West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey . The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often a matter of dispute.
93-599: The Delaware Valley had been inhabited by the Lenape (or Delaware) Indians prior to European exploration and settlement starting around 1609, undertaken by the Dutch, Swedish and English. The Dutch West India Company had established one or two Delaware River settlements, but by the late 1620s, it had moved most of its inhabitants to the island of Manhattan . This became the center of New Netherland . West Jersey and East Jersey were two sections of New Jersey. The development of
186-593: A conference for organized crime figures from all across America that created a National Crime Syndicate . The men who called this meeting were Masseria family lieutenant Charles "Lucky" Luciano and former Chicago South Side Gang boss Johnny "the Fox" Torrio , with heads of the Bugs and Meyer Mob , Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Siegel , being used as muscle for the meeting. Gangster and businessman Al Capone attended
279-794: A humid subtropical climate ( Cfa according to the Köppen climate classification .) The remainder of the Delaware Valley has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa .) PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University Snow amounts may vary widely year-to-year and normally do vary widely within the Delaware Valley. The region has two ski resorts, Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Longswamp Township, Berks County and Spring Mountain Adventures in central Montgomery County . Using
372-466: A hundred and partitioned it into tenths . West Jersey comprised five of the tenths. But demarcation of the boundaries awaited settlement, the quit-rents the settlers would pay, and the land surveying which the money would purchase. Thus it took years and multiple surveys to settle boundary disputes. Burlington County was formed on May 17, 1694 by combining the first and second tenths. At least three surveys were conducted of West Jersey. Richard Tindall
465-470: A decrease of 959 (−2.4%) from the 40,517 counted in the 2000 census . The city was incorporated on May 1, 1854, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township . It is located on Absecon Island and borders Absecon , Brigantine , Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township, Pleasantville , Ventnor City , and the Atlantic Ocean . Prior to Atlantic City's founding, the region served as
558-428: A few days, rather than weeks. The advent of suburbia also played a significant role. With many families moving to their own private houses, luxuries such as home air conditioning and swimming pools diminished their interest in flocking to the luxury beach resorts during the hot summer. Finally, the rise of relatively cheap jet airline service allowed visitors to travel to year-round resort places such as Miami Beach and
651-627: A gambling resort and vacation destination. Several highrise condominiums were built for use as permanent residences or second homes. By end of the decade, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. On June 27, 2017, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association and heard oral arguments in December 2017. Then, on May 14, 2018,
744-749: A majority of Delaware's land mass and population. Wilmington is the most populous city in Delaware and the fifth-most populous municipality in the Delaware Valley. The lone Maryland county in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area is part of the region known as the Eastern Shore of Maryland . The following municipalities are all within the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and part of
837-533: A new building material invented by Jean-Louis Lambot in 1848, and Joseph Monier received the patent in 1867. The hotel's Spanish and Moorish themes, capped off with its signature dome and chimneys, represented a step forward from other hotels that had a classically designed influence. White named the new hotel the Blenheim and merged the two hotels into the Marlborough-Blenheim. Bally's Atlantic City
930-746: A new supermarket that would be located on an empty parking lot behind the Tanger Outlets and near the Atlantic City Expressway . Groundbreaking for a ShopRite supermarket had taken place in October 2021, after Village Super Market received $ 18.7 million from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to construct the store. The supermarket was expected to be completed by December 2022, although no construction or building had happened on
1023-488: A parcel of land near Ohio Avenue and the boardwalk, where he started construction and built the Queen Anne style Marlborough House. The hotel was a success. In 1905, he chose to expand the hotel and bought another parcel of land adjacent to his Marlborough House. In an effort to make his new hotel a source of conversation, White hired the architectural firm of Price and McLanahan. The firm made use of reinforced concrete ,
SECTION 10
#17327723182071116-563: A public referendum, during the general election, at which time residents approved the construction of a Convention Center. The city passed an ordinance approving a bond issue for $ 1.5 million to be used for the purchase of land for Convention Hall, now known as the Boardwalk Hall , finalized on September 30, 1924. Bader was also a driving force behind the creation of the Miss America competition. In May 1929, Johnson hosted
