Editing Atlantic City, New Jersey (section)

==History==
{{split|History of Atlantic City, New Jersey|date=June 2024}}
[[File:Atlantic City Map 1877.jpg|thumb|''Atlantic City'', 1877]]
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - A High Tide at Atlantic City - William Trost Richards - overall.jpg|thumb|''A High Tide at Atlantic City'', a painting by [[William Trost Richards]], now housed in [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]
Prior to Atlantic City's founding, the region served as a summer home for the [[Lenape]], a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribe. While the precise date of European settlement in present-day Atlantic City is not precisely determined, it is commonly thought that it was in 1783, when Jeremiah Leeds built and occupied a year-round home there.

===19th century===
In 1850, present-day Atlantic City was developed into a [[resort town]]. Three years later, in early 1853, it was named Atlantic City.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://acfpl.org/ac-history-menu/atlantic-city-faq-s/15-heston-archives/147-atlantic-city-history-22.html |title=Atlantic City History |website=Atlantic City Free Public Library |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101035934/http://acfpl.org/ac-history-menu/atlantic-city-faq-s/15-heston-archives/147-atlantic-city-history-22.html |archive-date=2021-11-01 }}</ref>

Because of its location in [[South Jersey]], which hugs the [[Atlantic Ocean]] between [[marshlands]] and islands, Atlantic City was then viewed by developers as prime real estate and a potential resort town. In 1853, the city's first commercial hotel, the Belloe House, was built at the intersection of Massachusetts and Atlantic Avenues.<ref>[https://cityofatlanticcity.org/?page_id=14 About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329033528/https://cityofatlanticcity.org/?page_id=14 |date=March 29, 2019 }}, City of Atlantic City. Accessed June 24, 2019. "The first commercial hotel the Belloe House, located at Massachusetts and Atlantic Ave., was built in 1853, and operated till 1902."</ref>

The following year, in 1854, the city was incorporated. The same year, train service began on the [[Camden and Atlantic Railroad]].<ref>Thomas R. Winpenny, [http://www.ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/journal/article/viewFile/88/84 ''The engineer as promoter : Richerd B. Osborne, The Camden and Atlantic Railroad, and the creation of Atlantic City''], Essays in Economic and Business History, 2004</ref> Built on the edge of the bay, this served as the direct link of this remote parcel of land with [[Philadelphia]], the second-most populous city in the United States at the time and the largest city in [[Pennsylvania]]. The same year, construction of the [[Absecon Lighthouse]], designed by [[George Meade]] of the [[Corps of Topographical Engineers]], was approved, with work initiated the next year.<ref name=LighthouseHistory>[http://www.abseconlighthouse.org/history/index.asp#top History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729015224/http://abseconlighthouse.org/history/index.asp#top |date=July 29, 2017 }}, [[Absecon Lighthouse]]. Accessed July 27, 2017. "1854 – After a decade of prompting from Jonathan Pitney, considered by most to be the 'father' of Atlantic City, the U.S. Lighthouse Service requested and received a $35,000 appropriation from Congress for a lighthouse on Absecon Island.... 1855 Construction began under the direction of Major Hartman Bache."</ref>

By 1874, almost 500,000 passengers a year were coming to Atlantic City by rail. In ''Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City'', "Atlantic City's Godfather"<ref>Strauss, Robert. [http://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/people/atlantic-citys-godfather/ "Judge Nelson Johnson: Atlantic City's GodfatherA Q&A with Judge Nelson Johnson, whose book—Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City—was made into an HBO miniseries."], ''[[New Jersey Monthly]]'', August 16, 2010. Accessed October 15, 2015.</ref> [[Jonathan Pitney]], known as the "Father of Atlantic City",<ref>Cunningham, John T. [https://archive.org/details/thisisnewjersey0000cunn/page/241 ''This is New Jersey''], p. 241. [[Rutgers University Press]], 1994. {{ISBN|9780813521411}}. Accessed October 15, 2015.</ref> initially sought to develop Atlantic City as a health resort. Pitney persuaded municipal authorities that a railroad to the beach in Atlantic City would be beneficial. His successful business relationship with Samuel Richards, an entrepreneur and member of what was then the most influential family in [[South Jersey]], was designed to construct the railroad with the first 600 riders, who "were chosen carefully by Samuel Richards and Jonathan Pitney":<ref name="Johnson, Nelson 2010 30">{{cite book|title=''Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City''|publisher=Medford, New Jersey: Plexus Publishing, Inc.|year=2010|last=Johnson|first=Nelson|others=Foreword by Terence Winter|page=30}}</ref>

<blockquote>After arriving in Atlantic City, a second train brought the visitors to the door of the resort's first public lodging, the United States Hotel. The hotel was owned by the railroad. It was a sprawling, four-story structure built to house 2,000 guests. It opened while it was still under construction, with only one wing standing, and even that wasn't completed. By year's end, when it was fully constructed, the United States Hotel was not only the first hotel in Atlantic City but also the largest in the nation. Its rooms totaled more than 600, and its grounds covered some 14 acres.</blockquote>

The first [[Boardwalk (entertainment district)|boardwalk]] was built in 1870 along a portion of the beach in an effort to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. Businesses were restricted and the boardwalk was removed each year at the end of the peak season.<ref>[http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/mediaonline/story_ideas_detail.aspx?NewsID=80 "Atlantic City Boardwalk: A Stroll On the Wooden Way is Steeped in History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513130643/http://atlanticcitynj.com/mediaonline/story_ideas_detail.aspx?NewsID=80 |date=May 13, 2013 }}, Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. Accessed August 23, 2013.</ref> Because of its effectiveness and popularity, the boardwalk was expanded in length and width, and modified several times in subsequent years.

