Atlantic City Magazine retrospective
As the original editor of Atlantic City Magazine, I was invited to contribute an article for its 20th anniversary.
Article for issue celebrating the 20th anniversary of gaming in Atlantic City, as well as the 20th anniversary of the publication.
Sample story:
Riding Atlantic City's first wave
By Donna Andersen
In June of 1978, I was young, just out of college, and had landed a job as editor of Atlantic City Magazine. It wasn't as big-time as it sounded. Only one issue of the magazine had been published; I was the first employee. Atlantic City itself was recently reborn -- the old queen of resorts, now with casinos to polish her crown.
At the time, I did not realize the magnitude of the opportunity before me. Neither did anyone else. No one had anticipated the incredible East Coast appetite for gambling. People waited in line at Resorts International to pour their money into slot machines. Steve Wynn walked into Resorts and asked his associate if all those people were really in the casino, or if the place was filled with mirrors. Then everyone jumped on the bandwagon, and at one point 42 companies had announced plans to build a casino in Atlantic City.
There was energy and excitement in the salt air, as if the streets really were paved with gold. We were part of it. Atlantic City Magazine was invited to every press conference, ground breaking and casino opening. During those first few years, a relatively small group of people were the town's movers and shakers, and everybody knew each other. In fact, just about all of them showed up at our "People to Watch" parties.
Gradually, Atlantic City changed from a party into a business. By the time I left the magazine in 1982, the transformation was about complete. In fact, we were already talking about Atlantic City's second wave back then -- what's going on today should actually be called the third wave. Even if the town's sizzle isn't quite the same, being the first editor of Atlantic City Magazine was one heck of a way to begin a career.
