Gays Win BIG in Atlantic City

Given that Monopoly first taught most of us the value of real estate - and that Miss America taught us that beauty trumps brains - where would the LGBT community be without Atlantic City? As the birthplace of those cornerstones of American culture - real estate and beauty, of course - Atlantic City has long held a grasp on the LGBT imagination. Think that's crazy? Not so much.

For years, every September inaugurated the start of beauty pageant season on that fabled resort along the Atlantic Ocean- and when those Miss America contestants walked the Boardwalk in outrageous footwear confections designed to highlight their home states (think the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, sponsored by Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo), there were more than a dozen gay bars and clubs within the town's perimeter. (Where else were all those pageant queens going to go?) Times change, however, and now it's the gaming industry that's reviving LGBT nightlife- specifically Harrah's Entertainment.

As the casinos long ago figured out, more than 14 million adults live within 100 miles of Atlantic City- and if one in ten of those 14 millions is gay... Do the math, kids- it's a gay parade on the Boardwalk waiting to happen again. A whole new meaning for Miss America... And that's where Harrah's - with vision and foresight - has been headed- specifically in their sponsorship and organization of Weekend OUT in AC.

Held during the final weekend of September, the Weekend OUT in AC was the first (3-day) weekend-long celebration specifically tailored for the LGBT community. Revelers came from nearby neighborhoods, New England cities, and even as far away as Florida and California, and with celebrities including Amanda Lepore, Cazwell, Jai Rodriguez, Lance Bass and the ladies of The L Word, even those from the other side of the country agreed that it was well worth the while. More than 1,000 participants wined, dined, played, and were entertained; the weekend was a rousing success that put Atlantic City back onto the LGBT tourist map.

Of course entertaining the LGBT community is no new thing for Harrah's- they've been catering to us for years in Vegas, so they know what boys and girls like. When in Atlantic City, it's probably best to put yourself in Harrah's good hands. As the world's largest casino company, Harrah's Entertainment owns four of Atlantic City's major players: Harrah's, Showboat, Bally's, and Caesars- each casino geared to a specific demographic and overall theme.

Harrah's, for example, upped the ante with the recent addition of their 45-story Waterfront Tower and their geodesic-domed pool/oasis, where the temperature is always 82 degrees.

Think January, people- and think Harrah's.

Penn Station to Atlantic City (in style)

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On another note, Harrah's Entertainment was the first - and only - gaming entertainment company to achieve a perfect score (twice!) on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. Going one step further, Harrah's has also endorsed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act on a federal level.

What does that mean to you? It means you can shop, dine, play, and gamble at Harrah's with the knowledge that your LGBT dollars are promoting a more equitable world for the LGBT community.

With the recent advent of the ACES train (Atlantic City Express Service), New Yorkers can take advantage of direct service between Manhattan's Penn Station and Atlantic City aboard a new luxury train that gets you to the Boardwalk in just over two hours- giving you the best of Vegas without the stress of air travel.

As one of those "Best Places for LGBT People to Work" companies, Harrah's provides the kind of accommodating hospitality for which LGBT people are often known- as well as a surfeit of eye candy.

The Waterfront Tower

Speaking of candy - and chocolate in particular - make sure and stop in at Temptations on your way to your Waterfront Tower room. That's where you'll find Jacques Torres chocolate - sold by the piece or the pound, depending upon your willpower - as well as illy coffee confections made to order. The point being, you'll need fuel to help you navigate the many temptations of Harrah's and Atlantic City.

First, your tower room, which is large enough to hold a yoga class for six, if that's what you're into. (And after "class," the walk-in shower - big enough to double as storage space for all those off-season clothes - would come in handy for rinsing off. A shower large enough for a family of tiger sharks. You get the picture.)

The bed is fab too- and large. This is five-star luxury- at three-star prices. And through the wall-length windows, across the marina, there's a view of the Boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean- as well as New Jersey's first wind farm: five turbine towers, each almost 400 feet high, spinning lazily in the breeze- a kind of gambler's homage to Don Quixote and his windmill dreams.