Prior to the destructive [[1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane]], the historic length of the boardwalk was about {{cvt|7|mi|km}} and it extended from Atlantic City to [[Longport, New Jersey|Longport]], through [[Ventnor City, New Jersey|Ventnor]] and [[Margate City, New Jersey|Margate]].<ref>Schwartz, David. [http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/september_2005/article/storm_of_the_century "Storm of the Century: The Hurricane of '44 pounded Atlantic City like no other storm"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101033322/http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/september_2005/article/storm_of_the_century |date=November 1, 2012 }}, ''Casino Connection AC'', Vol. 2, No. 9, September 2005. Accessed August 23, 2013.</ref>

The first road connecting the city to the mainland at [[Pleasantville, New Jersey|Pleasantville]] was completed in 1870 and charged a 30-cent toll. Albany Avenue was the first road to the mainland available without a toll.<ref>[http://www.cityofatlanticcity.org/about.aspx History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703055539/http://cityofatlanticcity.org/about.aspx |date=July 3, 2013 }}, City of Atlantic City. Accessed June 19, 2013.</ref>

By 1878, because of the growing popularity of the city, one railroad line could no longer keep up with demand. Soon, the [[Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway]] was also constructed to transport tourists to Atlantic City. At this point massive hotels like the United States Hotel and Surf House, as well as smaller rooming houses, had sprung up all over town. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Pacific, Delaware, and Maryland Avenues. These hotels were not only impressive in size, but featured the most up-to-date amenities, and were considered quite luxurious for their time.

In 1883, [[salt water taffy]] was conceived in Atlantic City by David Bradley. The traditional story is that Bradley's shop close to the beach was flooded with ocean water after a storm, soaking his taffy. He sold the "salt water taffy" to a girl, who walked down to the beach to show her friends. Bradley's mother was in the back of the store when the sale was made, and loved the name, giving the candy its name.<ref>Donohue, Jeanne. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AC&p_theme=ac&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11224176B7C4EAA0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Family / Boardwalk Tradition: Salt Water Taffy"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', June 8, 2006. Accessed December 19, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/media/story-ideas/details.aspx?NewsID=84 "Taffy Madness"], AtlanticCityNJ.com. Accessed December 21, 2016. "The year was 1880. Mr. Bradley, a young candy merchant, had a stand on the Boardwalk. One night the little stand, which was only a couple steps from the sand, was swamped by an evening storm."</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Atlantic City Boardwalk crowd in front of Blenheim hotel 1911 re-retouched.jpg|thumb|Atlantic City Boardwalk crowd in front of [[Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel]] in 1911]]
[[File:Boardwalk Hall—Atlantic City coat of arms.jpg|thumb|{{lang|la|Consilio et prudentia}}, Atlantic City's motto, along with its coat of arms on historic [[Boardwalk Hall]], built during [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]], which lasted from 1919 to 1933]]
[[File:Chalfonte hotel brochure013.JPG|thumb|[[Resorts Casino Hotel|Haddon Hall Hotel]] depicted on a mid-1930s postcard]]
In the early 20th century, Atlantic City experienced a radical building boom. Many of the modest boarding houses that dotted the boardwalk were replaced with large hotels. Two of the city's most distinctive hotels were the [[Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel]] and the [[Traymore Hotel]].

In 1902, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the boardwalk, where he started construction and built the [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne style]] Marlborough House. The hotel was a success. In 1905, he chose to expand the hotel and bought another parcel of land adjacent to his Marlborough House. In an effort to make his new hotel a source of conversation, White hired the architectural firm of Price and McLanahan. The firm made use of [[reinforced concrete]], a new building material invented by Jean-Louis Lambot in 1848, and Joseph Monier received the patent in 1867. The hotel's Spanish and Moorish themes, capped off with its signature dome and chimneys, represented a step forward from other hotels that had a classically designed influence. White named the new hotel the Blenheim and merged the two hotels into the Marlborough-Blenheim. [[Bally's Atlantic City]] was later constructed at this location.

The Traymore Hotel was located at the corner of Illinois Avenue and the boardwalk. Constructed in 1879 as a small boarding house, the hotel grew through a series of uncoordinated expansions. By 1914, the hotel's owner, Daniel White, Josiah White's half-brother,<ref>[[Traymore Hotel]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=October 2023}} taking a hint from the Marlborough-Blenheim, commissioned the firm of Price and McLanahan to build an even bigger hotel. Rising 16 stories, the tan brick and gold-capped hotel would become one of the city's best-known landmarks. The hotel made use of ocean-facing hotel rooms by jutting its wings farther from the main portion of the hotel along Pacific Avenue.

One by one, additional large hotels were constructed along the boardwalk, including the Brighton, Chelsea, Shelburne, Ambassador, Ritz Carlton, Mayflower, Madison House, and the Breakers. The [[Quakers|Quaker]]-owned Chalfonte House, opened in 1868, and Haddon House, opened in 1869, flanked North Carolina Avenue at the beach end. Over the years, their original wood-frame structures would be enlarged, and even moved closer to the beach. The modern Chalfonte Hotel, eight stories tall, opened in 1904. The modern Haddon Hall was built in stages and was completed in 1929, at eleven stories. By this time, they were under the same ownership and merged into the [[Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel]], becoming the city's largest hotel with nearly 1,000 rooms. By 1930, the Claridge, the city's last large hotel before the casinos, opened its doors.

