With the arrival of summer at the South Jersey Shore, so comes another season of fun on the Atlantic City Beaches. If lounging around, people watching, or worshipping the sun doesn’t fit your bill, a handful of Atlantic City’s casinos offer the perfect alternative: beaches plus adult beverages and live music. At night these waterfront watering holes turn into exciting nightclubs and Atlantic City live music venues.
Beach bars in Atlantic City are a hot item, and they were almost legislated out of existence a few years ago by a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) ruling that would have seen all the bars have last call if not for the casinos doing some tweaking. The DEP was alarmed over the bars’ size as related to beach encroachment, which resulted in the casinos adapting to the ruling and in some cases losing their bars. The beach that at one point had seven bars on it now has but three, thanks to the aforementioned DEP ruling and the unfortunate demise of Nikki Beach at Resorts. From what the Mole heard at the time, the Nikki Beach people were supposedly infamous for doing little to no market research before opening. They would negotiate a deal and set up at a location perceived to be a hotspot at the time (Atlantic City definitely qualifies as such) and build their establishment. The market research thing came back to bite Nikki’s fine behind, as they only lasted one season on our sands. There was a rumor floating around for a time after Nikki Beach packed up and left town that Borgata had offered them some kind of relocation deal, but as good as Borgata is in numerous areas, someone forgot to tell the ladies and gentlemen there that they don’t have an attractive parcel of beach to work with, and the name of the potential client was Nikki Beach, and its offering in question was a beach bar. No punch line needed. More Info
And so, back in present times, we move on to covering where sand, surf, booze, and bodies converge: the Atlantic City - South Jersey beach bars. We start at the southern end of our casino strip, at Hilton’s Beach Bar. Hilton’s bar is the only of the three left standing that is built on the Boardwalk side of the sand dunes, meaning that while it’s a very clean and well-run operation, the sea breeze tends not to reach into the bar area, and there’s next to nothing in the way of an ocean view. Having said that, Hilton still gets props because of the cleanliness, the overall operation, and let’s not forget the cigars. Smokers rejoice; the bar is outside. Outside equals no ban. Hilton’s Beach Bar will open daily until Labor Day from 11:30am-10pm, and has both DJ’s and live music. Speaking of DJ’s, ageless wonder Jerry Blavat broadcasts live from 5-7pm on Friday nights. The Hilton Beach Bar is Hot Hot Hot!
Moving north, we come next to the Trump Plaza Beach Bar, at Mississippi and the Boardwalk. The Plaza took advantage of the beach bar craze when it first started back in 2002, and its 15,000 square foot imprint is the largest in town. Open daily at 11:30am in season for those who like their frozen fruity things to arrive with lunch, Plaza’s bar has a full kitchen and several private areas available for rental. You can find everything from karaoke on Thursday nights or maybe even the occasional nuptial. The Trump Plaza’s beach can and does support weddings. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are no slouch here, between a Friday night dance party, Saturday live bands starting at 1pm, and Sunday being Motown Night. Trump Plaza is also your spot if you fancy a drink on the beach after dinner or a show: they close at midnight on weekdays and at 2am on Friday and Saturday. >> Schedule of Events >> Trump Plaza Beach Bar is the Rated "Best Waterfront Bar in Atlantic City" by both visitors and locals alike. More Info
Last but certainly not least at Ohio and the Wooden Way (Boardwalk) is Bally’s Bikini Beach Bar. Among the highlights at the Bally’s Atlantic City offering are those that are true to its name: the bikini-clad servers. That alone should make it worth a stop. DJ’s spin from 4pm to close on weekdays, and live music on the weekends. It offers a full menu plus a cut-down version of the menu from the famed Pickles deli, along with eight beachfront cabanas. Bally's Bikini Beach Bar Hotline = 609-340-2909. Get updated special event information, weather report and more.
Finally, regarding beach cabanas: a bunch of people wonder how those cabanas get booked and how far in advance you have to reserve. Here’s a tip: the cabanas are easy as sin to get weekdays, meaning Monday thru Thursday. Just pay the fee. The only weekdays that those cabanas will be hard to get is the 4th of July and the two airshow days. Otherwise, you should be OK in reserving the day of or day before. On the weekends, as with anything else in our town, the game changes completely. Those cabanas, no matter what property they belong to, are usually occupied by the wives and kids of that property’s massive gamblers. Cabanas on the beach are almost nothing more than an extension of the hotel’s suite-upgrade policy: fine for all during the week, restrictive as sin come Friday and Saturday.
Written by Mike Holovacs, the AC Mole, a concierge at one of the larger casino hotels in Atlantic City. Feel free to leave comments or questions.
As a side note, we feel it's necessary to include the Deck at the Trump Marina a outdoor bar, nightclub and restaurant. You'll experience one of Atlantic City's best outdoor bar / live music venue. Have Fun and Enjoy your next trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey. More Info
Atlantic City Beaches
Atlantic City Casinos Summer Rates are available online now. Hotel Rooms Are Still Available For All Weekends now through September 4th, 2007.
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