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DJTeddyBear
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June 22nd, 2011 at 12:39:05 PM permalink
After my recent discovery of Google's custom map features, I got inspired and creative. Here's the result:
Google Map of Atlantic City Casinos and Points Of Interest

Feel free to notify me of errors or additions.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
hook3670
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June 22nd, 2011 at 12:51:34 PM permalink
DJ awesome job, I think you covered it quite well indeed! If I had any addition at all would a 92 year old restaurant that is a locals institution, The Knife and Fork, and it actually has pretty good food and drink.
PerpetualNewbie
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June 22nd, 2011 at 1:10:40 PM permalink
Nice!

The Marina is actually called "Farley's Marina," after an old time state senator from the area.

Knife and Fork and Doc's Oyster house for sure..

You have the aquarium, but don't have Gardner's Basin, in which the aquarium sits. Some nice, casual restaurants there, too.

White House Sub Shops and/or Atlantic City Sub Shops for good sammiches.

The Irish Pub on St. James is a great spot that nobody ever goes to.

Chef Vola's is a banging.. BANGING Italian place. You need reservations months in advance though.

Angelo's Italian is casual, family-friendly Italian fare.

Going a little more regionally, you have Ram's Head Inn (fancy), Renault and/or Balic Wineries, Seaview Golf Course / Marriott hotel.

That's off the top of my head...
hook3670
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June 22nd, 2011 at 1:14:31 PM permalink
I purposely omitted CHef Vola, but it is one of the top Italian restaurants in the country. They just won a James Beard Award last month. Also just had my first White House Sub two weeks ago, it was so good I almost got an asthma attack from it!!
PerpetualNewbie
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June 22nd, 2011 at 1:15:13 PM permalink
You have ACY, but not the Bus Terminal or the rail terminals.

Another Regional one - Storybook Land isn't that far away from AC. Good for the kiddos.
PerpetualNewbie
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June 22nd, 2011 at 1:15:55 PM permalink
Quote: hook3670

I purposely omitted CHef Vola, but it is one of the top Italian restaurants in the country. They just won a James Beard Award last month. Also just had my first White House Sub two weeks ago, it was so good I almost got an asthma attack from it!!



Of the mind that if you don't tell anyone about it, you can get in more? :-). Seriously, it's *that* good of a place.
DJTeddyBear
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June 22nd, 2011 at 5:59:21 PM permalink
Quote: PerpetualNewbie

The Marina is actually called "Farley's Marina," after an old time state senator from the area.

I *knew* it had a different name. Thanks. Funny thing though, in Wikipedia, "Farley's Marina" is an alias for Trump Marina, which now redirects to Golden Nugget. I.E. There's no Wikipedia entry for the marina itself.


Quote: PerpetualNewbie

You have ACY, but not the Bus Terminal or the rail terminals.

I include ACY not so much because it's a POI, but more to point out just how far it is from A.C. - a point that I make often in the "AC's problems" threads.

I DID mention that the new convention center houses the train station, but it's not a POI, so no thumbtack. Ditto for the bus terminal.


Quote: PerpetualNewbie

Another Regional one - Storybook Land isn't that far away from AC. Good for the kiddos.

Thanks. Added.


Quote: PerpetualNewbie

The Irish Pub on St. James is a great spot that nobody ever goes to.

Nobody? I beg to differ.

Every time I go there, it's packed! I even stayed in their inn a couple times.


However, I left off all restaurants because they aren't POIs either. If you zoom in and see some, those are Google POIs - not mine. Ditto for hotels/motels. If you're really interested in that stuff, zoom in to see the Google POIs.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
pacomartin
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June 22nd, 2011 at 8:31:01 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Feel free to notify me of errors or additions.



Good job DJ.

My sick father wants to go there on the bus and walk for therapy. I don't have any idea where it is no longer safe to walk. If he starts at the Tropicana can he walk to the southern terminus of the boardwalk? How about to the elephant? Is it safe to go from the Hilton to the northern boardwalk casinos?

Is there a recommended shortcut to go from boardwalk to Marina?
DJTeddyBear
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June 22nd, 2011 at 9:08:05 PM permalink
On the boardwalk, it's fairly safe in the casino zone: from Showboat to Hilton. Of course, there are the two stretches where there aren't any casinos, where it may feel less safe, but I've never had or seen any problems. I've walked north past ShowBoat, to view the Revel work site. The only time I went further than that was with a group of about 20 people. We went all the way to the north end. The furthest south I ever went was to the Hilton.