The 400-room Claridge was built by a partnership that included renowned Philadelphia contractor [[John McShain]]. At 24 stories, it would become known as the "Skyscraper by the Sea".

With tourism peaking in the 1920s, the period is often considered by historians to be Atlantic City's golden age. During [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]], which was enacted nationally in 1919 and lasted until 1933, much liquor was consumed and gambling regularly took place in the back rooms of nightclubs and restaurants. During Prohibition, [[racketeer]] and political boss [[Enoch L. Johnson|Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson]] rose to power. Prohibition was largely unenforced in Atlantic City. Because alcohol that had been smuggled into the city with the implicit approval of local officials, it was easily obtained at restaurants and other establishments, and the resort's popularity grew further.<ref>[http://atlanticcityexperience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=4 "Nucky's Empire: The Prohibition Years – Prohibition in a Wide Open Town"], The Atlantic City Experience. Accessed December 19, 2011. "In Atlantic City, Prohibition was essentially unenforced by the local authorities. Atlantic City was a well-known haven for those seeking alcohol. The tourist-based economy of the resort encouraged business owners to provide whatever was needed to make the visitors happy."</ref> The city then dubbed itself as "The World's Playground".<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/atlanticcityworl01nati/atlanticcityworl01nati_djvu.txt ''Atlantic City, the world's playground''], National City Advertising Company, 1922. Accessed October 15, 2015.</ref><ref>Staff. [http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/film/213897/the-world-playground "The World's Playground"], ''[[Bangkok Post]]'', March 12, 2010. Accessed June 23, 2016.</ref> Nucky Johnson's income, which reached as much as $500,000 annually, came from the [[Kickback (bribery)|kickbacks]] he took on illegal liquor, gambling and prostitution operating in the city, as well as from kickbacks on construction projects.<ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1968/12/10/archives/enoch-l-johnson-exboss-in-jersey-prohibitionera-ruler-of-atlantic.html "Enoch L. Johnson, Ex-Boss in Jersey – Prohibition-Era Ruler of Atlantic City, 85, Dies"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 10, 1968, p. 47. Accessed February 4, 2012. "Most of Johnson's income in his heyday came from the percentage he took on each gallon of illegal liquor... Johnson's income from vice amounted to more than $500,000 a year, investigators said."</ref>

During this time, Atlantic City was led by mayor [[Edward L. Bader]], known for his contributions to the construction, athletics and aviation of Atlantic City.<ref name="casino">Schwartz, David. [http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/november-2010/article/crossing-the-goal-line "Crossing the Goal Line"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708123102/http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/november-2010/article/crossing-the-goal-line |date=July 8, 2011 }}, ''Casino Connection'', Vol. 7, No. 11, November 2010. Accessed December 19, 2011.</ref> Despite opposition, he had Atlantic City purchase the land that became the city's municipal airport and high school football stadium, both of which were later named [[Bader Field]] in his honor.<ref>Harris-Para, Barbara. [http://www.tc.faa.gov/act4/insidethefence/2006/0102_16_bader.htm "Bader Field: Past, Present and Future"], [[Federal Aviation Administration]]. Accessed December 19, 2011.</ref> He led the initiative, in 1923, to construct the [[Atlantic City High School]] at Albany and Atlantic Avenues.<ref name="casino"/> Bader, in November 1923, initiated a public referendum, during the general election, at which time residents approved the construction of a Convention Center. The city passed an ordinance approving a bond issue for $1.5&nbsp;million to be used for the purchase of land for Convention Hall, now known as the [[Boardwalk Hall]], finalized on September 30, 1924.<ref>[http://www.boardwalkhall.com/pastevents.asp History of Events at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730085045/http://www.boardwalkhall.com/pastevents.asp |date=July 30, 2014 }}, [[Boardwalk Hall]]. Accessed December 19, 2011.</ref> Bader was also a driving force behind the creation of the [[Miss America]] competition.<ref name=Good2010>Good, Dan. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/blogs/boardwalk_empire/article_29fbac66-f37a-11df-9f2e-001cc4c002e0.html "Atlantic City's Bader beloved for good reason"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', November 18, 2010. Accessed December 19, 2011.</ref>

In May 1929, Johnson hosted a [[Atlantic City Conference|conference]] for [[organized crime]] figures from all across America that created a [[National Crime Syndicate]]. The men who called this meeting were [[Luciano crime family#Masseria|Masseria family]] [[caporegime|lieutenant]] [[Charlie Luciano|Charles "Lucky" Luciano]] and former Chicago [[Chicago Outfit|South Side Gang]] [[crime boss|boss]] [[Johnny Torrio|Johnny "the Fox" Torrio]], with heads of the [[Bugs and Meyer Mob]], [[Meyer Lansky]] and [[Bugsy Siegel|Benjamin Siegel]], being used as muscle for the meeting.<ref>Harper, Derek. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic_city/years-ago-the-mob-came-to-atlantic-city-for-a/article_3d2aedaa-856e-5e81-8e5a-9db020bed549.html "80 years ago, the Mob came to Atlantic City for a little strategic planning"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', May 13, 2009. Accessed July 27, 2017. "Eighty years ago today, mobsters from around the United States descended on 'The World's Playground' for the start of a secret four-day convention. When the 'Atlantic City Conference' broke up May 16, the groundwork had been laid for the nation's first organized-crime syndicate, a network that crisscrossed the nation and took decades to disentangle."</ref>

