Vacation may seem like it’s always
needed. These spots will
give you a taste of the good life
without having to hop on a plane.
Hard Rock Atlantic City
1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J. 08401
www.hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com
At the end of this past June, it seemed life
had once again returned to Atlantic City. In one
day, America’s Playground added two
hotels/casinos. Long standing as empty relics of
what Atlantic City once was, their re-openings
marked a big step forward in revitalizing a city
that only years ago was a city on the brink of
total financial ruin. As the fireworks flew over
the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino marking its
grand opening, it felt, at least for that moment,
like Atlantic City was back.
If you walked the north end of Atlantic City’s
boardwalk just two years ago, it was a depressing
reminder of our country’s financial woes
and changing lifestyles. Atlantic City had rapidly
shuttered casinos and those that remained
open often reminded me of visiting my grandmother’s
smoke-soaked apartment, where even
she had given up the casino floor to puff away
at her Marlboro Reds whilst sitting in her night
gown playing online poker.
It seemed like Atlantic City might never return,
yet here we are, watching Pitbull perform
in the Hard Rock’s beautiful arena to the tune
of a sold out (and intimate) 7,500 fans. For the
ownership of Hard Rock, it was a dream only
an impossible year in the making.
When “two guys from Jersey,” as they called
themselves, got together with Hard Rock International,
a dream to transform the dusty old
Trump Taj Mahal into a spectacle of entertainment
and hospitality that Hard Rock’s around
BC The Mag FALL 2018 107
/www.hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com