Casbah, located in the center of the Trump Taj Mahal, is a mid-sized club that has already gained tremendous popularity in the short time it has been open for business. Seemingly every twenty-something that has been to Atlantic City lately has stopped by to see if Casbah finally breathes a breath of life into Atlantic City's dying nightlife scene. For the most part, I must say, Casbah comes through. We have visited Casbah several times over the past few months and each time the club seemed to reinvent itself. I say this because the music was dramatically different each time we visited. It is, thankfully, getting better with age. When Casbah first opened its doors, the music was very diversified and for the most part a mix of disco and eighties music with a hint of new mainstream dance music. About a month or two after opening, the music until about 2 am was a great selection of suburban dance music. At 2 am however, a new DJ ruined the night by dropping track after track of monotonous hard house. On a recent visit, we found the music to start of light and relaxing and working into a great mix that kept the club packed until at least 5 am.

The décor of the Trump hotspot is fairly unique for the tri-state area and has Las Vegas flair to it. Television screens located over the dance floor show live action from the club (a la Club Rio, in Las Vegas) and provide a good laugh when catching a drunken friend in action. The club appears to have an outdoor deck that may be open in the summer. It will be interesting to see how the club will utilize this space. Beware, by the way, of the outrageously long bathroom lines which can take a good ten to fifteen minutes out of your night when at their worst. Lines at the bar, on the other hand are not much of a problem and drink prices are modest for a club these days. Possibly due to tight security, however, the bartenders rarely buy back or show any extra courtesy to frequent customers or big tippers. One should allow some extra time on their first visit to the Casbah. It is at first, slightly difficult to find the club in the sprawling Taj Mahal. Once there, be sure to be dressed appropriately (a true first for an AC club). Any club or dress attire is fine, but worth noting nonetheless. Casbah has a very unique and often frustrating method of getting its patrons into the club. One must first take an escalator ride up to the floor on which the club's entrance is located. Once there, everyone is lined up and waits to gain access to one of three roped off areas where your ID is checked while you wait. Each area is allowed in individually to the main entrance where you must pay the reasonable $15-20 cover charge. Once you leave, however, unlike most clubs, you can get a stamp which allows reentry to the club at any time in the night without waiting on line. Hint: Get to the club as early as possible, pay and get stamped, then return later when the crowd picks up and save yourself the wait.

Overall, Casbah is a welcome addition to the nightlife scene of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hopefully, other casinos will follow suit and "AC" will be able to re-attract the thousands of twenty-somethings that it currently loses to Las Vegas each year. If you are weighing the decision of whether or not to make the long drive down to Atlantic City and need one more good reason to go, you can feel confident that Donald Trump's latest offering, Casbah, will certainly make the trip worthwhile. Finally! There is something more than a roll of quarters and a cheap bus ride to lure the young and beautiful back to Atlantic City. CASBAH, TAJ MAHAL, ATLANTIC CITY NJ

by Jay Matassa

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Dress	Drink Prices
club gear	$36 for one round

Decor	Size	Atmosphere
modern	enormous	friendly
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