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By Mick Bailey
Those of us who have lived in Southern Nevada for decades have seen amazing changes to the Las Vegas Valley. We took pride in the fact that Las Vegas was the fastest growing city year after year. The arrival of the great recession has been a huge blow to every Vegas resident and subsequently many of us stopped paying attention to what was happening to us right under our noses. While we were sobbing in our cocktails about the good old days, Las Vegas was busy ignoring the recession and built the “new” Downtown Las Vegas.
Those of us who have lived in Southern Nevada for decades have seen amazing changes to the Las Vegas Valley. We took pride in the fact that Las Vegas was the fastest growing city year after year. The arrival of the great recession has been a huge blow to every Vegas resident and subsequently many of us stopped paying attention to what was happening to us right under our noses. While we were sobbing in our cocktails about the good old days, Las Vegas was busy ignoring the recession and built the “new” Downtown Las Vegas.
Locals to Southern Nevada and visitors from Southern California must make the trip Downtown and see what is new. You first notice all these big new buildings that have nothing to do with gaming and the entertainment industry. The World Market Center, Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the new Las Vegas City Hall and The Mob Museum surround the Fremont Street Experience. In addition, the mega retailer Zappos.com is moving their corporate headquarters into the old Las Vegas City Hall. These non-gaming businesses breathe new life to Downtown Las Vegas.
Make your way to Fremont Street and you will enjoy the old style Vegas you remember, but we found an additional new flavor. Fremont Street is a lot more intimate. Dozens of new bars and restaurants either open to the street or they overlook the street creating a big open plaza.
New restaurants and bars range from fun and casual on one end (Hennessey’s Tavern, Mickie Finnz Fish House & Bar and Las Vegas Country Saloon) to sheer elegance (Oscar’s Beef Booze and Broads) at the other. New to Downtown and just off Fremont Street is the Triple George Grill. Transporting you back to the mob run Vegas days, the elegant Triple George is conveniently located on the way to the Mob Museum.
Entertainment on the street is everywhere. Live bands, dancers, ventriloquists, a cowboy live statue and my favorite; a roving mariachi band creates one big party. The most amazing thing of all is while everything is happening on Fremont Street thrill –seeking-crazy people are racing above you at 30 miles an hour on zip lines.
Times are still tough In Las Vegas and the rest of the country, but Downtown has reminded us what made Las Vegas great in the “Good Old Days” and it is going to do it all over again.
Make your way to Fremont Street and you will enjoy the old style Vegas you remember, but we found an additional new flavor. Fremont Street is a lot more intimate. Dozens of new bars and restaurants either open to the street or they overlook the street creating a big open plaza.
New restaurants and bars range from fun and casual on one end (Hennessey’s Tavern, Mickie Finnz Fish House & Bar and Las Vegas Country Saloon) to sheer elegance (Oscar’s Beef Booze and Broads) at the other. New to Downtown and just off Fremont Street is the Triple George Grill. Transporting you back to the mob run Vegas days, the elegant Triple George is conveniently located on the way to the Mob Museum.
Entertainment on the street is everywhere. Live bands, dancers, ventriloquists, a cowboy live statue and my favorite; a roving mariachi band creates one big party. The most amazing thing of all is while everything is happening on Fremont Street thrill –seeking-crazy people are racing above you at 30 miles an hour on zip lines.
Times are still tough In Las Vegas and the rest of the country, but Downtown has reminded us what made Las Vegas great in the “Good Old Days” and it is going to do it all over again.
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