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Atlantic City Travel / Atlantic City / Art Travel / Public Art / Travel News / → All Tags

The Other Atlantic City Boardwalk You'll Want To Check Out This Summer

On Monday morning, the Atlantic City Alliance hosted a press conference announcing a brand new sculpture garden that will be going up in the Marina District. Located two and a half miles north of the main boardwalk (as in, the Boardwalk), the mile-long walkway has in fact existed for over a decade. The trouble is, no one really used it.

Until now.

Launching this summer, AC Waterfront Sculpture Park plans to install 40 pieces of outdoor art along the walkway. 25 of those are scheduled to go up this summer, in early July, offering local and regional artists the chance to have their work seen by tens of thousands of tourists.

Though it can't really compete with the Boardwalk with a capital 'B,' the Marina District walkway is notable for two reasons: it winds along the bay, offering incredible waterfront views (see above), with plenty of greenery and public benches. And it connects three of the major casino hotels, Golden Nugget, Harrah's and Borgata. So even if you're not a fan of outdoor public art (shame on you), then you still have several practical reasons to be strolling down the new art walk this summer.

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Atlantic City Travel / TV Travel / Television Travel / Boardwalk Empire / → All Tags

Will 'Boardwalk Empire' Bring Vintage Parties to Atlantic City?

Whether you like it or not, the hot topic for this weekend is whats on TV, or rather, what's on HBO now that their new series "Boardwalk Empire" is to debut Sunday night. We've already noted that such a show—which focuses on the height of decadence in Atlantic City during Prohibition—will no doubt make tourists look towards the town for vacation, but now we're seeing it as the latest addition to the trend of New Jersey Travel.

First, it was MTV's Jersey Shore and their particular brand of sloppy partying that brought yet more of the same, plus the curious observers, to the state for the summer. Then, Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey and their brawling broads again turned attention on NJ, So, thus far we've got those two new crowds attracted to traveling to New Jersey to see the people, and the shore towns, for themselves.

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Television Travel / Boardwalk Empire / TV Travel / Atlantic City Travel / New Jersey Travel / Jersey Shore Travel / Historical Travel / → All Tags

Will HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire' Have Tourists Flocking to Atlantic City?

September 19. That's the date which could turn the New Jersey town of Atlantic City into a star, and bring back the bling-happy, moneyed tourists chased out by Snooki and her Jersey Shore crew.

On that date, the HBO show Boardwalk Empire debuts, and it's already got a recipe for big-time success. First off, it's directed by Martin Scorsese, and it's based on a book about the Prohibition-era corruption of the gambling town adapted by the screenwriter behind The Sopranos. Throw in $50 million dollars spent on just the pilot episode to make it the most expensive single show ever done by HBO, and you've got a lot of hype that needs to deliver.

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Travel Contests / Train Travel / Atlantic City Travel / Travel Deals / Summer Travel / ACES / → All Tags

ACES Gives Train Travelers 100 Days of Freebies

Okay, so you just had an awesome three-day weekend. But instead of feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the world, you're miserable to be back at work and hatching your next escape plan. If you hop on a Atlantic City Express Service train, or ACES, you might win getaways at Borgata Casino & Spa, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Caesars Atlantic City as part of its 100 Days of Summer promotion.

We can't help but think of the Zooey Deschanel flick 500 Days of Summer when we hear that name, and while 500 days of free goodies would be great, 100 days will do just fine. ACES, the only direct train from New York City to Atlantic City, is kicking off the season with prizes such as logoed souvenirs, concert tickets, VIP access at clubs, and free food during your train trip. The top prize, of course, is that 10 riders will win weekend stays at Borgata Casino & Spa, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Caesars Atlantic City, which also includes dinner for two.

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Atlantic City's ACES Train Ships Shopaholics Up To NYC

Where to go after you've won big in Atlantic City? Spend it on Christmas presents for your favorite people in New York, of course! Amtrak's Atlantic City Express Service is ferrying shoppers from Jersey to NYC with its "Shopaholics" train on Friday, November 27, but offering ticket discounts all December long if you're heading to New York.

