'America's Playground' Is Now The Epicenter Of A Food Desert

Behind the glimmering image of a city constructed on luxury and excess lies a community where finding something as basic as fresh fruit or a loaf of bread has become a day-to-day struggle.


The city, nicknamed America's Playground, is a seaside escape of flashy gambling establishments, celebrity-chef dining establishments and unlimited buffets that drew 24 million travelers in 2024, according to the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. Last year alone, gambling operators raked in $5.8 billion.


But in the shadow of the boardwalk's neon lights, the city's 38,000 residents face a grim truth: Atlantic City has not had a correct full-service supermarket in nearly 28 years, and it now ranks as New Jersey's second-worst food desert, according to a 2022 state research study by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.


'Atlantic City doesn't have a grocery store which's unacceptable,' Mike Suleiman of South Jersey Forward, a regional think tank that studied food insecurity in the area, informed WHYY.org. 'It is necessary for the city to designate someone for food insecurity.'


For many residents, the simple act of grocery shopping becomes an intense journey, from bus rides over bridges to costly Ubers, or relying on the compassion of family members.


'Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, chicken, meats ... you can't actually get that at the corner stores, at the little bodegas, however that's mostly all we have here,' Ori Reyes, a teenager who has actually spent her life making the 18-mile trek with her household to a Walmart in Egg Harbor Township, informed NJ.com.


'Usually, to find healthy food that's inexpensive, you do not have much of an alternative, you need to go to other towns.'


Only 13 percent of households in the Atlantic City-Hammonton area own a car, 2021 U.S. Census data programs.


Food insecurity has actually left Atlantic City ranked among the worst food deserts in New Jersey


Atlantic City is understood as America's Playground with its beaches, fairground trips and gambling establishments


Families already having a hard time to find fresh food in Atlantic City state decreases to SNAP advantages could press lots of much deeper into cravings


Despite billions streaming through Atlantic City's casinos and traveler restaurants each year, citizens state they can't even purchase fresh groceries in their own city


For citizens like Rosetta Butler, a 58-year-old who resides in the Atlantic Marina housing complex, salvation comes in the form of a 40-foot modified bus.


Operated by Virtua Health, the 'Eat Well' mobile grocery shop pulls into her block on Fridays.


'This right here, it's a godsend,' she informed NJ.com, showing off a bag filled with bread, peanut butter, and veggies.


'It's an actually big blessing for individuals like me, who can't make it to the market quickly ... you know, for people who can't drive, are older, or have health problems.'


In 2021, authorities gathered for a triumphant groundbreaking of an $18.7 million ShopRite grocery store at Baltic and Indiana Avenues. Governor Phil Murphy hailed it as a turning point.


But within a year, the deal collapsed. The operator, Village Super Market, took out after the Casino Redevelopment Investment Authority (CRDA) rejected its ask for aids. Residents were left blindsided.


'Not having a grocery store after informing locals there would be one is ravaging,' Mayor Marty Small Sr. told NJ.com. 'But our supermarket dreams are simply delayed, not dead. We continue to strive to find a long-term solution.'


Advocates warn that looming cuts to federal food assistance (SNAP) might deepen the crisis.


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Community groups and mobile markets are actioning in to offer fruit, vegetables, and dairy to having a hard time households (Pictured: Event offering social services to homeless veterans at All Wars Memorial Building, in Atlantic City Wednesday May 17, 2017)


Nonprofits and churches are feeding hundreds every week as need for help continues to grow


'This is hurting single mothers and others across the nation and in pockets of New Jersey, it's going to be extremely bad,' U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman informed NJ. com.


The Washington-based Food Research & Action Center has actually also sounded alarms, writing: 'SNAP is not just a safeguard for vulnerable residents - it's a vital economic chauffeur and supporting force for entire communities'.


Grassroots groups are filling the gaps. Alicia 'Lisa' Newcomb, head of the not-for-profit C.R.O.P.S., has worked with farmers and corner shops to stock healthier options, even securing new refrigerators for little grocers.


'Grocery shopping looks different in various neighborhoods,' she informed WHYY.org. 'We worked with one corner store to get numerous brand-new fridges and that owner stated he wished to be the location where his clients can get great food.'


State officials are also explore creative fixes. Tara Colton, primary financial gatekeeper at the NJEDA, indicates lockers, similar to Amazon pick-up boxes, as a possible model.


'Much like there's no one cause to food insecurity ... there's also not only one solution,' Colton told NJ.com.


Meanwhile, the operator of Atlantic City's Save A Lot, Shawn Rinnier, wants to broaden by 7,000 square feet. 'If we have the ability to pull it off, it 'd be a really good shop with a lot more range,' he told NJ.com. 'And I believe people here would be really happy with it.'


At Sister Jean's Kitchen, the reality appears. Dozens line up daily for meals. Reverend John Scotland, the executive director of the not-for-profit. who runs the neighborhood kitchen area, stated demand never ever disappears.


All the enjoyable of Atlantic City's boardwalk and piers is seen above


Restaurants on Atlantic City's boardwalk are seen above


'Today, we are open 3 days a week for three hours a day and we're busy the whole time,' he told WHYY.org.


'We will feed individuals since they are starving. We make no judgment of whether they are deserving or not. That is what we will continue to do.'


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