How is remodeled and updated Downtown Atlantic City doing? (Ocean City: sales, hotels)

[political genius]

I went to Atlantic City last week and noticed that the area between the convention center and the ocean had been remodeled and updated with new high end chain restaurants and shops. One thing that had not changed though was the lowlife's that were hanging out on the street all over downtown Atlantic City.

I just can not see walking away from the relative safety of the Boardwalk Hotels and crossing into the war-zone of Atlantic City regardless of the new fancy looking shops and eating establishments on the way to the convention center. I also noticed there was a new upscale mall right on the water connected to Caesars Palace. It was completely dead.

How are these places doing?

[pcity]

The outlets between the convention center and the casinos seemed to be jumping when I last visited, but that was a year ago, before the economy took a turn for the worse. Don't know how it's doing now.

[JamieSheryl]

Actually, there are a few great new shopping areas in Atlantic City. The Pier is a very beautiful mall with upscale boutiques as well as the nicer francise stores. The Walk is a HUGE outlet mall. On Black Friday there were lines going around the blocks in front of some stores. The Quarter is a very cool enclosed area with excellent restaurants, nice shops, and upscale nightlife. Atlantic City has really improved over the last 2 to 4 years. Amazingly, it has become a destination for shopping and dining.

[jeffohnj]

The Pier at Caesars was quite busy last Thursday night, September 3, 2009. I did notice that spaces at the ocean end of the building remain empty, which was the case when I first visited the Pier a couple years ago. Elsewhere in the mall, however, storefronts seemed pretty much filled with the same, mostly high-end retailers that have been there since the mall's opening.

Downtown's The Walk shopping district was bustling on Friday. Notably, I don't recall seeing a single empty storefront in the large development. Ground will be broken for an expansion of The Walk this fall.

My impression is that retail is relatively healthy in AC, or at least healthier than in many other parts of the country.

The city still has its seedy areas, but it's definitely been spiffed up over the past couple of decades. One aside: there's been a hulking, rusting, empty billboard hanging over the Boardwalk for years now. You can't miss it. When will the city do something about this horrible eyesore?

I did not feel any less safe in AC than I would feel in other urban areas in the US. In fact, the abundance of shoppers and tourists enhanced my sense of security.

My partner and I had a good visit to AC.

[HeatherLynn822]

I agree, AC has really made a lot of positive changes in the last couple years, and it definitely seems to be thriving. Each of the last couple times I went to the mall at Caesars, it was very crowded. There have been a ton of tourists on the boardwalk, and we have had a difficult time getting seated at restaraunts like Hard Rock and Carmines without at least a 2 hour wait.

[VeradoDan]

Seemed pretty busy when I drove past it a month ago.

[ansky]

Atlantic City has always been more of a summer destination. Have you ever walked the boardwalk in January? Brutal! We went to the Irish pub at The Quarter last December and there was only one other group of people in there, and this was on a Saturday night.

[0706772]

Is the sales tax in AC 7% or 3 1/2%?

[dhanu86]

AC isn't so dead lately. I heard it's because the recession causes people to get-away local instead of flying to Vegas, etc. There is one new erected casino being built between showboat and taj I think but on pause for money.

I went through AC 10 days ago and there are billboards saying "you loose at bally's, bad employees = unhappy gamblers" or something like that. And when I was on the beach in Ocean City, a couple planes flew by pulling the same message. So something is going on in Ballys/Resorts.

But you can't walk around in AC besides the outlet area because there are crackheads stumbling around the sidewalks, I usually just go to one or 2 casinos (one with good games, food, spa, etc)

[pcity]

Originally Posted by dhanu86

I went through AC 10 days ago and there are billboards saying "you loose at bally's, bad employees = unhappy gamblers" or something like that.

I saw those too last time I was there. I believe it has to do with contract negotiations between the union and Bally's.