Passengers on the Shopaholics Train (#7162, $39 one-way, departing 10:02AM) get a free tote bag to collect their purchases in in the city. Once there they can save 10 percent on a room at the just-opened Ace Hotel, in case making a list and checking it twice takes longer than previously planned.

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Public Transit / Atlantic City / Train Travel / Drinking / ACES / → All Tags

The Moving Cocktail Bar Is Now Open With ACES 'Pour Tour'

As city dwellers the world over know, public transit means never having to say "No thanks, I'm driving." (Disclaimer: be responsible, kids!) The new Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) train is taking this line of reasoning a step forward with Friday night drinking specials for four weeks starting Oct. 30.

The ACE Pour Tour runs between Penn Station and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal Friday nights on the #7165 train departing at 8:21PM. The 2-hour 40-minute ride will feature a new drink special every week through November 20: Enjoy Oktoberfest ales like Victory Festbier from Pennsylvania this Friday, the 30th, or get your $29 ticket now for "One Sweet Ride," featuring chocolate "martinis" and other dessert-y libations.

These drinks aren't free, but bartenders aboard the train will show you how to make them and hand you a recipe card along with your glass. Time your cocktail hour correctly and you will arrive in AC primed to play games!

Related Stories:
· Pour Tour '09 (click top right hand corner) [ACESTrain.com]
· Skip the Parking Fees: Catch the ACES Train to Your AC Hotel [HC]
· ACES Stands For A Better Way to Get to Atlantic City [Jaunted]

[Photo: ACES]

Travel Snapshot / Greyhound / Bus Travel / Atlantic City Travel / → All Tags

Inside One Of Greyhound's New WiFi-Equipped Buses

This last weekend, while randomly hopping down to Atlantic City for the day, we did not expect to be treated to the plushness of one of Greyhound's new buses. We say "plushness" meaning it's pretty nice for a bus, you know.

According to the Greyhound website, the premium coaches—outfitted with free WiFi, outlets, more leg room, and fresh interiors—are only found on their NYC to Montreal, Toronto and Boston and DC to New York, Boston and Montreal routes. We got lucky and spent the 4-hour-long, one-way trip (thanks, Saturday traffic) charging our phones and napping. We now see potential for Greyhound to equal the amenities of Megabus and Boltbus, but they'd have to do it fleet-wide and therein lies the rub.

Related Stories:
· Will You Ever Go Back To Greyhound? [Jaunted]
· Greyhound Blows Out 95 Candles On Their Birthday Cake [Jaunted]
· Greyhound Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Jaunted]

Atlantic City Travel / New Jersey Travel / Wedding Travel / → All Tags

Do More Than Gamble And Eat In Atlantic City; Get Married!

People don't head to the sparkly strip of boardwalk light in Atlantic City, NJ just for a weekend of gambling and buffet-noshing; no, they even hold weddings, family reunions and—conferences—there. But sadly, most of the venues for these get-togethers fail to take advantage of the awesome shore views, leaving you feel slightly claustrophobic especially if the weather is nice.

To remedy this, Atlantic City has begun constructing a new event space on top of their premier shopping mall: The Pier Shops at Caesar'. It's a must-visit while in AC simply for its panorama views, the atrium fountain performances, and the adirondack-equipped relax areas on the third floor, complete with sand in which to wiggle your toes. But come December when the new venue, called One Atlantic opens on its roof, it'll finally give weddings and others AC events the ocean backdrop without having to trek down to the crowded beachfront.

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ACES / Atlantic City / Train Travel / Food Travel / Travel Deals / → All Tags

Atlantic City Express Train (ACES) Extends Summer Fare Deal

If ACES’ sleek new trains and cheap summer fares haven’t convinced you to jaunt to Atlantic City yet, the train line is giving you another few weeks to try it out. The NYC-AC express train, which launched in February and slashed its prices by about 40 percent in June, is extending its “All Afford” promotion for the rest of the month.

