In addition to the hotel's 331 guest rooms, there's Chelsea Prime, a steakhouse run by well-known restaurateur Stephen Starr, and the Fifth Floor, a nightclub overseen by night-life impresario Paul Sevigny, who has imported some of the luster of Beatrice Inn, his groovy and ridiculously-hard-to-get-into club in Manhattan's West Village. Best of all, the hotel's Sea Spa boasts a heated, saltwater swimming pool and something called a "social sauna."
Feeling a bit self-conscious, like Corzine (was I pretty enough to visit the social sauna?), I left the Chelsea on my last night in Atlantic City and walked a few blocks along the Boardwalk to have dinner at the Knife & Fork.
One of the oldest and most historically significant buildings in Atlantic City, this four-story restaurant was built in a Flemish style in 1912 as an exclusive men's club. You can still feel this heritage in the rich mahogany millwork, hand-painted ceilings and grand staircase. During Prohibition, the club flouted the laws of an alcohol-free society and brazenly served liquor at the bar. That is, until federal agents burst in and smashed all the bottles.
I pondered this colorful history while eating an excellent swordfish chop and sipping a nonalcoholic beer. Like the tide, social trends roll in and out of the Jersey shore. Liquor is banned, and then Prohibition is repealed. Gambling is popular, then declasse.
Today, Atlantic City is testing the waters of high-flying style and a return to elegance. Where will this next wave take the city? To answer that question, come see for yourself.
But, please, leave the Styrofoam cooler at home.
IF YOU GO
Getting there
It's an easy 150-mile drive from Baltimore to Atlantic City, most of it along Interstate 95 North. Another option is to take Amtrak from Baltimore to Philadelphia and connect there to New Jersey Transit's AC Line train. For more information, go to amtrak.com or call 800-872-7245.
Several bus lines offer economical service from various Baltimore locations, including Greyhound, which has a "Lucky Streak" service with several daily departures. Go to greyhound.com or call 800-231-2222. One-way fares start at $30.
Bill Rohrbaugh's charter service offers daily departures from Baltimore to Atlantic City casinos. For more information, go to rohrbaughs.com or call 410-882-7501. One-way fares start at $32, with a $20 "slot play" rebate.
