- Steel Pier
The Steel Pier is a 1,000 foot long amusement
pier inAtlantic City, New Jersey . It is located opposite The Boardwalk fromTrump Taj Mahal . TheUnited States Coast Guard (USCG) gives thesegeographic coordinates for Steel Pier: Latitude - 39°, 21 Minutes, 30 Seconds - North; Longitude - 74°, 24 Minutes, 40 Seconds - West.During the 2008 post-season from September 6th through October 26th, Steel Pier is open on Saturdays and Sundays from Noon until Midnight. Note that Operating Hours are subject to change at any time without notice owing to weather and other factors. [http://www.steelpier.com]
In June, 2008 Steel Pier celebrated its 110th anniversary, originally opening on Saturday, June 18, 1898. On Friday, June 27, 2008 it was announced that the Pier will again reopen for the 2009 season. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/180/story/192479.html] Steel Pier has continued to operate as an amusement pier, while plans are being finalized to redevelop the site:
* On August 21, 2006 it was announced that Steel Pier, which has been "open since 1898", would close "permanently" in October.
* On January 3, 2007 it was then announced that Steel Pier would be open for one more season.
* On September 13, 2007, it was announced that Steel Pier will most likely reopen for the 2008 season (contracts have not yet been signed), since the plans for the redevelopment of the pier site have not been finalized due to the complexity of the project. [http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_256142638.html]The pier, which is owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts, reportedly will be redeveloped into retail and entertainment attractions along with luxury condominiums, once it gets the necessary approvals.
The pier has a storied past. From 1935 through 1938 it was where
Miss America was crowned. [Futrell, Jim. "Amusement Parks of New Jersey". Mechanicsburg (PA): Stackpole Books, 2004, p. 53] It was described as "An Amusement City at Sea" and "A Vacation in Itself." It also was once called the "Showplace of the Nation" and included such acts as the HighDiving horse , Rex the Wonder Dog, a water-skiing canine in the 1930's and evenFrank Sinatra andAl Jolson . [http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_233234652.html] The pier used to be much longer, but a December, 1969 fire six months before the opening of the 1970 season shortened its size by about a third. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/story/6658629p-6528474c.html] The original wooden pier with steel underpinnings was destroyed in a 1982 fire; the current concrete structure dates from 1993.External links
* [http://www.steelpier.com/ Steel Pier - Atlantic City, New Jersey] - Official site.
* [http://www.steel-pier.com/ Steel Pier] - A nostalgic look at Steel Pier.References
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