Atlantic City: The Overhaul

No kidding.

Atlantic City was born as a health resort, later prospered under mobsters, was saved by casinos, subsequently backstabbed by casinos, and now is so far up the creek it's unbelievable.

Quite a storied history for such a small city built on a barrier island.

Atlantic City has been many things to many people through the decades, and as the city continually reinvented itself, it failed to tie up the loose ends of the era prior. As a result, the city is a mess of varying architecture, infrastructure and ideas. There is no unified sense of direction: resorts straddle low-income housing, factory outlets join with bodegas, and steakhouses share roads with strip clubs. There is only one constant in Atlantic City, and that is the boardwalk/ocean combo. Beyond that it's anyone's guess how this city hasn’t killed itself yet.

For Atlantic City to become America's Playground once more, and be a shining beacon on the Jersey Shore that'll be worth the 2-3 hour drive, major restructuring needs to be done. Hardcore, painful, almost sadistic restructuring. Literally out with the ghetto and in with the veneer. Enough is freaking enough. I'm sick and tired of hearing sob stories from the different levels of government, and I'm getting more disheartened from the actual sob stories of the many now-unemployed. Here are the three main points that Atlantic City is failing hard at currently:

1. The city needs to be walkable.
2. The city needs to feel safe.
3. The city's various attractions need to work together.

Points 1 and 3 work together. There needs to be a cohesion between the eclectic entertainment Atlantic City offers. No longer can we have the Great Wall of Casinos separating the Boardwalk from the city proper. All the neighbors have to help each other out, that way if one venue does well, the success will spread. People also have to be able to go wherever they would like in the city, and feel like they can get there by walking the blocks. Ideally, customers will drive into the city, park in their garage of choice, and not have to drive anywhere until they drive home. And people won't walk in the city itself until Point 2 is addressed:

One doesn't have to look any further than Manhattan and the NYPD when it comes to keeping a big city feeling relatively secure. Atlantic City is a fraction of the size and population, so I don't want to hear a single excuse. Hire former chiefs from NY, take notes, do whatever... make Atlantic City feel safe. Keep the streetlights bright, sidewalks clear, and undesirables away. Arrest, evict, indict, deport, I do not care anymore. If you're not in the city to help it, you're out. Done. You've had your chance since the 60s. And in their place, put good people with good incomes who will work in the city also. One day I’d like to live here, but not as it is now.

If Atlantic City has to declare bankruptcy in order to pardon its tax burdens and try to reform its budget, at this point just do it. Property taxes need to drop in order to entice new residents and new business. Many of the things I'm going to propose will cost a lot of money. I know that. But I also know that this town is at the end of its rope, and extreme measures need to be taken. There's no more time to wait, or 'hope for the best.' That time is over. It's going to take a heartless tyrant to rebuild this empire at any expense, both financially and morally. Say what you will about rebellious figureheads, they get things done. (Look at our Founding Fathers!)

So… If I ruled the roost, (and I really hope current mayor Don Guardian is reading this), each district of Atlantic City would be given a purpose, with at least one showcase establishment. This will help zone the current attractions and give future endeavors a sense of belonging. If current zoning laws prohibit these new plans, then we’re breaking those laws. They aren’t working anymore. These districts are based off the 'classical' districts, but split even further where necessary. They are:

-Uptown

-Midtown

-Downbeach

-Marina

-Bader

-Inlet

-Gateways

Bringing the 1920s to the 2020s.

District: Uptown

Purpose: Commercial

Showpiece: Resorts

Uptown provides a stark contrast to Midtown, as immediately the roads and attractions get less inviting and more seedy. Resorts and the (soon to be former) Taj Mahal are almost isolated, as they lack the curbside appeal of the other casinos. To fix this is to essentially keep up the good job Midtown has been doing, clearing out the crappiness and ushering in fresh facades, with a twist:

Using the resurgence of Resorts and its embrace of Art Deco, Uptown can continue that Roaring Twenties vibe and callback the era that represented Atlantic City at its most popular. Speakeasy-style bars, tastefully discreet adult entertainment (hey, it has to go somewhere), faux-vintage billboards, even pipe in some jazz. Make it fun, make it appealing, but also safe and legal.

Even if the Taj finds some way to stay in business (purely on Carl Icahn’s good graces), those god-awful elephants and minarets have got to go. If the Taj becomes its namesake (a giant tomb), it will be imploded and the Boardwalk can connect to the city blocks, while continuing the Deco motif. I bet Donald Trump will volunteer to set off the dynamite.

Midtown's doing just fine, as the horses celebrate in agreement.

District: Midtown

Purpose: Casino, Commercial

Showpieces: Bally's, Caesars, The Walk

This is the most developed district of the city proper. As the official end of the AC Expressway, visitors are immediately attacked with bright lights, attractive shopping and accessible dining. This is a good thing! Midtown starts the whole Vegas/Times Square vibe, and unfortunately makes the rest of the city look that much worse.

There is little Midtown needs to do, except demolish the former Trump Plaza. Use the cavity to officially connect the Boardwalk to the city proper, a bright strip of excitement and futurism. Think of it like the Freemont Street Experience but on a much smaller scale. In fact, connect the Boardwalk to the city as much as possible, the more people-movers the better.

Tropicana's doing its part in reinventing, the rest of the city must follow suit.

