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ATLANTIC CITY
by Jim Gladstone
After gambling, drinking, dancing, and carousing in any
of the eight casinos clustered along the city’s boardwalk,
you can step outside, breathe in salty sea air, take off
your shoes, and walk along miles of broad sandy beach
as waves lap at your feet. The ability to make this sudden
shift from fabricated pleasures to natural ones is part
of Atlantic City’s appeal. Even in cooler months,
a morning jog or evening stroll on the beach provides
the perfect head-settling antidote to casino-induced glitz
fatigue (The city’s three non-boardwalk casinos:
Harrah’s Marina, Trump Marina, and the Borgata, offer
bay breezes in lieu of ocean air).
Shopping options in Atlantic City have
flourished with the opening of two major retail hubs,
which will appeal to the bipolar retail urge of any
gay or lesbian with a charge card: high-end boutiquing
and bargain hunting.
Discount divas, not to mention those
who have taken a hit on the casino floors, won’t
want to miss The Walk, a strollable complex of
brand name discount outlets with an emphasis on casual
fashion and sportswear. Among the more than 100 stores
are Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and Timberland. Despite
the fact that there are genuine bargains to be had,
the shops here are better organized and less congested
than at many suburban outlet malls (1931 Atlantic Avenue.
Tel: 609-872-7002. www.acoutlets.com).
On the luxe end of the spectrum is The
Pier Shops at Caesars (One Atlantic Ocean. Tel:
609-345-3100. www.thepiershopsatcaesars.com),
a three-level collection of over 80 brand name shops
(including Kenneth Cole, Armani, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton)
and restaurants jutting out over the water that offer
spectacular vistas from Adirondack chairs conveniently
placed along panoramic windows. Believe it or not, the
second floor Starbucks offers one of the city’s
best views; on a brisk autumn afternoon, cappuccino
foam and seafoam make a wonderfully relaxing break from
the jangle of slot machines.
Jonesing for a shot of glitz with your
seawater? Head to the far end of the pier and see water
like you’ve never seen it before. “The Show,”
which runs on the hour, free of charge, is a six-minute
water and light display, computer-choreographed in time
to music. 150 fountain nozzles shoot jets up to three
stories high from a 19,000 gallon reflecting pool on
the pier’s first level.
Meanwhile, The Pier Shops’ third
level dining options provide a tour of the Northeast,
with outposts of Chesapeake Bay favorite Phillips’
Seafood, Boston’s Newbury Street favorite, Sonsie,
and the New York/Philadelphia Asian-fusion sensation,
Buddakan.
At over 9,000 square feet, Buddakan
is Atlantic City’s most dramatic dining environment,
with guests traversing an entryway of Japanese gardens
over stone footpaths and wooden bridges to reach the
stage set of a dining room. It offers the illusion of
sitting in the starlit courtyard of an ancient village.
Buddakan transcends its potential for kitsch and offers
a uniquely elegant experience. The restaurant is best
experienced with a group of four to six, willing to
share the ample dishes family-style. The grilled lamb
chops in Thai basil pesto are a don’t miss (Tel:
609-674-0100. www.buddakanac.com).
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