I've driven from ShowBoat to Borgata, and thought that it's a rather shitty neighborhood that I was driving thru. I'm not sure I'd want to walk it. At least, not alone. Then again, they seem rather warn down, and somewhat ghetto-ish, but not like "gang land" or anything like that. So would I walk it? I suppose. But I'd be far more inclined to take the Jitney.

On the subject, the Jitney service is great, although the Jitney website doesn't have a route map. It does list the routes, but no map. Note: That page lists places to buy tickets, then the routes. You can also just pay the fare, exact change, on the bus.

Walking between casinos in the marina district is tricky because of the traffic, but at least it no longer feels like walking in the ghetto.

Walk all the way to Lucy? That 2.6 miles from Hilton to the end of the boardwalk, then another 1.3 miles to Lucy. I suppose it could be done....
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
odiousgambit
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June 23rd, 2011 at 3:30:57 AM permalink
nice job Dave, you put some work into this.
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!”   She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
pacomartin
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June 23rd, 2011 at 3:45:21 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Walk all the way to Lucy? That 2.6 miles from Hilton to the end of the boardwalk, then another 1.3 miles to Lucy. I suppose it could be done....



Once again the question comes up, with over a 30% drop in gaming revenue, and still falling, you would expect at least 3 of the smaller casinos to close. Golden Nugget was negotiating on both the Hilton (former Golden Nugget AC) and Trump Marina. Obviously they went with Trump Marina. Resorts sold for a song.

By now I would suspect that the Hilton would be closing their hotel (if permitted) and operating as a casino only. Possibly a giant slot club. Do you think they will ever close?
FleaStiff
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June 23rd, 2011 at 4:23:34 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Google Map of Atlantic City Casinos and Points Of Interest.

Er, uh ... sorry about this but I think you've missed the point entirely.

Its a question of granularity. For the casino to make money, those who would look at the map would have to be those who saw the casino as a point of interest. Or the craps table as a point of interest. Or the Rockin' Olives as a point of interest.

The historic restaurants, marina, sport fishing, boardwalks are all fine and dandy but money is either made in the casino or it is not. A weekend excursion to visit historic places ain't gonna cut it with some casino manager who has to make up for that recent fifteen million dollar blackjack loss.
DJTeddyBear
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June 23rd, 2011 at 4:57:45 AM permalink
Flea -

I have no idea what you mean.

I created the map as a guide for anyone who has never been to AC, as a guide, should they ever consider going, as well as a reference when comparing it to Vegas.

I was trying to answer the questions most often brought up: How close is the airport? How close are the casinos clustered? How far is the marina? Besides gambling, what else is there to do in the area?

If a casino is a Point Of Interest, then anyone intersted in the casino, would be interested in reading about it, and not just reading the P.R. bullshit on their own website. That's why I link to the Wikipedia pages. For the smaller POIs, I link to Wikipedia as well as copied the info from the Google POI balloon.

Why should I care what a casino manager is going to do to make up for a $15mil loss?


Forgive me, but what point did I miss?
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
FleaStiff
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June 23rd, 2011 at 5:05:52 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

I was trying to answer the questions most often brought up: How close is the airport? How close are the casinos clustered? How far is the marina? Besides gambling, what else is there to do in the area?

I thought you were trying to address the industry-wide issue of declining visitors to Atlantic City and was trying to point out that there really are no Points of Interest that will bring sufficient numbers back to Atlantic City.

Going for morning coffee now ... will try to wake up. (skulk, skulk, skulk).
DJTeddyBear
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June 23rd, 2011 at 5:51:39 AM permalink
No need to skulk. You're just coming at this from a completely different direction than I was.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
hook3670
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June 23rd, 2011 at 8:41:47 AM permalink
I agree with DJ. The boardwalk from Showboat to Hilton, especially during the day, is perfectly fine. My wife and I and have done it for the last couple of years and have had no trouble at all. We have even done it solo with no problems whatsoever. The area by the outlets is also excellent for walking. Plenty of people and police there, again especially during the day and weekends.
PerpetualNewbie
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June 23rd, 2011 at 9:34:04 AM permalink
How was the Inn at the Irish Pub? I never had those kind of stones (or freedom - the wife nixed it on concept). Funny that we had such differing experiences there.