1209-738: A result, proposals for a supermarket were floated beginning in May 2021, and Atlantic City's City Council gave permission to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to look for a contender to build a supermarket. As of December 2023, there was only one functioning supermarket in Atlantic City, the Save-A-Lot food store located in Renaissance Plaza, an area of the city known for its significant homeless population and drug use. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has proposed
1302-600: A special event service for concerts at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden . Philadelphia's suburbs contain a high concentration of malls, the two largest of which have at least 5,000,000 square feet (460,000 m ) of office space, and at least 600,000 square feet (56,000 m ) of retail. These are the King of Prussia mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which is the largest in the U.S. (leasable sq. feet of retail space), and
1395-524: A summer home for the Lenape , a Native American tribe. While the precise date of European settlement in present-day Atlantic City is not precisely determined, it is commonly thought that it was in 1783, when Jeremiah Leeds built and occupied a year-round home there. In 1850, present-day Atlantic City was developed into a resort town . Three years later, in early 1853, it was named "Atlantic City". Because of its location in South Jersey , which hugs
1488-465: A year were coming to Atlantic City by rail. In Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City , "Atlantic City's Godfather" Nelson Johnson describes the inspiration of Jonathan Pitney (the "Father of Atlantic City" ) to develop Atlantic City as a health resort, his efforts to convince the municipal authorities that a railroad to the beach would be beneficial, his successful alliance with Samuel Richards (entrepreneur and member of
1581-574: Is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey . Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan statistical area , which encompasses those cities and all of Atlantic County for statistical purposes. Both Atlantic City and Hammonton, as well as the surrounding Atlantic County, are culturally tied to Philadelphia and constitute part of
1674-699: Is a formal administrative division. As of the 2020 U.S. census , the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area is the seventh-largest MSA in the nation with 6,245,051 people. The MSA includes: As of 2020, the Philadelphia–Reading–Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA is the nation's ninth-largest combined statistical area with a population of 7,379,700. Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area includes: When metropolitan areas were originally defined in 1950, most of
1767-565: Is a major metropolitan and tri-state region in Northeast United States that centers on Philadelphia , the 6th-most populous city in the United States , and spans part of three states: Southeastern Pennsylvania , Southern New Jersey , and Northern Delaware . With a core of metropolitan statistical area population of 6.288 million residents, while the combined statistical area population of 7.366 million (as of
1860-726: Is one of the top five American venture capital hubs, credited to its proximity to the New York metropolitan area and its financial and tech and biotechnology ecosystems . At least two educational institutions, Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township, New Jersey , and Delaware Valley College in Doylestown Township, Pennsylvania , and a now defunct local newspaper, The Delaware Valley News in Frenchtown, New Jersey , are named for
1953-578: Is sometimes assigned to South Central Pennsylvania . The seven New Jersey counties in the CSA are in South Jersey . Atlantic County, Cape May County, and Cumberland County each form their own respective metropolitan statistical areas. Atlantic City , Cape May County, New Jersey , and the southern Jersey Shore , including Margate City , Ventnor City , the Wildwoods , and Sea Isle City , are major tourist destinations for people from inside and outside of
SECTION 20
#17327723182072046-461: The Atlantic Ocean between marshlands and islands, Atlantic City was viewed by developers as prime real estate and a potential resort town. In 1853, the first commercial hotel, the Belloe House, was built at the intersection of Massachusetts and Atlantic Avenues. The city was incorporated in 1854, the same year train service began on the Camden and Atlantic Railroad . Built on the edge of
2139-505: The Bahamas . The city hosted the 1964 Democratic National Convention which nominated Lyndon Johnson for president and Hubert Humphrey as vice president. The convention and the press coverage it generated, however, cast a harsh light on Atlantic City, which by then was in the midst of a long period of economic decline. Many felt that the friendship between Johnson and Governor of New Jersey Richard J. Hughes led Atlantic City to host
