Atlantic City

Atlantic City inspired the U.S. version of the board game Monopoly, which is reflected in the use of Atlantic City street names in the game. The city was incorporated on May 1, 1854, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township. In 1976, New Jersey voters legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City, and the first casino opened in 1978. Since 1921, Atlantic City has been the home of the Miss America pageant. The first boardwalk was built in 1870 along a portion of the beach in an effort to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. The historic length of theBoardwalk, before the destructive 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane, was about 7 mi (11 km) and it extended from Atlantic City to Longport, through Ventnor and Margate. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Maryland, Delaware, and Pacific Avenues, and featured the most impressive, but most modest, boarding houses of the early 20th century. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497. It is located on Absecon Island and borders Abse Con, Brigantine, Pleasantville, Ventnor City, Egg Harbor. Township and the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded in 1854 by Dr. Jonathan Pitney, who wanted to develop Atlantic City as a health resort. It has been home to Miss America Pageant since 1921, and is one of the largest casinos in the United States. It also hosts the New Jersey State Fair.

History

The city was incorporated in 1854, the same year train service began on the Camden and Atlantic Railroad. In 1853, the first commercial hotel, the Belloe House, was built at the intersection of Massachusetts and Atlantic Avenues. By 1874, almost 500,000 passengers a year were coming to Atlantic City by rail. The first boardwalk was built in 1870 along a portion of the beach in an effort to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. The historic length of the boardwalk, before the destructive 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane, was about 7 mi (11 km) and it extended from Atlantic City to Longport, through Ventnor and Margate. In 1903, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land and built the Queen Annelborough House. The hotel's Spanish Moorish style represented a step forward from other hotels that had been designed that classically influenced the new class of hotels. The new hotel was designed by Jean-Louis Lambot in 1848 (Joseph Monier received the patent in 1867) and was named after a French noble. The Marlborough-Blborough Hotel and the Traymore Hotel were the city's most distinctive hotels and were built in the early 20th century. The city is now home to the New Jersey Museum of Art, which was founded in the 1930s. The museum is located on the site of the former Lenape Indian village, where the Lenape lived for many years before the city was founded.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Atlantic City had a total area of 17.21 square miles (44.59 km²) It is located 60 mi (97 km) southeast of Philadelphia and 125 mi (201 km) south of New York City. The city is located on 8.1 mi-long (13.0 km) Absecon Island, along with Ventnor City, Margate City and Longport to the southwest.Atlantic City has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with warm, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. The plant hardiness zone at Atlantic City Beach is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 11 °F (11 °C) The average seasonal (NovemberApril) snowfall total is 12 to 18 in (300 to 460 mm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Chelsea, City Island, Great Island and Venice Park. According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types,Atlantic City would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (73) with a dominant. vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20). The city has an average temperature of 72°F (22°C) during the summer months, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values of 95 °F.

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 40,517 people, 15,848 households, and 8,700 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 44.16% black or African American, 26.68% White, 0.48% Native American, 10.40% Asian,0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.76% other races, and 4.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.45% (12,044) of the population. The median household income was $30,237 (with a margin of error of +/ $2,354) and the median family incomes was $35,488. The per capita income for the city is $20,069 (including $15,402 per capita for females) The median age is 36.3 years. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.4 males. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.34. The city has a population density of 3,680.8 per square mile (1,421.2/km²). The 2010 U.S. census counted 39,558 people, 15,504 households,and 8,558 families in the City. The 2010 United States census counted. 39,560 people, and 20,013 housing units at an average density of 1,862.2 per squaremile (719.0/ km²).

Economy

The history of gambling in Atlantic City traces back to Prohibition and the 1920s, with racketeer Louis Kuehnle running an underground hotel and casino. In 1974, New Jersey voters voted 60%40% against legalizing casino gambling at four sites statewide, but two years later approved by 56%44% a new referendum which legalized casinos, but restricted them to Atlantic City. Resorts Atlantic City was the first casino to open, in May 1978, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Governor of New Jersey Brendan Byrne. Atlantic City is considered the "Gambling Capital of the East Coast", and currently has nine large casinos. As of September 2014, the greater Atlantic City area had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 13.8%, out of labor force of around 141,000. In January 2011, Chris Christie announced the creation of the Atlantic City Tourism District, a state-run district encompassing the boardwalk casinos, the marina casinos, and Bader Field. The CRDA would oversee all functions of the district and make changes to attract new businesses and attractions. New construction has already resulted in cases of eminent domain being used to seize properties for development. In the wake of the economic downturn following the Great Recession, four casino closures took place in 2014: the Atlantic Club on January 13; the Showboat on August 31; the Revel, which was Atlantic City's second-newest casino, on September 2; and Trump Plaza, which originally opened in 1984, and was the poorest performing casino in the city.

Arts and culture

The Absecon Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located in the South Inlet section of Atlantic City. Lucy the Elephant has become almost an icon for the Atlantic City area. The Miss America pageant originated on September 7, 1921, as a two-day beauty contest. Since 2003, Atlantic City has hosted Thunder over the Boardwalk, an annual airshow over the boardwalk. Atlantic City was home of the Miss America competition from its inception until 2004, and again from 2013 to 2018. The Atlantic City Aquarium is located a short distance north of Abse Con Light. The "Short Line" is believed to refer to the Shore Fast Line, a streetcar line that served Atlantic City in the mid-1930s. A popular fixture in the early 20th century at the Steel Pier was horse diving, which was introduced by William "Doc" Carver.Rolling chairs, which were introduced in 1876 and in continuous use since 1887, have been a boardwalk fixture to this day. While powered carts appeared in the 1960s, the original and most common were made of wicker. The wicker canopied chairs-on-wheels are manually pushed the length of the board Walk by attendants, much like a Rickshaw. The city is home to the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing along with several casinos, attracts over 750,000 visitors each year. It is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the fourth tallest in the United States.

