Our East Coast correspondent writes, “As of [May 4], everyone in New Jersey has to bring their own bags when they purchase almost everything. Single-use plastic and paper bags are gone, except for stores less than 2,500 square feet in size. If that doesn’t make sense, remember you’re in New Jersey, where nothing has to make sense. In Atlantic City‘s press the other day, the ‘pickleball courts’ will soon be ready at Bader Field (former airport), they are waiting for some parts to arrive (the pickles?). After all that excitement, they are planning to play cricket. Who, you may ask, knows how to play cricket in A.C.? Doesn’t matter, if the town council can get free money from the state or the casino people, they will build the playing field. [Editor’s note: Technically it’s a ‘cricket pitch,’ but you get the idea.]
“In other A.C. news, the casinos still favor smoking, even though only 15% of people smoke there. The casino unions are looking for substantial pay increases when their contracts expire soon—just before the busy summer season. What great timing.
“The press has had some slow news days recently. One day last week, the major headline was ‘Fox News’ and showed a fox sitting on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Last week, a man was sentenced to eight years in prison for approaching a person sitting at a Bally’s slot machine, while holding a box cutter and demanding money on December 23, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. The customer fought the person off and Bally’s ‘security’ grabbed the person as he was trying to leave the casino (note: ‘security’ didn’t go near the customer and box-cutter person while it was going on).
“Out of thousands of state lawmakers nationwide, Assemblyman Don Guardian (R) was one of seven who was chosen to travel to Germany (funded by Germany) to tour utility providers including power stations, wind farms, and clean-energy solutions. In today’s press, the photo of a baseball game in progress at the always-empty Sandcastle Stadium is a gem.
“Also in today’s press is an article about Atlantic City evicting a food truck from Gardner’s Basin. In the 1970’s, the city’s ‘government sold the land for $300,000 in federal money from the ‘Green Acres’ program that did not allow any further development in that basin. Atlantic City later allowed (received rent) from 10 craft shops in the basin. The feds ordered the shacks closed. They are closed, but are still there. Mayor Marty Small recently had a food truck towed that paid $2,500/month rent for the summer for seven years. The rules allowed food trucks for ‘special events only. The food truck owner also had a full size ‘shipping container’ used for a bar. The article also mentions the local ‘government’ hired Scarborough Properties to plan for additional development in the adjoining land owned by the Kushner family (yes, as in Jared Kushner). Why would the ‘government’ pay for a plan to develop an area they didn’t own ? Just business as usual in Atlantic City.”
I toured Ballys last weekend and the crowds were undoubtedly up. The new lobby looks sleek and modern, but the new carpet they are matching with it looks too noisy and cheap. Bad selection.
I think their new lobby bar and “The Yard” fronting the Boardwalk are going to be a big hit and draw more customers back. I love the new restaurant additions but they need to work on updating the casino floor pronto! It is the lifeblood of the operation. And while it has more bells ringing and dice throwing, it is still pretty depressing.