2232-900: The Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey , which was the first enclosed mall on the East Coast. In addition, the Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware, is a popular destination due to its proximity to Interstate 95 and because of the availability of tax-free shopping in Delaware. Malls, office complexes, strip shopping plazas, expressways, and tract housing are common sights, and more and more continue to replace rolling countryside, farms, woods, and wetlands. However, due to strong opposition by residents and political officials, many acres of land have been preserved throughout
2325-548: The Paradise Club , Grace's Little Belmont , and Wonder Gardens , drew both black and white patrons. During the summer tourist season, jazz and R&B music could be heard into the wee hours of the morning. Soul food restaurants and ribs joints also lined Kentucky Avenue, including Wash's Restaurant , Jerry's and Sap's. Like many older East Coast cities after World War II , Atlantic City became plagued with poverty, crime, corruption, and general economic decline in
2418-579: The Schuylkill River , Lehigh River , and Brandywine Creek . U.S. government agencies have reached various definitions of the Delaware Valley and metropolitan Philadelphia. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan statistical area (MSAs), which are regions with relatively high population densities at their cores and close economic ties throughout their respective areas. MSAs are further combined into combined statistical areas (CSAs), reflecting commuting patterns. Neither
2511-661: The Showboat Atlantic City for a new $ 2-billion-plus casino resort. Revel Entertainment Group was named as the project's developer for the Revel Casino . Revel was hindered with many problems, the biggest setback occurring in April 2010 when Morgan Stanley, the owner of 90% of Revel Entertainment Group, decided to discontinue funding for continued construction and put its stake in Revel up for sale. Early in 2010,
2604-542: The Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City , only reusing the steelwork of the original building. Smaller hotels off the boardwalk, such as the Madison also survived. In an effort at revitalizing the city, New Jersey voters in 1976 passed a referendum, approving casino gambling for Atlantic City; this came after a 1974 referendum on legalized gambling failed to pass. Immediately after the legislation passed,
2697-729: The United States House of Representatives are located partly or entirely in the Delaware Valley CSA. Italicized counties are not part of the CSA. Additionally, the Delaware Valley is represented in the United States Senate by the eight Senators from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. 39°52′37″N 75°19′23″W / 39.877°N 75.323°W / 39.877; -75.323 Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City , sometimes referred to by its initials A.C. ,
2790-489: The University of Pennsylvania , one of the nation's eight Ivy League universities. Other major universities and colleges in the region include Drexel University , Thomas Jefferson University , Rowan University , Villanova University , Saint Joseph's University , Temple University , Rutgers University–Camden , La Salle University , the University of Delaware , Stockton University , and others. Philadelphia and
2883-740: The revolutionary capital during the colonial era in which the Second Continental Congress gathered at Independence Hall and unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence , authorized the formation of the Continental Army , and appointed George Washington its commander to resist the British . After the Continental Army's victory, Philadelphia served as the nation's first capital for most of
West Jersey - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-457: The -3 °C January isotherm as a boundary, all of the Delaware Valley is humid subtropical. The hardiness zone in the region ranges from 6b in higher areas of Berks and northern Bucks Counties to 8a in Atlantic City and Cape May. [1] Using the Trewartha climate classification system, which requires eight months to average at least 50 °F for the climate to be considered subtropical,
3069-461: The 18th century until 1800, when construction of Washington, D.C. was completed. The U.S. Constitution , the world's longest-standing body of federal law, was ratified at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1789. The Delaware Valley is one of the nation's leading regions for academia and academic research with a considerable number of globally-known and highly ranked universities, including
3162-564: The 2020 census), Delaware Valley is the eighth-largest metropolitan region in the United States and the 68th-largest metropolitan region in the world. In addition to Philadelphia, other major population centers in the Delaware Valley include Reading , Upper Darby Township , and Chester in Pennsylvania; Atlantic City , Camden , Vineland , and Cherry Hill in South Jersey; and Wilmington and Dover in Delaware. As of 2022,
3255-572: The Atlantic City Redevelopment Authority partnered with Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn to develop a new roadway to a barren section of the city near the Marina. Nicknamed "The Tunnel Project", Steve Wynn planned the proposed 'Mirage Atlantic City' around the idea that he would connect the $ 330 million tunnel stretching 2.5 mi (4.0 km) from the Atlantic City Expressway to his new resort. The roadway