Thanks for the pic of Lucy. I loved her as a kid!

One more addition - there's the AC Art Center directly adjacent to the Historical Museum (Actually - if anyone can get me a pickle pin from the historical museum, I'd be willing to pay for the shipping and your time.)
DJTeddyBear
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June 23rd, 2011 at 10:08:59 AM permalink
Quote: PerpetualNewbie

How was the Inn at the Irish Pub? I never had those kind of stones (or freedom - the wife nixed it on concept). Funny that we had such differing experiences there.

I wrote at length about it a couple thousand posts ago. Here's the short version.

I was performing as a Reverend, for a wedding on the beach. They told me ahead of time that afterwards, they were going to the Irish Pub to celebrate. I checked it out online and discovered the Inn, and said, why not. I was doing it alone. No wife. How bad could it be?

Cheap rooms, but European style. I.E. Shared bathroom / shower. It was clean, but it just weirded me out. I'll pee anywhere, but I walked to a casino if I needed to take a dump.

Also, no A/C. A least not in the cheap rooms. Kinda odd since it's only open in season. The pub is open year round.

I'd stay there again, but not if the wife was coming.


Quote: PerpetualNewbie

One more addition - there's the AC Art Center directly adjacent to the Historical Museum (Actually - if anyone can get me a pickle pin from the historical museum, I'd be willing to pay for the shipping and your time.)

Noted and added. Actually, I put them both within the same thumbtack.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
SanchoPanza
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June 23rd, 2011 at 6:07:17 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

I *knew* it had a different name. Thanks. Funny thing though, in Wikipedia, "Farley's Marina" is an alias for Trump Marina, which now redirects to Golden Nugget. I.E. There's no Wikipedia entry for the marina itself.


Farley was quite a colorful character, from the "Boardwalk Empire" era, a la Curley and a number of others:

Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina
Berths: 640; maximum length: 300 feet; draft: 12 feet.
Dockside: Water, electricity, cable TV hookups, telephone hookups.
Other Facilities: Ice, laundry, shower/sanitary facilities, restaurant, lounge, luncheonette, bait and tackle, charter boats, ship store, gas and diesel fuel, holding tank pumpout.
Additional Information: Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina is operated through a lease agreement. For additional information, please contact them at 609-441-8482 NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection

Frank S. Farley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Senator Frank S. "Hap" Farley with President of Ventnor City Council, Meyer I. "Mike" Segal.

Francis Sherman "Hap" Farley (December 1, 1901- September 24, 1977) was a New Jersey State Senator from Atlantic County, New Jersey who exercised considerable power on the local and state levels for several decades. He served for what was then a record 34 years in the New Jersey Legislature and between the early 1940s and the early 1970s was the "boss" of the Republican political machine that controlled the Atlantic City, New Jersey and Atlantic County governments.
Biography

Farley was born December 1, 1901 in Atlantic City, the youngest of ten children born to James and Maria (Clowney) Farley.[1] As a youth, teammates gave him the nickname "Happy", which was shortened to "Hap" as he got older.[1] He attended Wenonah Military Academy and the University of Pennsylvania, before graduating from Georgetown Law School in 1925.[2]

In 1937, Farley was elected to represent Atlantic County in the New Jersey Assembly, and in 1940 he was elected to the New Jersey Senate. In 1941, Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, boss of the Atlantic City/Atlantic County Republican political machine, was convicted of income tax evasion and sent to prison. Farley, after a struggle with rival Thomas D. Taggart, Jr., mayor of Atlantic City, succeeded Johnson as the leader of the organization.[1][3]

Farley rose through the leadership ranks of the State Senate to become Senate majority leader in January, 1944.[4] By early 1945 he was Senate President.[5] As state senator, Farley was president of the "21 Club", which was composed of New Jersey's county Republican chairmen, and which provided a basis for Farley to exert statewide political influence..[2][6]

Among the pet projects that Farley actively promoted and was instrumental in accomplishing were Atlantic City Race Course, the Garden State Parkway (which was referred to by North Jersey legislators as "Farley's Folly"), the Atlantic City Expressway (the service plaza, Farley Service Plaza, of which is now named in his honor), the Atlantic City Marina (now Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina), Stockton State College, and the construction of county community colleges.[2][6] Farley believed that his political success lay primarily in persuading other legislators “not to hurt us if you can’t help us”, and in treating other legislators the same way.[6]
pacomartin
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June 24th, 2011 at 5:33:45 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

