Recently I “Did AC” and wasn’t surprised.

Just a small block away from all the glitz and glamour of the casinos, I was thrust into what some folks have referred to as “Camden By the Sea!”

“Interesting”, I thought!

For AC to overcome it’s negative image, it would first have to resolve the reality of being in the midst of a slum.

And that, my dear friend, will be no easy task!

Much like, in my native Brooklyn, much has been made of the transformation of Coney Island.

As long as the perception exists that it's not the safest place to be...all the money in the world won't draw that many more visitors.

AC's problems are bolsters by a report that came out yesterday about the lesser than expected take at Revel…AC’s newest gleaming casino.

However, you wouldn’t know about the less than stellar news by this report:

Data released Tuesday by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority show that doatlanticcity.com garnered more than 329,000 unique visitors in June, up nearly 27 percent from June 2011. Year to date, the site has logged a 25 percent increase in the total number of unique visitors.

Of the 329,000 who visited the website in June, 66 percent were new visitors, which could signal interest from a new potential market, ACCVA officials said.

The “Do AC” Facebook page, which offers information on upcoming city events as well as special promotions including gas card giveaways, has also seen an increase in traffic. In the month of June, the page gained more than 42,000 “likes” or subscribers, compared with 2,748 new “likes” in June 2011. In total, the page has more than 153,000 subscribers.

About 15 percent more overnight bus passengers have traveled to Atlantic City this year than last year, according to information provided by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. Travelers arriving at Atlantic City International Airport in Egg Harbor Township also are up about 3 percent over last year.

“These additional arrival and overnight figures point to a shift from daytrip visitors to overnight visitors — something everyone in the Atlantic City tourism industry has been working toward,” ACCVA President Jeff Vasser said.

It’s nice to know that so many more people are giving AC a shot...or so it seems.

But have you…and do you feel the state’s investment in AC and Revel in particular is paying off?

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