3348-512: The Claridge, the city's last large hotel before the casinos, opened its doors. The 400-room Claridge was built by a partnership that included renowned Philadelphia contractor John McShain . At 24 stories, it would become known as the "Skyscraper by the Sea". With tourism peaking in the 1920s, the period is often considered by historians to be Atlantic City's golden age. During Prohibition , which
3441-926: The Delaware Valley The Delaware Valley and several areas bordering it, including the Lehigh Valley , are part of the Philadelphia media market, the fourth-largest media market in the nation as of 2023. The two main newspapers are The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News , owned by the Philadelphia Media Network . Local television channels include KYW-TV 3 (CBS), WPVI 6 (ABC), WCAU 10 (NBC), WHYY-TV 12 (PBS), WPHL-TV 17 (MyNetworkTV), WTXF 29 (FOX), WPSG 57 (CW), and WPPX 61 ( Ion ). Radio stations serving
3534-506: The Delaware Valley are a biotechnology hub. As of 2024, metropolitan Philadelphia ranks as one of the Big Five U.S. venture capital hubs, facilitated by its proximity to both New York City's entrepreneurial and financial ecosystems and to the federal regulatory environment of Washington, D.C. Elsewhere in the Delaware Valley, South Jersey has emerged as an East Coast epicenter for logistics and major warehouses. Culturally ,
3627-411: The Delaware Valley. Older townships and large boroughs, such as Cheltenham , Norristown , Jenkintown , Upper Darby , and West Chester retain distinct community identities while engulfed in suburbia. Mid-Atlantic American English and its subset, Philadelphia English , are two common dialects of American English in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. Listing of the professional sports teams in
3720-609: The Delaware Valley. Other major municipalities in South Jersey include Cherry Hill and Camden , which is across the Delaware River , east of Philadelphia. Burlington , Camden , Gloucester , and Salem Counties comprise the Delware River Region, one of seven officially recognized tourism regions by the New Jersey Department of Tourism. The two counties of Delaware in the CSA constitute
3813-556: The Delaware Valley: The Delaware Valley has four distinct seasons with ample precipitation and is divided by the 0 °C (32 °F) January isotherm . Philadelphia and the New Jersey portion of the area, almost all of the Delaware and Maryland portions, most of Delaware County and lower Bucks County, lowland southern Chester County, and some southern and lowland areas of Montgomery County have
West Jersey - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-596: The Democratic Convention. By the late 1960s, many of the resort's once great hotels were suffering from high vacancy rates. Most of them were either shut down, converted to cheap apartments, or converted to nursing home facilities by the end of the decade. Prior to and during the advent of legalized gambling, many of these hotels were demolished. The Breakers, The Chelsea , the Brighton, the Shelburne,
3999-772: The Mayflower, the Traymore and the Marlborough-Blenheim were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s. Of the many pre-casino resorts that bordered the boardwalk, only the Claridge, the Dennis, the Ritz-Carlton , and the Haddon Hall survive to this day as parts of Bally's Atlantic City , a condo complex, and Resorts Atlantic City . The old Ambassador Hotel was purchased by Ramada in 1978 and was gutted to become
4092-605: The Monopoly game board. After several casino closures and the COVID-19 pandemic , strikes and pickets were being threatened in June 2022 by casino employees which were short-staffed and wanted pay raises. Atlantic City is widely known as a food desert , with the nearest fully-functioning supermarket being located in neighboring Ventnor City , which is 3 miles (4.8 km) away from the majority of Atlantic City's population. As
4185-420: The New Jersey state legislature passed a bill offering tax incentives to attract new investors and complete the job, but a poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University 's PublicMind released in March 2010 showed that 60% of voters opposed the legislation, and two of three of those who opposed it "strongly" opposed it. Ultimately, Governor Chris Christie offered Revel $ 261 million in state tax credits to assist
4278-425: The Philadelphia metropolitan area's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeds US$ 518 billion, making it the tenth-largest metropolitan economy in the nation. The Delaware Valley has been influential in the nation's history and economy and home to many people and sites significant to American culture , history , and politics. Philadelphia is sometimes known as "The Birthplace of America" in reference to its role as
4371-433: The Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional. The act was overturned, allowing New Jersey to move ahead with plans to implement legalized sports betting. Despite being the state to initiate the landmark ruling, New Jersey was actually the third state to legalize sports betting after Nevada and Delaware . In June 2018, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy signed
