My friends won't bother visiting Atlantic City unless outfitted with a stretch-limo equipped with bottles—notice the plural—of champagne, accommodations at the Borgata, and a little pocket money to lose at the Blackjack table. Mind you, my friends are broke, but if you're going to make the trek to Atlantic City, you have to do it right. Right? After all, Vegas in Jersey has lost that special, desperate seediness most people used to identify it with, becoming instead a seaside destination abuzz with celebrity-chef restaurants, boutique hotels, and high-end shopping (as well as a little camp). But what if, for a short time, you could blend the seediness and high-end into one package?

Pigs can fly in Atlantic City, home to the anticipated new HBO series Boardwalk Empire from Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter (The Sopranos), slated to air on September 19th. The show, destined to be a hit (the producers sure hope so, $50 million was spent on the pilot), is set at the dawn of Prohibition in Atlantic City and traces the resort's political history through the 1920s.

Citywide promotions, timed with the show's premier, will give visitors a chance to experience the luxury side of the destination at jaw-dropping rates. For instance, as part of their partnership with HBO, Caesars Atlantic City will offer rooms at $19.20 per night (available 9/16 to 9/30). Also, prohibition priced menus of two- or three- coursed meals will be available for only $19.20 at 28 Atlantic City restaurants.

If you're already obsessed with the show, head over to the Atlantic City Free Public Library, which will feature a photograph and costume exhibit of the bygone era's key movers and shakers. The library will host four themed programs until October. Perhaps the most interesting event to take place will be on Saturday, Sept. 18, when you can meet Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City author Nelson Johnson.