Atlantic City Walkabout 2005
My first day for a little exploratory excursion. The weather was nice; cold but bright and sunny. What better day for a trip to the seaside? Not just any seaside, though: Atlantic City! Such a grand-sounding name.
Atlantic City has a surprisingly long and chequered past. Even though the advertisements would like us to think of it as an East Coast Vegas, since the passing of the Casino Gambling Referendum in 1976, its heyday was back in the 30's and pre-war 40's, when the Atlantic City Boardwalk was the place to be seen.
Atlantic City has a surprisingly long and chequered past. Even though the advertisements would like us to think of it as an East Coast Vegas, since the passing of the Casino Gambling Referendum in 1976, its heyday was back in the 30's and pre-war 40's, when the Atlantic City Boardwalk was the place to be seen.
A Brief History
A (not so) brief history… The original inhabitants of Absecon Island, on which Atlantic City is built, were the Lenni-Lenape Indians, who would travel over the Old Indian Trail from the Mainland to pass the summer months. As with other parts of the New World, the white man came along, claiming Manifest Destiny, and staked his claim. The first recorded owner of Absecon Island was an Englishman, Thomas Budd, who arrived in Atlantic County in the late 1600s. Budd was given the island, amongst other things, in settlement of a claim he had against the holders of the royal grant. His mainland property was then valued at $0.40 an acre, while the beach land a mere $0.04 an acre. That same piece of beach front property today would be worth millions of dollars per acre.
For the next hundred years, the island would be visited by not only the Indians, but also hunters and some of the early mainland settlers. Among these brave soles, was Jeremiah Leeds. Leeds, born in Leeds Point in 1754, was the first white man to build a permanent structure on the island, in 1785, at what is now Arctic and Arkansas Ave. His grandfather had built a cedar log cabin on Baltic Ave. at the site of the recently demolished bus terminal as early as 1783. Jeremiah and his family were the first official residents of Atlantic City. Their home and farm was called Leeds Plantation, and Leeds grew corn and rye and raised cattle. A year after his death in 1838 , his second wife, Millicent, got a license to operate a tavern called Aunt Millie's Boarding House, located at Baltic and Massachusetts Ave. Thus, the first business in Atlantic City was born.
For the next hundred years, the island would be visited by not only the Indians, but also hunters and some of the early mainland settlers. Among these brave soles, was Jeremiah Leeds. Leeds, born in Leeds Point in 1754, was the first white man to build a permanent structure on the island, in 1785, at what is now Arctic and Arkansas Ave. His grandfather had built a cedar log cabin on Baltic Ave. at the site of the recently demolished bus terminal as early as 1783. Jeremiah and his family were the first official residents of Atlantic City. Their home and farm was called Leeds Plantation, and Leeds grew corn and rye and raised cattle. A year after his death in 1838 , his second wife, Millicent, got a license to operate a tavern called Aunt Millie's Boarding House, located at Baltic and Massachusetts Ave. Thus, the first business in Atlantic City was born.
By 1850, there were seven permanent dwellings on the island, all but one of which was owned by descendants of Jeremiah Leeds. Dr. Jonathan Pitney, a prominent physician who lived in Absecon, felt that the island had much to offer, and even had ideas of making the island a health resort but access to the island had to be improved. Pitney, along with a civil engineer from Philadelphia, Richard Osborne, had the idea to bring the railroad to the island. In 1852, construction began on the Camden-Atlantic City Railroad. On July 5, 1854, the first train arrived from Camden after a gruelling 2.5 hour trip, and the invasion of the tourists had begun.
Osborne has been given credit with naming the city, while his friend Dr. Pitney thought up the plan for the names and placements of the city streets which remains today. Streets running parallel to the ocean were named after the world’s great bodies of water; Pacific, Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Arctic; while the streets which ran east to west would be named after the States.
Visitors to Atlantic City didn't only arrive by train. It was becoming a bustling seaport. But along with the increasing number of sailing vessels, came an increasing number of tragic wrecks off the coast. One of the most tragic was the sinking of the Powhattan, a vessel carrying 311 German immigrants, which sank on April 16, 1854. For days, bodies washed up on the shoreline. Because it was impossible to identify the dead, 54 bodies were buried in a mass grave in the cemetery at the Smithville Methodist Church, and 45 bodies were buried in Absecon. At the urging of Dr. Pitney, a lighthouse was erected in 1854, and turned on one year later. The lighthouse, in the Inlet section of the city, was originally at the edge of the ocean, but it now stands over 1/2 mile from the beach.
Osborne has been given credit with naming the city, while his friend Dr. Pitney thought up the plan for the names and placements of the city streets which remains today. Streets running parallel to the ocean were named after the world’s great bodies of water; Pacific, Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Arctic; while the streets which ran east to west would be named after the States.
