By KATHY BARUFFI
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS REPORTER
Atlantic City, NJ, MARCH 30, 2008 —Classic items like fudge and souvenir T-shirts are still fixtures in Atlantic City, but there are now boutiques, spas and upscale restaurants as well.
Atlantic City is spinning in a new direction, symbolized by five giant wind turbines that now punctuate the skyline, bringing a new kind of energy to the seaside getaway once known as America's playground.
Gambling is still the main draw, but it's no longer the only show in town. Non-gamblers are now courted with a jackpot of other pleasures, both in and outside the city limits, along with several new signature restaurants, high-end spas and big-ticket retail stores.
Among several hotel projects already underway, the Chelsea, a casino-free boutique hotel, will have a rooftop pool and beach service when it opens on the Boardwalk this summer.
Great food can be found outside the hotels throughout A.C., from supersandwiches at the White House Sub Shop to the seafood tower and just about everything else on the menu at Knife and Fork, a local landmark.
Area attractions are as varied as the city's cuisine. Explore the Atlantic City Historical Museum and the Absecon Lighthouse, or take a 25-minute drive to Oceanville and visit the Noyes Museum, a small gem known for its collection of hand-carved wooden fish decoys and exhibitions featuring accomplished New Jersey artists.
Down the road is the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, where you can drive through thousands of acres of coastal habitat on an 8-mile road built on dikes in the saltwater marsh. The refuge boasts miles of walking and biking trails, sometimes with the Atlantic City skyline visible in the distance.
With all the changes, however, are plenty of nostalgic reminders of Atlantic City's heyday as a summer getaway. Along its famous Boardwalk are Steel's Fudge and other old-fashioned shops where you can still buy Fralinger's saltwater taffy - though it now comes in mocha latte, mimosa and other upscale flavors befitting the city's new image.
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