The Atlantic City Problem

There is a problem in Atlantic City.

It doesn't take much to see what's happening down there. In just one year, the city has gone from 12 casinos down to eight, seven come mid-November. That's thousands of layoffs, millions of dollars in lost revenue, and countless broken confidences. For a city that generates 70% of its revenue in gambling, that is a major hit. In comparison, Las Vegas only generates about a third of its revenue in gambling, not that they're doing too well either. Looking at you, Fontainebleau.

If you've been to Atlantic City at least once in the past 30 years, you may remember seaside resorts such as Trump Plaza, Showboat, the Atlantic Club (formerly Hilton) and Revel. They are still there, but as giant shuttered tombs. Towering structures over the boardwalk, vacant and unsure, suspiciously unlit at night and powerful reminders of more prosperous years past. Grand, beautiful buildings that once held years of memories, jackpots, job security and overall excitement, now standing dead. And they're not the only casinos to fold. Who here remembers the Sands? Yeah don't go looking for it now, that's been a vacant lot since 2006. The Playboy/Atlantis? Don't make me laugh.

A little blast from the past for you. This building has been razed completely.

Not that the boardwalk is completely hopeless, mind you. There's still the profitable Tropicana and Resorts, not to mention the Caesars/Bally's complex that is going strong. All of which have also been renovated in the past year, so these places aren't stuck in a total time warp. And there's also the Trump Taj Mahal, with its... oh what's that? It's closing too? Wow...

A special note to old fans of the Claridge (literally, because they'd have to be ancient by now), yes it's still there. However it has been reverted to the non-gaming hotel it used to be. So if you want, you can count it as another lost casino. Thank Bally's for that.

With the boardwalk casino strip imploding, everyone is being quick to point fingers and lay blame. Some blame the casino companies, who look only after themselves and their corporate greed. Some blame the economy, as everyone's been so gun-shy with their money since 2008. Some blame the politicians, because... politics. And still some blame gambling itself, because you know, gambling is the devil. I don't blame any of that. I blame what everyone is scared to admit:

The problem with Atlantic City is Atlantic City itself.

Exhibit A: the marina district. Apart from the casinos on the boardwalk are three self-contained resorts, accessible only by car and isolated from the city proper. They are Harrah's, Borgata and Golden Nugget (formerly Trump's Castle/Marina). All three properties thrive despite the fates of their boardwalk cousins. Harrah's has always done well and continues to grow, Borgata took the city by storm and has remained the top-grossing casino since day one, and the Golden Nugget property has enjoyed quite the turnaround since its Trump days. What makes these casinos so different from the others? Well despite being a bit more inclusive and upscale, they have no connection with Atlantic City itself. They share the same zip code, but that's about it. Thanks to the AC/Brigantine Connector, patrons of the marina don't have to drive a block into the city proper. There's no sidewalks (read: colorful characters), no small businesses (read: dirty bookstores), and no residential housing (read: Section 8). The connector serves as driveways to each casino, and it funnels you right back onto the AC Expressway when it's time to leave.

The trifecta. Note how far away everything else is.

Compare that to the boardwalk casinos. To get to them you have to fight-or-flight through Atlantic City itself to get to the parking garages of questionable security. And I'm really sorry to say this, but Atlantic City really isn't the nicest place. It's a rough joint. It's nowhere you would want to be. Sure, some parts are nice, like by the Tanger Outlets and uh... the Tanger Outlets, but in the 'real' city you'll want to keep your windows rolled up. And it's here the truth lies: no one wants to go to a sketchy town, for any reason. And Atlantic City is a sketchy-ass town.

There's a lot of ugliness that stands between you and the Great Wall of Casinos.

If someone can get what they want (in this case, gambling, dining and upscale shopping) without having to check that all four hub caps are still on their car, they will bypass the city entirely. That is why the marina district flourishes, and the boardwalk flounders. I'll say it again, Atlantic City, and this is tough love coming from your ideal customer: a young North Jerseyan with a penchant for gambling and a little luxury: We don't want to put up with the skeletons in your closet. We want to go to your boardwalk and casinos, but not through the blighted infrastructure that gets in the way. 

Fix it.

