| Product: |
Atlantic City |
| Date: |
11/07/01 (174 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Clean, Good variety of Casino
Disadvantages: Not for children
Las Vegas is perhaps the most famous gambling resort in the world attracting visitors from all over the globe, however not many can afford to make the trip to the west coast, or others are visiting the east coast. Atlantic City therefore provides a good alternative for the budding gambler and is located close to New York, Philadelphia and Washington. (within 3-4 hours driving distance from each – additionally Atlantic City also has an international airport).
The City
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As you drive on the expressway towards Atlantic City you see a resemblance to Las Vegas with many tall buildings and flashing lights. However on closer inspection you realize that Atlantic City is more like a traditional city and does not have Casino’s that resemble the amazing Casino’s in Las Vegas. There are no pyramids, no Venetian hotels, or generally no other shaped casinos other than regular hotel shaped! This said, the profile of the city is fairly impressive and get you in the mood for gambling. As you enter you see much advertising for shows or casinos and generally you get a glimpse of what is available.
As you drive around the city you find a clean city that is well set out and has ample parking. The parking is also very reasonable – in my case was $7 for 12 hours.). The city is well sign posted and allows you to get where you want quickly and easily. Traffic can be a problem at peak times but generally it is good.
The city boasts a pretty good board walk full of fun stores, a massive Warner Brother’s store, a Ripley’s Believe it or Not show etc. It has ample beach space and is friendly and warm. There do seem to be many sea gulls that swoop down to get food, but if you ignore these and do not try to remember the Hitchcock movie ‘The Birds’ then you should be OK.
The Casinos
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There are several large casinos in Atlantic City ranging from the opulent Taj Maha
l, to the more mundane Sands. Each casino has a its own character that makes the gambling a little more interesting.
The Taj Mahal is impressive to look at giving you a feel of luxury and wealth; just driving up to it makes you feel like you are entering a different world. This is probably due to Donald Trump’s influence.
Bally’s is also impressive featuring several different styles, one being a Wild West theme. Outside the Wild West theme is a set with fountains and geezers; on a hot day these send a nice refreshing spray onto you as you enter the casiono.
The insides of these casinos vary, Bally’s Wild West features animated characters from the west that sing and dance of you. Caeser’s features a Roman theme and has many shops in which to spend your money. Stands is more your more traditional casino with no special features but an abundance of machines and tables to play on.
However for many these themes are merely distraction. Like most casinos, all the casinos feature a variety of games and machines. The games vary from casino to casino but in most you can find varieties of the following games: Baccarat, BlackJack, Poker, Roullette etc. In most it seems that the minimum bet is $10, although some tables do have a minimum bet of $2,000. (I did not use these for some reason!!).
The Jackcpot’s on the machine’s vary depending on how much you play; you can play from 5c a go all the way up to about $10 a go. On many you have the potential to win $1,000,000+ although in most cases the maximum you will win is only in the thousands (My maximum win was to win 300 coins, unfortunately these were nickels!)
Many of the casinos link together allowing you to walk the city without ever entering the streets, this can be good on a rainy day.
The Shows
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Many of the Casino’s have a good selection of shows ranging from comedians, to rock n roll, to p
lays. I would advice that you do some research before you arrive and purchase tickets in advance as it seems very hard to find where the shows are and what time they start.
Atlantic city does attract some major stars ranging from Tom Jones to Chicago; currently Cats is playing too. Most people will find a show that appeals. The quality tends to be very high although the cost is also fairly high too.
The Restaurants.
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There are literally hundreds of restaurants in the city. Many do not open until 6PM, although a few provide a lunch menu. My particular favorite was the ‘Hollywood’ restaurant that had much memorabilia from the movies as well as reasonably priced food of good quality. You should be prepared to wait at many of the popular restaurants, as there is often a large line.
General Advice
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It is always a good idea to plan your trip well in advance, I found that I wandered from casino to casino and probably missed many of the major attractions. I also found out about shows that were happening in a few days time and wished I had waited.
Although the casino’s seem to allow children inside, they have to be at least 18 to gamble. Therefore the casino’s are not really suitable as your children will soon get bored. The board walk and some of the stores are nice to visit with the family, but to be honest there are better places to go if you don’t intend to gamble.
My advice to myself was to set a limit on how much I wanted to lose and stick to it. If I doubled my money then I would leave.
Conclusion
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Atlantic city is a fun city and has plenty to do; it is really a place for adults to play in. There are plenty of good casinos, some great shows and some superb restaurants. There are an abundance of hotels to stay in as well although I didn’t try these as I drove into the city for one day!
Summary:
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