Atlantic City was once New Jersey's largest tourist attraction. It boasted a beautiful boardwalk and beaches, and it was the first city to provide gambling outside of Nevada.
But the city has seen hard times these past few years; four of the city's 12 casinos closed between 2013 and 2015, and things don't appear to be improving. According to Newsweek, Atlantic City's unemployment rate is 13.8% — the 10th-highest in the nation — and its mortgage-foreclosure rate is America's highest.
Even Donald Trump, who once owned and operated three casinos there, has declared the once bustling gambling city "a disaster."
The city has rebranded multiple times in the hopes of attracting more tourists, and Revel, a new multibillion-dollar resort, was built (and then subsequently went bankrupt), but nothing has brought Atlantic City back onto its feet. The Borgata, which is opening a new $14 million nightclub experience this year, may be the only bright spot in the city's future.
Now in winter, during the city's off-season, the streets and boardwalk of Atlantic City look more like a ghost town than a tourist hub.
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Atlantic City's true heyday was in the early 1960s, when traveling cross-country was not economical for most families.
Even before gambling was legal in the area, the city served as the East Coast's go-to beach destination. Now even on a 90-degree day the beaches can be almost completely empty.
Opening its doors in the summer of 1978, the Resorts International Casino was the first casino to open in Atlantic City. It was the first time gambling was legal outside of Nevada, and it was a bold attempt to bring more tourists to the area.
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