Gangster and businessman [[Al Capone]] attended the conference and was photographed walking along the Atlantic City boardwalk with Johnson.<ref>[https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/when-the-mob-and-al-capone-came-to-atlantic-city/article_d7d281c7-4b8e-5b0d-b7d2-806e97d42d62.html "When the mob and Al Capone came to Atlantic City for some strategic planning"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', January 16, 2017. Accessed March 18, 2020. "Nucky, second from right, walks the Boardwalk with Al Capone, third from right, and other mob figures for the May 1929 'Atlantic Convention' of organized crime figures from around the nation."</ref>

The 1930s through the 1960s were a heyday for nightclub entertainment. Popular venues on the white-populated south side included the [[500 Club]], the [[Clicquot Club]], and the [[Jockey Club (Atlantic City, New Jersey)|Jockey Club]]. In the [[Northside, Atlantic City|Northside neighborhood]], home to African Americans in the racially segregated city, a black entertainment district reigned on Kentucky Avenue.

Four major nightclubs, [[Club Harlem]], the [[Paradise Club (Atlantic City, New Jersey)|Paradise Club]], [[Grace's Little Belmont]], and [[Wonder Gardens]], drew both black and white patrons. During the summer tourist season, jazz and R&B music could be heard into the wee hours of the morning. [[Soul food]] restaurants and [[Ribs (food)|ribs]] joints also lined Kentucky Avenue, including [[Wash's Restaurant]],<ref>[http://www.atlanticcityexperience.org/10005-experience-the/ky-and-the-curb/224-wash-s-restaurant.html Wash's Restaurant] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820105709/http://www.atlanticcityexperience.org/10005-experience-the/ky-and-the-curb/224-wash-s-restaurant.html |date=August 20, 2018 }}, Atlantic City Experience. Accessed December 21, 2016.</ref> Jerry's and Sap's.<ref>Bykofsky, Stuard D. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160817054437/http://articles.philly.com/1987-03-03/entertainment/26219003_1_sam-cooke-harlem-band-musicians "Harlem Nocturne: Requiem For A Club"], ''[[Philadelphia Daily News]]'', March 3, 1987, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of August 17, 2016. Accessed January 13, 2017.</ref>

[[File:Civil Air Patrol Marker, Bader Field, Atlantic City.jpg|thumb|Marker to the Civil Air Patrol, Bader Field, Atlantic City]]
[[File:World War II Memorial Plaque, Convention Hall, Atlantic City.jpg|thumb|Plaque in Atlantic City for World War II Service]]

Like many older [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] cities after [[World War II]], Atlantic City became plagued with poverty, crime, corruption, and general economic decline in the mid-to-late 20th century. The neighborhood known as the "Inlet" became particularly impoverished. The reasons for the resort's decline were multi-layered. First, the automobile became more readily available to many Americans after the war. Atlantic City had initially relied upon visitors coming by train and staying for a couple of weeks. The car allowed them to come and go as they pleased, and many people would spend only a few days, rather than weeks. The [[Suburbanization#United States|advent of suburbia]] also played a significant role. With many families moving to their own private houses, luxuries such as home air conditioning and swimming pools diminished their interest in flocking to the luxury beach resorts during the hot summer. Finally, the rise of relatively cheap jet airline service allowed visitors to travel to year-round resort places such as [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]] and the [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]].<ref>Ryan, Robert. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Kv8PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jo0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1641,5311455&dq=atlantic-city+decline+jet+travel+miami&hl=en "Casinos mean facelift for Atlantic City"], ''[[Boca Raton News]]'', October 24, 1978. Accessed August 23, 2013. "Drawn by the year-round warmth of southern vacation spots, tourists have increasingly abandoned Atlantic City. Less expensive high-speed jet travel and rising middle-class affluence hastened the decline."</ref>

The city hosted the [[1964 Democratic National Convention]] which nominated [[Lyndon Johnson]] for president and [[Hubert Humphrey]] as vice president. 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. Many felt that the friendship between Johnson and [[Governor of New Jersey]] [[Richard J. Hughes]] led Atlantic City to host the Democratic Convention.<ref>Waltzer, Jim. [http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/news-and-views/waltz-through-time/when_the_democrats_came_to_town-50963622.html "When the Democrats Came to Town: Atlantic City hosted LBJ and company in 1964 and it was not an artistic success"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114134100/http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/news-and-views/waltz-through-time/when_the_democrats_came_to_town-50963622.html |date=January 14, 2011 }}, ''Atlantic City Weekly'', November 23, 2006. Accessed February 4, 2012. "The Democratic minions launched their opening ceremonies on Aug. 24 in Atlantic City, chosen for no small reason due to Johnson's close friendship with New Jersey Governor Richard Hughes."</ref>

