Each summer, Atlantic City experiences a seemingly alchemical transformation that derives from sun plus fun. Rays shine down, warm surf laps at the shoreline, visitors flock to the gambling, dining, nightlife and a plethora of activities that just don’t fly when snow spots the ground and bitter winds whip across valet parking. Everything instantly changes and the town totally upgrades itself. The famed boardwalk comes to life, thrill rides rev up and if you don’t want to risk money at the craps table, you can always go for a plush toy by shooting water from a squirt gun into a plastic clown’s mouth as roller coasters whip around in the distance.
So pull your swimsuits, T-shirts and inner tubes out of storage: Here’s a guide to the best that Atlantic City has to offer this summer.
ACTIVITIES
While gambling is one reason to visit AC — the Borgata Summer Poker Open (theborgata.com) runs from June 4-21 and culminates with its $500,000-guaranteed championship event — it is far from the only reason to venture down. Lovers of cabernet and chardonnay will have something to toast at the DO AC Boardwalk Wine Promenade on May 4 and 5, with all 12 casinos offering bites and tipples (atlanticcitynj.com, $75 in advance, $85 day of). Aviation enthusiasts strap in for Thunder Over the Boardwalk, an annual air show that includes formation flights, aerobatics and Spitfires zipping through the skies June 26 at 10:30 a.m. Beachgoers show off their inner architects at the World Championship of Sand Sculpture, which draws top practitioners to the AC shore where they create the ultimate in hand-spun beach houses between June 13 and 30 (worldchampionshipofsandsculpting.com). From June 21 to 23, the Atlantic Ocean turns into an aquatic racetrack for the Atlantic City Offshore Grand Prix, a powerboat race with vessels that go as fast as 155 miles per hour. There will be 60 powerboat racers in six divisions competing for their share of a $50,000 purse (oparacing.org). Arrive hungry for the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, an eating-and-drinking extravaganza put on by Caesars Entertainment and the Food Network, taking place July 25 to 28. Events include the Beach Soiree on July 27, which features cooking by Robert Irvine, Rocco DiSpirito, and Pat and Gina Neely (caesars.com/foodandwine).
For those who hit AC on a whim, there are a few activities you can always count on. Be sure to check out Artlantic, the city’s first curated public art installation. It’s comprised of large-scale, outdoor works of art in once vacant lots near the boardwalk. Participating artists include sculptor/painter Kiki Smith and environmental artist John Roloff (artlanticblog.com). And every hour from 8 until 11 nightly, historic Boardwalk Hall gets bathed in multicolored illumination, and the air reverberates with music via a light and sound show called Duality.
Start your day with a bike ride down the boardwalk; riding times run from 6 a.m. until noon (after May 15, you need to finish by 10 a.m.). Bikes can be rented on the boardwalk, near the Tropicana and Resorts casinos. Shower after your ride and hit Tanger Outlets, where you can snag bargains from Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and loads of others (2014 Baltic Ave., tangeroutlets.com).
RESTAURANTS
Casino cuisine in Atlantic City reached a new peak with the opening of Revel (revelresorts.com) and its clutch of signature restaurants. Iron Chef Marc Forgione and LDV Hospitality’s American Cut reigns as a high-energy steakhouse with innovative dishes such as hiramasa tartare with a mouth-tingling Szechuan button bud that messes with your tastebuds before setting them up for an enhanced blast of the fish’s flavor. Directly across is chef Alain Allegretti’s Azure by Allegretti, another LDV venture, where tableside preparations are a specialty and the branzino is not to be missed.
Other top spots within proximity to gambling include Mia at Caesars Palace, an Italian/Mediterranean operation with ties to the famous Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia. Stephen Kalt’s Fornelletto at Borgata takes diners on a swing through the tonier culinary precincts of Southern Italy, while the casino’s Izakaya offers sushi and robatayaki. For a taste of home, New Yorkers will do well to hit Borgata’s outpost of Old Homestead, where cigar-and-scotch nights have been known to go down.
Venturing away from the casino can lead to rewarding meals in less obvious environments. For excellent Vietnamese food, you can’t go wrong at Little Saigon, where the ingredients are fresh, the cooking is first-rate, and the atmosphere is as wanting as their policy regarding credit cards (2801 Arctic Ave.; 609-347-9119; BYOB, but a bar down the block that sells beer). Delicious house-made pastas are what to get at Girasole, where the owner is a tracksuit-wearing gentleman who was buddies with Gianni Versace and has the décor to prove it (3108 Pacific Ave.; 609-345-5554, girasoleac.com). Skip the breakfast buffets and make like a local at harbor-front Gilchrist (804 N. Rhode Island Ave.; 609-345-8278) — blueberry pancakes there are well worth the circuitous drive. Anyone hankering for a cheesesteak can’t do much better than to get on line at White House Sub Shop (2301 Arctic Ave.; 609-345-1564, whitehousesubshop.net) and sample a superior version of the South Jersey staple.
NIGHTLIFE
Atlantic City might not rival Las Vegas for places in which to dance and see big-time DJs in action, but the options have come a long way. The most Sin City-like venue is HQ at Revel (revelnightlife.com), a collaboration between Neil Moffitt’s Angel Management Group from Vegas and Manhattan’s EMM Group. Having previously booked the likes of Afrojack and Tiesto, the venue brings to mind the inside of a high-energy flying saucer — and as things kick in, it feels poised for takeoff. Also in Revel, Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub provides a mix of dancing, live music, DJs and burlesque. It’s the kind of joint that Nucky Thompson would approve of. Borgata’s Mixx is the spot where post–concert after-parties tend to take place — and Fedde Le Grand DJs on May 26. But even on standard nights, the club tends to draw crowds who get revved up by trapeze artists and go-go dancers. For a mellower experience at Borgata, check out the new 28 West cocktail lounge, situated where Michael Mina’s SeaBlue used to be. Jimmy Buffett fans, as well as those who just like to party with tequila drinks, will do well to visit Margaritaville (1133 Boardwalk, slated for a Memorial Day weekend opening, margaritavilleatlanticcity.com), fronting Resorts Casino Hotel. Also opening on Memorial Day Weekend is Haven Nightclub (havenac.com), with Ke$ha hosting May 25 and 26, at the newly renovated Golden Nugget. The next best thing to a nocturnal beach blast takes place at Harrah’s the Pool After Dark (caesars.com/poolafterdark). Revelers mingle around a glass-domed swimming pool where bikini-clad dancers keep things interesting, and adventurous patrons doff shoes and roll up pant legs as they wade into the shallow end.
Touring entertainers plying rock, comedy, rap and country will hit AC all spring and summer. Expect DJ Steve Aoki to surf the crowd when he performs at Borgata’s mur.mur this coming Monday. Rihanna drops into Ovation Hall at Revel on April 26; if you happen to see Drake and Chris Brown in attendance — run! Grateful Dead fans can flash back to favorite times with the band, courtesy of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and their group Further, at Boardwalk Hall on April 27 (boardwalkhall.com) On the same night, Sarah Silverman shares outrageous tales at Music Box in Borgata. Trace Adkins brings his countrified baritone to Caesars on May 17. Though Sting doesn’t need the money (a UK newspaper recently named him the ninth-richest rock star), he is still playing Borgata’s Event Center on June 14 and 15. The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour starring, of course, Beyoncé, comes to Boardwalk Hall on July 26, and might well include a guest appearance from Hova himself. Funnymen Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno bring laughs to Borgata’s Event Center on July 20 and Aug. 10, respectively.