by Tughluk A. Osman


Situated on a vast stretch of white, sandy beaches, Atlantic City has been a tourist destination since the mid-19th century, when it became a favorite of Philadelphia residents seeking a summer refuge. As beach resorts go, Atlantic City boasts an impressive list of firsts: the world's first boardwalk, first color postcards, first saltwater taffy, and the first Miss American pageant, which continues to be held here every October.

	With nearly 37 million visitors each year, it's easy to see why the Greater Atlantic City Region is called "America's Favorite Playground." Even before the first casino opened more than 20 years ago, Atlantic City's famous boardwalk, white sand beaches, and seaside attractions drew summer visitors from all over the world. ******* Atlantik Xeherini yilda 37 milyongha yekhin kixiler ziyaret khilidu. Xu seveptin, bu rayonning 'Amerkining eng esil oyun meydani' dep dep atilidu. Atlantik Xehirining danglikh dengizbuyi, akh-khumlukh plaji ve dengiz buyidiki korunuxler hetta 20 yil ilgiri tunji Casino khuruluxtin burunmu yazlikh sayahetqilerni jelip khilghan idi.
The "main street" of Atlantic City is the world's first boardwalk. It was built in 1870 to keep people from tracking sand from the beach into seaside hotel lobbies and railroad parlor cars. You can explore the six-mile boardwalk by foot or bicycle-or travel in style in a rolling chair. No boardwalk trip is complete without some saltwater taffy or fresh-roasted peanuts. ********* Atlantik Xehiridiki 'Asasi Kuqa' (main street) dunya boyqe tunji bolup yasalghan 'boardwalk' dep hisaplinidu. Bu kuqini 1870 -yili sayahetqilarning dengiz buyidiki khumlarni hotellerning yatakhlirigha yaki tomur yolning zallirigha ekirketixining aldini elix uqun yasalghan. Bu 6 mil uzunlukhtiki kuqini piyade, velisput yaki adem ittirip mangghuzidighan harovlar bilen sayahet khilsingiz bolidu.
	A statue of Vietnam war veteran. ************** Vietnam uruxida vapat bolghan eskerlerning heykili.
The newly built Atlantic City Convention Center is big news. With 500,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 45 meeting rooms, it's bigger than any convention center from Atlanta to Boston. ************** Yengidin selinghan Atlantik Xeherlik Yighin Merkizi jemi 500,000 kuadirat fitlikh orunni igellep jemi 45 yighin meydanini oz iqige alghan. Bu Atlantadi Bostonghiqe bolghan arlikhtiki eng qong yighin merkizi bolup hisaplinidu.
	You may walk into the Rain Forest Cafe of Trump Plaza to enjoy a good meal while sitting in a man-made natural rain forest like enviornment. ************** Dengiz boyidin Trump Plazaning iqidiki 'Yamghurlukh Orman' ristirantigha. mengip kirip sunni halda tebietke ohxitip salghan muhit iqide yemeklerdin hozurlinisiz.
Beach side restaurant. A cold drink under the hot sun on Atlantic City beach is totally a different kind of enjoyment. ************** Dengiz boyidin ristirant. Kunning issighida Atlantik xehirining dengiz boyida muzdek soghukh iqimliktin birerni iqsingiz baxkhiqe bolidu jumung.
	Statues within the Caesar's Casino. When you enter the buiding, you may think you are in the Rome of Italy. ************** Keyser Casinosining iqidiki heykeller. Siz bu bina kirip khalghanda huddi Italiyening Rome xehirige berip khalghandek bolup khalisiz.
The statue of J.F. Kennedy - The 35th president of the United States of America. ************** J.F. Kennedy yeni Amerka Khoxma Xitatlirining 35- presidentining heykili.
	The statue of David at the entrance of Caesar's Casino. ************** Keyser Casinosining kirix ixigi aldidiki Davudning heykili
Atlantic City's sand beaches. ************** Atlantik xehirining khumlukh plaji.
	Every year since 1921, a new Miss America has been crowned in Atlantic City. Millions of Americans watch the Miss America Pageant on TV, now held in the landmark Atlantic City Boardwalk Convention Hall. ************** Atlantik xehiride 1921-yildin bu yilgha kheder her yili 'Miss America' guzeller musabikhi otkuzulup kelmekte. Milyonlighan Amerkilikhlar TV ikranida 'Miss Amerca' musabikhini koridu.

