Downtown Atlantic City was once a place of luxury and the center of commerce for Atlantic City & the 'heart of Atlantic City'. Atlantic Avenue was lined with department stores, specialty shops, and nice restaurants. Buildings stood three, five, and seven stories tall and were made of brick, stone, and terra cotta. At street level, these buildings showcased large glass display windows that extended along entire blocks. Tall, gleaming signs rose high, beautiful awnings shaded the sidewalks, and seasonally-themed window displays lined the streets. The sidewalks bustled with activity as people went downtown to shop, to dine, to work, to play. Vibrant Italian, Irish, Jewish, Puerto Rican, Caucasian and African-American communities each brought its own unique flavor to Downtown. As you strolled along 'The Avenue', the City felt alive - merchants were busily sweeping their sidewalks, delightful windows displays beckoned you inside the stores, and people crowded the streets in their Sunday's finest. In short, Atlantic Avenue was the place to be and be seen. In the 1940s, Downtown Atlantic City began a long period of decline due to the change in American demographics, competition of newer resort areas, trends in airline and automobile travel, urban decay and the fragile pre-casino seasonal tourist economy. Centers of commerce were now moving to the suburbs, rather than big cities. Atlantic City did not adapt well to all of these changes and the downtown experienced a steady decline until the advent of casino gaming in 1976. However, even with the influx of a new year-round tourist economy, the Downtown District only benefited minimally, as most of the activity remained within the walls of the gaming houses. Nonetheless, Atlantic Avenue survived as an important commercial district serving the needs of much of Atlantic City's residential population.
Today, Downtown Atlantic City is home to over 150 businesses that reflect the area's continued cultural diversity. It continues to function as an important commercial district for local residents and workers. However, years of neglect and poor decisions have harmed the character of the street and resulted in a Downtown District that has not reached its full potential as attractive place for people to live, work, shop and invest.
Fortunately, in recent years downtown areas around the world have been witnessing a rebirth as people long to reconnect with their communities and businesses recognize the value of a centrally-located, pedestrian-friendly commercial district. The National Main Street Center has assisted communities for over 25 years in rejuvenating their downtowns. The lessons learned across the country are being applied to downtown Atlantic City through the leadership of Main Street Atlantic City. Through perseverance, cooperation and optimism, we can achieve a shared vision of a welcoming, vibrant and diverse downtown core that provides a range of commercial, residential, social and cultural options to the local community and that offers an attractive destination for shopping, dining and entertainment for residents, workers and visitors of Atlantic City. Downtown will once again be the heart of Atlantic Citythe place to be and be seen.