Visitors to Atlantic City didn't only arrive by train. It was becoming a bustling seaport. But along with the increasing number of sailing vessels, came an increasing number of tragic wrecks off the coast. One of the most tragic was the sinking of the Powhattan, a vessel carrying 311 German immigrants, which sank on April 16, 1854. For days, bodies washed up on the shoreline. Because it was impossible to identify the dead, 54 bodies were buried in a mass grave in the cemetery at the Smithville Methodist Church, and 45 bodies were buried in Absecon. At the urging of Dr. Pitney, a lighthouse was erected in 1854, and turned on one year later. The lighthouse, in the Inlet section of the city, was originally at the edge of the ocean, but it now stands over 1/2 mile from the beach.
The first official road from the mainland to the island, was completed in 1870, after 17 years of construction. The road, which ran from Pleasantville, had a $0.30 toll. The first free road was Albany Ave., constructed over the meadows from Pleasantville.
By 1878, one railroad couldn't handle all the passengers wanting to go to the Shore, so the Narrow Gauge Line to Philadelphia was constructed. At this point massive hotels like the United States and the Surf House, as well as smaller rooming houses, had sprung up all over town. The first commercial hotel, the Belloe House, located at Massachusetts and Atlantic Ave., was built in 1853, and operated till 1902. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Pacific, Delaware, and Maryland (the current site of the Showboat Parking lot). These grand hotels were not only impressive in size, but featured the most updated amenities, and were considered quite luxurious for the time.
By 1878, one railroad couldn't handle all the passengers wanting to go to the Shore, so the Narrow Gauge Line to Philadelphia was constructed. At this point massive hotels like the United States and the Surf House, as well as smaller rooming houses, had sprung up all over town. The first commercial hotel, the Belloe House, located at Massachusetts and Atlantic Ave., was built in 1853, and operated till 1902. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Pacific, Delaware, and Maryland (the current site of the Showboat Parking lot). These grand hotels were not only impressive in size, but featured the most updated amenities, and were considered quite luxurious for the time.
Atlantic City NJ
Under The Boardwalk
There were beautiful hotels, elegant restaurants, and convenient transportation, but the businessmen of Atlantic City had one big problem to contend with...SAND. It was everywhere, from the train cars to the hotel lobbies. In 1870, Alexander Boardman, a conductor on the Atlantic City-Camden Railroad, was asked to think up a way to keep the sand out of the hotels and rail cars. Boardman, along with a hotel owner Jacob Keim, presented an idea to City Council. In 1870, costing half of the town’s tax revenue that year, an eight foot wide wooden boardwalk was built from the beach into town.
This first Boardwalk, which was taken up during the winter, was replaced with another larger structure in 1880. On Sunday September 9, 1889, a devastating hurricane hit the island, destroying the boardwalk. Most of the city was under 6 feet of water, and the ocean met the bay at Georgia Ave. The Boardwalk of today is 60 feet wide, and 6 miles long. Its planks, placed in a herringbone pattern, are laid on a substructure of concrete and steel. Steel railings are in place to keep visitors from falling off onto the beach below, because obviously, that would hurt?! In accordance with an old City Council ordinance, hotels, restaurants and shops are kept on one side of the boards, with amusement piers on the other.
This first Boardwalk, which was taken up during the winter, was replaced with another larger structure in 1880. On Sunday September 9, 1889, a devastating hurricane hit the island, destroying the boardwalk. Most of the city was under 6 feet of water, and the ocean met the bay at Georgia Ave. The Boardwalk of today is 60 feet wide, and 6 miles long. Its planks, placed in a herringbone pattern, are laid on a substructure of concrete and steel. Steel railings are in place to keep visitors from falling off onto the beach below, because obviously, that would hurt?! In accordance with an old City Council ordinance, hotels, restaurants and shops are kept on one side of the boards, with amusement piers on the other.
On June 16th, 1880, Atlantic City was formally opened, with a fanfare, the likes of which, few in the area had seen before and a resort was born. By the census of 1900, there were over 27,000 residents in Atlantic City, up from a mere 250 just 45 years earlier.
The late 1800's were a growth time for the city. Along the boardwalk, amusement piers began popping up. With names like Million Dollar, Steel, Iron, the piers of Atlantic City were a major draw. Everyone could find some sort of entertainment to meet their tastes. From the Diving Horse, Dr. Couney's Premature Infant Exhibit, marathon dance contests to side show acts, Atlantic City offered something for everyone. Despite the variety of draws to the city, one issue remained...how to extend the tourist season past the summer months. That question was answered by a 16 yr. old girl from Washington in 1921 who was the first Miss America. The pageant, which was held intermittently from 1930-1935, became synonymous with Atlantic City when it began being held at the Convention Hall in 1940.
Atlantic City became the place to go. Entertainers from vaudeville to HollywoodCheese graced the stages of the piers. The future seemed bright; until World War II. After the war, the public seemed to stop its love affair with The World's Favourite Playground. Possibly because of the public’s access to national air travel, the shift of the population westward, the general deterioration of the city, or a shift in the public’s taste for more sophisticated entertainment, Atlantic City lost much of its shine; and most of its tourists.