For the past few years, the city's been doing a good job lately on revitalizing the boardwalk. Security is heightened, it's well-lit, it's clean, and the beach itself is one of the better parts of the Jersey Shore. That's great, good job. But they need to extend that security and attractiveness into the city itself. A lot of attention has gone to the boardwalk, but that's not enough. Bringing up the Tanger Outlets again, the rest of the city needs to take its cue. Not necessarily gaudy and Disney-fied, but cared for and looked after. Atlantic City proper harbors this overbearing feeling of neglect, like if you're not a casino or part of the outlet complex then screw you, you're on your own. It's hard to feel overall safe and respected on a street that goes from steakhouse to strip club in a single block. Not that there isn't a place for adult venues, but there's a way to go about it. I'm sure their owners wouldn't mind a decent facade. Anything beats the derelict, Depression-era buildings they're currently in now.

We need more of this. LOTS more of this.

Look at Times Square for a good example. It used to be one of the seediest crossroads this side of Amsterdam. High crime, violence, prostitution... just like Atlantic City. Then Giuliani came in and turned things around. Increased police presence, appealing attractions, constant maintenance and pedestrian friendliness turned the cesspool into a beacon. You'll still find gentlemen's clubs and holes in the wall selling 'bath salts,' but somehow it's all a bit easier to swallow. I'll be damned if anyone today deems Times Square dangerous to walk through at night.

The turnaround of other cities has proven that gentrification works, and Atlantic City should be no exception. What I find most frustrating though is that everyone knew that the city was in such desperation ever since the Democratic convention in the 60s! That's 50 years of knowing the city itself needed help. Instead of cleaning up the streets Times Square-style, they popped in some casinos and hoped that the new buildings would make the old ruins not look so bad (?!). What kind of logic is that? The casinos were a godsend for the city, the state, and the American gaming industry, do not get me wrong, but hooking up your Betamax to an HDTV won't make the picture look any better, get what I mean? 

Do not blame the casinos. They did their part. The city did not do theirs.

One last prong to my strategy: the inlet area. My god, that inlet area. Anyone who had the opportunity of staying in Revel during its brief operation, who had a room on its north-facing side, was treated to a depressing sight below them. Rows of empty lots and cracking streets, with the occasional single house dotting the grid. This is the city's inlet area, and unfortunately nothing can be done with it unless those few (like a dozen) residents agree to sell their pea-sized properties. How the city was able to claim the scores of former oceanfront properties to build the casinos in the 80s, but are unable to recoup these particular plots, is beyond me. There's a nice chunk of boardwalk property in Revel's shadow (literally) that is wasting away, a perfect parcel of land that can connect the boardwalk and marina. How does no one else see this?

The inlet. Revel now occupies some of this space, but this is still absolutely inexcusable.

Atlantic City's mayor is doing his best to keep a happy face on while his town is falling apart, and he keeps mentioning how these tough times will require tough decisions to persevere. Well here's a tough decision that I'm making for him now: give these people a sizable compensation to get out of the inlet (why would they still want to be there anyway?) and then turn the whole area into a middle-class residence condo/high-rise district. Nothing ultra-rich and untouchable, but nothing ending in the word 'Houses' or 'Homes.' And give casino workers major incentives to live there with their families. We as a country lament the disappearance of the middle class. So how do we get it back? Create it again.

A majority of the casino employees (that is, the ones still employed) are not from Atlantic City, but instead other (nicer) neighboring towns. If we can't get current residents to hold these competent casino jobs (as was originally intended), then bring these competent, responsible, middle/upper middle-class employees to the city. They will bring their families, their children, their patronage and most importantly their expectations. The city will naturally adjust. And don't just pigeon-hole them to the inlet area, but progressively extend this middle class concept into the rest of the town. Otherwise we'll wind up with a Jets/Sharks situation which will do more harm than good. In the end, the dominating lower class will either shape up or move away, just as the middle class did in the first place.

Think of the tax dollars Atlantic City would regenerate. The morale it would boost. The city would become a place that middle-class Americans would want to visit, to bring their spouses and children. Maybe even have their children raised in, and that there really is the key.  Atlantic City could be what it was always meant to be: a true city of opportunity and leisure, with a lively boardwalk, a beautiful beach, urban hubs, a continuous flow of fun-seeking visitors, and overall just a unique combination of natural and man-made attributes that residents can be proud of. And casinos. Just because.

1978 is the year Atlantic City tried something new. And 2014 is the year they paid the piper. As we hit the midpoint of this decade, the time is now (like today) to set plans in motion to ensure Atlantic City still exists in the year 2020. If anyone down there needs me as a creative consultant, shoot me an email. I am dead serious. This is my generation, and if I have to be the one to fix the city I've come to love since turning 21, then so be it.

We need to stop blaming, stop crying, and actually DO AC. 

This is my offer to you, Atlantic City.