Fewer casinos but plenty of people in AC

ATLANTIC CITY - The perennial question here for this Fourth of July weekend was whether there were enough nongaming attractions to entertain visitors after the closure of four Boardwalk casinos last year rocked this resort.

The answer Saturday seemed to be a resounding "yes" among those who strolled the Boardwalk, entered the new Playground shopping/entertainment complex owned by Bart Blatstein, filled most restaurants in town, sprawled along the beach, and shopped to their hearts' content along the nine-block outlet mall called Tanger Outlets The Walk.

Naomi Durecout, 51, of the Bronx, N.Y., said she came for the full deal: gambling, shopping, and dining. She arrived with her 26-year-old daughter and three grandkids Friday night via a Greyhound bus and stayed at the Sheraton until Saturday. They hit the Boardwalk after checking out at noon.

"The weather's great and we're having a lot of fun," Durecout said just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday. "Can A.C. make it? Sure it can."

Durecout pushed two strollers while waiting for her daughter, Christine, to cash out $200 in slot winnings at Caesars - which had a packed casino floor by midafternoon. She said that money was going toward souvenirs and food along the Boardwalk before their return trip home.

The Boardwalk seemed to be packed with bodies most of Saturday.

It was a similar scene in other Shore towns, according to tourism officials who were stationed at several weekend festivities.

"We are jamming," said Christine Ostrander, tourism representative at the Cape May County Department of Tourism, just after 1 p.m.

She said it didn't hurt that Cape May County has bragging rights to the top five beaches in the state, with Ocean City being No. 1 again, according to a recent survey.

"Even with the weather being partly sunny with a chance of thunderstorms, our beautiful beaches are packed," Ostrander said. "There is virtually no parking and everywhere you look you see a sea of people donning their stars and stripes."

Sea Isle City, which moved up the list of best beaches from No. 8 last year to No. 4 this year, hosted a free concert at 7:30 p.m., by the Atlantic Pops Orchestra followed by a fireworks display.

Meanwhile, the South End Surf 'n Paddle Shop in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island held a well-attended Shape Fest on Saturday, where surfboards were shaped and made.

"This has all the makings of an epic weekend," said owner Ken Gallant. "Even though it was cloudy today, we had about 100 people attend this event and there are 50 to 60 people here now listening to the band outside. The beach was packed all day and everyone was happy.

"This will be a banner year for the businesses on LBI," he said.

Back in Atlantic City, Philadelphia developer Blatstein pushed hard to get his new Playground into shape to open in time for the weekend. It officially opened to the public June 27.

"It's the equivalent to Super Bowl weekend," Blatstein said. "It's the best time to showcase the project."

Several retailers said they were pleased with the foot traffic, especially on Friday. It was the most that the former Pier Shops, a moribund mall renamed the Playground by Blatstein, had seen in years. The new music venues that lined the first floor, named T Street, were hopping Saturday night with music blaring that ranged from country to rhythm and blues.

The new valet parking offered just outside the Playground also made out big.

"We made $800 by 3 p.m.," said ticket writer Matt D'Arrigo, 25, of Egg Harbor Township. He works for Park Place, which has contracted with the Playground. "You figure, that's $20 per shot. We had that many people pull in, and a lot of them are staying all day for the fireworks."

The loss of four casinos on the Boardwalk has benefited the three Marina casinos, none more so than the Borgata, which reported its highest slots earnings in May in its 12-year history.

"We had every restaurant here booked by noon," said Borgata spokesman Brian Brennan as he gave a tour Saturday of the casino's newest attraction - the outdoor concert venue called Festival Park - which hosted Saturday night's fireworks show. The beach and Boardwalk held its fireworks spectacle Friday.

Inside the casino, there was a line six feet deep at the blackjack tables by 4:30 p.m., and the poker tables weren't much better.

"It's been an awesome weekend," said Justin Anzilotti, 39, of Chantilly, Va., who was staying at Borgata from Friday to Sunday to celebrate his 12th wedding anniversary.

"You can't tell four casinos have closed. At least not in here," said Anzilotti, who had secured a seat at a poker table despite the long line.

After the poker tables, he said and his wife had dinner reservations at Bobby Flay's at the Borgata. They booked early.