Wife and I are considering a trip to Atlantic City for a babymoon at the end of June. I've never been. We'd ideally like to be right on the beach, a kitchen would be nice and we don't really care about the casinos. Just looking for somewhere inexpensive to hang out on a beach and relax. A spa would be a nice bonus.
Is this a terrible idea? Flights are only about $100. We could also drive, it's about 5.5 hours which is doable.
Tropicana
Somewhere that is not AC. It really is like Mos Eisley, there has never been a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Even on the Jersey Shore, basically any place will be better than AC unless you like casinos, which you don't.
You're in MA, there are so many better places closer to you. The Cape, the Maine coast, white mountains, Adirondacks, etc, all of which are better than much of the jersey shore, and especially AC.
What's a babymoon?
In reply to Sonic:
Yeah. Given its reputation I'm not super excited about AC, but it was her idea, and she's been before.
The other places you mentioned are nice, but unfortunately pretty expensive this time of year, and a lot of them are pretty "New England Cottage Cozy" (ie dumpy). We also spend a fair amount of time every summer in all the aforementioned locations - we kinda want to get away from family and have some time to chill.
In reply to SVreX:
A lot of people see it as a second honeymoon - a good excuse for an extravagant vacation. For us, it's more like my wife would like to take a relaxing vacation that doesn't involve picking up a car, looking at cars, working on cars, or racing cars. Just wants to chill on a beach for a while, before the logistics of such a trip become more complicated. Our first is due in late September.
If you are not interested in the Casinos.. don't go to Atlantic City. Go to Ocean City (America's greatest family resort) which is very clean and mostly crime free. It's 10 miles down the road on the next island down. They also have a great boardwalk and some of the best beaches on the shore. The only drawback.. it's a dry town, you have to get your alcohol off of the island and bring it back.
Further south is Sea Isle City, which is a rougher and more dirty version of Ocean City, then to the truly expensive towns of Avalon and Stone Harbor.
Wildwood's reputation is well known, but worth a day trip.. and all the way at the south end of the state is Cape May.. lovely town, beautiful to walk around, good beaches, great restaurants, and bed and breakfasts galore.. but it is 40 miles south of Atlantic City.. just get on the Garden State Parkway south and when it ends, you are at Cape May
How about Rehoboth Beach? Fly into ACY, an hour south to Cape May, then across the ferry to Lewes.
In reply to cmcgregor:
So, more like a mini-moon, right?
Babymoon kind of sounds like there will be a baby along, and that just doesn't sound like my idea of fun on a honeymoon. Nothing spoils the mood quite like a kid vomiting on the buffet table. 
Can't help you much in AC. The last time I was there was before gambling was legalized. 
If you don't like casinos, Cape Cod is much closer!
SVreX wrote: If you don't like casinos, Cape Cod is much closer!
Also some beautiful places in Maine
Sure, more like a mini-moon. We're looking at Ocean City and Rehoboth now.
Trump Taj Mahal?
Too soon?
^I'm pretty sure he knows about Maine and Cape Cod...
I can't help in AC, but on the other side of the bay is Bethany beach.. The wife (then fiancee) and I had a wonderful long weekend trip there. Clean beaches, very few people and a great B&B.
I'd recommend against flying into AC. The only airline out of there is Spirit, and I refuse to fly Spirit again unless they can get me a flight for $50 or less, round trip.
Seriously, I needed to get back to Chicago from AC by 10AM the next day. My flight from AC was at 4PM. Delayed until 4:30PM. Then cancelled. One flight a day to most cities, including Chicago. My options were to take an Amtrak to DC or a cab/Uber to Philly.
If you do not mind the transfer.. you can fly into Philly and catch the train to 30th street station and then switch from SEPTA to NJTransit and catch the train right to downtown Atlantic City
In reply to mad_machine:
Or fly into Philly and rent a car to take to OC or Rehoboth. Bonus of doing that and going into OC is that you can play rally driver when going through the Pine Barrens
We used to go to Brigantine when I was a kid. It's an island just north of AC, it's been a long time but I heard its like a bedroom community now?
Brigantine is just like a normal shore town. If you are still considering AC, what about the Borgata? Also, I recommend flying into Philly and taking NJ Transit down to AC. It would probably save some headaches.
WonkoTheSane wrote: ^I'm pretty sure he knows about Maine and Cape Cod...
Right.
But he may not know that they are better. 
(I was raised in NJ)
"Circle Liquor" store right before you enter Ocean City!
Spitsix wrote: "Circle Liquor" store right before you enter Ocean City!
Except for the northernmost bridge.. you cannot go over a bridge out of Ocean City (yes, it is an island) without running into a Liquor store. "circle liquor" is just over the 9th street bridge/causeway. "Boulevard Liquor is over the 34th street bridge. and the Douville Inn is just over the Bridge into Strathmere.
Just chiming in with most of the others who live in that area. Spent 42+ years living in the area. If your wife wants to see AC, nothing wrong with that. But make it a day trip. Catch a Spirit airlines flight into AC airport and you can then drive to any number of other Jersey beaches which are tons and tons better than AC. Ocean City is close by, so that would be my first suggestion. You can then make the 20 minute or less hop over to AC to check it out for an afternoon.
AC has changed dramatically over the past several decades. When I was a kid, we used to go all the time and walk the boardwalk. I still think the area right where the casinos are is safe enough for a day trip to the beach, and that part of the boardwalk is OK. But AC as a whole is a mega dump.
Klayfish wrote: I still think the area right where the casinos are is safe enough for a day trip to the beach, and that part of the boardwalk is OK. But AC as a whole is a mega dump.
That is sad to here. I used to go to the boardwalk as a kid. I remember the amusements, such good times.
Fueled by Caffeine wrote:Klayfish wrote: I still think the area right where the casinos are is safe enough for a day trip to the beach, and that part of the boardwalk is OK. But AC as a whole is a mega dump.That is sad to here. I used to go to the boardwalk as a kid. I remember the amusements, such good times.
Heck yeah. I still remember the Mr. Peanut shop there in the late '70's and early 80's. Every time my parents took us to AC, I was so excited to go there. Those days are long, long gone. Even into the very late 90's, it was still half decent. The casinos used to offer winter specials where you could get a room for a ridiculously cheap price (like $30/night) and a free buffet dinner. My wife and I made several of those trips, mostly to Merv Griffins' Resort casino. Too cold for the ocean, but we'd still walk on the beach.
In reply to Klayfish:
Well there is always the Ocean City Boardwalk.
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