By the late 1960s, many of the resort's once great hotels were suffering from high vacancy rates. Most of them were either shut down, converted to cheap apartments, or converted to nursing home facilities by the end of the decade. Prior to and during the advent of legalized gambling, many of these hotels were demolished. The Breakers, [[Chelsea Hotel (Atlantic City)|The Chelsea]], the Brighton, the Shelburne, the Mayflower, the [[Traymore Hotel|Traymore]] and the [[Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel|Marlborough-Blenheim]] were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s. Of the many pre-casino resorts that bordered the boardwalk, only the Claridge, the Dennis, the [[Ritz-Carlton Hotel (Atlantic City)|Ritz-Carlton]], and the Haddon Hall survive to this day as parts of [[Bally's Atlantic City]], a condo complex, and [[Resorts Atlantic City]]. The old Ambassador Hotel was purchased by Ramada in 1978 and was gutted to become the [[Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City]], only reusing the steelwork of the original building.<ref>Hoffman, Lori. [http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/casinos/features/Tropicana-Celebrates-30th-Anniversary-133542943.html?page=3&comments=1&showAll= "Tropicana Celebrates 30 Years in Atlantic City; The casino has had a bumpy ride in last decade, but is currently on the rise again"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715191629/http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/casinos/features/Tropicana-Celebrates-30th-Anniversary-133542943.html?page=3&comments=1&showAll= |date=July 15, 2014 }}, ''Atlantic City Weekly'', November 9, 2011. Accessed August 23, 2013. "Tropicana Milestones• 1978: Ramada purchases the former Ambassador Hotel building for $20&nbsp;million• 1981: Tropicana Atlantic City officially opens on November 23 including indoor amusement area Tivoli Pier"</ref> Smaller hotels off the boardwalk, such as the [[Madison Hotel (Atlantic City)|Madison]] also survived.

====Legalized gambling====
{{Main|Gambling in New Jersey}}
In an effort at revitalizing the city, New Jersey voters in 1976 passed a referendum, approving [[casino]] gambling for Atlantic City; this came after a 1974 referendum on legalized gambling failed to pass. Immediately after the legislation passed, the owners of the [[Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel]] began converting it into the Resorts International. It was the first legal casino in the eastern United States when it opened on May 26, 1978.<ref>Clarity, James F. [https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/27/archives/its-place-your-bets-as-easts-first-casino-opens-its-place-your-bets.html "It's 'Place Your Bets' at Opening Of First Gambling Casino in East An Inlay of Gaudiness 'So Far, It Looks Good' 'It Rained Quarters' Huge Crowds Expected Minority Groups Complain"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 27, 1978. Accessed August 8, 2018.</ref>

Other casinos were soon constructed along the Boardwalk and, later, in the marina district for a total of nine today.{{when|date=November 2021}} The introduction of gambling did not, however, quickly eliminate many of the urban problems that plagued Atlantic City. Many people have suggested that it only served to exacerbate those problems, as attested to by the stark contrast between tourism intensive areas and the adjacent impoverished working-class neighborhoods.<ref>Bryant Simon, ''Boardwalk of Dreams: Atlantic City and the fate of urban America'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004).</ref>

While Atlantic City has been less popular than [[Las Vegas]] as a gambling city in the United States,<ref>[[Florence Fabricant|Fabricant, Florence]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/dining/26city.html "Atlantic City Is In on the Bet"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 26, 2005. Accessed February 4, 2012.</ref> [[Donald Trump]] helped bring big name boxing bouts to the city to attract customers to his casinos. [[Mike Tyson]] fought most of his fights in Atlantic City in the 1980s, which helped Atlantic City achieve national attention as a gambling resort and vacation destination.<ref>Berger, Phil. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tampabay/access/51253573.html?dids=51253573:51253573&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+23%252C+1988&author=PHIL+BERGER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Trump+fights+to+make+Atlantic+City+king&pqatl=google "Trump fights to make Atlantic City king"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315174355/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tampabay/access/51253573.html?dids=51253573:51253573&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+23%252C+1988&author=PHIL+BERGER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Trump+fights+to+make+Atlantic+City+king&pqatl=google |date=March 15, 2013 }}, ''[[Tampa Bay Times]]'', January 23, 1988. Accessed February 4, 2012. "But lately, Trump has begun to show that knack for the bottom line in another endeavor. In less than a year he has become a force in the world of boxing in Atlantic City, N.J., buying the live rights to prime-time bouts that once were almost exclusive to Las Vegas casinos."</ref>

Several [[List of tallest buildings in Atlantic City|highrise condominiums]] were built for use as permanent residences or second homes.<ref>Janson, Donald. [https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/28/realestate/atlantic-city-condominiums-bought-for-fun-and-profit.html "Atlantic Condominiums Bought for Fun and Profit"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 28, 1983. Accessed October 15, 2015. "Five years after the first casino opened in Atlantic City and began to transform the shabby Boardwalk into a boulevard of gambling and entertainment emporiums, major high-rise luxury condominium projects are beginning to pierce the city's skyline."</ref> By end of the decade, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States.<ref>Painton, Priscilla. [http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958614-4,00.html "Atlantic City, New Jersey Boardwalk Of Broken DreamsThe hometown of the con job may now be the victim of one"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', September 25, 1989. Accessed October 15, 2015. "Today Atlantic City has enough class to bring Cher, the queen of camp, back to the concert stage, enough savvy to have harvested $2.73&nbsp;billion in the last year from bettors in its casinos, and enough allure to be the most popular destination in America."</ref>

===21st century===
====Legalized sports betting====
[[File:Borgata.jpg|thumb|[[Borgata]], Atlantic City's highest-grossing casino]]
On June 27, 2017, the [[United States Supreme Court]] agreed to hear ''[[Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association]]'' and heard oral arguments in December 2017. Then, on May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the [[Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992|Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act]] (PASPA) was unconstitutional. The act was overturned, allowing New Jersey to move ahead with plans to implement legalized sports betting.