After my recent discovery of Google's custom map features, I got inspired and creative. Here's the result:
Google Map of Atlantic City Casinos and Points Of Interest



Did you search for other maps that were out there before making yours? Here is one from Hotels.com that doesn't seem as elaborate.
Hotels.com Zoom at Atlantic City

Can you make these maps in Google Earth and download them into Google Maps? It seems to me you can, but I can't seem to do it easily.
DJTeddyBear
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June 24th, 2011 at 6:36:59 AM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

Did you search for other maps that were out there before making yours? Here is one from Hotels.com that doesn't seem as elaborate. . .

I didn't search for other maps first. Part of it was because I wanted to play with the Google Maps features. The other part is, my goal differs from what's already out there.

My goals in this (besides just the exercise):

1 - To show just how far away the airport is.
2 - To give those who have never been to A.C. a point of reference for where the casinos are - both current, former and future casinos.
3 - A guide of what else there is to do in A.C.
4 - To point out to those driving that some people, myself included, prefer Route 30 to the AC Expressway. While I was at it, indicate that there are numerous motels along Route 30.

My map may be elaborate, but it's (in my opinion) better designed. All casinos are tear drops. Bigger POIs are icons. Smaller POIs are push pins.

OK, I may have indulged a little by pointing out Route 30, and the "We're getting close" point on the Parkway. But those are presonal favorites. Whether driving alone or with people, I always point out that spot where you can see it, and suggest taking Route 30.


Unlike any of the commercial maps, I include POIs not because they have paid me, but because I recommend them. Granted, that may be because I have heard enough about them to suggest it and not necessarily due to a personal visit, but it's not beause I got paid for it.

That map you linked to omits 5 of the casinos, includes only a few motels on Route 30, etc.


Google Earth? Never used it.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
hook3670
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June 24th, 2011 at 8:15:41 AM permalink
DJ I come in on the expressway but always go back home on 30! Your map is extremely comprehensive for Atlantic City.
pacomartin
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July 9th, 2011 at 6:09:22 AM permalink
Sites for three smaller casinos approved for Atlantic City in order to jumpstart the market. Hotel room requirements was reduced.


PA reported the end of the fiscal year slot revenue (12 months ending 30 June 2011) as $2.35 billion which is within 3% of the NJ 12 month balance. Table games are still almost twice as big in NJ as in PA. I suspect that both PA and NJ will be affected by Aqueduct Race Track in Queens when they open with 5000 machines.

In Atlantic City, I am not sure how more casinos will grow the market. It seems that people will be happy to go to the new casinos instead of the older ones. The state may have just created cannibals.
pacomartin
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July 21st, 2011 at 5:19:20 PM permalink
Inspired by DJ's work, I tried to do one for Bethlehem Sands Casino and area.
It needs some work, but I am curious if it looks helpful.

Sands Casino in PA
DJTeddyBear
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July 21st, 2011 at 7:56:23 PM permalink
Very nice job.


Several suggestions / nit-pics:

Zoom out and/or center the map before getting the link.

Make each line segment a different color.

Change the I78 "Toll Plaza" to "Delaware River Bridge Toll". 'Toll plaza' is used often, particularly in NJ, as random points to collect fees. Bridge tolls are different.

You went a little overboard with your restaurants. I suppose some of them are nice, particularly since the name & description pops up on the left side, making it more useful than Google's standard POIs. But McDonald's? Wendy's? Pizzeria? Do these really qualify?
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
pacomartin
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July 21st, 2011 at 8:45:32 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Very nice job.


Several suggestions / nit-pics:

Zoom out and/or center the map before getting the link.

Make each line segment a different color.

Change the I78 "Toll Plaza" to "Delaware River Bridge Toll". 'Toll plaza' is used often, particularly in NJ, as random points to collect fees. Bridge tolls are different.

You went a little overboard with your restaurants. I suppose some of them are nice, particularly since the name & description pops up on the left side, making it more useful than Google's standard POIs. But McDonald's? Wendy's? Pizzeria? Do these really qualify?



I did the .kml file in Google Earth (partly because I don't know how to do it in Google Maps). In Google Earth I can change the segment colors easily, I just can't figure out how to do it Google Maps.

