This summer I finally made it to Las Vegas, Nevada. I had always wanted to visit the city that was the epitome of glamour in America. Las Vegas to me was associated with glitz, glamor, showgirls and slot machines. It's a town whose story has been told thousands of times, in books such as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," movies such as "Casino", “Ocean’s Eleven” and televisions shows from "Vega$" to "Vegas." The City has been iconized by the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, who captivated audiences at the Sands’ Copa Room. Not to mention Elvis, who played Las Vegas exclusively from 1969 to 1977 to become the city’s biggest icon. We stopped over in Vegas for two nights, a very short time to really absorb the culture and spirit of any city but it was better than nothing.
Sadly I think I got there decades too late.
The city which took shape as a railroad watering hole before turning into the "Gateway to the Hoover Dam" in the early part of the 20th century, then grew to be known by its seedy mob label as “Sin City,” has now transformed itself into the corporately-financed adult playground called the "Entertainment Capital of the World."
Las Vegas Boulevard, the main strip where all the major casinos are located, resembles an adult version of Disney land with it’s 3000 plus rooms and every conceivable food and clothing franchise located on the main strip.
Most of the original casinos have been pulled down with the location taken over by corporate giants such as MGM-Grand, Wynn Resorts, the Bellagio, the Mirage and the Venetian. Not many of the original casinos from the 50s, namely, the Aladdin, Desert Inn, Dunes, Frontier, Flamingo Hacienda, Sahara, Sands, Stardust, and the Tropicana remain. Unlike the depiction in movies, the level of sophistication in these hotels was quite low. No one dressed up in suits and evening dresses – at least I didn’t see any evidence in the 48 hours that I was there and for any given posh restaurant there were at least 3-4 commercial franchises such as TGIF, Hard Rock Café etc.
I watched two shows, La Rev and David Copperfield. Both shows were very entertaining but everything else was just completely over the top and frankly, tediously annoying.
After the first day, I found myself completely repelled by the Strip, the huge hotels and the almost robotic commercialized feel to the place. I didn't even feel like taking too many pictures which is more often than not an exception to the rule.
The second day, an afternoon drive yielded a very different and far more interesting Vegas beyond the strip. Freemont Street (Downtown) offers a very different experience. Downtown is “old Vegas” or “classic Vegas,” where the hotels, old style motels, wedding chapels and casinos are all right off the pedestrian street and you can walk easily from one to the other. Here I was able to see some remnants of the Vegas that once was, in particular, the El Cortez Casino and Hotel which first opened its doors downtown in 1941 and became so successful that it attracted the attention of Bugsy Siegel.
It would appear that there are two ways to experience Vegas. The New Vegas of the Strip and the classic Vegas of the Rat Pack and Fremont Street. It was the latter that attracted my interest and I wish I had a bit more time to stay and explore that area.
Oh well…ce la vie.