A guest-blogger on Atlantic City

I’ve been meaning to write this for quite some time. It stems from a deep attraction and affection for this town, Atlantic City. It seems we’ve dropped the ball or should I say not dropped the ball, just yet. Let me explain. Having lived on the boardwalk for five years, and vacationed here in my chilhood, I witnessed the undying allure of others to this great town. When anyone props up an event in this town people flock here to see it. Whether it’s an entertainer, Miss America Pageant, the air show, or even the blowing up of the Sands hotel. People, all kinds of people, love coming here, they always have and still do for over 150 years. When they come the businesses do well, very well. There’s been a huge investment in this town of not just money but of hope and promise. The casinos, the Pier at Caesars, the Quarter, the Pool, the Water club, the Marina, the Sand Castle, the outlet mall, the boardwalk, the beaches, the infrastructure, and lastly and maybe most importantly the jobs. The economy hasn’t seemed to affect crowds for big events here. Hence there should be more events, both big and small. The first big thing this town is missing is a huge New Year’s Eve celebration. With everyone coming together with an official New Year’s Eve ball that falls at the stroke of midnight like the one in Times Square. Let’s not forget that Times Square is to New York City what Atlantic City is to the Atlantic coast. The Gem of the eastern sea board. I think the New Year’s Eve ball should be out at the end of one of the piers. To be visible by all on the beach and in the hotels. Along with a huge televised party going on with MTV types and television personalities. I think Caesars pier would be a great spot for it since they’ve got a perfect location and have gone ahead and made a big investment in Atlantic City, it should be theirs. The jumping water fountain and the surrounding glass atrium at the end of the pier with the Atlantic Ocean, the city skyline, and people crowding the beach and boardwalk would be a great backdrop for a media celebration. As many of us know unfortunately, a lot of places can get pretty slow around here in the middle of winter. The excitement generated by a big event with well-known personalities and the coming together of humanity for the purpose of ringing in the New Year would draw invaluable attention and commerce here before and after the event. Maybe even do something unique, a first of its kind, which would keep the news agencies curious and watching like the dropping of the first holographic New Year’s Eve ball from the sky. Atlantic City can live up to the hype.On News Years Day when families across the country are together the evening news everywhere should have a video byte of the largest Polar Bear plunge anywhere. Thats all fun, free stuff and we can make it happen. A race track casino just can’t compete with what Atlantic City has to offer, nor can Time’s Square, but we need to be more creative with our broad potential. Right after New Year’s dies down the Atlantic City International Film Festival would start. Whatever happened to our film festival anyway? Did the makers in town get behind it? They could play that up big here. Atlantic City can attract the kind of ink and popularity movie people are looking for. If you don’t believe that just have a seat and a sub at White House and look around. Celebrities attract people, and people create jobs, at least in this town they do.

There’s something else that I can’t understand is not going on down here. This is a party town, always has been, probably always will be. Girlfriends shopping, guys fishing surfing hanging out, seniors dining, children beaching and boardwalking. Everyone comes here for a good time. A place where even someone from the most meager of means can be treated and fed like royalty. We need to deliver; Entertainment, music, casinos, clubs, conventions, and sporting events etc. I can’t figure out for the life of me why this town is not going after the party and wedding businesses. They’re big. And it’s not like we don’t have the dishes or the silverware or ball rooms or world class chefs. What wedding party would not love to come down here and spend a few days in a great hotel? With the day before and a day after shopping or gambling or swimming or being entertained or just meeting some friends down here. Can you think of a better place, I can’t? Everything to offer for parties and weddings is already here. So where are they? Is anyone going after them? If not, why not? I’m a construction worker. To most outsiders it would seem that the majority of construction workers are working on the big jobs that they can see. Not true, the majority of us are being fed by a sum of small jobs you never see. Atlantic City’s hotels don’t fill up one tower at a time they fill up one room at a time. The wedding and the party business can help do that. And what crew of old buddies and sports fans wouldn’t just love to come for a day or two and have a Super Bowl party here and enjoy what this town has to offer. Again, commerce before and after the event. In the middle of a slow winter. We have all the resources, but the casinos need to package, promote and make it easier for the smaller parties to.

Maybe we could convince our legislators to support big boxing events in town again. If you made the purses tax-free, the fighters would come here. And compared to the amount of commerce they attract is that tax money even comparable? I don’t think so. It’s something else that can be set up and injected into our economy easily at the slowest times. Once again promoting business before and after the event. We need to put our heads together. The notion and anticipation of big events would manifest itself into a stronger crowd all year long. People flock to Times Square every day of the year without anything else going on just for the “notoriety and the glitz”. Atlantic City coined the phrase.

Maybe there should be a planning and entertainment committee that is represented by all the big players in town. They can sit down with a big calendar and just start filling in the blanks, together. I think things would go smoother that way. It’s not just Atlantic City that needs some tough love, it’s the whole country. So let’s set a strong example and move foward with faith and confidence. And maybe just maybe if we play our cards right we can get our Princess back in town to, Miss America.