Despite being the state to initiate the landmark ruling, New Jersey was actually the third state to legalize sports betting after [[Nevada]] and [[Delaware]]. In June 2018, [[Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey governor]] [[Phil Murphy]] signed the legislation into law, and several New Jersey–based casino brands subsequently opened [[sportsbook]]s, especially in Atlantic City.

With the redevelopment of the [[Las Vegas Strip]] and the opening of [[Foxwoods Resort Casino]] and [[Mohegan Sun]] in [[List of casinos in Connecticut|Connecticut]] in the early 1990s, along with newly built casinos in the nearby [[List of casinos in Pennsylvania|Philadelphia metro area]] in the 2000s, Atlantic City's tourism began to decline due to its failure to diversify away from gambling. In 1999 the Atlantic City Redevelopment Authority partnered with Las Vegas casino mogul [[Steve Wynn]] to develop a new roadway to a barren section of the city near the Marina. Nicknamed "The Tunnel Project", Steve Wynn planned the proposed 'Mirage Atlantic City' around the idea that he would connect the $330&nbsp;million tunnel stretching {{cvt|2.5|mi}} from the [[Atlantic City Expressway]] to his new resort. The roadway was later officially named the [[Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector]], and funnels incoming traffic off of the expressway into the city's marina district and the city of [[Brigantine, New Jersey|Brigantine]].<ref>Kraft, Randy. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/mcall/access/79645003.html?dids=79645003:79645003&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+02%2C+2001&author=RANDY+KRAFT+Of+The+Morning+Call&pub=Morning+Call&desc=Atlantic+City+is+gambling+on+a+brighter+future&pqatl=google "Atlantic City is gambling on a brighter future"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315174650/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/mcall/access/79645003.html?dids=79645003:79645003&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+02%2C+2001&author=RANDY+KRAFT+Of+The+Morning+Call&pub=Morning+Call&desc=Atlantic+City+is+gambling+on+a+brighter+future&pqatl=google |date=March 15, 2013 }}, ''[[The Morning Call]]'', September 2, 2001. Accessed January 13, 2012. "Another major improvement is the $330&nbsp;million Atlantic City- Brigantine connector project, locally known simply as the tunnel. The new 2.5-mile (4.2&nbsp;km) long highway with a 2,200-foot (670-meter) tunnel opened on July 31. A toll free extension of the Atlantic City Expressway, which links Atlantic City and Philadelphia, it connects the south end of the expressway to casinos in Atlantic City's marina district as well as to neighboring Brigantine."</ref>

Although Wynn's plans for development in the city were scrapped in 2002, the tunnel opened in 2001. The new roadway prompted Boyd Gaming in partnership with MGM/Mirage to build Atlantic City's newest casino. [[Borgata]] opened in July 2003, and its success brought an influx of developers to Atlantic City with plans for building grand, Las Vegas-style mega casinos to revitalize the aging city.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21886619 "Atlantic City to be transformed by 2012; Luxury mega-casinos to change the face of New Jersey's gambling capital"], [[MSNBC]], November 20, 2007. Accessed October 15, 2015.</ref>

Owing to economic conditions and the [[late 2000s recession]], many of the proposed mega casinos never advanced further than the initial planning stage. One of these developers was [[Pinnacle Entertainment]], which purchased the [[Sands Atlantic City]] for $250–$270 million and closed it on November 11, 2006 with plans to replace it with a larger casino.<ref name=parmley>{{cite news|title=Pinnacle to buy Sands, adjacent Boardwalk site|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|author=Suzette Parmley|date=September 6, 2006|url=http://articles.philly.com/2006-09-06/business/25414027_1_pinnacle-entertainment-aztar-smallest-casino|access-date=2014-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061052/http://articles.philly.com/2006-09-06/business/25414027_1_pinnacle-entertainment-aztar-smallest-casino |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="PoA"/> The following year, the resort was demolished in an implosion, the first of its kind in Atlantic City. While Pinnacle Entertainment intended to replace it with a $1.5-$2-billion casino resort, the company canceled its construction plans and sold the land for $29.5 million.<ref name="PoA">Bogdan, Jennifer. [https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/former-sands-casino-hotel-site-sells-for-million/article_bf1a74a4-46fa-11e3-b57a-0019bb2963f4.html "Former Sands Casino Hotel site sells for $29.5 million"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', November 6, 2013. Accessed March 18, 2020.</ref> [[MGM Resorts International]] announced in October 2007 that it would pull out of all development for Atlantic City, effectively ending its plans for the MGM Grand Atlantic City.<ref>[[Gary Rivlin|Rivlin, Gary]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/business/11casino.html?_r=0 "MGM Plans Casino Resort to Rival Best of Las Vegas"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 11, 2007. Accessed October 15, 2015.</ref><ref>[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=101502&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1060878&highlight= "MGM Mirage Announces Plan for Multi-Billion Dollar Resort Complex on 72-Acre Site in Atlantic City"], Investor Relations, October 10, 2007. Accessed October 15, 2015. "MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) announced today the company's Board of Directors has approved the development of a major resort casino project at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The new resort will have a budget in the $4.5–$5 billion range, not including value of the land and associated costs."</ref>