4464-431: The Trenton SMSA to form the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the same time, Cape May County, New Jersey was added to the Atlantic City SMSA. The "Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton" became obsolete one census later when Trenton, New Jersey was moved to the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA. The Philadelphia-Wilmington-Vineland CSA included the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden MSA and
4557-575: The Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton MSA. In 2000, Kent County, Delaware was designated the Dover MSA, and Kent County and Atlantic City were added to the Philadelphia CSA in 2010. As a result of new 2010 definitions, based on a threshold of 15% labor interchange between MSAs, two additional MSAs were added, Ocean City, New Jersey and Reading, Pennsylvania . The CSA to which they belong is known as Philadelphia-Reading-Camden. The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area includes sixteen counties in four states. The five Pennsylvania counties in
4650-402: The aging city. Owing to economic conditions and the late 2000s recession , many of the proposed mega casinos never advanced further than the initial planning stage. One of these developers was Pinnacle Entertainment , which purchased the Sands Atlantic City for $ 250–$ 270 million and closed it on November 11, 2006 with plans to replace it with a larger casino. The following year, the resort
4743-426: The area include: WRTI , WIOQ , WDAS (AM) , and WTEL . Philadelphia is heavily Democratic , having voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1936 . The surrounding suburban counties are key political areas in Pennsylvania, which itself is an important swing state in federal politics. South Jersey has consistently voted Democratic at the presidential level in recent years, although
SECTION 50
#17327723182074836-444: The area now in the Delaware Valley was split between four metropolitan areas, or standard metropolitan areas, as they were then called. The Philadelphia SMA included Philadelphia , Bucks , Chester , Delaware , and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania , and Burlington , Camden , and Gloucester counties in South Jersey . The Wilmington SMA included New Castle County in Delaware and Salem County in South Jersey. Berks County
4929-407: The bay, this served as the direct link of this remote parcel of land with Philadelphia , the second-most populous city in the United States at the time and the largest city in Pennsylvania . The same year, construction of the Absecon Lighthouse , designed by George Meade of the Corps of Topographical Engineers , was approved, with work initiated the next year. By 1874, almost 500,000 passengers
5022-443: The beach end. Over the years, their original wood-frame structures would be enlarged, and even moved closer to the beach. The modern Chalfonte Hotel, eight stories tall, opened in 1904. The modern Haddon Hall was built in stages and was completed in 1929, at eleven stories. By this time, they were under the same ownership and merged into the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel , becoming the city's largest hotel with nearly 1,000 rooms. By 1930,
5115-447: The casino once it opened. Revel completed all of the exterior work and had continued work on the interior after finally receiving the funding necessary to complete construction, and had a soft opening in April 2012 before being fully open the next month. Ten months later, in February 2013, after serious losses and a write-down in the value of the resort from $ 2.4 billion to $ 450 million, Revel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It
5208-483: The city, one railroad line could no longer keep up with demand. Soon, the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway was also constructed to transport tourists to Atlantic City. At this point massive hotels like the United States Hotel and Surf House, as well as smaller rooming houses, had sprung up all over town. The United States Hotel took up a full city block between Atlantic, Pacific, Delaware, and Maryland Avenues. These hotels were not only impressive in size, but featured
5301-560: The colony of New Sweden in the lower Delaware Valley began in 1638. Most of the Swedish population was on the west side of the Delaware. After the English re-established New Netherland's Fort Nassau to challenge the Swedes, the latter constructed Fort Nya Elfsborg in present-day Salem County . Fort Nya Elfsborg was located between present day Salem and Alloway Creek . The New Sweden colony established two primary settlements in New Jersey: Sveaborg, now Swedesboro , and Nya Stockholm, now Bridgeport . Trinity Church , located in Swedesboro,
5394-420: The colony of New Sweden , though this was not officially recognized by the Dutch Empire which re-asserted control in 1655. The area was taken by the English in 1664. The name Delaware comes from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr , who had arrived at Jamestown, Virginia in 1610, just as original settlers were about to abandon it, and thus maintaining the English foothold on the North American continent. In
