A way to get to the promised land of Atlantic City quickly without the hassles of car  or bus — and without sacrificing your ability to mix a martini. It’s the ACES Train,  a  luxury express train from  New York to Atlantic City. Without the headaches of the Garden State Parkway. 
 
All the seats are leather, there is a nice club car from which food and drinks are available , and the train  runs Friday to Sunday, perfect for a quick weekend getaway  to AC.
 
But you’ll probably want to focus most of your attention on the upper deck, where first-class tickets (more leg room, more waitresses) and a BYOB-friendly reserve lounge with flat screens and a dedicated waitress await. 
 
Reserve the lounge, pick up a case of champagne, and before you know it you’ll be at Harrah's  refreshed and ready to rock. (reserve online at ACES TRAIN or call 800-872-7245).


But are  gays  going to Atlantic City, you ask?

Uh, the answer is YES!
 
This isn't your father's Atlantic City, anymore. In the last few years AC has evolved like Las Vegas, but at a slower pace. The industry realized as times changed they could reach a bigger audience by changing their focus. It used to be all about the cheap. Cheap food, free drinks, cheap rooms. But what about the bling crowd?!

They want upscale nightclubs, 5 star dining, luxurious digs and designer shopping. So there has been an evolution that many have not been paying attention to. In recent years Atlantic City has continued to grow into a Las Vegas-style destination with many non-gaming attractions. The casino partners have been committed to dramatically expanding offerings with world-class entertainment, dining, nightlife, spa (like the $90 million pool and spa at Harrah's!) and gaming options for New Yorkers to  enjoy within a quick trip from the city.

HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT, the world's largest casino company,  has been catering to gay and lesbian travelers at its Las Vegas casinos for a few years, and  launched a similar campaign in the country's second-largest gambling market with an "Out in Atlantic City"  - OUT IN AC - weekend of partying Sept. 25-27.

The organization  has been committed to creating a diverse, inclusive environment for employees, guests and communities for some time now. And recently decided it was time to host a gay weekend of events.

The event,  which attracted  nearly  1,000 people, brought some of the best-known names in the gay and lesbian entertainment scene to the Harrah's casinos. Lesbian and Gay travelers came in from New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, Baltimore, Chicago, and surrounding New Jersey cities.

The tide is changing - and the time is right. Las Vegas now has a major  gay club  and  gay  resort.  It's time for Atlantic city to follow suit. And the people at Harrah's  Entertainment are going to be the leader. 

As 

, "I've always been astounded that the casinos never catered to the lavender dollar, obviously cowing in terror of the family-values folks who thump Bibles in between playing card games and hiring hookers..."

All of the gay people we chatted with, most who lived within 2 hours of Atlantic City, all said they would come here even more often, if there was more gay parties or events going on. "Even if a casino would make a gay club night, we'd drive in more often," said Gregg and his 3 friends from New York City, who come now  about every 8 weeks.

Locals welcomed the LGBT weekend of events! There is really only one gay bar in town currently! The WestSide.   However, more are coming. Robert and Joel who run the Ram's Head Inn, just a couple miles outside of town,  have started offering Gay Mondays at their upscale restaurant, and they are growing in popularity. A spokesperson for Harrah's speculated that it is quite possible, within the next year, one of the casino's will offer  a gay club, or at the very least a gay club night. We also met a couple who lives here in Atlantic City who said they are working on opening a brand new gay club. Plus,  many staffers from Harrah's  talked about the possibility of several all gay weekends in 2010. We suggested they host a big beach party, since they are sitting on prime ocean beach frontage,  something which could potentially rival  Miami's Winter Party!

While Atlantic City may not become the next San Francisco for gay travel, tourism officials believe the resort's evolution into a more upscale gambling and entertainment hub fits the lifestyle of gay and lesbian customers.

"What the gay market is looking for is high-end retail, accommodation and nightlife, and that's what we have," said Jeffrey Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.

"The more we reinforce the fact that Atlantic City is a gay-friendly destination, the better off we will be in attracting that market, which is a very upscale market."

Recent additions in the last couple years include The Pier Shops at Caesars, attached to Caesars via a skybridge, is the most distinctive shopping and dining destination in Atlantic City. Over seventy-eight specialty stores and seven feature restaurants all with a spectacular view of the water. Everything from Apple and  Armani to Gucci and Louis!

 

Weissman said Harrah's developed its marketing campaign with the help of an employee advisory board that includes gay and lesbian casino workers. The company's friendliness with the gays is much  more than a gimmick; Harrah's provides things like health care benefits to the partners of its gay employees, something it's not required by law to do.

"It comes down to diversity in our company and diversity in our workers and our customers," she said. "We believe that by having different backgrounds and different perspectives, it will only make us a better business."

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