Atlantic City Hotel Blog » Facts-Triva-History

Atlantic City – From Spa Town to Casino Dens

admin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:45:51 +0000

Bathing Pavilions. Beach, Atlantic City, NJ. Library of Congress, ca. 1904 - Courtesy http://www.nps.gov

It was the engineer Richard Osborne who named and designed Atlantic City. Realizing the potential of the location In early 1850s, Dr. Jonathan Pitney visualized it as a health resort spa. In 1852, along with a group of business investors he obtained the railroad charter. This brought the Camden & Atlantic Railroad to Atlantic City.

The City has never looked back since that memorable undertaking. Situated on the site of Absecon village it was duly incorporated in 1854 as Atlantic City. The resort/spa town succeeded beyond anyone’s imagination! Wealthy families from Philadelphia and other places on the East Coast flocked to the new resort.

The beaches of the town were reinvented by the creation of the first boardwalk in 1870. Townsmen laid wooden planks upon the beach so that it could be enjoyed even during hot summer days. Along with the boardwalk came eateries and amusement stands to make Atlantic City a major tourist attraction.

Vacationers and invalids coexisted happily in the Victorian-era town, living in ornate wooden boarding houses and enjoying the boardwalk in the rolling chairs that were invented in the city in 1884. The first of a half-dozen amusement piers was built in 1882, contributing to the city’s carnival-like atmosphere.

By 1887, heavy tourist traffic got a second rail line for the city. In 1895 a visitor returning from Europe introduced to local merchants German-style picture postcards which instantly became popular on Atlantic City souvenir stands.

With the first Miss America Pageant held here in 1921, every one had heard of Atlantic City. The Atlantic City Auditorium Hall on the boardwalk opened in 1929. It was in 1929 that Charles Darrow introduced Monopoly, the board game that made Atlantic City’s streets - household names throughout America!

Trivia – Goes A Long Way

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:45:48 +0000

Trivial Pursuits in Atlantic City - Courtesy tbn3.google.com

Located in South Jersey, Atlantic City rests hugging the Atlantic Ocean. Sitting pretty amidst marshlands and islands it remains a prime real estate developers dreamland. What began as a resort town has remained an entertainment center that draws people from all over.

Here is some interesting trivia about the city in no particular order.

Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world.
It is the first Boardwalk created in the US specifically to keep sand out of the hotel lobbies.
Its original summer visitors were the Absegami Indians of the Lenni Lenape tribe.
Atlantic City is a recurring locale seen in the 100 Bullets series.
Characters from the series including Booster Gold and Royal Flush Gang have fought on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
The Atlas of the DC Universe and other comic sources cite Atlantic City and surrounding region as analogous to Gotham City.
Today the city is better known as a gaming zone.
Ocean Pier, the world’s first oceanside amusement pier was built in 1882.
Atlantic City is home to New Jersey’s first wind farm. The Jersey Atlantic Wind Farm consists of five 1.5 megawatt turbine towers, each almost 400 feet in length.
Atlantic City is famous for its spectacular view of the the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the inspiration for the board game Monopoly with street names coming from here on the board.
Interestingly gambling halted here for the first time since 1978, on July 5,2006. The New Jersey State Government Shutdown Mandated the closure when the legislature failed to present a budget! Due to absence of state regulators gambling was closed. Casinos resumed gambling at 7 pm on July 8 2006.
In 1935, the police in Atlantic City, New Jersey, arrested 42 men on the beach. They were cracking down on topless bathing suits worn by men.

Factually Yours - Atlantic City

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:17:28 +0000

Atlantic City Postcard - Courtesy farm1.static.flickr.com

Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It is approximately 60 miles southeast of Philadelphia and about 100 miles southwest of New York.

Absecon Island measures a mere 10 miles in length while Atlantic City is only 3.9 miles in length. Spread in an area of 11.94 square miles the Atlantic City altitude is 6 to 8 feet above sea level. Atlantic city sandy beaches are famous for gently sloping into the surf.

Located near to well known cities it enjoys easy accessibility. Literally thousands of people flee to the cool shores of this entertainment center. For this reason it has been developed to offer lodging, dining, and all sorts of amusements to people of all ages and incomes.

Attractions like the legendary Boardwalk, Piers, Floor Shows and of course the gaming casinos are main attractions here. Atlantic City has a year round calender of events that is closely followed by the surrounding population.

Long before Atlantic City was founded the island on which it stands was lush with thick woods and lined with dunes. Home of the Lenni Lenape Indians who called it Absegami (little water) island its now known as Absecon Island. Some fast facts about Atlantic City are:

- January 15, 1853, saw the name “Atlantic City” adopted by city founders.

- It has the first Boardwalk constructed in the US, inaugurated on June 26, 1870.

- First picture postcards in the U S were color views of Atlantic City (1893).

- Boardwalk Hall opened in 1929 and was the largest auditorium ever built without support of pillars.

- Atlantic City Convention Center houses the world’s largest pipe organ.

- The Rolling Chairs from late 1800s are famous attractions on the Boardwalk till date.

- The famous boardgame Monopoly when designed for the first time made use of Atlantic City street names.

- In 1898 the Steel Pier opened and was the most widely advertised amusement pier of the world.

- The term airport was first coined in Atlantic City in reference to its flying field.

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admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:26:37 +0000

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