5487-474: The conference and was photographed walking along the Atlantic City boardwalk with Johnson. The 1930s through the 1960s were a heyday for nightclub entertainment. Popular venues on the white-populated south side included the 500 Club , the Clicquot Club , and the Jockey Club . In the Northside neighborhood , home to African Americans in the racially segregated city, a black entertainment district reigned on Kentucky Avenue. Four major nightclubs, Club Harlem ,
5580-463: The early 1700s, Huguenot refugees from France by way of Germany and then England began settling in the Delaware River Valley. Specifically, they left their mark in Hunterdon County, New Jersey ( Frenchtown ) and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania . Many residents commute to jobs and travel in Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington, and the surrounding suburbs with the help of expressways , trains , and buses . There are currently no transit connections to Reading,
5673-404: The game. New Jersey voters legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City in 1976, and the first casino opened two years later. From 1921 to 2004, Atlantic City hosted the Miss America pageant, which later returned to the city from 2013 to 2018. As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 38,497, a decline of 1,061 (−2.7%) from the 2010 census count of 39,558, which in turn reflected
SECTION 60
#17327723182075766-399: The historic length of the boardwalk was about 7 mi (11 km) and it extended from Atlantic City to Longport , through Ventnor and Margate . The first road connecting the city to the mainland at Pleasantville was completed in 1870 and charged a 30-cent toll. Albany Avenue was the first road to the mainland available without a toll. By 1878, because of the growing popularity of
5859-481: The larger Philadelphia metropolitan area or Delaware Valley , the nation's seventh-largest metropolitan area as of 2020. Located in South Jersey on Absecon Island and known for its taxis , casinos , nightlife , boardwalk , and Atlantic Ocean beaches and coastline , the city is prominently known as the "Las Vegas of the East Coast" and inspired the U.S. version of the board game Monopoly , which uses various Atlantic City street names and destinations in
5952-467: The legislation into law, and several New Jersey–based casino brands subsequently opened sportsbooks , especially in Atlantic City. With the redevelopment of the Las Vegas Strip and the opening of Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in the early 1990s, along with newly built casinos in the nearby Philadelphia metro area in the 2000s, Atlantic City's tourism began to decline due to its failure to diversify away from gambling. In 1999
6045-413: The metropolitan statistical area are collectively known as Southeastern Pennsylvania. In addition to Philadelphia, major municipalities in Southeastern Pennsylvania include the inner suburbs of Upper Darby Township and Bensalem Township . Berks County , which forms its own MSA and contains the CSA's second largest city, Reading , is occasionally not considered to be part of Southeastern Pennsylvania and
6138-429: The mid-to-late 20th century. The neighborhood known as the "Inlet" became particularly impoverished. The reasons for the resort's decline were multi-layered. First, the automobile became more readily available to many Americans after the war. Atlantic City had initially relied upon visitors coming by train and staying for a couple of weeks. The car allowed them to come and go as they pleased, and many people would spend only
6231-404: The most influential family in southern New Jersey at the time) to achieve that goal, the actual building of the railroad, and the experience of the first 600 riders, who "were chosen carefully by Samuel Richards and Jonathan Pitney": After arriving in Atlantic City, a second train brought the visitors to the door of the resort's first public lodging, the United States Hotel. The hotel was owned by
6324-408: The most up-to-date amenities, and were considered quite luxurious for their time. In 1883, salt water taffy was conceived in Atlantic City by David Bradley. The traditional story is that Bradley's shop was flooded after a major storm, soaking his taffy with salty Atlantic Ocean water. He sold some "salt water taffy" to a girl, who proudly walked down to the beach to show her friends. Bradley's mother
6417-527: The owners of the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel began converting it into the Resorts International. It was the first legal casino in the eastern United States when it opened on May 26, 1978. Other casinos were soon constructed along the Boardwalk and, later, in the marina district for a total of nine today. The introduction of gambling did not, however, quickly eliminate many of the urban problems that plagued Atlantic City. Many people have suggested that it only served to exacerbate those problems, as attested to by
6510-439: The railroad. It was a sprawling, four-story structure built to house 2,000 guests. It opened while it was still under construction, with only one wing standing, and even that wasn't completed. By year's end, when it was fully constructed, the United States Hotel was not only the first hotel in Atlantic City but also the largest in the nation. Its rooms totaled more than 600, and its grounds covered some 14 acres. The first boardwalk