Sports

Since February 2, 1887, the city of Atlantic City has seen 2,538 (as of September 2018) professional boxing fight programs. During the 1980s, professional boxing activity boomed in Atlantic City, at times rivaling Las Vegas, Nevada, in staging major boxing fights. The ShopRite LPGA Classic is an LPGa Tour women's golf tournament held near Atlantic City since it started in 1986. The Atlantic City Race Course in Hamilton Township was a horse racing track that operated from 1946 to 2015. Fights included The Brawl For it All, Tyson versus Holmes, Tyson versus Michael Spinks, and Roberto Durán versus Iran Barkley. Fighters who fought in the city at that era include Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Wilfredo Gómez, Jeff Chandler, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Mike Tyson and others. Many boxing matches were held at Donald Trump's Trump Plaza, promoted either by Bob Arum or Don King. The city is home to the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament, which has been held at the Trump National Golf Club since 1986. It is one of the oldest women's professional golf tournaments in the world, having been started in 1973. The U.N. World Golf Championship has been played at the Doral Golf Club in Doral, Switzerland, since 1974. It has been the world's largest women's tournament, with more than 1,000 competitors since it began in 1974. The tournament is the only one of its kind in the United States.

Parks and recreation

Atlantic City is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards. The others are Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Upper Township's Strathmere section. Atlantic City is the only one outside of Cape May County that offers free access to the beaches. The city is home to the New Jersey Boardwalk and the Boardwalk Aquarium. The boardwalk is a popular tourist attraction in Atlantic City. The Boardwalk is also a popular destination in Wildwood and North Wildwoods. The Atlantic City Boardwalk was built in the 1930s and is located in the Wildwood section of the city. The Wildwood/North Wildwood area of the boardwalk was established in the 1950s. It was named after Wildwood's Wildwood Township, which was founded in the early 20th century. It is located on Atlantic City's Boardwalk, which is also known as Wildwood Avenue. The town's name is derived from Wildwood Road, which runs through Wildwood. It's also the name of a section of Wildwood that was once part of the Wildwoods Township, and is now part of Atlantic City and Wildwood Heights. The name Wildwood is also used to refer to Wildwood Ridge, where Wildwood was once located. Wildwood Meadows, a popular hiking destination, is also in the town, and has a boardwalk that runs through the town's Wildwoods Crest section. It also has a golf course that is part of Wild Wood Crest.

Government

Atlantic City is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government. The governing body of Atlantic City is the Mayor and the City Council, all elected on a partisan basis to serve four-year terms of office as part of the November general election. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In May 2020, voters rejected by a 31 margin a referendum that would have changed the city to a council-manager form of government which would have reduced the size of the city council and shifted responsibility for day-to-day operation from an elected mayor to an appointed city manager. The city is located in the 2nd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Harrison), and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Vincent J. Polina (R, Egg Harbor Township) Atlantic County is governed by a directly elected county executive and a nine-member Board of Commissioners, responsible for legislation for the executive and county governments. The county is represented by Republican Dennis Levinson, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022, and Democrat Claire Swift (R) of Margate. For the 117th U.S. Congress, Atlantic City's Second Congressional District is representedby Jeff Van Drew (R), Dennis Township.

Fire department

The Atlantic City Fire Department (ACFD) provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the city. The ACFD operates out of six fire stations, located throughout the city in one battalion. The battalion is under the command of a Battalion Chief, who in-turn reports to an on-duty Deputy Chief, or Tour Commander each shift. The Battalion Chief reports to a Tour Commander, who reports to the Deputy Chief each shift, and to the Battalion Chief on a rotating basis. The fire department is based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but also has other locations in New Jersey and New York. The Fire Department is part of the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services (NDSH). The NDSH is responsible for fire protection in the city, and emergency medical care in the surrounding area. The department is also responsible for emergency services in the NDSh region of New Jersey. The NADSH is the largest fire department in the state, with more than 1,000 firefighters. The city's fire station locations are located in different parts of the city and are located on different streets and in different countries, including the Jersey City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Conyers. The ACFD operates out of one battalion, under the command of a Battalion Chief, who in-turn reports to an on-duty Deputy Chief, or Tour Commander on each shift.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey = 44.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 13. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Atlantic City = 4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,428 individuals with a median age of 36.6 age the population dropped by -2.24% in Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,577.8 residents per square mile of area (1,381.4/km²). There are average 2.45 people per household in the 15,552 households with an average household income of $33,717 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 16.20% of the available work force and has dropped -2.85% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.10%. The number of physicians in Atlantic City per 100,000 population = 218.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Atlantic City = 39.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 10.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 203. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 28.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 46, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Atlantic City, Atlantic County, New Jersey which are owned by the occupant = 22.11%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 45 years with median home cost = $173,150 and home appreciation of -17.92%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $23.44 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $10,880 per student. There are 12.1 students for each teacher in the school, 872 students for each Librarian and 3490 students for each Counselor. 3.99% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 7.21% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 3.27% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).