Peter Greenberg: Visiting Atlantic City

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: Peter Greenberg | 2008-08-27

Q: Is Atlantic City, N.J., comparable to Las Vegas when planning for a few days of relaxing and recreation? Is crime an issue there?
-Ira, Missouri City, Texas

A: Hi Ira,
If you are looking for the east coast’s Las Vegas, Atlantic City, N.J., might be your answer. Besides the gambling opportunities, you can enjoy walking on the Atlantic City Boardwalk and visiting the Absecon Lighthouse. However, on balance, the city lacks the world-class entertainment, the brand-name shopping, and highly advertised entertainment that Las Vegas has branded.

However, when compared to Vegas, Atlantic City has significantly lower crime rates. The 2003 FBI Report on Offenses Known to Law Enforcement also stated that out of all the crime in the city, only 600 incidences were violent. The other 4,854 were property crimes. (Compare that to Vegas’ 9,158 violent crimes and 57,552 property crimes!)