In 2006, [[Morgan Stanley]] purchased {{cvt|20|acres}} directly north of the [[Showboat Atlantic City]] for a new $2-billion-plus casino resort.<ref>Stutz, Howard. [http://www.lvrj.com/business/heads-butt-over-plan-for-boardwalk-bounceback-89350382.html "Heads butt over plan for Boardwalk bounceback"], ''[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]'', March 28, 2010. Accessed January 13, 2012.</ref> [[Revel Entertainment Group]] was named as the project's developer for the [[Revel Casino]]. Revel was hindered with many problems, the biggest setback occurring in April 2010 when Morgan Stanley, the owner of 90% of Revel Entertainment Group, decided to discontinue funding for continued construction and put its stake in Revel up for sale. Early in 2010, the New Jersey state legislature passed a bill offering tax incentives to attract new investors and complete the job, but a poll by [[Fairleigh Dickinson University]]'s [[Fairleigh Dickinson University#PublicMind|PublicMind]] released in March 2010 showed that 60% of voters opposed the legislation, and two of three of those who opposed it "strongly" opposed it.<ref>[[Alexandra Berzon|Berzon, Alexandra]]. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304620304575166102780084846 "How Odds of Success Got Longer for Morgan Stanley's Casino Plan"], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''. April 5, 2010. Accessed October 22, 2024. [https://archive.today/20211101042811/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304620304575166102780084846 Archived] November 1, 2021, at [[archive.today]].</ref><ref>[http://publicmind.fdu.edu/revelbailout/ "N.J. Voters Disapprove of Revel Bailout"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604155123/http://publicmind.fdu.edu/revelbailout/ | date=June 4, 2010}} Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind. Accessed October 22, 2024.</ref> Ultimately, Governor [[Chris Christie]] offered Revel $261&nbsp;million in state tax credits to assist the casino once it opened.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/revel_entertainment_gets_over.html "Revel Entertainment gets $1B financing to finish Atlantic City casino"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', February 17, 2011. Accessed January 13, 2012. "Revel Entertainment said Thursday that it has secured the final $1&nbsp;billion-plus it needs to finish its half-built casino on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, a project that is widely considered the best chance for the nation's second-largest gambling market to recover from four years of plunging revenue&nbsp;... Gov. Chris Christie has committed $261&nbsp;million in state tax credits to help Revel once it's open"</ref>

Revel  completed all of the exterior work and had continued work on the interior after finally receiving the funding necessary to complete construction, and had a soft opening in April 2012 before being fully open the next month. Ten months later, in February 2013, after serious losses and a write-down in the value of the resort from $2.4&nbsp;billion to $450&nbsp;million, Revel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It was restructured but still could not carry on and re-entered bankruptcy on June 19, 2014. It was put up for sale, however as no suitable bids were received the resort closed its doors in September 2014. The property was bought by AC Ocean Walk, LLC for $200&nbsp;million in 2017, and reopened in 2018 as Ocean Casino Resort.<ref>{{cite web |website=[[NJ.com]] |first=Jeff |last=Goldman |title=Shuttered Revel casino in Atlantic City sold, could reopen next year |url=https://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2017/12/revel_in_atlantic_city_expected_to_be_sold_and_re-.html |url-status=live |date=2017-12-11 |orig-date=last updated 2019-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101034345/https://www.nj.com/business/2017/12/revel_in_atlantic_city_expected_to_be_sold_and_re-.html |archive-date=2021-11-01 }}</ref><ref>Staff. [http://www.atlanticcitynews.net/index.php/sid/225274051 "Thousands out of work in Atlantic City as big casinos shut doors"], Atlantic City News.Net, September 1, 2014. Accessed October 15, 2015. "Showboat, which has operated on the city's boardwalk for 27 years shut its doors on Sunday. On Tuesday the glittering new $2.4&nbsp;billion Revel Casino will close. Later in September Trump Plaza will close its doors. On 13 January this year the [[Atlantic Club Casino Hotel|Atlantic Club]] which was completed in 1980 as the Golden Nugget, which then became the Bally Grand, and a Hilton was the first of the four major casinos to close this year."</ref>

In the wake of the closures and declining revenue from casinos, Governor Christie said in September 2014 that the state would consider a 2015 referendum to end the 40-year-old monopoly that Atlantic City holds on casino gambling and allowing gambling in other municipalities. With casino revenue declining from $5.2&nbsp;billion in 2006 to $2.9&nbsp;billion in 2013, the state saw a drop in money from its 8% tax on those earnings, which is used to fund programs for senior citizens and the disabled.<ref>Young, Elise; and Dopp, Terrence. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-08/n-j-considers-ending-atlantic-city-s-gambling-monopoly "N.J. Considers Ending Atlantic City's Gambling Monopoly"], ''[[Bloomberg Business]]'', September 8, 2014. Accessed October 15, 2015. "Voters may be asked as soon as November 2015 to overturn an almost 40-year-old law that gave Atlantic City a monopoly on gambling in New Jersey.... With as many as five of Atlantic City's 12 casinos closing this year, some lawmakers say allowing gambling in other towns is crucial to reclaim revenue that has gone to New York and Philadelphia."</ref>

