There are lots of beach towns in America. He's written a book called 'Boardwalk Of Dreams: Atlantic City And The Fate Of Urban America.' Well, Bryant Simon, welcome to FRESH AIR.
But first, we'll speak with Bryant Simon, a professor of history at Temple University. Later, we'll hear from Amy Rosenberg, a staff writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer based at the Jersey shore.
It was absolutely a fascist dictatorship.ĭAVIES: Today, we look at what's happened to Atlantic City. But the mayor now says the proposal the state came up with amounts to a complete takeover of the city.ĭON GUARDIAN: The final piece of legislation that the state presented to us was far from a partnership. Last month, Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced plans for a city-state partnership to try and rescue the city. But the prosperity left much of the city behind and when other states legalized gambling, Atlantic City's casino revenues crashed and its tax base shriveled. For years, visitors poured in since Atlantic City offered the only legalized casino gambling east of the Mississippi. The once elegant resort town turned to gambling 40 years ago to reverse its economic decline and giant casinos sprouted along its famous Boardwalk. is going broke and facing the prospect of a state takeover. I'm Dave Davies in for Terry Gross who's off this week.
