Times Have Already Changed in AC

We've heard for some time that Atlantic City is in the process of changing, but it now dawns on me that the change is here. I admit I've been a little out of touch with town during the early part of the year and have mostly had my head buried in the virtual sand of video poker when I have been in town, but reflecting on a visit from this past weekend it is finally sinking in that Atlantic City is not the place it used to be.

We know that the town went through major changes from the initial casinos that opened in existing hotels with their owners in a rush to start reaping the benefits of legalized gambling on the east coast, and another change as major casino corporations and moguls made their mark on the city. The Borgata spurred a new series of construction in town along with more competitive inventories of machines (at least for the thoughtful video poker player) and (slightly) better blackjack games, but for some time the Borgata stood out as the exception in a town otherwise full of bland, functional buildings that lacked the imagination and color that draws folks to the middle of the Nevada desert. Well, I saw the Harrah's Waterfront Tower at night for the first time a few weeks ago and then again several times while staying there and at the Borgata last weekend, but looking at a picture from the window of the Caesars Centurion Tower really helped me encapsulate what is so significant about the light show that Harrah's presents on the walls of their flagship resort each night. There is now color, and not just red lettering on the top of the buildings. There is finally color and light in Atlantic City.

Now, I'm no architecture buff, so I can't articulate exactly what has changed, but I can say that Caesars has finally attempted to make their building look like some place that can legitimately carry the Caesars name, we all know the Borgata would fit in just fine on the Las Vegas Strip, Harrah's new tower and new pool are legitimate attractions that deserve the "resort" moniker, and even the Trump properties have made significant improvements in recent years, with the Plaza and Taj Majal taking on modern attractive interiors for the first time in a long time.

What is so exciting about seeing all of this change is that it is just the beginning. With a slew of new construction projects ready to start as soon as the country gets through this latest financial crisis Atlantic City is on the verge of finally reclaiming its past glory that was promised when casinos first came to town and once again becoming a premier luxury seaside resort destination. Of course, a lot could happen, but things are at last starting to seem very real.