Atlantic City Boardwalk
Atlantic City Boardwalk
Atlantic City Boardwalk opened on June 26, 1870, and was the first boardwalk built in the United States. The original purpose was purely practical: hotel owners wanted a way to keep sand out of their lobbies after guests came up from the beach. That modest ambition produced something that became the template for American leisure culture on a seaside promenade, and eventually provided the street names for the Monopoly board game. The boardwalk stretches six miles along the Jersey Shore, still wooden, still lined with casinos and tacky attractions and salt water taffy vendors, and still genuinely fun in a way that self-conscious destinations rarely manage.
What to See
Steel Pier extends over the ocean at the heart of the boardwalk, operating rides and entertainment since 1898. The current large Ferris wheel gives views stretching along the coastline and out over the Atlantic. It is consistently enjoyable despite being exactly what it says it is.
Absecon Lighthouse, a short walk from the boardwalk, is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey at 171 feet. Built in 1857, it has 228 steps to the top and views of the barrier islands, city, and ocean. The lighthouse keeper’s cottage is restored and there is a small museum on the grounds.
Boardwalk Hall (opened 1929 as the Atlantic City Auditorium) is a National Historic Landmark and home to the Midmer-Losh organ, completed in 1932 with 33,112 pipes – the largest pipe organ in the world. It occasionally holds organ concerts; the pipe organ alone is worth 20 minutes of your attention if you can hear it played.
Where to Eat
Salt water taffy has been made on the boardwalk since the 1880s. James’ Candy Company and Fralinger’s Original Salt Water Taffy are the established names. This is not ironic retro eating; the taffy is genuinely good.
White House Sub Shop, a few blocks from the boardwalk, has been serving Italian-style submarine sandwiches on locally baked bread since 1946. It has attracted celebrities and politicians; it remains entirely unpretentious. Worth the detour.
Dock’s Oyster House has been continuously operating since 1897, making it one of the oldest restaurants in New Jersey. The menu centres on fresh local seafood – oysters, clams, lobster, Jersey Shore fish. Dark wood panelling, old photographs on the walls.
Tony’s Baltimore Grill has been open since 1927, stays open late, and serves pizza and Italian-American food in an atmosphere that takes no pleasure in its age.
Where to Stay
Borgata in the Marina District is the best hotel in Atlantic City – 2,000 rooms, substantial casino, spa, multiple good restaurants. The Chelsea, directly on the boardwalk with a rooftop pool, gives easier beach access without the full casino-resort atmosphere. Resorts Atlantic City in the historic Haddon Hall building was the first casino to open in New Jersey (1978) and has a nostalgic appeal.
Practical Notes
Midweek visits mean fewer crowds and lower hotel rates than weekends, particularly July and August. Atlantic City is 60 miles from Philadelphia and 130 miles from New York. New Jersey Transit runs from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station in about 70 minutes.
The best thing about the Atlantic City boardwalk is walking it slowly – in the morning before the casinos have pulled everyone inside, or in the evening with the ocean on one side and the lights on the other.