Atlantic City offers boardwalk charm, glitzy history, and Americana appeal. The city’s atmosphere includes salt air, perfume and cigarette smoke, glowing boardwalk nights, and the hypnotic sound of slot machines. It functions as an adult playground while also providing family-friendly experiences such as bike rides, dolphin cruises, arcades, funnel cake, beach days, and candy shops. The city’s history is central: the world’s first boardwalk opened in 1870, and by the early 20th century it became a major leisure hub with grand hotels, beauty pageants, and supper clubs featuring performers like Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, and The Beatles. Legal East Coast casino gambling began in 1978 with Resorts International, extending Vegas-style culture east.
"Atlantic City has always felt to me like America's most misunderstood resort city. As a native New Yorker with a family that loves to gamble, I grew up coming here a few times a year, every year. Sometimes we booked months in advance, other times we decided we'd book our trip just the day before. "I'm going to AC this weekend," I recall telling my friends at age 12. Obviously, I was too young to gamble—but even then, the spectacle was intoxicating."
"Long before I understood this city historically, I understood its seduction: the salt air mixing with perfume and cigarette smoke, the boardwalk glowing at night, the hypnotic ringing of slot machines at 2 a.m., gamblers of all ages carrying cocktails, lucky charms, and superstitions. Atlantic City feels like one of the last true adult playgrounds in America—though it still holds onto its wholesome, family-friendly moments too: bike rides on the boardwalk, dolphin cruises in the summer, arcade and funnel cake fun, beach days, and old-school candy shops."
"But what many people forget is just how historic this city is. The world's first boardwalk opened here in 1870, and by the early 20th century, Atlantic City had become one of America's great leisure capitals, home to grand seaside hotels, beauty pageants, and supper clubs, frequented by legendary performers like Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, and The Beatles. It's also where legal casino gambling first arrived on the East Coast, when Resorts International opened in 1978, bringing Vegas-style casino culture east."
"You'll feel its iconic history at the old-school pubs in Ducktown, the weathered saltwater taffy shops, the Italian-American white-tablecloth dining rooms, and the casino tables with the same dealers who've worked them for decades."
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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