Of course, you're perfectly entitled to remain in the grip of your room's high comfort level- but consider heading down to The Pool, Harrah's indoor oasis, where you'll find yourself surrounded by a veritable rainforest of tropical flora. Order a cocktail- and start thinking about where you want to dine.

Mia, evoking Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera

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Need a recommendation? Try Mia, at Caesars, recently anointed one of the Best Restaurants in Atlantic City by Daily News. Getting there is easy- there's a complimentary Harrah's shuttle that shuffles back and forth between the four Harrah's-owned casinos. Sometimes a cab is faster, however, and for many, worth the small extra expense.

Mia is one of the showcase restaurants of Caesars, and with good reason; its collaborating chefs are Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio- Philadelphia's most celebrated restaurant duo thanks to their work at Le Bec Fin and Brasserie Perrier.

As soon as you enter the lobby at Caesars, you're nearly bowled over by the immensity of Mia's majestic Roman columns and soaring pediment- and a grand dining room that evokes Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera. Give in to the fantasy and order one of their signature cocktails - a Caesars Sidecar or Red Lady - and then the roasted beet salad with burrata mozzarella. For a truly divine and decadent sensation, go with the pizza tartuffo, a thin-crusted masterpiece of forest mushroom and reggiano Parmesan laden with fresh seasonal truffles, melted foie gras and lobster. This is one of those entrees that you won't soon forget. Seriously.

Of course, there's more to Atlantic City than eating- and besides, for every block of the Boardwalk you walk, you're entitled to another meal- or more chocolate, your choice. Originally seven miles long, Atlantic City's fabled thoroughfare is now a little less than five miles (thanks to the Hurricane of '44) and still a pleasure to walk; you'll find the ocean on one side and grandiose casinos on the other - and lots of childhood-summer confections sold every few feet. Salt water taffy, anyone? Why not- after all, it was born right on the Boardwalk, in 1883.

Be sure and read the historical markers as you walk; you'll learn about Nucky Johnson (the Czar of the Ritz) and Al Capone, the two Tony Sopranos of Prohibition, as well as the 6am Breakfast Jam that used to draw hundreds to hear Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles and countless other R&B legends.

Five-star luxury living (at three-star prices)

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Once you're across from Caesars you'll find the Pier Shops, anchored by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Movado... all the usual gold-standard suspects. All of them right there, on a sumptuously- appointed pier stretching out over the Atlantic. You could easily spend a day here, seated on the Adirondack chairs, in the midst of a little sand dune, watching the water show, peering down at the crowds along the Boardwalk- while the boyfriend rings up the charges at Swarovski and Victoria's Secret.

There's also Lucy the Elephant, a 65-ton beast built in 1881; she's even on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally built to lure buyers to South Atlantic City, Lucy was in dire straits before the good citizens of Margate raised funds to prevent her demolition. Trust us- you have to see it to believe it.

Ready for another meal? How about dinner at the Foundation Room in the House of Blues at the Showboat? As you might've heard, the nine Foundation Rooms around the country are private membership clubs, with brilliantly curated art collections and exotic lounges- and sublime food. Relax, you've earned it -all that walking- and besides, post-prandial bacchanals await you at dusk, the 800-person sine qua non of after-hours club, located at Caesars.

You're definitely going to need another dose of chocolate, so stop at Temptations again for another couple dozen pieces of Jacques Torres' heavenly creations. Take them upstairs with you- and place them all around the king-sized bed. Then take in the nighttime vista of Atlantic City and the ocean beyond, all beckoning to you and your sweetie: Atlantic City calling to you like a Siren.

Heed its call and have fun. Come out to Atlantic City-it's waiting for you.

RELATED LINKS
OUT in AC Weekend Photo-Album :: Part I
OUT in AC Weekend Photo-Album :: Part II
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Harrah's Entertainment
Weekend Out in AC
Mia Restaurant
House of Blues - Foundation Room
Dusk Atlantic City