It’s happening at Atlantic City Hotels and Casinos

Yet another piece of good news for Atlantic City. The prime time show on

 PBS announced its summer 2009 tour destinations on Monday January 5.

Antiques Road show will visit Atlantic City, N.J; and it would be its first ever visit to the gamblers hub. That would definitely mean higher media coverage and a rise in the number of visitors. Other destinations on the tour of the Roadshow would be Raleigh, Madison, Denver and San Jose. Programs taped in those locations will be aired in 2010 on PBS making it the show’s 14th broadcast season.

The show which features a series of local events got popular ever since it got aired where top appraisers offer the public free evaluations of antiques and collectibles and reveal the  history and the value of these items which often surprise the public. They try to film each episode at a different location but sometimes end up having two episodes at the same location. This one of a kind show has a huge base of viewers. Shows like this and others like “Gilmore Girls” featuring episodes on Atlantic City put AC on the map. It can’t get better than this. Atlantic City is being identified and accepted for its truly unique offerings. Looks like Atlantic City would have a better year, brighter prospects and a larger number of visitants.

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Atlantic City lovers will now have one more reason to do so. The new Atlantic City Express Train will travel from New York City to Atlantic City, with a stop at Newark. A luxurious ride of two and a half hours and you land in the land where fortunes get made every day. It was a long awaited project as the proposed plan of Atlantic City Express Service got accepted in June 2006 but the timing couldn’t have been better given the current economic slowdown. The new trains are being provided by NJ transit and the service will be partially funded by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. It would be a weekend service running from Friday through Sunday making it a perfect arrangement for a fun filled weekend. As they call it, it’s a swift connection to fun.

The Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) is a Joint venture of Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, and Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa. The investors believe this service would convince more New Yorkers to explore AC. The Shuttle would be slower than the existing options but would have better amenities. The only options available were to board the buses which leave for AC throughout the day from the Port Authority Bus Terminal or drive in. But these options don’t look so attractive now even though the time of journey is lower than ACES. It would definitely be a relief for summer weekends when the traffic is chaotic. The advantage with ACES is not being stuck in traffic and the party mood is triggered as soon as you are onboard.

Not everybody would care but the locomotive is unique too. The train will have a diesel engine on one end and an electric on the other end. It would operate through the Hudson Tunnels with the electric engine to Frankford junction, then across the Delair Bridge switching to diesel power for non-electrified section to Atlantic City. No engine change is what would make it a trip of 2 1/2 hrs. This Double Decker train with two class levels will start operating on Feb. 6 this year and the introductory rate will be $50 each way in coach and $75 per seat for first class. Not so bad. Considering an awkward  bus ride from NYC which would come to about $35, a cab to the casino that you are heading towards would be another $15 , yet again when you head back to the hotel to catch the bus; this discomfort sums up to about $ 65 roundtrip. Total 25% of the seats would be slated for sale to the general public; while the rest would be reserved for the casinos having stakes in the service.

It is being classified as one of the joint efforts put in to improve city’s image. Gambling revenue was down 7.8 percent this November over last, so this service and many new ventures are on the cards as AC is not willing to lose its potential visitors. Instead of hunkering down, the city is being innovative and offering more convenience as they have not just a slow economy but also increased competition from other gambling destinations in North east. But are visitors willing to drop that much for a trip to Gambling in these harsh circumstances? Experts muse that the landed costs are too high to turn a profit and the service would be able to survive only a year or so. Well may be it is targeted to visitors with a disposable income desiring a trade up experience; who hesitated otherwise because of the odd connectivity to AC. Lets wait and watch. 

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There is talk about recession and slump everywhere in Atlantic City, and for that matter, most places in the continental United States. Hey hey, take a break though. Most of us that have been around for a while, know that this kind of slump happens every once in a while due to certain issues. We all saw the dot com bust in the early 2000’s. Many of us still remember the slump of the late 80’s and the real estate breakdown in the early 90’s. We always recover and we will, this time as well. It’s only a question of how soon. And the more positive we stay as Atlantic City residents, the sooner we will get out of it. We can do it together and we will!

There are some pretty good news out there that noone seems to focus on. PressofAtlantcCity.com reported recently:

Boardwalk Hall improved from being the No. 1 venue of its size - between 10,001 and 15,000 seats - in North American last year to being the top venue of its size in the world this year, according to Billboard magazine. Sold-out shows during the past year included Jay-Z, Celine Dion, Madonna, Carrie Underwood with Keith Urban and the most heavily attended concert since the renovated hall reopened in 2001, 14,591 people at the Jimmy Buffet concert in August.

That is no small thing in my opinion. That was a historic achievement and we should all celebrate it. Shows during the New Year’s eve were all jam packed and sold out. That is signs that people are perhaps over-reacting to the recession story this time. Many got away Scot-free during the real estate melt-down and those people still continue to spend. Many businesses are actually using the recession to their advantage and actively marketing their products to the market while their competitors are holding back.

NBC reported recently:

A newly formed coalition has found a way to attract new markets and visitors- by air. The South Jersey Transportation Authority is pumping millions of dollars into expansion and airport improvements all in an effort to make Atlantic City a destination resort.

While some airports around the United States are pulling flights and decreasing service due to the recession, Atlantic City International Airport is doing just the opposite. “Out of catastrophe walks opportunity so there’s some good opportunity for ACY and all the stake holders,” said Executive Director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, Bart Mueller.

I recently read this report that had a whole bunch of rescission tips and tricks for small businesses that I thought I should share with the rest of you in one of our next posts.

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Atlantic City has definitely classed up a little bit over the last couple of months. With Ace performers frequenting the city for New Year’s, it feels like the good times are back. But the exodus phenomenon - decrease in population - is interesting, and a little bit of a concern. The city has lost the title of being the most populated municipality to Galloway and Egg Harbor townships, according to the census late this year. The prominent reasons are the recent casino-employee layoffs, which pushed too many people towards the mainland to seek employment. Subprime mortgages are also something to be blamed. 

Atlantic city which is possibly the best located casino hub in the entire world after the Macau, saw a slight increase in its total number of housing units, which happens to exceed the closest township by about 5,000 units. But the exodus has left more vacant housing. Surveys show nearly 23 percent of Atlantic City’s housing units vacant and renters occupy more than 70 percent.

A population of 40,000 residents but 34 million annual visitors makes the ratio subject to speculation. The city’s decline in residents is not likely to rebound soon until there are some major changes in the economic condition. However, going by the facts, Atlantic city hasn’t been much of a growing community. The population peaked once in 1930’s and has been on a decline since then. The lower population density on the other hand is a peculiar trait of the island. The city is happy serving the visitors who never seem to slowdown. They drive in to enjoy the casinos and the boardwalk, exotic wineries and exciting beaches that surround the city. And this doesn’t sound anything like Las Vegas.

Another reason for the decline in population can be attributed to the slowdown in construction related work in the city. Many temporary construction workers who came from adjoining cities and states have now left since construction in many locations has stopped.

Some casinos have reported increasing profits in the last two months of 2008, quite a surprise to many. Official earnings reports have not been released yet, all eyes will be open in anticipation of that, but in the meantime, if the insider reports are to be beleived, that is good news for Atlantic City. Overall, it appears to be a time of confusion at best, and Atlantic City might just be one of the first places in the country to bounce back from recession.

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