On October 29, 2012, "[[Hurricane Sandy|Superstorm Sandy]]" struck Atlantic City and caused flooding and power-outages but left minimal damage to any of the tourist areas.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [http://www.nj.com/atlantic/index.ssf/2013/05/most_finally_believe_that_sandy_didnt_destroy_atlantic_city_boardwalk.html "Most finally believe that Sandy didn't destroy Atlantic City boardwalk, poll says"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', May 28, 2013. Accessed July 7, 2013. "Due to Sandy's track, Atlantic City suffered minimal damage and reopened for business five to seven days after the storm."</ref> The storm produced an all-time record low barometric pressure reading of 943 mb (27.85") for not only Atlantic City, but the state of New Jersey.<ref>[[Tom Skilling|Skilling, Tom]]. [http://chicagoweathercenter.com/blog/historic-sandy-landfalls-8-pm-monday-evening-near-atlantic-city-with-lowest-barometric-pressure-of-any-storm-on-record-in-new-jersey-chicago-being-blasted-by-powerhouse-circulation-on-storms-west-s "Historic Sandy landfalls 8 pm Monday evening near Atlantic City with lowest barometric pressure of any storm on record in New Jersey; Chicago being blasted by powerhouse circulation on storms' west side"], [[WGN-TV|WGN-9 Chicago Weather Center]], October 30, 2012. Accessed October 15, 2015. "Sandy came ashore with an ear-popping central pressure of 943 mb (27.85″) at landfall—a reading MUCH lower (nearly 30 mb lower)than the 972 mb (28.70″) pressure at the center of the so-called October 1991 ''Perfect Storm'', immortalized in the Sebastian Junger book which was later made into a film."</ref>

In 2019, the Atlantic City area had the highest rates of foreclosures in the nation.<ref>[https://www.attomdata.com/news/market-trends/foreclosures/attom-data-solutions-2019-year-end-u-s-foreclosure-market-report/ "U.S. Foreclosure Activity Drops to 15-Year Low In 2019"], ATTOM, January 14, 2020. Accessed March 14, 2023. "Among 220 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates in 2019 were Atlantic City, New Jersey (1.33 percent of housing units with a foreclosure filing); Trenton, New Jersey (0.91 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (0.85 percent); Rockford, Illinois (0.82 percent); and Lakeland, Florida (0.81 percent)."</ref> This has disproportionately affected Black residents in neighborhoods segregated by [[redlining]], a legacy that is mirrored by the values of properties on the Monopoly game board.<ref>[https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/njisj/pages/689/attachments/original/1588358478/Erasing_New_Jersey's_Red_Lines_Final.pdf?1588358478 ''Erasing New Jersey's Red Lines''], New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Accessed March 14, 2023.</ref><ref>Pilon, Mary. [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/racism-your-monopoly-board/618098/ "The Prices on Your Monopoly Board Hold a Dark Secret; The property values of the popular game reflect a legacy of racism and inequality."], ''[[The Atlantic]]'', February 21, 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. "Take a good look at a Monopoly board. The most expensive properties, Park Place and Boardwalk, are marked in dark blue. Maybe you've drawn a card inviting you to “take a walk on the Boardwalk.” But that invitation wasn't open to everyone when the game first took on its current form. Even though Black citizens comprised roughly a quarter of Atlantic City's overall population at the time, the famed Boardwalk and its adjacent beaches were segregated.... The impact of the decisions made during Monopoly's heyday is still felt today. Atlantic City is a 'redlined epicenter' of the state, according to the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and it leads the state in foreclosures."</ref>

After several casino closures and the [[COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey|COVID-19 pandemic]], strikes and pickets were being threatened in June 2022 by casino employees which were short-staffed and wanted pay raises.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sainato |first=Michael |date=June 29, 2022 |title='We want to be able to survive': Atlantic City casino workers to strike over wages |pages=2–4 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/29/atlantic-city-casino-workers-strike-wages-union |access-date=July 7, 2022}}</ref>

=== Food desert ===
Atlantic City is widely known as a [[food desert]], with the nearest fully-functioning supermarket being located in neighboring [[Ventnor City, New Jersey|Ventnor City]], which is {{Convert|3|mi}} away from the majority of Atlantic City's population. As a result, proposals for a supermarket were floated beginning in May 2021, and Atlantic City's City Council gave permission to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to look for a contender to build a supermarket.

As of December 2023, there was only one functioning supermarket in Atlantic City, the [[Save-A-Lot]] food store located in Renaissance Plaza, an area of the city known for its significant homeless population and drug use. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has proposed a new supermarket that would be located on an empty parking lot behind the Tanger Outlets and near the [[Atlantic City Expressway]].

Groundbreaking for a [[ShopRite (United States)|ShopRite]] supermarket had taken place in October 2021, after Village Super Market received $18.7 million from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to construct the store. The supermarket  was expected to be completed by December 2022, although no construction or building had happened on the site, which drew attention from residents. After the time for the contract expired, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) announced that the deal with Village Super Market (VSM) was dead and that they were looking for new contenders.<ref>{{Citation |title=Appendix E: The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority |date=2017-11-03 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119448563.app5 |work=Audit & Accounting Guide |pages=221–224 |access-date=2023-12-02 |place=Hoboken, NJ, USA |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |doi=10.1002/9781119448563.app5 |isbn=978-1-119-44856-3}}</ref> VSM created a new plan for CRDA and the city's Council to review and by July 2023, it and a Chinese conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong emerged as the two candidates to build the supermarket. However, as of November 2023, no further progress had been made on the construction plans and the two proposals were still "being reviewed."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-15 |title=ShopRite and China corporation go head to head in Atlantic City |url=https://pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/editorial/shoprite-and-china-corporation-go-head-to-head-in-atlantic-city/article_1d7447c6-20f5-11ee-b778-93fc35a5e333.html |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=Press of Atlantic City |language=en}}</ref>