6603-448: The region is home to the dialect or accent known as Philadelphia English , shares a unique cuisine known as Philadelphia cuisine , has played a formidable role in popular music, and is known for having one of the nation's most passionate and devoted sports cultures centered around its five professional sports teams . The Delaware Valley is geographically associated and proximate to the Delaware River and its three primary tributaries,
6696-639: The region is slightly more Republican-leaning than North Jersey and has voted for Republicans at the state and local level. New Castle County's Democratic lean and large share of Delaware's population has tended to make Delaware as a whole vote for Democrats, while the less populous Kent County is more competitive. Recent well-known political figures from the Greater Philadelphia area include current U.S. President Joe Biden , former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and late former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter . The following congressional districts of
6789-511: The region only has seven such months, so the area considered Cfa by Köppen is oceanic ( Do ) in the Trewartha system. As of 2021, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area has a gross domestic product of $ 477.58 billion, the tenth-largest among the nation's MSAs. The MSA's nominal gross domestic product of $ 431 billion is comparable to countries , such as Belgium , Iran , and Thailand . Metropolitan Philadelphia
6882-615: The region. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) serves all of the counties of the Delaware Valley MSA except for the counties in the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division. However, in addition to the Delaware Valley, DVRPC's jurisdiction includes Mercer County, New Jersey , which OMB classifies as the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and part of the larger New York-Newark CSA . The valley
6975-540: The second largest municipality in the region. Major: Secondary: The Cape May–Lewes Ferry crosses the mouth of the Delaware Bay between Cape May County, New Jersey and Sussex County, Delaware ; U.S. Route 9 uses this ferry. The Riverlink Ferry operates hourly ferry service over the Delaware River between the Camden Waterfront and Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia . They also operate
7068-461: The site, which drew attention from residents. After the time for the contract expired, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) announced that the deal with Village Super Market (VSM) was dead and that they were looking for new contenders. VSM created a new plan for CRDA and the city's Council to review and by July 2023, it and a Chinese conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong emerged as
7161-439: The stark contrast between tourism intensive areas and the adjacent impoverished working-class neighborhoods. While Atlantic City has been less popular than Las Vegas as a gambling city in the United States, Donald Trump helped bring big name boxing bouts to the city to attract customers to his casinos. Mike Tyson fought most of his fights in Atlantic City in the 1980s, which helped Atlantic City achieve national attention as
7254-528: The state would consider a 2015 referendum to end the 40-year-old monopoly that Atlantic City holds on casino gambling and allowing gambling in other municipalities. With casino revenue declining from $ 5.2 billion in 2006 to $ 2.9 billion in 2013, the state saw a drop in money from its 8% tax on those earnings, which is used to fund programs for senior citizens and the disabled. On October 29, 2012, " Superstorm Sandy " struck Atlantic City and caused flooding and power-outages but left minimal damage to any of
7347-586: The tan brick and gold-capped hotel would become one of the city's best-known landmarks. The hotel made use of ocean-facing hotel rooms by jutting its wings farther from the main portion of the hotel along Pacific Avenue. One by one, additional large hotels were constructed along the boardwalk, including the Brighton, Chelsea, Shelburne, Ambassador, Ritz Carlton, Mayflower, Madison House, and the Breakers. The Quaker -owned Chalfonte House, opened in 1868, and Haddon House, opened in 1869, flanked North Carolina Avenue at
7440-408: The tourist areas. The storm produced an all-time record low barometric pressure reading of 943 mb (27.85") for not only Atlantic City, but the state of New Jersey. In 2019, the Atlantic City area had the highest rates of foreclosures in the nation. This has disproportionately affected Black residents in neighborhoods segregated by redlining , a legacy that is mirrored by the values of properties on
7533-412: Was built in 1870 along a portion of the beach in an effort to help hotel owners keep sand out of their lobbies. Businesses were restricted and the boardwalk was removed each year at the end of the peak season. Because of its effectiveness and popularity, the boardwalk was expanded in length and width, and modified several times in subsequent years. Prior to the destructive 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane ,
