Atlantic City Boardwalk Ranked Best in the Country

When the summer rolls around visitors have plenty of options of where to take to walk on the boardwalk, but one local boardwalk has been named the best in the country.

TimeOut magazine listed its top 15 boardwalks in the county, with the Atlantic City boardwalk ranking as the No. 1 boardwalk in the country.

Atlantic City Boardwalk, the first boardwalk in the U.S., was built in the 19th century to keep sand out of the hotels and train cars on New Jersey’s Absecon Island. The four-mile boardwalk passes by the Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City Historical Museum, Boardwalk Beach, and casinos galore. There’s also the iconic Steel Pier, a 300-year-old pier filled with nostalgic amusement rides. No trip is complete without sampling saltwater taffy.

The magazine mentions that it's the first boardwalk, the casinos, the Steel Pier, and the saltwater taffy as reasons for taking the top spot.

Honestly, while I have no real issues with the AC boards, I can't really rank it above the Ocean City or Wildwood boardwalk.  Ocean City offers more shopping and eating options, as does Wildwood.  Both Ocean City and Wildwood have a better variety of rides and water parks, something Atlantic City doesn't offer.

Atlantic City does have casinos, which offer plenty of shopping and restaurant options, but when I am on the boardwalk, I like to eat on the boardwalk.

Ocean City and Wildwood have some great pizza shops, while I can't name a pizza shop on the Atlantic City boardwalk. AC has a mini-golf course, but Ocean City and Wildwood have multiple options.

One thing I like about Atlantic City is places like the Biergarten, where you can sit outside and have dinner and a drink.  They have some beach bars that offer fun and entertainment, and outside the Boardwalk Hall, they have live music in the summer.

I think most of the attractions on the Atlantic City boardwalk are buildings that take you off the boardwalk.  Casinos, and the Lucky Snake arcade, the best shopping options, but I still think it deserves a mention as one of the best.

I'm, not saying Atlantic City doesn't have some positive spots, and some things to do, I think TimeOut got this one wrong.  They didn't even rank Ocean City, Wildwood, or any other New Jersey boardwalk in their top 15.

Here are the Top 15 boardwalks according to Timeout Magazine:

1.      Atlantic City Boardwalk, Atlantic City
2.      Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah, Texas
3.      Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
4.      Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois
5.      Ocean Beach Park, New London, Connecticut
6.      Ocean City Boardwalk, Ocean City, Maryland
7.      Old Orchard Beach Pier, Old Orchard Beach, Maine
8.     Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
9.     Riegelmann Boardwalk, Brooklyn, New York
10.  Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California
11.  Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California
12.  Venice Beach Boardwalk, Venice Beach, Cali
13.  Virginia Beach Boardwalk, Virginia Beach, Virginia
14.  Floating Boardwalk, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
15.  Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier, Cocoa Beach, Florida