Reader’s Digest’s Top New Jersey Tourist Destination Not a Big Surprise

Reader's Digest crowned the Atlantic City Boardwalk as New Jersey's most sought-after attraction. This beachfront promenade beat out state icons like Liberty State Park and Lucy the Elephant in Margate.

Casinos line the wooden planks. Nightclubs pulse with energy. Restaurants serve everything from pizza to seafood. Resorts tower above the sand. Tourists flock here from every corner of America, drawn by slot machines and ocean breezes.

The boardwalk first appeared in 1870. It was America's inaugural oceanfront walkway. Hotel proprietors constructed it to solve a simple problem: guests tracked sand into their lobbies. But visitors soon discovered the planks made for pleasant seaside strolls.

Arcades sprouted up over time. Restaurants multiplied. The wooden walkway became the beating heart of Atlantic City's tourist trade, stretching longer each decade. Casinos arrived in the 20th century and transformed the scene.

Tough times hit the boardwalk more than once, but rebuilding projects saved it. Preservation teams worked hard to keep this icon standing tall.

Atlantic City is thriving now. Money pours in and construction cranes dot the skyline. A fresh shuttle system links the boardwalk to neighborhoods that lacked easy transportation, pumping life into the local economy and creating opportunities.

Reader's Digest weighed other contenders. New Jersey's coastline stretches for miles, packed with beaches that attract crowds every summer. Liberty State Park offers stunning vistas of Manhattan's towers glittering across the water.

Lucy the Elephant could've snagged the prize. This odd six-story elephant building in Margate draws curious visitors year after year.