360 Vegas

Random Vegas The original trains used on the Las Vegas Monorail were from Walt Disney World.  When they debuted, they simply connected Bally’s to MGM Grand. (@LasVegasLocally) TwitPic of the week The Queen of the Strip, as she was known, basking in the morning glow of a sunrise shared by @_GrandpaD.  The Stardust Super Pylon marquee was remarkable for so many reasons.  The font, the shower of stars and how the pylons were designed to disappear at night.  They were planted blue to do the same thing during the day but that only worked when there was a blue sky behind it…which is like 200+ days of the year.  If you look close this picture also captures the Silver Slipper, Fronter and in the distance, the Mirage. News A’s Financing WrestleMania 41 RoofTop Bars 2020 Do-Over El Cortez Renovations Virgin Shake Up High Roller Excuse

w/ Josh and Tony This week, we are drafting our favorite Vegas Movies.  The game is simple.  Pick your favorite Vegas movies. The trick is we are all drafting from the same pool of movies and a movie is only available to be selected by one person.  This is NOT a list of the best movies set in Vegas nor is it a game to select the most valuable movies.  There is no score, there aren’t winners or losers.  This is just a chance for us to talk about some of our favorite Vegas movies for whatever reason we come up with.

Random Vegas The Fountains of Bellagio are not the first dancing fountains to exist in Las Vegas.  The original debuted in 1955 at the Royal Nevada.  They were simply called the Dancing Water’s and consisted of 4,000 jet streams and lights revolving and swaying in sync with waltz music.  They could accomplish heights has high as 50 foot.  The attraction was universally liked however the Royal Nevada thought they could offer this show instead of headliners.  The property struggled and closed 3 years after it opened. (The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream) TwitPic of the week What’s so great about this picture by @Summacorp is the collection of properties long gone.  Here we see the Landmark tower to the left and the Thunderbird pretty prominently.  What you don’t realize you're looking at is a bungalow at the original El Rancho in the foreground.  You even get a glimpse of the Riviera to the far right.  None of these properties exist today.  In fact, from this perspective, today the only thing you would see would be Fontainebleau.  The rest is a convention center expansion, a parking lot and a concert festival grounds.  I’m grateful for both the original Thunderbird Neon Bird marquee as well as the revised frontage of the property.  This picture isn’t going to dazzle you but it’s a welcome addition to our collection. News Casino Smoking Ban Flight Refunds

360 Mail Bag is our opportunity to address your feedback in a causal conversation between friends.

Random Vegas In 1968, Las Vegas could lay claim to the 3 tallest electric signs in the world.  The Dunes at 180, the Frontier at 184 and the Stardust at 188 feet tall    TwitPic of the week How can you not be proud of that collection of properties?  Specifically, it feels like MGM treats @LuxorLV and Excalibur like unwanted commodities.  Which is funny because they bought Mandalay Resorts, one of the most profitable gaming companies in history, with a portfolio that primarily catered to the middle class.  Since then they’ve sold off Circus Circus and threatened redevelopment to both Luxor and Excalibur.  Instead they should feel psyched that in that string of properties, you make up virtually every demographic you want to attract to Las Vegas.  Not to mention, you are in prime real estate to attract ALL those who attend events at Allegiant and the current wave of sports in Vegas.  Here’s some million dollar advice for free MGM.  Leave Luxor and Excalibur alone.  Sure, update and take care of them inside but leave the architecture alone.  You found this company attractive for a reason.  Stop trying to fix it. News Plaza All-Inclusive Offer Brightline Breaks Ground

Okay.  Let’s start by addressing the Elephant in the room.  Las Vegas was racist.  Really, really racist.  Not Alabama bad but Las Vegas was known as the “Mississippi of the west” and I’m certain it wasn’t a compliment.

Random Vegas Nick Mazzolo.  You may not know the name but you certainly know his work.  Nick was cast as a table games dealer in 3 blockbuster titles.  Rain Man in 1988, Casino in 1995 and Vegas Vacation in 1997. TwitPic of the week In a picture that looks like it was taking on the pool deck of the Plaza years before it existed, this picture, shared by @FSELV definitely captures the best the Las Vegas Club ever looked, years before her transformation into a faux baseball stadium on the roof.  All of Fremont strip was sexy as hell during the 60s, before Golden Nugget absorbed the entire city block they occupy today.  Back when the Lucky Club and California Club shared the space.  But you can’t see any of that here so lets just wrap this up by saying here we also have the Golden Gate with its signage looking as dapper as ever, still sporting the Hotel Sal Sagev signage. News LOVE Ends Hard Rock Model Spearmint vs Peppermint Bait and Switch Ellis Island Expansion Nevada Opposes Funding Stadium Oasis Cinema Club