7626-577: Was demolished in an implosion, the first of its kind in Atlantic City. While Pinnacle Entertainment intended to replace it with a $ 1.5-$ 2-billion casino resort, the company canceled its construction plans and sold the land for $ 29.5 million. MGM Resorts International announced in October 2007 that it would pull out of all development for Atlantic City, effectively ending its plans for the MGM Grand Atlantic City. In 2006, Morgan Stanley purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) directly north of
7719-737: Was designated as the Reading SMA and Atlantic County, New Jersey was the Atlantic City SMA. In 1960, Cecil County, Maryland was added to what was now the Wilmington Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). In 1980, Cumberland County, New Jersey was defined as the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton SMSA. In 1990, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton SMSAs were merged with
7812-419: Was easily obtained at restaurants and other establishments, and the resort's popularity grew further. The city then dubbed itself as "The World's Playground". Nucky Johnson's income, which reached as much as $ 500,000 annually, came from the kickbacks he took on illegal liquor, gambling and prostitution operating in the city, as well as from kickbacks on construction projects. During this time, Atlantic City
7905-410: Was enacted nationally in 1919 and lasted until 1933, much liquor was consumed and gambling regularly took place in the back rooms of nightclubs and restaurants. During Prohibition, racketeer and political boss Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson rose to power. Prohibition was largely unenforced in Atlantic City. Because alcohol that had been smuggled into the city with the implicit approval of local officials, it
7998-567: Was in the back of the store when the sale was made, and loved the name, and so salt water taffy was born. In the early 20th century, Atlantic City experienced a radical building boom. Many of the modest boarding houses that dotted the boardwalk were replaced with large hotels. Two of the city's most distinctive hotels were the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel and the Traymore Hotel . In 1902, Josiah White III bought
8091-445: Was later constructed at this location. The Traymore Hotel was located at the corner of Illinois Avenue and the boardwalk. Constructed in 1879 as a small boarding house, the hotel grew through a series of uncoordinated expansions. By 1914, the hotel's owner, Daniel White, Josiah White's half-brother, taking a hint from the Marlborough-Blenheim, commissioned the firm of Price and McLanahan to build an even bigger hotel. Rising 16 stories,
8184-703: Was later officially named the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector , and funnels incoming traffic off of the expressway into the city's marina district and the city of Brigantine . Although Wynn's plans for development in the city were scrapped in 2002, the tunnel opened in 2001. The new roadway prompted Boyd Gaming in partnership with MGM/Mirage to build Atlantic City's newest casino. Borgata opened in July 2003, and its success brought an influx of developers to Atlantic City with plans for building grand, Las Vegas-style mega casinos to revitalize
8277-599: Was led by mayor Edward L. Bader , known for his contributions to the construction, athletics and aviation of Atlantic City. Despite opposition, he had Atlantic City purchase the land that became the city's municipal airport and high school football stadium, both of which were later named Bader Field in his honor. He led the initiative, in 1923, to construct the Atlantic City High School at Albany and Atlantic Avenues. Bader, in November 1923, initiated
8370-495: Was restructured but still could not carry on and re-entered bankruptcy on June 19, 2014. It was put up for sale, however as no suitable bids were received the resort closed its doors in September 2014. The property was bought by AC Ocean Walk, LLC for $ 200 million in 2017, and reopened in 2018 as Ocean Casino Resort. In the wake of the closures and declining revenue from casinos, Governor Christie said in September 2014 that
8463-508: Was surveyor-general of Fenwick's Colony , the fifth tenth. 40°09′58″N 74°14′02″W / 40.166°N 74.234°W / 40.166; -74.234 Delaware Valley Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD Other Statistical Areas in the Philadelphia CSA The Delaware Valley , sometimes referred to as Greater Philadelphia , Philadelphia metropolitan area , or Philadelphia tri-state area ,
8556-659: Was the site of the Church of Sweden for the area. The Dutch defeated New Sweden in 1655. Settlement of the West Jersey area by Europeans was thin until the English conquest in 1664. Beginning in the late 1670s, Quakers settled in great numbers in this area, first in present-day Salem County and then in Burlington . The latter became the capital of West Jersey. Before 1674, land surveyors for New Jersey considered it as
8649-630: Was the territory of the Susquehannock and Lenape , who are recalled in place names throughout the region. The region became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland after the exploration of Delaware Bay in 1609. The Dutch called the Delaware River the Zuyd Rivier , or South River, and considered the lands along it banks and those of its bay to be the southern flank of its province of New Netherland . In 1638, it began to be settled by Swedes, Forest Finns, Dutch, and Walloons and became
#206793