Also in Google Earth you can make a sub-groups. I had all the fast food in a subgroup which could be turned on and off. I figure it is not of interest to some people. As well as all of the tiny ethnic restaurants with $5 meals (which are popular with the Lehigh students). Once again, all that organization went away when I transferred to Google Maps.


Revised map
pacomartin
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August 15th, 2011 at 11:32:36 AM permalink
Forbes magazine showcased a study that found the ten fastest roads in America. Most were out west or in the midwest, but they did include one short stretch of the NJ Turnpike near Staten Island,

teddys
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August 15th, 2011 at 4:57:55 PM permalink
I would agree with that. I tend to book it on the NJT. Never seen a cop. One of my favorite roads.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
pacomartin
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September 9th, 2011 at 11:55:18 AM permalink
Atlantic City had a terrible August (a foregone conclusion considering Hurricane Irene shut down the casinos a whole weekend). Donald Trump seems to have been hit slightly worse than the other casinos.

Trump Plaza fell -30.1% in slots and 46.2% in table games and Trump Taj Mahal fell 27.3% in slots and 50.7% in table games. Overall gaming fell 19.8% from the previous August, and is down 8.7% for the eight months of 2011.

Trump Plaza is joining Golden Nugget, Atlantic City Hilton and Resorts at the bottom of the heap.

Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania has announced that their new entertainment venue will challenge Borgata in terms of quality and big names. The 50,000-square-foot Event Center will serve as a meeting facility that can handle up to 1,500 people for conventions, an expo center for vendor shows or a concert venue handling 2,250 seated for show and as many as 3,500 standing.

Still a long way from the seating capacity of 4,100 Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Vegas, but comparable to the Borgata Event Center with 2,400 seats.
Atlantic City still has "Boardwalk Hall" which was built in 1926 and can handle up to 17,000 for a concert.
SanchoPanza
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September 9th, 2011 at 1:42:04 PM permalink
Quote: pacomartin

Trump Plaza is joining Golden Nugget, Atlantic City Hilton and Resorts at the bottom of the heap.


FYI, rumors are growing very loud about the fate of one of those. Customers, it is said, are rushing to redeem their loyalty points.
pacomartin
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September 9th, 2011 at 3:05:44 PM permalink
Quote: SanchoPanza

FYI, rumors are growing very loud about the fate of one of those. Customers, it is said, are rushing to redeem their loyalty points.



Atlantic city gaming revenue has dropped more than the sum of all four of these casinos. People are almost shocked that they are all still open. Both Golden Nugget (Trump Marina) and Resorts were sold for less than $40 million.
EvenBob
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September 9th, 2011 at 3:19:25 PM permalink
Why? Are people going to Pennsylvania and north to the Indian casinos?
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
DJTeddyBear
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September 9th, 2011 at 5:20:48 PM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Why? Are people going to Pennsylvania and north to the Indian casinos?

Um, YEAH! Where've you been? It's been discussed many times here at WoV.

FYI: They're also going to racinos in Delaware and New York.

The closest racino, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, is only 12 miles from midtown Manhattan. Soon there will be a racino in Queens NYC.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
EvenBob
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September 9th, 2011 at 5:34:20 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Um, YEAH! Where've you been? It's been discussed many times here at WoV.

.



I have no interest in the Hole that's AC and skip
most threads about it. How it lasted this long is
a mystery.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
benbakdoff
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September 9th, 2011 at 5:43:39 PM permalink
I am being deluged with offers from AC especially from Golden Nugget and Resorts. I stayed free at Golden Nugget last month and stiffed them. My reward- even more offers.
Face
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September 9th, 2011 at 5:51:48 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Um, YEAH! Where've you been? It's been discussed many times here at WoV.

FYI: They're also going to racinos in Delaware and New York.

The closest racino, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, is only 12 miles from midtown Manhattan. Soon there will be a racino in Queens NYC.



I hear tell NYS is trying to legalize gaming, like, not Class II racino garbage but legit casino gaming. I don't have many details, but being Native and working for a tribal casino, I have heard mutterings. I believe there's suppose to be a rally sometime this month to show opposition. I'll keep my ears open and report...
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toastcmu
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September 9th, 2011 at 7:57:18 PM permalink
Quote: benbakdoff

I am being deluged with offers from AC especially from Golden Nugget and Resorts. I stayed free at Golden Nugget last month and stiffed them. My reward- even more offers.