I’ve said this before: if I had a time machine, I know exactly what I’d do with it.  No, I wouldn’t steal a sports almanac or try to get my parents to kiss at the big dance. I’ve already graduated high school, so I wouldn’t use it to pass my history final, either. No, I would head back in time at 88.8 miles per hour to the Copa Room at the Sands in 1960, to see the greatest show one could see for $5.95. Dinner included.Like many of you, I have a decidedly romantic view of “old Vegas.” A time where women were ladies and comps were truly comps. When men wore hats (thanks for nothing, JFK).  And when you could see a legend performing in the lounge. Often for free.I also have a decidedly romantic view of the mid-century crooners. Dean Martin, with a voice dark and syrupy like bourbon, and a total cheeseball when live on stage. Sammy Davis Jr., the most talented of them all, who could sing, dance, and act all his contemporaries under the table. And of course, the man himself: the Chairman of the Board, the one who made loneliness seem cool: Mr. Francis Albert Sinatra. When I want to relax for the evening, it’s an old fashioned in my glass and the Rat Pack on my stereo.Despite peaking in Las Vegas 60 years prior, the Rat Pack is also inextricably intertwined with our Vegas trips today.  The men of The Summit provide the soundtrack to our early evenings. While we shower and dress for an evening on the town, pre-dinner cocktails in our hotel room glasses, Sammy, Frank, and Dino provide the soundtrack. No two days in Vegas are the same; but the Rat Pack is part of the ritual that binds them together for my wife and I. Indeed, the bellman has no sooner closed the door and my wife is asking me to turn on the Bluetooth speaker and put on music. Not just any music; our Vegas music.  The only music that will do.When planning a recent trip, I mentioned to my wife that there was a Rat Pack impressionist show a little off strip. “And why haven’t we seen it yet?” Was her response.  “The Rat Pack is Back” is not a new show to Vegas.   With a history of more than 20 years, the show was previously at several venues in Vegas, including the Rio and the Plaza before finding its current home at the Tuscany, just east of the Strip on Flamingo in 2015.  In fact, if you’ve seen the movie Get Him to the Greek, you’ve seen a little of the Rat Pack is Back show at the Plaza.  Russell Brand’s character musician stops by to see his dad, who is a drummer in the show.I’m not sure what I was expecting when I purchased our tickets to The Rat Pack is Back… Maybe 80 minutes or so of mediocre, karaoke-style covers of my favorite songs? What we experienced ended up being so much more, and it’s a show that we will definitely be returning to see again.The Rat Pack is Back is performed in a small theater at the Tuscany in Las Vegas, in an intimate venue appropriately named “The Copa Room.” It features 3 impressionist performers, of which 2 are great and 1 is just okay.  (Our Dean Martin didn’t really look or sound like Dean Martin. I’m looking into whether he was out for the night, or just plain out.)An especially enjoyable aspect of the show was the live, seven-piece band backing the trio.  I often caught myself watching the piano playing conductor as she guided the band through their various cues. True to their subjects, the band and impersonators often had moments of playful banter between them.The Copa Room at the Tuscany is unfortunately a shadow of its namesake at the Sands, but this didn’t take away from our experience.  A relatively small-for-Vegas room, seating consists of movable “wedding venue” seats, with small cocktail tables between the front VIP tables. Lucky for us, the small size of the room contributes to a more intimate setting.  Seating is assigned by “area” and is first come, first serve. I paid for VIP seating, and we arrived early enough to be granted front row seats on stage right.  One gets the feeling you could slip the host a twen

Random Vegas Tropicana’s nickname was the “Tiffany of the Strip” because it was said to be the shape of a necklace when viewed from an arial perspective. TwitPic of the week This is another property I have an irrational affinity for.  Like the Fontainebleau today, the Landmark was a project that stalled for almost a decade before it was completed.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t finished by someone who had a passion for her and therefore she struggled.  Once it did open it was no longer the tallest building in the city so the cache of that concept was lost.  But still, something about her casino in the sky that just sounds appealing.  Probably why it still exists for high rollers in properties like Encore.  Regardless, I never got to see the Landmark and therefore she will remain idealized to me, like she is in this picture shared by @summacorp, which is probably better than the actual memories I would have made. News LVCVA 2023 Visitor Profile Study New Airport Synagogue & Hotel Neon Museum Tropicana Lighting

The Tropicana was a unique property in the evolution of Las Vegas.  While ownership was consolidated all over the city, it managed to remain independent, relatively speaking.  When older properties on the strip were imploded so new projects could replace them, Tropicana remained and instead was reimagined.  Step inside and it was clear this was not another Super Casino. The property was able to capture the charm of old Vegas while evolving to keep up with modern tastes.  The perpetual David to the corporate Goliaths that dominate the strip landscape, Tropicana stood as a beacon of hope that there will always be options in the market working hard to take care of guests in ways only independent competition can, even if it requires the protection of anti-trust regulations to do so. If your interested in learning more about the Tropicana, check out... Pinterest lvstriphistory.com Vegas Seven - Tropicana New Era Vegas Seven - Tiffany of the Strip Vegas Seven - Stained Glass Ceiling Masterpiece TheMobMuseum Blog Battle Born Pins Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas Sammy Davis Jr was supposed to be in 3 major movies about Vegas. We all know he was in the original Ocean’s 11 but did you know he was supposed to be cast as Elvis’ sidekick in the movie Viva Las Vegas? But producers thought that much star power would distract from the story so he didn’t get the part. The third was Diamonds are Forever, a movie he actually played himself in but it got cut. It can now be seen as a part of the movie’s deleted scenes. TwitPic of the week What’s special about this picture, shared by@travis758, is what its missing…Treasure Island. Right down in front, still a huge parking lot on the strip. The next glaring omission is the strip as we know it south of Caesars today. Here we still see the Dunes and their massive golf course taking up real estate all the way down to where NYNY is today. It’s 1990 so we see Excalibur sitting down there with Hacienda, Tropicana and Marina all alone because it doesn’t yet have the company of the MGM Grand as we know it today. The Marina won’t transform into the MGM Grand for another 3 years away from being built. Speaking of Caesars, it looks quite diminutive next to the Mirage and the Flamingo expansion across the street. It would be another 8 years before they added the Palace Tower to better keep up with the mega resorts, a project that would inspire the retheming of the property to an architectural style more Greco roman. Lastly, you can see the Sands and Holiday Casino across the street from Mirage, showing just what smaller properties were competing against. News Eagles Sphere Residency Western For Sale Tropicana Update Superbowl Impact

Random Vegas  Vegas has been attempting to go smoke free since the early 90s.  The first casino to ban cigarette smoking was at Silver City Casino in 1991.  Vegas Pic of the week  It was the original mega sign.  Not quite a super pylon but big enough that it was a statement piece.  The champaign tower at Flamingo, shared by @_GrandPaD, stood as a beacon for the property for years while she was a low-rise building.  The cylindrical structure lit up at night with glowing bubbles that cresecendoed into the revolving name of the property at the top.  Sadly it was removed by Kirk Kerkorian who decided to push the property closer to the road to pull in more foot traffic.  It was replaced in 1968 with the iconic super pylon known as the Flamingo plumb signage.  News Where It's At Movie Bugsy The Documentary Best Places to Stay In Vegas Summerlin Studios Kennel Club Suite

Nothing special is probably a very good way to describe the Royal Nevada. Not that it wasn’t nice or well located, it just wasn’t memorable. Think Monte Carlo Vegas and its luxury on a budget theme. Mix that with the opening of 4 new Vegas properties in 1955 and the answer to the question is yes, Vegas was over built.

