian

Radio stations

• WAJM Radio 88.9FM, Atlantic City
• WAYV Radio 95.1FM Atlantic City
• WFPG Radio 96.9FM Atlantic City
• WIXM Radio 97.3FM Millville
• WJSE-FM Radio 102.7FM Petersburg
• WKXW Radio 1450am Atlantic City
• WMGM Radio 103.7FM Atlantic City
• WNJN Radio 89.7FM Atlantic City
• WOND Radio 1400am/1580am Pleasantville
• WPUR Radio 107.3FM Atlantic City
• WSJO Radio 104.9FM Egg Harbor City
• WXXY Radio 88.7FM Port Republic/Atlantic City

Television stations

Some distance television stations provide coverage to Atlantic City and are listed here because viewers receive their over-the-air signal or via a broadcast signal provided by the local cable or satellite company under the FCC mandated 'Must Carry' regulation.

Local Stations

• WQAV-TV Channel 13 Atlantic City (Independent)
• WMGM-TV Channel 40 Atlantic City (NBC)
• WMCN-TV Channel 53 Atlantic City (Independent)
• W60CX-TV Channel 60 Atlantic City (TBN)
• WWSI-TV Channel 62 Atlantic City (Telemundo)

Distance Stations

• WCBS-TV Channel 2 New York City (CBS)
• KYW-TV Channel 3 Philadelphia (CBS)
• WNBC-TV Channel 4 New York City (NBC)
• WNYW-TV Channel 5 New York City (FOX)
• WPVI-TV Channel 6 Philadelphia (ABC)
• WABC-TV Channel 7 New York City (ABC)
• WWOR-TV Channel 9 New York City (UPN)
• WCAU-TV Channel 10 Philadelphia (NBC)
• WPIX-TV Channel 11 New York City (WB)
• WHYY-TV Channel 12 Wilmington, Delaware (PBS)
• WNET-TV Channel 13 Newark, New Jersey (PBS)
• WPHL-TV Channel 17 Philadelphia (WB)
• WNJS-TV Channel 23 Camden, New Jersey (PBS)
• WTXF-TV Channel 29 Philadelphia (FOX)
• WPXN-TV Channel 31 New York City (i - Formerly Pax)
• WXTV-TV Channel 41 Paterson, New Jersey (Univision)
• WNJU-TV Channel 47 Linden, New Jersey (Telemundo)
• WPSG-TV Channel 57 Philadelphia (UPN)
• W60AI-TV Channel 60 New York City (Shop at Home)
• WPPX-TV Channel 61 Wilmington, Delaware (i - Formerly Pax)
• WFUT-TV Channel 68 Newark, New Jersey (Telefutura)

Atlantic City New Jersey - Transportation

Atlantic City is connected to other cities in several ways. New Jersey Transit's Atlantic City Line runs from Philadelphia and several smaller southern New Jersey towns directly to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The Atlantic City Bus Terminal is the home to local, intra-state and interstate bus companies including New Jersey Transit and Greyhound bus lines. Access to Atlantic City by car is also easy via the 44 mile Atlantic City Expressway, US 30, commonly known as the White Horse Pike, and US 40/322, commonly known as the Black Horse Pike. In Atlantic City there is an abundance of taxi cabs and a local Jitney service providing continuous service to and from the casinos and the rest of the city.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Atlantic City New Jersey", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki