Visitors Can Step into Atlantic City History While on the Boardwalk
By Harriet Diamond
The Boardwalk Empire Stores is a Façade, 108’ by 14’, in front of Boardwalk Hall’s West hall. Featuring photos from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire series, the Façade offers boardwalk strollers a chance to step into the 1920’s for a photograph in front of these historical storefronts, including mainstays such as the Ritz Carlton, now a condominium; the Steel Pier, an ongoing Atlantic City attraction; and Fralinger’s Candy, still serving delights to visitors and locals. Among those no longer on the scene is a store that displayed premature infants, as nurses cared for them.
- Rita Connizzo, of LittleFalls, NJ, does a handstand in front of the 1920′s Ritz Facade on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
Pinky Kravitz, radio show host, columnist, and Atlantic City advocate extraordinaire, conceived the Façade idea and secured the photos and funding to bring it to fruition. He envisioned tourists posing for photos that took them back in time. Since the Façade was erected earlier this month, I haven’t passed by without seeing visitors posing in front of it.
Some of them graciously gave me permission to share their photos with this blog. Pictured are the Arenas family, visiting from Peru, and Rita Connizzo, a physiologist from Little Falls, NJ. A former gymnast, Rita, who placed in the national finals four times, took a moment to pose and demonstrate her skill during her visit to celebrate her 25th birthday.
- The Arenas family, visiting from Peru, does the plank in front the Knit Shop Facade on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
This is the perfect season to walk from one favorite casino/hotel to another. Whether you are going from the southern end of the boardwalk’s ACH (beach bar, burger bar, fine dining), or the Tropicana (The Quarter, restaurants for every budget) to the centrally located Trump Plaza (beach bar, restaurants, boardwalk patio), Caesars (beach bar, The Pier Shops, restaurants), Bally’s Wild West (old west façade, restaurants), Bally’s (beach bar, restaurants, and charming Claridge Theatre), to Resorts (new 1920’s themed restaurants and clubs), the Taj Mahal (restaurants for every taste), or Showboat ( party atmosphere and restaurants), or any of the fine entertainment offered by all, stop at the Boardwalk Empire Façade and memorialize your visit.
Leave a Reply