Random Vegas The office of Sam “Ace” Rothstein and the Tangiers sports book in Martin Scorsese’s Casino was filmed on the site of an unopened casino at the Jockey Club (Vintagelasvegas.com) Vegas Pic of the week This is a photo I didn’t even know existed and it blew my mind when I found it, like I’m sure it’s going to blow yours.  It’s a picture of the Dunes, mid-evolution from a motel to a high rise.  I found it at vintagelasvegas.com.  Here we still see all the original façade with the Diamond of the Dunes behind it under construction.  It wouldn’t be much longer before the sultan was relocated to the golf course, just off the freeway.  That is until he caught fire due to an electrical short or something, I can’t remember.  I’m just psyched that this picture exits and I can share it with all of you.  Also, it’s not lost on me that this picture isn’t breathtaking it’s just a moment in time I’m grateful we have. News Downtown Beer Festival A’s partnering with Neon Museum Hollywood 2.0 Flat Rate Cabs Bally’s Corp Privatization

Premium Content Preview   Benny Binion is a Vegas legend.  Many of the policies and procedures he put in place to run his casinos are standard operating procedure today.  Making everyone feel like they were someone was the key to establishing loyalty and more importantly, return business.  At Binion’s, you knew you were getting a good gamble with a fair shake.   For more information about Benny Binion, check out the following lvstriphistory.com  The Players: The Men Who Made Las Vegas  The First 100  Sharks in the Desert  I Do My Own Damn Killin'  Blood Aces  Pinterest  BattleBorn Pins  Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas Many of YESCO’s contracts for the signs it manufactured were lease agreements that included service contracts for the life of the lease.  When the lessee eventually removed the sign, the contract stipulated that it be returned to YESCO which either recycled the signs parts or retired the sign to a designated boneyard lot at the outskirts of Las Vegas (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon) Vegas Pic of the week This week’s winner from VintageLasVegas.com is another snapshot in time of Vegas under development.  Specifically, the Mint and Lucky Casino.  The date is April 18th, 1963 and the Mint tower has broken ground behind the casino at the bottom of the picture.  Right across the street, in between the Golden Nugget and Nevada Club, Lucky Casino is installing their record-breaking marquee frontage that will reach 160 feet tall once complete.  It would only have the crown of tallest sign in the city for a year before the Dune’s 180-foot Super Pylon was built on the strip. News Tropicana Stadium FSE Free Concert Series 360 Vegas Discord ABC store Sign

Random Vegas In the late 1940s, the state of Nevada’s slogan was “If you can’t do it at home, come to Nevada”. (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon) Twitpic of the week Icons, paired together in a beautiful union.  The Sands cylindrical hotel tower, the classic, original, Sands egg crate marquee with the name Frank Sinatra on it as the headliner in the Copa Room.  For a time, it didn’t get any more iconic than these brands together.  @Summacorp shared a lovely photo of this moment in time, specifically Nov of 1966, just after Caesars Palace opened News Smoke and Mirrors New Vegas

Random Vegas In 2003, Las Vegas tried to buy a commercial slot during the Super Bowl to promote tourism to the city.  The NFL stepped in, citing a contract that allowed it to reject any ad related to sports betting, even though the spot didn’t include any overt references to gambling (Forbes) Twitpic of the week It’s amazing to think that today, this is all Circa.  The Las Vegas Club, Golden Goose, Glitter Gulch and Sassy Sally, shared by @_GrandPaD, gone.  Granted Sassy Sally was Mermaid’s at the time of her demise but that’s beside the point.  The point is look how much things change in Vegas, all the time.  On a side note, this is the best picture I’ve seen showing that Vegas Vickie and Sassy Sally are not the same thing.  The typical POV shot of Sally’s and this area makes it almost look like Vickie is sitting on top of the Sassy Sally sign, hence the misconception that Vickie used to be Sally. News Super Bowl Success Tropicana Stadium F1 2024 Improvements

This is one of those projects that I would have loved to see make it to the strip; and who knows, we may still get it one day.  Yes a space theme has failed before in Las Vegas but come on, it was Bob Stupak behind it.  Just like Luxor before it, I wonder how long those themed attractions will last.  Another problem with a space themed resort is how quickly things can look dated. $5 billion dollars is a crazy price tag for a concept that is clearly targeting the middle class. Only time will tell if this concept comes to market but considering its Vegas, I wouldn’t bet on it.