District: Downbeach

Purpose: Venue, Residential

Showpieces: Tropicana, Boardwalk Hall

Though the Tropicana thrives in Downbeach and is entitled to continue, this district will be the main hub for multipurpose shows and venues. Major players such as Boardwalk Hall, the former Atlantic Club, and of course the Tropicana currently exist, so why not use what we’ve got. Not as many shops as Mid and Uptown, but just as many parking garages. Also, as it borders the tame city of Ventnor, interior Downbeach will also serve as a fine residential zone for 'traditional' developmental housing.

All hail the great Borgata. No reason for this kind of greatness to go away.

District: Marina

Purpose: Casino

Showpieces: Borgata, Harrah's, Golden Nugget

The acclaimed Marina district is the only part of Atlantic City that is doing fabulously and shows no sign of stopping. Considering it is only accessible by car and is barely within city limits, its location is the key to its success. (Unfortunately this needs to be taken as an insult to the city proper.) The Marina is and will remain a pure casino/resort experience. There is no reason to remove casinos entirely from the area; for once let’s take advantage of the current laws, allowing this one city in NJ to house casino resorts. Though the gaming industry has declined in recent years, with billions still being raked in revenue, it will always remain a friend and cash-grab for Atlantic City. Just not its bread and butter.

The Marina is the 'competition killer' and an excellent site for current and future extravagant casinos and hotels. PA, DE and NY can try as hard as they'd like to shoehorn casinos in their current city structures, but the Marina district's purity sets it up as the real contender for the title of Las Vegas East. Golden Nugget in particular has done a wonderful job with restoring the actual marina itself, perhaps more outreach with the yachting demographic could be in place, perhaps even 'express cruises' linking Atlantic City to Manhattan. Keep up the good work, marina casinos! =D

For god's sake, do something with this!!

District: Bader

Purpose: Sports

Showpiece: Stadium

A district I'm creating myself centered around Bader Field. Once a municipal airport in a remote corner of Atlantic City, Bader Field is currently a giant slab of nothing that desperately needs to be something. As everyone keeps calling for more family-friendly attractions, the idea of a sports stadium never seems to come up. What's more all-ages, lucrative and passionate than a sports stadium? Whether Atlantic City creates a team itself or invites an existing one, beyond high-school teams and the occasional boxing match, AC has no sports representation.

Sports really aren't my thing, but they are huge to a lot of people. So pick a sport, pick a team, and build a stadium at Bader Field! Bader's proximity to Downbeach can almost merge the districts, as they both do not rely on gambling. While Downbeach holds the concerts and grand spectacles, Bader hosts the big games and Antiques Roadshow.

Keep Revel. Destroy everything else.

District: Inlet

Purpose: Residential, Corporate

Showpiece: Revel

Oh, the Inlet. This place needs the most work. Right now it's a wasteland in the shadow of a hulking failure of a resort, but let's use that to our advantage. The Inlet will be the 'Tomorrowland' of Atlantic City, using Revel as a design example. Think Battery Park City: middle to upper-class high-rises, complementing Downbeach's more suburban housing. Mixed-use corporate office buildings, both for existing corporations and new enterprise. Revel itself should not go to waste, and the resort tower could easily become an office building with penthouses, with the vast public areas transformed into an indoor Central Park. Enough with the back-and-forth with investors and just do it. Give that ailing power plant some new customers!

If the former Showboat becomes the college campus it’s rumored to be, wonderful! Incoming young adults with drive, motivation, and a decent background will do wonders for the city's population, and proper essentials (supermarkets, interior decor) will sprout up to service them. The casinos would also be wise to create more incentives for the new, young locals…

Extend the Boardwalk up to the marina but keep it low-key, like a backyard for the new residents. Current historical and family attractions (such as the aquarium and lighthouse) must remain, but will have spurred interest due to all the redevelopment. But give everything else the wrecking ball, even re-align the streets if necessary. It worked for the World Trade Center, it will work here. Nobody remembers Radio Row anymore.

Local perks! Blackjack! Wow I'm excited! Look out don't crash!

District: Gateways

Purpose: Hype

Showpiece: N/A

Not technically a district, and not even part of the city at parts, but this should not be ignored. Atlantic City has two highway entrances: the Expressway and Route 30. The Expressway does a wonderful job of hyping AC as you approach it, with the many billboards and quotes until you finally get off in Midtown. (I especially get chills each time I pass under the 'In One Mile You'll Be A Million Miles Away.") No major reform needs to happen here, but...

Route 30 is a complete embarrassment. Divebomb roach motels and overall neglect permeate the approach, and of all places it drops you off in the Uptown/Inlet areas. No. As the city will require more in/out access, Route 30 needs to take on the role with pride. Take the cues from the Expressway and make it a city you want to drive into. Especially as it will terminate in the rejuvenated residential areas, for many people Route 30 will lead home. Make it a driveway that residents are pleased to use and visitors excited to see. City advertisements, neon, whatever. Make it nice.

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So there you have it. Seven districts (a lucky number, no less) each designed with a purpose in mind. Similar to the United States, each one has its different feel and calling cards but they all tie back to a common alliance that makes them great. Connecting these areas will be an infrastructure that takes pride in itself, used and served by citizens and a fair police force that have a renewed interest in keeping their city attractive. If anyone takes it upon themselves to purely cause grief, it's out you go. Out. And take all your stuff with you, it'll be less for us to clean up.

With a balance of middle and upscale housing, sports/entertainment venues, corporate presence and of course the casinos, Atlantic City will be the city that truly has it all. A city to live, to visit, to flourish. Oh, and did we mention it's got a really nice beach?

Atlantic City has always had lightning in a bottle. It's time to unleash it again.

Now.

One day you will, AC. Be strong, and do what you have to do.