I'd have to agree here - even a lowly player like me now has comped Sun-Thurs nights at the Borgata in slow season, which has never happened in my 4+ years of going to AC.....

-B
FleaStiff
FleaStiff
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September 10th, 2011 at 5:36:21 AM permalink
I've never understood this topic title about Atlantic City casinos and Points of Interest. There really are only two views to take: either the casinos are the points of interest or the casinos were the points of interest. (Strains of Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues are playing in the background... particularly that part about "everybody's leavin' town!".

Time to have some Widows and Orphans fund invest in an Atlantic City casino so as to convert the "asset" to something else such as algorithm trading. Cash is portable. Gamblers are portable too, but not from New York City to Atlantic City when the journey is hard and long and there is too much else available along the way.

Indians in California opened up a number of casinos and motorists stopped trekking over the snow-capped mountains to get to Reno. In Reno the girls are 38DD, at the Happy Wampum they are 36C. In Reno the Blackjack is 3:2, at the Happy Wampum the Blackjack is 6:5. Farewell, Reno.

You go through the exact same story with Atlantic City. The customers come from New York City. There are now too many alternative destinations for anyone to trek all the way to Reno... oops, I mean Atlantic City.
pacomartin
pacomartin
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September 10th, 2011 at 1:31:11 PM permalink
Quote: FleaStiff

You go through the exact same story with Atlantic City. The customers come from New York City. There are now too many alternative destinations for anyone to trek all the way to Reno... oops, I mean Atlantic City.



The lowest level of gambler is easily going to make the choice based on how easy it is to get there. Casinos are not wiped out, but only the nicer ones can keep business. Reno knows there will always be a market since some skiers will chose to stay in a casino at night. Ditto for Lake Tahoe.

While New Jersey slot business started downhill the minute the racinos opened in Pennsylvania, PA is still far away from NJ in table games. Some people are going to want to go someplace for shows. It's just that AC is losing it's appeal for the bus crowd that wants to spend 4 hours in a casino. If you are going to spend 4 hours in a casino, then who wants to spend 6 hours in transit?

Laughlin is still reasonably stable despite not having built a new resort in decades. They are even renovating on a regular basis.

Downtown Las Vegas had it's gaming revenue drop 18 months before the recession hit. But what confused them was that hotel room rates, and discretionary spending hit record rates briefly as people were desperate to escape the high Strip prices. They planned a building boom downtown, but the recession hit all levels.

People still like to go somewhere for short breaks. Casinos are enticing, because if you don't calculate in gaming losses they are usually relatively inexpensive vacations. Hope springs eternal.

On a basic level Steve Wynn saw this in 1988 when he sold his Atlantic City casino and decided to build a new hotel tower on the Golden Nugget in downtown Vegas, and built The Mirage. He correctly sensed that the nearby gambling was building a clientelle who wanted to go somewhere for a few days of gaming and a sexier destination. He actually became a billionaire before he opened his Asian casinos.

I think the 40% drop at Lake Tahoe gaming is probably the worst in the country. However, I don't think gaming will leave there forever. But it might end up being just one casino that survives.
JohnnyQ
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September 11th, 2011 at 7:00:50 AM permalink
Never been to AC.

Not sure why. I was going to say
due to the distance, but LV is much
much further away.

I think some friends went recently
and I'll need to see how they liked it.

Maybe I'll put AC onto the to-do list.
Sometime.
There's emptiness behind their eyes There's dust in all their hearts They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
Tiltpoul
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September 11th, 2011 at 9:16:16 AM permalink
Quote: JohnnyQ

Never been to AC.

Not sure why. I was going to say
due to the distance, but LV is much
much further away.

I think some friends went recently
and I'll need to see how they liked it.

Maybe I'll put AC onto the to-do list.
Sometime.



I went to AC for the first time in February as part of a free junket flight, offered by Caesars on a private junket carrier (I forget the name). It was a three-day, two-night stay at Bally's. I actually enjoyed myself quite a bit on the trip, but I also saved something in the vicinity of 300-400 dollars as well. First, the ride to and from cost $5 (the security fee at AC International). They got me on the bus and my luggage was delivered directly to my room, although the room wasn't quite ready when I arrived.

I knew a few people who were on the trip, so I met up with them occasionally for dinner and some sightseeing although I wanted to jump around a bit more myself. I visited every casino on the course of that trip, and made three separate trips out to the Marina.