We recently released the 360 Vegas show review for X-Country, and Mrs Jaydubs complained that we spent half the review talking about Fantasy.  I can’t help it, though. Fantasy is the litmus test by which all other Vegas topless revues will be judged for a long time. Note: I have in the past referred to Fantasy as the Gold Standard of Vegas topless revues, and thought I was very clever for coming up with that. Then I saw the same words on a Fantasy poster on the way into Luxor and realized I was just subconsciously plagiarizing something I’ve seen before.  To quote my father, “When someone steals your idea, it’s plagiarism. When you steal someone else’s idea, it’s inspiration.”  I’ll run with that.       If you aren’t aware, Fantasy is a nightly topless revue show at the Luxor.  The production dates back to 1999, and is the oldest running topless show in Vegas.  It was originally titled “Midnight Fantasy,” and it had a 12 am showtime to match.  In 2001, Luxor dropped the midnight showtime in exchange for an earlier time slot, but didn’t drop the “Midnight” from the title until 2006.  Over its nearly 25 year history, Fantasy has gone through several revisions. I myself have seen it 3 or 4 times, and it is always a solid choice.       The structure is simple: beautiful women take off their clothes for the audience.  There are a variety of acts, and the show switched them out regularly. The content of the show can vary by season  - or even nightly - due to the various performers taking time off.  Your favorite dancer isn’t going to perform in the show 7 days a week, she needs a break! There are numbers that feature single performers, as well as duo and ensemble pieces.  To mix things up, the show also features a couple of acrobatic numbers with an aerialist on the silk web.  Driving the show forward is a female MC who sings a few songs while performers dance.        The performers themselves are absolutely lovely, and I would describe them as ______________.  I should say that Fantasy has a specific aesthetic for its performers, which some may not appreciate.  Probably the best way to describe this would be the classic Playboy look, the cast favors lean blondes, and even the darker-skinned girls are light-skinned, if that makes sense. None of the performers are conventionally unattractive, but if you prefer your eye-candy thick and curvy, you won’t find it here. I had no complaints.     An important note: every topless show I’ve seen in Vegas makes an effort to be welcoming of the ladies and the women in the audience, but probably none do it better than Fantasy.  Any women reluctant to attend with their SO or girlfriends should put that fear aside. You will not be the only woman there and no one will make you feel strange for being there. This is probably one of Fantasy’s biggest selling points for Mrs. Jaydubs and myself.     Fantasy runs nightly at the Atrium theater at the Luxor.  The show shares the venue with Carrot Top, and I can’t help but think that this must lead to some fascinating backstage moments.  The venue is a traditional theater with a very sloped house. What this means is there are no bad seats, and you have a bigger risk of accidentally kicking the person in front of you in the head than not being able to see around them.  The seats themselves are very comfortable, and the theater can accommodate about 350 people.     In terms of the Audience Fuckery Factor, you should avoid the first 5 rows if you don’t want to be singled out for questions or attention, and the first 2 rows if you don’t want to be called on stage.     Fantasy runs every night at 10:30 pm. There is also sometimes an early show at 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $52 on Vegas.com.

Random Vegas Built in 1982, the 2-story building that was the Oasis Casino @Dunes was supposed to be comprised of two components, a casino on the 1st floor and a restaurant on the 2nd floor.  The restaurant never opened and the space remained unused until its destruction in 1993 (vintagelasvegas.com) Twitpic of the week Here is another @summacorp picture that mesmerizes me with all the history going on.  For example, we know that this is 1968 because they are working on the fountains in front of the new Circus Circus casino. You’ll notice that fountain 5 is being deconstructed.  That’s because they are moving the carousel marquee from the left of the fountains to that location on the right; all so they can make room to build Slots-A-Fun. Next door to that is Westward Ho still 3 years away from adding a casino in 1971.  And next to that is the mammoth Stardust 1,000 motel units all lined up neatly like an OCD dream come true.  If you look to the top left you’ll see both the Stardust casino and the 12-story expansion tower from 1964.  And across the street from it all we have the Riviera with her classic marquee. It’s truly remarkable to think about how much land they needed back in the 50s through to the 70s and even 80s in some cases.  Its no wonder why they all sold for the right price. News Sphere Demonstration 360VV14 Strip Frontage Advertising Caesars, Strat and Luxor

Random Vegas After a 4 month remodeling and a rebranding, in 1963, Lucky Casino, formerly known as Lucky strike, reopened with the largest sign in the city of Las Vegas at 160 feet tall.  It held that titled until it was surpassed in 1964 by the Dunes turret marquee towering 180 feet tall.  Lucky Casino is now the middle part of Golden Nugget Fremont St frontage. Twitpic of the week So much development goodness in this picture it’s not hard to see why @summacorp shared it.  Set in what looks like 1993 based on the various projects in various states of progress.  Front and center, we see the massive MGM Grand theme park and Grand Garden Arena under construction.  Beyond that we can see Luxor is also still under construction.  Noticeably missing from the landscape is NYNY and Mandalay Bay.  Here we still see Hacienda occupying the space Mandalay Bay would one day call home. News Tropicana Closing Fontainebleau Problems Flamingo Restoration Fontainebleau Signage

Random Vegas The Caesars Palace marquee has caught on fire twice.  In both cases, Tom Jones was the featured artist on the billboard at the time (vintagelasvegas.com) Twitpic of the week Ever wonder what it looked like when your Grandparents were on vacation in Vegas.  Well, thanks to @_GrandPaD, we can relive that moment poolside at the Stardust in the 1950s.  How do I know it’s the Stardust, you say?  Easy, look at the top of the building.  You can see the unmistakable outline of the original Stardust marquee, at least the back of it.  Something about the idea of my grandparents chasing each other around like I chase my wife gives me an ear-to-ear grin, as it should. News A’s Fumble Sibella Justice Redneck Escape Room  Rio's Marquee Update  Glass Bar @Planet Hollywood  Hard Rock Window Tint

Random Vegas In Vegas history, 3 signs have been knocked down due to high winds.  The first was the Silver Slipper in May of 1978.  The second, in May of 1991, was Bob Stupak’s Vegas World sign.  The third was the Hilton sign, the tallest free-standing sign in the world at 365 feet, had the top portion of the sign collapse in July of 94.  The incident caused designers to be questioned how a sign designed to withstand winds of over 100 mph fail at 70 mph.  The sign was repaired, then totally replaced in 1997 with the sign they have today at Westgate, the current tallest free standing advertising sign in the world at 279 feet high. (News3lv.com) Twitpic of the week When installed in 1967 the Frontier, formerly the Last Frontier and, for a time, the New Frontier, was the tallest sign in the world at 184 feet tall.  It had 16-foot-tall letters and a giant 30 foot tall “F” logo resting at the top.  The sign contained more than a mile of fluorescent tubing, a mile and half of neon and more than 23,000 light bulbs.  In Dec of 2008, after the property had closed and was being prepared for new construction, Wynn paid to have the signage be taken down for the opening of Encore across the street.  This week, @summacorpshared that moment in time.  The Neon Museum sought to save portions of the sign but exactly what they were able to retain from the pylon marquee is unknown. News 360VV14 Update Sphere CEO Accused of Sexual Misconduct False F1 Loses Reported 1,000-piece puzzle

Patreon Exclusive Content   Many regard Jay Sarno as the father of the themed casino as well as the mind behind family friendly Las Vegas.  His contributions to the strip, Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, are complete opposites on the theme and customer base scale.  While he was many things, a womanizer and a gambling addict, no one can dispute that he was also a visionary.  Jay Sarno was exactly what Vegas wanted during a time when all its current owners were being scrutinized by attorney general Bobby Kennedy; a legit guy with no previous connection to organized crime.   If you're interested in learning more about Jay Sarno, check out Grandissimo  The Players: The Men Who Made Las Vegas  Sharks in the Desert  lvstriphistory.com  Pinterest  Battle Born Pins  Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas A typical arcade game makes about as much per day as a typical slot machine (Vital Vegas) Twitpic of the week Here @summacorp shares a time before the Golden Nugget consumed all of its western casino competition to acquire the Fremont footprint they have today.  It was also the initial incarnation of their greatest exterior façade with the bullnose corner of Fremont and 2nd St, known today as Casino Center Blvd.  Knowing what it would become it looks kind of cute.  Especially next to what was, for a time, the tallest sign on Fremont St at Lucky Casino standing at 153 feet high.  Beyond that you can see the adorable Californian club ending the block the Nugget absorbed.  If you really want to, you can also see Vegas Vic at the Pioneer Club and the Golden Gate marquees in the distance.  All that to avoid looking at the high waisted gentleman in the foreground. News 360VV14 Rio’s Canteen Superbowl Details Potential New Black Book Member Wynn West Update Nevada Craft Beverage Passport Palazzo’s New Marquee Venetian Rewards MGM 1.62 acre purchase  Rio's New Exterior

Random Vegas One day of running a 90-second ad intermittently on the Sphere is $750k (Vital Vegas) Twitpic of the week Magical…well, to someone like me this is magical.  To the layman this is an old picture of Caesars Palace,  shared by @Summacorp, before the retheming in the late 90s/early 2000s.  This is so mesmerizing because you don’t often see pictures of Caesars during this time, in this case 1982 and without the lights turned on.  This was a time before I knew Vegas so to me, it’s like a magic trick.  I can still visit this property even though it doesn’t look like this anymore, with the Sarno blocks.  Sarno blocks are affectionately named after Jay Sarno who introduced them to the market with Caesars Palace.  Those are concrete blocks replicating latticework that allows the frontage to look uniform as well as back lit.  This style of block is still in use today at Circus Circus, mostly on Industrial Road. News 360 Vegas Vacation 14  More Vintage AI Firearm Jackassary Copperfield Appearance Coming in 2024 Las Vegas Sign bobblehead Play Playground Mandalay Bay/Delano Exterior Paging  Bird Bar space

Random Vegas About one in 3 U.S. Adults said they thought the tipping culture “has gotten out of control,” according to a survey conducted in May 2023 (Review Journal) Twitpic of the week The photo by @Las_when doesn’t date the picture but this is how the Stardust looked when I got the one and only chance to visit the property in 2006, just months before it closed its doors on Nov 1st.  The lamentation of properties lost has a long tradition in Las Vegas.  However this move has gone down in history as the worst move made by Boyd gaming’s well documented history of brilliance, hindsight being 20/20. News 360 Vegas AI F1 Impact 3D LED sign Ramsay’s Kitchen

Random Vegas Allegiant Stadium generated $2.29 billion in economic impact to the city of Las Vegas including $128 million in tax revenue (@mickakers) Twitpic of the week Following last week’s holiday theme, @_GrandpaD out did himself with a collection of various Vegas locations themed for the holidays.  Everything from Stardust’s Aku Aku tiki statue with a giant Santa hat on to more views of Fremont St with decorations strewn across the street.  Our favorite this week was the view of Stardust’s original marquee anchored with Christmas decorations, full sized which only further gives perspective to just how large the sign was in its day.  As is common in Vegas signage, if you aren’t paying attention, you might miss the decorations, although not in this photo. News SuperBowl Accommodations Blackbook Addition BLVD Details Paris/Horseshoe Versailles tower Venetian Sala 118

Patreon Content Preview   Patreon.com/360Vegas   At times the Aladdin has been called “The Vegas Jinx”.  History has documented a long line of potential suitors who, when they took their shot, missed.  In a town where the house always wins, it’s not only an anomaly when one doesn’t, it’s also a cautionary tale.  It isn’t as simple as build it and they will come.  Theme, location, timing and in some cases luck is needed to be a successful Las Vegas resort. If your interested in learning more about the Aladdin, check out... lvstriphistory.com  Gambling on a Dream: The Classic Las Vegas Strip 1956-1973  Dreaming the Skyline  The Strip  After-Hours Architecture  Pinterest  Battle Born Pins  Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas Fontainebleau isn’t the first property to encounter financing problems causing the project to sit unfinished.  That title goes to the Landmark who broke ground in 1961 but had to halt construction in 62 due to financing issues.  So it sat, 80% done.  During that time it was the tallest building in the state of Nevada.  It sat dormant until 1969 when Howard Hughes bought it and finished building the property.  The Landmark would eventually open July 1st, 1969 (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week Festive isn’t exactly how you would describe Christmas in Las Vegas.  Not that the city doesn’t try but the displays are usually in juxtaposition with existing signage and all easily overlooked if you aren’t paying attention.  A perfect example of this is this week’s winner from @_GrandPaD showcasing Fremont St during the holidays, circa 1959.  It isn’t easy to see upon initial inspection because Vegas signs are designed to draw your attention to them.  However, if you look past the marquees you’ll seen garland strung across the street with some bells and whistles.  Signage tangent, this picture shows Golden Nugget in a transitional period with the original signage still on display but with the addition of the steel framed roof sign, added in 1956.  In just a few years, 1961, Kermit Wayne will add a giant bullnose shield on the corners with flanked animated signage on each side.  This will come to be the properties most memorable incarnation of signage, aside from its current. News Fontainebleau History Fontainebleau Details Fontainebleau Players Club Resorts World Faux Awards Vegas Concert Venues F1 Improvements Luxor Dorito  Flamingo Plumb Signage

On our first Vegas trip as a couple, I swung for the fences.Determined to have a great time and convince her that her previous terrible Vegas experience decades prior was not the only way to do Vegas, I made sure to fill our days with fun and our nights with great entertainment.  On that trip, we saw Brilliant at the Neon Museum, Fantasy, the Beatles Love, and finished off our final evening at Absinthe.  It was wildly successful. The problem is, where do you go there? You can have the top half. Out of all our Vegas show experiences, we loved Absinthe the most. It was - and remains - a perfect Vegas mix of sequins and trash, of sexy and vulgar, of talent and spectacle.  So when I booked our second trip for early 2019, we opted to check out Spiegelworld's newest show, Opium. At that time, I can honestly say that I didn’t love it. Opium paled in comparison to its big sister Absinthe.  Later that same year, I saw Atomic Saloon shortly after it opened. I felt that Atomic Saloon was a strong, close 2nd to Absinthe, while Opium was a distant third.  We recently all went to see Opium together, and I was curious to see how the show evolved in the 4 ½ years since.First, a history lesson: OPM (the show was retitled in 2021, probably to get around advertising restrictions) is the second “permanent” show created by Spiegelworld for Las Vegas after the wildly successful Absinthe. It opened in March, 2018 at the Cosmopolitan where it has remained until its closure at the end of this year.   Flingin' rings. OPM follows the variety show format that Spiegelworld developed with Absinthe.  The various acts you see don’t necessarily have a common thread, they are just loosely linked together, sometimes simply by a few words for a host or emcee. This is less-so in Atomic Saloon, which does make an effort to tie the various acts into the story; but as with all Spiegelworld productions those who attend looking for a compelling narrative will be disappointed. Spiegelworld’s strength is curation: the assembly of the fantastic, the weird, and the incredibly talented into a show that will simultaneously amaze, arouse, and confuse you.  The way Spiegelworld designs their shows, they are also nearly impervious to personnel issues. Performers can take a night off, get sick, or simply move on to another gig, and the show won’t suffer because some other great act can simply be plugged into the show and no one will ever know the difference. What this also means is that the show we saw is not necessarily the show you will see.  I’ve seen Absinthe twice and OPM twice, and all four experiences were different.  Whether you catch OPM before it closes or one of the other fantastic Spiegelworld shows, I’m pretty sure that you will still have a great time regardless. Andromeda is your hostess Before I dive too much into OPM, I’ll say this: over the last several years, the show has improved. The quality of the various acts has stepped up a notch, and the too-absurd-to-care-about story-line has been abandoned.Ever see a Cirque show or a magic show?  If you’re like me, sometimes when you’re watching the show your mind is reeling from all the amazing things you’re seeing, but after a while it becomes noise. Spiegelworld shows work well with my short attention span by continually switching up what I’m seeing, so mentally the entertainment never ends. In OPM, we saw a girl climb into a giant latex balloon, and two men turn giant throwing rings into spectacle. There was a pair of tumblers who terrified us as they launched each other towards the relatively low ceiling. Not everything works, though.   A girl in a straitjacket lip syncs psychotically to “No One” by Alicia Keys while writhing in an audience member’s lap, but the bit never seems to have a payoff.  A highlight for me was the “bubble-blowing guy,” who had the audience in the palm of his hands while making intricate creations with bubbles. It seems like a parlor trick, but I suggest finding YouTube v

Random Vegas Similar to the myth of Bugsy Seigel and the Flamingo, a popular myth has been told many times over about Howard Hughes and the purchase of the Desert Inn.  The legend says Hughes overstayed his welcome because ownership wanted the penthouse rooms for high rollers coming in for new years.  Instead of leaving, Howard bought the place.  The real story about the Desert Inn purchase is that Howard kept holding up the deal with seemingly petty details.  The two parties would agree in principle to a deal only to have Hughes find something else he wanted to address.  The situation became so heated that the deal almost fell through and his right-hand man Bob Maheu threatened to quit if Hughes changed one more thing.  That was enough to get Hughes to finally close on the deal, paying $13 million for the Desert Inn. (Book - Howard Hughes: The Hidden Years) Twitpic of the week No one has done as much with so little than Cosmopolitan.  That resort sits on 4.4 acres, has a premium location next to Bellagio’s fountains and offers something no other property offers, balconies in the majority of their rooms.  The closest is Cromwell which resides on 1.4 acres.  Thanks to @MaverickHeli and Claytonhaam for sharing another stunning view via helicopter of an icon.  Here’s hoping that MGM won’t fuck up everything at the property. News LV Sands buys Mavericks

Random Vegas Surprising no one, the sportsbooks at multiple properties reported record breaking action on F1 betting Twitpic of the week I know it looks like this at every F1 track but damn it looked cool in Vegas.  Whatever you think of F1 and/or its impact on the city you can’t argue they know how to illuminate a track.  That was captured magnificently on ESPN via helicopter, then shared via screenshot by @MeltzVegas.  Many records have been reported as a result of the often-trolled event but it was the spectacle promised; and as usual, the Sphere impressed.  Here’s to hoping our Wishlist of things to improve actually get addressed. News F1 2023 Results Manhole Cover Accident Vegas Starfish Fraud Pedestrian Traffic

People will try to describe the experience you have at the Sphere but let’s start with saying it unlike anything you've experienced before.  It doesn’t matter if you see the film or a live act, this will be different.  Which is exactly what Madison Square Garden Company was going for with the Sphere.  You’ll find a lot of comparisons to IMAX, Disney’s Soaring Attraction, 360 theaters but that’s only because how else do you describe something never done before.  The Sphere is one of those rare attractions that lives up to the hype, not only breaking the technological ceiling set before it but creating a new form of entertainment.  Let’s discuss some of the ways its unlike anything you’ve seen before.   First, the Sphere is located behind the Venetian convention center.  It’s the largest spherical building ever constructed at 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide.  The exterior also features 580,000 square feet of LED displays, making it the largest LED display in history.  It cost approx. $2.3 billion to build and took 4 years to bring to life.  Construction started in 2018 with a planned opening in 2021 but had to put the project on hold in 2020 due to supply complications brought on by the COVID pandemic.  When progress resumed, materials and technology costs had increased causing the originally projected $1.2 billion dollar price tag to almost double by the time it was completed.   The Sphere is the most expensive music and entertainment venue in history.  It seats 18,600 and with standing room accommodations that can handle up to 20,000.  10,000 of those seats have haptic technology incorporated into the seats.  They work in conjunction with 4d features like scent and wind.  At 160,000 square feet, the 16k resolution wraparound LED screen is the largest and highest-resolution LED screen in the world.  The sound system comprises of 1,600 speakers installed behind the LED panels.   The experience starts the moment you enter the venue.  The atrium is large enough to fit the statue of liberty or the Saturn V rocket.  Inside, you’ll find five humanoid robots throughout the venue introducing you to the Sphere as well as interacting with patrons.  While the technology is impressive, personally, I would best describe them as borderline creepy.  That said, they are powered by AI and have the ability to react to those that interact with them.   The Sphere isn’t designed to host things like professional sporting events typically presented in the round.  However, it would fit well with events like boxing, MMA, WWE, esports or even award ceremonies in addition to concerts and films. Today, we are going to discuss both the film and the concert experience.   The Film   Darren Aronofsky, probably best known for the films like Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan and The Whale, is the director of the first film ever captured in 18k.  It’s called “Postcards from earth” and tells the story of a dystopian earth that humans have had to evacuate due to all the damage done to it. It follows 2 humans waking up from cryo-sleep after their journey to another planet that can sustain life. Darren uses this narrative to showcase what sort of film experience only the Sphere can offer. It can probably be best described as a love letter to the planet featuring some of the most breathtaking scenes ever captured on film. The film is 50 minutes long and ticket prices start at $89, increasing based on the better the seat location.   The Show   So a few of things to get out of the way: First, I know this is a divisive band. People seem to love them or hate them. I happen to be in the “love them” camp, and I don’t really care if you’re in the “hate them” camp. Music opinions are entirely subjective and no one is going to change anyone’s mind. With that in mind, I’d like to ask those that aren’t interested to simply move on instead of voicing your distaste. It’s not that you can’t have an opinion, it’s just that I don't li

Random Vegas The Westward Ho was advertised as “The World’s Largest Motel”.  It had 777 rooms and closed in 2005.  When demolished they had to take down 27 total buildings. (@las_when) Twitpic of the week What else can you say but wow?  Here’s hoping Vegas properties will take notice that you can do so much more with LED signage than just running commercials.  If the Sphere hadn’t already endeared itself in the hearts of the locals it did with this display showcased during F1 practice, shared by @kerrybilicki.  Featuring elements of the Flamingo, classic Sahara, googie stars from Stardust’s glory days and a lot more all represented on this global display of Vegasy goodness.  Salud to much more of this. News FUF1 Downtown Ban Encore marquee signage

Premium Content Preview - Patreon.com/360Vegas   The Sahara used to be referred to as the start of the strip, when the strip began to develop.  During that time, people talked about the strip like they do off strip properties today, too far from the action.  Turns out what people really wanted was more options and the development of the strip over the years has been nothing short of remarkable.  The question is, does the strip have a limit to the number of properties it can support, or do the struggles facing places like Sahara fall directly on the shoulders of the properties experiencing them.  Give the people what they want and they will come.  If you follow that sentiment then the question has to be asked, do people not want what Sahara has to offer?  Is that why they are struggling?   For more information regarding Del Webb and the Sahara, check out... lvstriphistory.com  Del Webb: A Man A Company  Gambling on a Dream: The Classic Las Vegas Strip 1930-1955  Viva Las Vegas: After-Hours Architecture  The First 100: Portraits of the Men and Women Who Shaped Las Vegas  Pinterest  Battle Born Pins  Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas The office of Sam “Ace” Rothstein and the Tangiers sports book in Martin Scorsese’s Casino was filmed on the site of an unopened casino at the Jockey Club (@summacorp) Twitpic of the week One of the reasons Vegas is like no other place on the planet is the wide array of architecture it has on display.  It has a mixture of traditional, themed and many in a category of their own.  Unfortunately, the creativity that brought us the likes of Caesars Palace, Paris and Excalibur, shared here by @las_when,  seems to have been forgotten or at least abandon.  The situation leaves those that appreciate them to desperately fear that the themes that make the city so unique are now the targets for redevelopment by those who thought an office park on the strip was something visitors wanted.  The only constant in life is change so rather than lament the inevitable we should try to just enjoy what we have while we have it. News F1 Vegas Eve Venetian Grandstands Mirage Mountain Trespassing Jackpots Wizard of Oz Escape Room Naked Crimes Hooker Gone Wild Sphere Struggles The Continental Returns Palms billboard sign Cosmopolitan to Vdara Canteen Food Hall The Family Plan

Most of you probably don’t know who Kenny Epstein is, but you should. He’s the owner and CEO of El Cortez. Much more than that, he’s the guy that made the conscious decision to not remodel the property but to refresh it while retaining the vintage feel the property permeates. Kenny understands what El Cortez does so well and sees the value in continuing to service those customers. So instead he upgraded just about everything in the property, all without changing the esthetic. This year, the El Cortez, and Kenny, celebrate their 80th birthday. So we took the opportunity to talk history and the El Cortez with the man himself in the first ever 360 Vintage Vegas Interview.

