On Our Gaydar: Atlantic City

If Philly’s more fun when you sleep over, then sleeping over in Atlantic City is like Christmas morning and a first kiss and James Marsden naked, all wrapped up in a pink feather boa. Okay. We’re exaggerating. But we’ve recently developed a crush on A.C. (even though we’ve got all the gambling we need right in Philly).

We can’t get enough of the restaurants and the shows and the shops and trying to run over all the fashion faux pas when we rent those canopied bikes on the Boardwalk. Plus, one friend confides that, “Anything goes at the Harrah’s Pool on Saturday night.” And he means anything.

SLEEP

Go directly to the Chelsea (111 South Chelsea Avenue, 800-548-3030). The rooms are modern and glamorous, but it’s the open-air Cabana Club that’s all the rage. (Rumor: It was once shut down in its early days because a gay orgy broke out.)

EAT

We can’t help but stop by the famed Knife & Fork Inn (3600 Atlantic Avenue, 609-344-1133), thanks to all the buzz it’s getting on “Boardwalk Empire.” For the best cocktails (and for the tagine!), we go to SeaBlue (Borgata, 1 Borgata Way, 609-317-8220). And we’ll drive to Ventnor for Sage (5206 Atlantic Avenue, 609-823-2110) because it’s gay-owned, and because the seared scallops make us purr.

SHOP

We assume that Eden takes design cues from Stem by David Tutera (Trump Taj Mahal, Virginia Avenue and the Boardwalk, 609-345-7836), with all the fresh blooms exploding out of the walls and huge crystal chandeliers and entertaining goodies. But the best hangover cure is browsing the Pier Shops at Caesars (1 Atlantic Ocean, 609-345-3100).

PLAY

For a casino, we pick the Borgata (1 Borgata Way, 609-317-1000). For late-night (it’s open until 5 a.m.!), we pick the only gay bar in A.C., the Westside Bar and Lounge (511 North Arkansas Avenue, 609-344-0883). Our favorite night of the week is Monday at the über-popular “Out at the Inn” at the Ram’s Head Inn (9 West White Horse Pike, Galloway, 609-652-1700).

PAMPER

The super-sexy four-handed massage at the Immersion Spa at the Water Club at Borgata (1 Renaissance Way, 609-317-8888) will leave you, basically, stoned off your gourd.

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