One thing that is REALLY nice is the max of $13 for taxicab service anywhere in Atlantic City. I think this makes the drivers a little less friendly, but it does make them more efficient. The problem is, if you like to casino hop like I do, you almost have to take a cab from each "hub" of casinos, and you DO have to take one out to the Marina. There are shuttles, but they didn't run nearly as consistently or as often as they do in Vegas. They are also tough to find unless you know where to go within the casino.

The table games, overall, I find generally have the same or slightly better rules than in Vegas. One thing they do have in nearly every casino is Spanish 21, where they S17. Poker room rakes are $4 + 1 jackpot. I hated signing up for tables in AC; you give your initials, and since I'm not used to listening for that, I missed my table twice. I have some fantastic poker stories though, including one table that included a live version of "Grumpy Old Men" meets "Jersey Shore."

Overall, if you are on EST, Atlantic City is easier on the body and feels like Vegas, kind of... but I also understand why it's not appealing. A walk on a brisk morning on the Boardwalk included sights of dilapidated shops and food vendors. I'm sure some of them open for summertime only, but many said closed for good. The people out walking or living on the boardwalk should have been looking for some teeth in the sand. It was sad and a bit scary even in daylight.

I would go back again if there was an easy way to get there... but as mentioned before, Air Tran is cutting service, and I don't want to rent-a-car while there, since frankly, you really don't need it.
"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park
DJTeddyBear
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September 15th, 2011 at 6:40:37 PM permalink
Quote: FleaStiff

I've never understood this topic title about Atlantic City casinos and Points of Interest. There really are only two views to take: either the casinos are the points of interest or the casinos were the points of interest.

You asked that already, and I thought I answered the question about the title in this post on the second page.

Whatever. I'll re-phrase it.

In other threads, people have mentioned a desire to go to A.C. for the first time, and asked about other things to do.

Obviously, the primary reason to go is the casinos. So I made the map with all the casinos, as well as some former and future casino locations. Then I added some of the more interesting points of interest, to answer the question "What else is there to do there?"

On more than one occasion I've mentioned that McCarran is a world-class airport, right in the heart of Vegas, while A.C. International is little more than an airfield over 10 miles away.


My point is, there's more to do in AC than gamble, but getting there is a bit of a gamble as well.



Quote: Tiltpoul

One thing that is REALLY nice is the max of $13 for taxicab service anywhere in Atlantic City. I think this makes the drivers a little less friendly, but it does make them more efficient. The problem is, if you like to casino hop like I do, you almost have to take a cab from each "hub" of casinos, and you DO have to take one out to the Marina. There are shuttles, but they didn't run nearly as consistently or as often as they do in Vegas. They are also tough to find unless you know where to go within the casino.

Yeah, the taxi max fare is nice.

And, you're right. The Caesar's shuttle is sporadic.

Don't forget, there are also Jitney cabs that run primarily along Pacific Avenue (The Ave closest to the boardwalk). The fare (if I recall correctly) is $2.25.

Also, perhaps not as much in winter, but people walk between the clusters / hubs of casinos on the boardwalk all the time.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Tiltpoul
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September 15th, 2011 at 6:52:28 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear



Also, perhaps not as much in winter, but people walk between the clusters / hubs of casinos on the boardwalk all the time.



I could see that... I actually walked it early in the morning in February... it was like 30 some degrees out, but I'm used to 10 degrees that time of year, so I found it to be comfortable, until about the last 4 blocks, where I wish I hadn't walked it... lol
"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park
nickolay411
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September 26th, 2011 at 5:11:28 PM permalink
I am from the east coast. And I love AC. I've been to LV about 4 times but I've been to AC over 50.

I always have a different feeling in either location. To me this is how i feel;

Las Vegas Casino's cater to the tourists who have flown in from everywhere.

Atlantic City Casino's cater to the locals who have driven from the surrounding states. (md,de,pa,ny....)

To me it feels like Atlantic City doesn't want to steal all my money as fast as Vegas does before it throws me out onto the streets. Atlantic city knows it needs repeat customers like myself and i figure Las Vegas doesn't really care about repeat customers...

How do you guys feel about this? Any thoughts...

edit: I guess I wanted to say I feel much more comfortable playing in AC than LV. And would choose to play in AC anyday.
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