A Brief History of Atlantic City

Long before Atlantic City was founded, the island where it would be developed, thick with woods and lined with dunes, was the summer home of the Lenni Lenape Indians, an Algonquian-speaking people. These original summer residents named the island Absegami, meaning "little water", a term for the bay denoting that the opposite shore was in sight. Over time the name was transformed into the present-day Absecon Island. Early colonial settlers in South Jersey largely ignored the island because it could only be reached by boat. While the exact date of the first permanent settlement has never been determined, it is generally agreed that Jeremiah Leeds was the first to build and occupy a year-round residence on the island by 1800.

By 1850, the potential attraction of the island's cool breezes and beaches was recognized and the idea for developing a resort was first promoted by Dr. Jonathan Pitney, a local physician. With transportation the key to development, Dr. Pitney joined with a group of businessmen to secure a railroad charter in 1852. Two years later, construction of the Camden-Atlantic rail line was completed at a cost of a little over $1.2 million. A civil engineer from Philadelphia, Richard Osbourne, designed the city layout and proposed the name Atlantic City.

In March of 1854, the city was incorporated and eighteen voters elected the first mayor. On July 1, 1854, the first public train left Camden for Atlantic City, arriving two and a half hours later, an arrival that signaled the opening chapter in the resort's rich and colorful history.

Atlantic City's proximity to major population centers, coupled with convenient, inexpensive train access, allowed thousands to flee the hot cities and enjoy summer pleasures at the cool seashore. The city grew rapidly and offered lodging, dining, entertainment and amusements for all ages, tastes and incomes. Attractions like the Boardwalk, amusement piers, floor shows and beauty pageants drew throngs of visitors, including many famous figures over the years.

From the 1880s to 1940s, Atlantic City was a major vacation resort. In the 1920s it was considered the premier tryout town for theatrical productions headed for Broadway and beyond. Beginning in the 1930s and over the next three decades, Kentucky Avenue was renown for its nightlife, with Club Harlem and other venues attracting the best talent and biggest stars from the world of jazz. During World War II, the city offered much more than entertainment distractions, serving as a training site for military recruits and a recovery and rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers.

In the 1950s, as air travel to vacation spots in Florida and the Caribbean became more widely available, Atlantic City's popularity as a resort destination began to decline. By the 1960s, the city was beset with the economic and social problems common to many urban centers at the time. With the health of its economy entirely dependent on tourists who were now shunning the decaying resort, the city reached its nadir.

In 1976, the "Atlantic City Gamble" was launched when New Jersey voters approved a referendum legalizing gambling, specifically in Atlantic City but not elsewhere in the state. While there were many critics questioning the wisdom of pursuing legalized gambling as a tool of urban development, many others were convinced casinos would provide the resources needed to rebuild the city and its tourist trade. When the first casino, Resorts International, opened here in 1978, no one could predict the rapid growth of the gaming industry in Atlantic City or the tremendous impact it would have on the city, the region and the state. By 1988, a dozen casinos were open and the number of annual visitors had grown from 700,000 in 1978, to over 33 million. By the year 2000, the city's tax base had skyrocketed from $316 million in 1976 to over $6.7 billion. The positive impact on Atlantic City residents can be seen in revitalized neighborhoods, new housing projects and public service facilities and economic, social and cultural programs.

A long anticipated second wave of development is now underway. The first new casino to be built here since 1990, The Borgata, will open in 2003. The prospect of increased competition in the gaming market as well as the success of the five-year-old Atlantic City Convention Center have been catalysts for the development of new projects. Several casinos have embarked on major expansions of their hotel and retail space and a public-private partnership is building a $60 million retail and entertainment complex, The Walk, in the center of the city. In all, over $1.8 billion in new investments are planned or underway and, for the first time since casinos opened here, most of the new projects are devoted to broadening the appeal of the city beyond gambling. Offering visitors a wide range of attractions is considered the key to a successful future, a formula that surely proved itself in the past when Atlantic City claimed the title "Queen of Resorts".