Before leaving for my new California home, I had the chance to do one more classic Philly tradition, going to AC for the weekend. This time it was even better because it was with dear friends. This E-Verse post is a tribute to a few classic things to do and where to stay when you get there.
Long before AC was about Casinos and Donald Trump real estate conquests, AC was a really wholesome place to visit, especially if you lived in Philly and wanted an affordable day trip, a honeymoon, or an annual vacation with your family. It was so popular that there is an old term specifically for Philly day trippers. They are called “shoobies.”
It is pretty much a regional South Jersey term and showed up sometime in the early 1900’s. City folks bought a round trip train ticket to the shore for a day trip that included a boxed lunch packed in a “shoe box.” Later anyone who came from the city and brought a picnic lunch was a “shoobie.” At first it had a more derogatory meaning because when tourists only stayed for a day and brought their lunch, they didn’t spend money at the local restaurants or hotels. Now it’s pretty much any city person who comes for a day or a weekend and is more a nostalgic term of endearment for a time long since past. Many people younger than 30 in the area might not even have heard the term, except our waitress one evening said that her parents were “shoobies” for years before finally moving to the Jersey Shore.
Bonus: As a completely unrelated urban slang definition, “shoobie” has also come to mean a person who wears socks with his sandals.
The crooked door frames only add to the charm.
If you want to experience the old AC before it disappears, stay at the Inn at the Irish Pub. It is one of a handful of old fashioned family run joints left that has no phones, no TV, and no air conditioners, just a ceiling fan and an ocean breeze. It’s charming in its nostalgia. The lobby is packed with suits of armor, giant toy soldiers, and player pianos. The stairs down to the pub have a portrait of James Joyce. The tiny rooms are cozy and comforting; filled with vintage bed sets, retro wall papers, and sometimes a shared bath. I kept thinking of how special it must have been for those long since gone visitors to be able to stay at a hotel at the beach for a few days. We were lucky enough to room with crooked doorways and a slightly sloped floor that has a whole Alice in Wonderland vibe. Best of all it’s still quite affordable and only a half a block from the boardwalk near a nice section of the beach.
Click here to learn more. Bonus: the pub downstairs is open 24 hours a day.
While in Atlantic City be sure to get some salt water taffy at “James” or “Fralingers.” Better still, I ‘m a fan of James’ coconut macaroons which are a lesser known but classic treat.
If you want to know how James accidentally created this classic beach candy in Atlantic city in the 1880’s, click here.
Be sure to play some games at the Steel Pier!
Here’s Ernie trying his luck.
E-Verse host Ernie attempts to win Lynn an awkwardly oversized lion by hitting a target with a crossbow. Luckily for all involved, his bolts went wide.
Finally the next morning, skip the around the block line at Dunkin’ Donuts and get a really beautiful cappuccino and proper breakfast at Tommy’s Seaside Grill & Pizza. It’s not retro, but it’s really good food on the boardwalk just near Inn at the Irish Pub.
Lynn is relieved that Ernie failed to win the ridiculously big stuffed lion.
Lynn and Cynthia hug for luck in the casino. Ernie went on to lose a stack of chips at the roulette table but got them back on the free drinks. It’s where he shines.
Finally how could I write this post without a link to The Boss and his classic song . . . . .
1 Comment
I just realized that Tommy’s Seaside Grill & Pizza is right next to James taffy shop. You can see it on the left in the photo. How convenient!