With the passage of the Casino Gambling Referendum in 1976, Atlantic City began an upward battle, not unlike one it had started two hundred years before, to use the glorious resources it has been given by nature, to make it once again a world renowned tourist Mecca.
The late 1800's were a growth time for the city. Along the boardwalk, amusement piers began popping up. With names like Million Dollar, Steel, Iron, the piers of Atlantic City were a major draw. Everyone could find some sort of entertainment to meet their tastes. From the Diving Horse, Dr. Couney's Premature Infant Exhibit, marathon dance contests to side show acts, Atlantic City offered something for everyone. Despite the variety of draws to the city, one issue remained...how to extend the tourist season past the summer months. That question was answered by a 16 yr. old girl from Washington in 1921 who was the first Miss America. The pageant, which was held intermittently from 1930-1935, became synonymous with Atlantic City when it began being held at the Convention Hall in 1940.
Atlantic City became the place to go. Entertainers from vaudeville to HollywoodCheese graced the stages of the piers. The future seemed bright; until World War II. After the war, the public seemed to stop its love affair with The World's Favourite Playground. Possibly because of the public’s access to national air travel, the shift of the population westward, the general deterioration of the city, or a shift in the public’s taste for more sophisticated entertainment, Atlantic City lost much of its shine; and most of its tourists.
With the passage of the Casino Gambling Referendum in 1976, Atlantic City began an upward battle, not unlike one it had started two hundred years before, to use the glorious resources it has been given by nature, to make it once again a world renowned tourist Mecca.
Modern AC
Atlantic City has certainly seen better days and gives the overall impression of being a bit sad. A coat of paint here and there and a little new statuary would go a long way. But, to be fair, I haven’t seen it at night, or in the season. Reno looked shitty and sleazy during the day, yet at night in the neon glow, it took on a different appearance. Oh sure, it was still sleazy, cheap and nasty, and lacks the pizzazz that modern Vegas surely has, but somehow neon light, even if it is of the artificial variety, cloaks a multitude of sins. Atlantic City is Reno with ozone. It’s not had the vast investment that Vegas has (and remember that, Vegas is all smoke and mirrors - they bulldozed the original Strip and rebuilt it a few miles down the road because it was too sleazy!) but it does have some saving graces. It is easy and cheap to get to, the boardwalk is fantastic, the beach is big and clean and, if gambling is your bag, all of the names are well represented here. Inside Casinos, no-one cares about the outdoors anyway! So, it has all you could possibly need, under those circumstances.
The greatest advantage Atlantic City has, is that it hasn’t suffered the same fate as Asbury Park, further up the New Jersey coast. Years before, as people deserted Asbury Park for Atlantic City, the former descended into chaos, race riots and the town, literally, fell apart. Whilst punters may have now opted for the searing heat of the Nevada desert over the bracing sea breezes of the South Jersey coast, at least Atlantic City is still standing, and doesn’t look like a set from The Omega Man! I actually quite liked the place. Mind you, I’m not a gambling man and most of what it has to offer is lost on me. Maybe it’s just soppiness; Atlantic City is what Blackpool would love to be and I did live there for a couple of years. Yeah, that’s right; I’m just a sentimental old Hector.
The greatest advantage Atlantic City has, is that it hasn’t suffered the same fate as Asbury Park, further up the New Jersey coast. Years before, as people deserted Asbury Park for Atlantic City, the former descended into chaos, race riots and the town, literally, fell apart. Whilst punters may have now opted for the searing heat of the Nevada desert over the bracing sea breezes of the South Jersey coast, at least Atlantic City is still standing, and doesn’t look like a set from The Omega Man! I actually quite liked the place. Mind you, I’m not a gambling man and most of what it has to offer is lost on me. Maybe it’s just soppiness; Atlantic City is what Blackpool would love to be and I did live there for a couple of years. Yeah, that’s right; I’m just a sentimental old Hector.
Roll On Down The Highway
It was still early afternoon by the time I’d had my fill of the windy Atlantic City beachfront. I’d heard about Cape May, the lighthouse and the sunsets, so I decided to give it a whirl. It didn’t look far on the map; then again, not far in the USA does take longer than not far in the UK, thanks to the speed limit on the freeway.
I headed out of Atlantic City and picked up the Garden State Parkway, bound for Cape May; it was a little like driving towards the end of the Earth. Cape May is basically a dead end at the southernmost tip of New Jersey. There’s one way in and one way out. Anyhoo, I pointed the car, set the cruise control and had a nap. Thirty minutes later, refreshed and awake, I pulled into Cape May.
Only joking... I was drinking coffee and reading a book.
Click here to see how I got on down at Cape May
I headed out of Atlantic City and picked up the Garden State Parkway, bound for Cape May; it was a little like driving towards the end of the Earth. Cape May is basically a dead end at the southernmost tip of New Jersey. There’s one way in and one way out. Anyhoo, I pointed the car, set the cruise control and had a nap. Thirty minutes later, refreshed and awake, I pulled into Cape May.
Only joking... I was drinking coffee and reading a book.
Click here to see how I got on down at Cape May