Debating the ‘tourist death trap’ of Atlantic City

    It took three words on the cover of the Daily News to spark a debate over how safe Atlantic City is.

    “Tourist Death Trap,” read the cover of Tuesday’s DN, following the fatal stabbings of two Canadian tourists.

    That prompted responses from the Press of Atlantic City and our very own Jen A. Miller.

     Their argument? Yes, there’s crime in Atlantic City, but tourists shouldn’t expect certain death when they plan a weekend of gaming by the beach.

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    “Atlantic City is like any other poor urban area that struggles to hold on to middle and upper class citizens,” Jen writes. “There’s no grocery store, but there are high crime rates in the city and affordable housing options in neighboring towns.”

    And the Press gives it to the DN straight, calling its front pages “splashy and even trashy,” and encouraging readers to email editor Larry Platt to sound off.

    For a trip down memory lane and a look at how Atlantic City envisions its future, reread Patrick Kerkstra’s August 2011 Philadelphia magazine story.

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