All coach-class tickets are $29, while first-class seats are $54 for the duration of the promotion, which runs through July 31. Foodie types will be pleased to see that’s just long enough to catch the July 30 start of the Atlantic City Wine & Food Festival, when Emeril, Tom Colicchio, and the rest of the chef-lebrity crew will be hanging around Harrah’s for a few days.

If that’s not doing it for you, check out ACES’ new twitter feed, which has been busy hyping any and every reason they can think of to lure you down the shore.

Related Stories:
· ACES [Official Site]
· Atlantic City's ACES Train Cries 'All Afford' For Summer Travel [Jaunted]
· ACES Stands for 'A Better Way to Get to Atlantic City' [Jaunted]

[Photo: ACES]

Train Travel / Atlantic City / Travel Deals / Summer Travel / ACES / → All Tags

Atlantic City's ACES Train Cries 'All Afford' For Summer Travel

By now we really don't need to tell you how much the casinos have suffered during the recession; like us, you've probably received far too many "special weekend escape" mailings and suffered through the commercials promoting your local gambling mecca (Foxwoods--we're talking about you). It's no wonder then that Atlantic City is jumping aboard their own train to funnel in the cash this summer.

From June 1 thru July 5, AC's new ACES train direct service to and from New York City will run a summer special of $29 coach seats, each way. This saves about $20 per ticket, with which you could spoil yourself and upgrade for $25 to first class.

The deal, aimed at bringing staycationing New Yorkers down the shore to spend a few dollars, is appropriately named "All Afford!" Face it folks: it's either this train with food and beverage service included, or climbing aboard a dirty bus armed with KFC. We've done plenty of the latter, so perhaps it's time to suck it up, take the train, and leave the hand-i-wipes at home.

Related Stories:
· ACES Train [Official Site]
· ACES Stands For 'A Better Way to Get to Atlantic City' [Jaunted]
· Train TravelCoverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: ACES}

New Routes / AirTran / Atlantic City / Airline News / Gambling / ATL / ACY / → All Tags

AirTran Doubles Down With New Atlantic City Route

The impending arrival of warmer temperatures and sunny days on the east coast combined with the people's need to budget vacations better this summer means that previously underestimated destinations like Atlantic City may be getting some answers to their recession prayers.

Luckily for the struggling casinos and massive hotels that dot the boardwalk, the first wave of relief will arrive on June 11 when AirTran Airways begins direct service between Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and Atlantic City International twice daily. As the 59th destination for the carrier, AC will now have all kinds of options for budget airline connections, including the option to make it a blowout week by flying between Las Vegas and Atlantic City via Atlanta, if your slots finger stays sharp.

With AC desperate to funnel anyone with some jingling pocket change into their casinos, the AirTran introductory fares on this route begin at a suggestive $69 each way. Pair this with a cheap room at one of the older casinos and don't loose too many Benjamins, and you've got the cost of a vacation in Vegas beat by a couple hundred dollars. Good old AirTran—always flying to the sunniest spots with the flashiest coin.

Related Stories:
· Airtran rolls the dice on Atlantic City [Today in the Sky]
· AirTran Airways Hits the Jackpot with New Service in Atlantic City, N.J. [FOX Business]
· New Routes Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: gTarded]

Train Travel / ACES / Train Ride Reviews / → All Tags

ACES Stands for 'A Better Way to Get to Atlantic City'

When we mentioned to that we were zipping down from NYC to Atlantic City for the weekend—without the benefit of our own car--a few of our friends practically choked on their recession-priced happy hour beers. Why on earth would we gamble away our Friday afternoon (and potentially our sanity) just to cram in with the grannies on the Port Authority bus? Didn’t we understand how many hours we would potentially spend in traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike?

That’s when we casually mentioned—oh, you didn’t already know?—that there’s a brand new train that runs directly from Penn Station all the way to Atlantic City.

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