ATLANTIC CITY -- Robert Chew and his fiancee passed by the old-timers playing slots at the Showboat Casino, a favorite hangout for the gray-hair set. The couple -- he was sporting
''People used to laugh at me for coming to Atlantic City. They'd say 'Why do you want to go there? It's all old people,' " said Chew, sipping a glass of vodka and tonic. ''But no one is laughing now. Everyone wants to come here. This is like Vegas, baby!"
Once defined by the busloads of seniors headed for the nickel slot machines, Atlantic City is now drawing younger visitors looking to do something more than roll the dice. The transformation from a tired resort town to a sexy Vegas-style playground for younger patrons like Chew, 30, and his fiancee, Amy Nessler, 28, is picking up pace this summer as several flashy new clubs and restaurants make their debuts.
Not everyone is pleased about the newcomers along the boardwalk. Pam Voloski, a 71-year-old regular at the Showboat, came to see what all the commotion was about at the House of Blues, where Eminem was stirring the crowd to a frenzy.
''I don't like the kids being here," she said, leaning on her cane. ''I come here to get away from them."
Inside the club, Robin Leach, host of the popular 1980s show, ''The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", was enjoying the company of the young and the beautiful in the VIP room, where he was surrounded by five young women.
''This is Vegas -- ritz and glitz at its best," said Leach as he headed to the bar for more champagne.
Over the past two years, Atlantic City's casinos have spent $1.85 billion constructing dining, entertainment, and retail venues, according to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, taking a page from Las Vegas, where nongaming ventures bring in about $4 billion annually.
This summer, more than a half dozen clubs are being constructed or opening, like the Showboat's House of Blues and The Resort's Nikki Beach, fueling a furious race for the freshest pop acts. Instead of Steve and Eydie or Tom Jones, stars like Alicia Keyes, Lenny Kravitz, and Counting Crows are featured on the boardwalk's billboards this summer.
''You used to have all lounge acts or has-beens, but now you have the main acts coming," said Donna Capito, 39, who was dancing and sipping wine with friends during the Eminem concert. ''It's really better than Vegas. We got the boardwalk and the beach. You feel like you are on vacation rather than being in the desert."
