Atlantic City Housing Market Heats Up as Investors Look Beyond Casinos

[scampy25]

Originally Posted by DannyHobkins

The love could be spread around to Egg Harbor Township, Galloway... there is plenty of vacant land to install low income housing. Probably helping doing the lords work by getting people out of the bad environment there.

Egg Harbor and Galloway would have plenty to say about that. Never going to happen.

[jaydiz1994]

Good to see AC getting some love, but I would love to see it become an Adult Tourist area. We have enough family friendly areas along the coast-line and AC needs something to attract people to it beyond the casinos.

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by Dangerous-Boy

this is why a direct train line from nyc is needed. the one that goes from nyc to philly and finally AC takes 3 hours if everything is working correctly! That's insanity!


need to get that nyc money!

Best time for direct NYC to Atlantic City was about three hours give or take. This was back in day and "direct" was sort of a misnomer, since virtually all lines required taking a ferry from some point in NYC to NJ, then getting onto train.

https://www.railwayage.com/news/new-...-finest-train/

Central New Jersey RR like others was in dire financial straights by early 1960's and indeed went bankrupt in 1967, to salvage what state could the Aldene Connection was cooked up. This allowed Lehigh Valley Railroad along with Central New Jersey to access Penn RR's Northeast Corridor ROW.

It was on the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines that CNJ and other railroads connected that got passengers to Atlantic City


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldene_Connection

The Jersey Central through Roselle, Roselle Park, Aldene, and Cranford

https://www.trains.com/ctr/railroads...sey-a-history/

https://www.american-rails.com/prsl.html

It all came to an end in 1960's largely because NJ taxed the eff out of railroads piling on woes that were coming from post war build out of Interstate highway system and things like GSP, NJT, etc.. Railroads were losing passenger/commuter service at a good clip, but some managed to hang onto freight.

The ill fated Atlantic City Express was pulled out of NYC Penn Station down to North Philly, where it was then reversed and pushed down to Atlantic City using much of same PRSL ROW of old.

Despite it being a one seat ride, and taking not that much longer than CNJ Blue Comet service of old (three to four hours), ACES was a flop and discontinued shortly after it began service.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlant...xpress_Service

Reasons why ACES failed largely are same as why Amtrak often in general has issues. ROW used was not wholly owned by Amtrak so their trains were at mercy of NJT or whatever other trains for the Philly to Atlantic City part of trip.

In contrast you can take a bus from NYC to AC for less and get there faster or at least shave off some time. If you've got money there is always private or charter plane flights (think Sex and The City where the girls moaned about taking bus to AC).

https://whyy.org/articles/aces-train/

[DannyHobkins]

Originally Posted by jaydiz1994

Good to see AC getting some love, but I would love to see it become an Adult Tourist area. We have enough family friendly areas along the coast-line and AC needs something to attract people to it beyond the casinos.

Isn't it an adult tourist area? I believe its a tourist area that needs significant improvement. Three problems AC faces:
1. Seasonal Environments - 4 months a year the outside weather is cooperative.
2. Bad neighborhood - gangs, crime, drugs.
3. Location - Major highways, an international airport, but its in a destination location

Most of the Jersey Shore is practically vacant for 2/3rds of the year. There needs to be more of a draw than some very capital intensive aging casinos to draw people to the area. The southern part of NJ needs to bring in and attract a big business or industry. Bringing in a major industry outside of casino's would gentrify the neighborhoods fixing that problem, it will also add more flights to Atlantic City brining in more tourists. The infrastructure is all there, and our State Leadership needs to work on plans to attract business instead of rolling out another marketing campaign rebranding the city with a new theme font and slogan.

[Leps12]

Originally Posted by DannyHobkins

Isn't it an adult tourist area? I believe its a tourist area that needs significant improvement. Three problems AC faces:
1. Seasonal Environments - 4 months a year the outside weather is cooperative.
2. Bad neighborhood - gangs, crime, drugs.
3. Location - Major highways, an international airport, but its in a destination location

Most of the Jersey Shore is practically vacant for 2/3rds of the year. There needs to be more of a draw than some very capital intensive aging casinos to draw people to the area. The southern part of NJ needs to bring in and attract a big business or industry. Bringing in a major industry outside of casino's would gentrify the neighborhoods fixing that problem, it will also add more flights to Atlantic City brining in more tourists. The infrastructure is all there, and our State Leadership needs to work on plans to attract business instead of rolling out another marketing campaign rebranding the city with a new theme font and slogan.

Stockton University is expanding there, which should help both in diversifying the economy and with the seasonal element since students are in school when it is not summer. And of course if they are under 21, there needs to be options catering to them that don’t involve alcohol and gambling.

I think they have been trying to lure some aerospace and other industrial/technology related businesses there. Don’t know how that is going. I think wind energy is on the horizon there.

Agreed that it is very much an adult tourist area. For anyone to suggest it is not a ludicrous. What they need to do, and are doing, is building more family friendly attractions.

Atlantic City Regional Airport should be a hub to serve the entire southern Jersey Shore in the summer with seasonal flights. I think many Canadians would appreciate that.

There is a long way to go. In some sense, we have to accept what it is. It’s diet Vegas with a beach, and don’t wander off into the hood. There is justification to go there instead of Vegas due to proximity and local people not needing to fly. There are some great bars and restaurants that are not part of the casinos. You can have a good time there. Diversification is key. You can’t just be about the casinos anymore when you have them in PA, NY, CT, DE, and MD and also have online gaming.