Random Vegas The music video for U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, filmed in downtown Las Vegas in 1987, was done in one take, shot in less than 3 hours with a skeleton crew and an unsuspecting cast of extras. All the stuff in the video really happened.  The music video is credited with introducing, or in some cases re-introducing, Fremont St to the masses and creating a demand for the area that it hadn’t had in a long time. This would go on to spark the need to renovate the area with an attraction that would draw people to it.  Today, we know it as the Fremont St Experience.  (RJ.com)   Twitpic of the week The rebranding of a property must be an inexpensive process.  Consider how quickly Caesars Entertainment rebranded Imperial Palace into the Quad, shared by @MeltzVegas, only to rebrand the property less than two years later into the Linq.  Naming aside, we’ve been a fan of the properties transformation from what was considered by most to be one of the worst properties on the strip when it was Imperial Palace into what we have today.  I can’t emphasize enough that Keren wouldn’t step foot in Imperial Palace and since the transformation, we’ve not only spent a considerable amount of time at the property but we’ve spent the night at more than once.  The Linq is proof concept that you can make a discount version of Cosmopolitan.   News Valid Form of ID Sphere Impact Golden Tee Championships Arte Museum Street Performance Art Fertitta Strip Resort Particle Ink Vegas Advantage Craps Games

Random Vegas Roughly 26 international destinations are reachable from Las Vegas (@lasvegasweekly) Twitpic of the week In Las Vegas, perspective is everything.  While some may look at gambling losses as a negative, those that love the city understand its part of the dance that leads to a win.  This week, @luckytraveling shared a POV that reminds one that even when passed out on a casino floor one can still find beautiful imagery.  Captured is a view of the Cromwell hallway from the floor up to the chandeliers and while it doesn’t feature anyone on the floor, its easy to make that leap in a monologue. News Street Vendor Ban G2E 2023 Voltaire Residencies High End B&E Palms sign Refurbishment Las Vegas Monorail Deals F1 pop-up experiences and exclusive culinary events

Random Vegas Advertising at the Sphere costs approx. $450k for a one-day campaign, $650k for a week.  For comparison, traditional billboards cost $20k a month, Mekka Walgreen’s is $65k a month and a 30 second spot during the 2024 SuperBowl will run you $7.5 million. Pricing for the Sphere does include production development of the ad.  (VitalVegas & News3lv.com) Twitpic of the week Barbary Coast, in all her chasing lights glory, shown here by @las_when as she was originally introduced to the market, with a white exterior.  Even better, this picture was taken before the pedestrian walkway was installed.  This was Fremont quality exterior lighting, not found on the strip in too many places these days.  While we prefer the property it is today, Cromwell, we will always prefer this signage. News Tupac Arrest Room Fraud Rio Renovations  Rio Players Club  Rouge Roulette Area15 Expansion Sphere Parking Westgate Halloween Suite  Killer's "Your Side of Town" Music Video

Random Vegas Because they used the shell of the Marina Hotel, the entire MGM Grand project was considered a remodel rather than new construction.  Therefore, property taxes were set at the value when the Marina was built. (@AStotland) Twitpic of the week While it may be hard to wrap your head around, motels used to dominate the Vegas strip and beyond.  They must have seen the writing on the wall when hotel towers became the future of hospitality but that didn’t stop properties like the La Concha from continuing to try and compete in the market. In 2001, the property was approved to build a 520 foot tall hotel tower, a 645 square foot condo tower and a shopping mall.  In 2004 the La Concha was closed and demolished to make room for the new project.  The iconic concrete shell lobby was carefully dismantled and donated to the Neon Museum who reassembled it and use it as the attractions lobby.  The signage, shown here by @Las_when, is on display in the neon boneyard to this day.  The project was ultimately canceled for reasons unknown and the property has been sold multiple times.  It is currently owned by the Siegel Group and trust me, you don’t want these people opening a hotel/casino.  Think Circus Circus, Imperial Palace and Excalibur at their worst but strip out the themes. News 360VV14 More Vegas F1 Casualties Venetian Loves Locals Strike Vegas WebCams Casino Hopping Palms Sign Restoration  Westin Signage  U2 Atomic City  Netflix - Obliterated

Who farted?  Do you have that one piece of media that you would like to check out, but never seem to get around to it? Like, you’re scrolling through Netflix, and there’s that one movie that you’re interested in checking out, but not this time. Or the next time, or the time after that. It’s always there, and you’re interested, but not interested enough to dive in at the moment. That, my friends, is how Blue Man Group was for me until recently.I’ve known who the Blue Man Group was for over 20 years now. I remember there was an Intel Pentium TV commercial that they starred in, and a little Googling tells me that was in the year 2000.  Sometime after that, I borrowed their album - yes, they have albums - from a friend, because I really liked the unique sound they had. And when I took my very first grownup trip to Vegas in 2002, I stayed at the Luxor, where BMG has had their Las Vegas home off and on since the year 2000. Men beat their 'bone, live on stage! I’ve never been one to mince words in my reviews, so I’ll say up front that I liked Blue Man Group. But I’m having a hard time describing Blue Man Group.  I left the theater thinking, “I don’t know what the fuck I just saw, but I’m pretty sure I liked it.” Kind of like a donkey show in Tijuana, but a little more family friendly.So the Blue Man Group itself goes all the way back to 1987. Created as a sort of performance art by three friends in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the group started with street performances which gradually grew to full on stage productions.  People in New York like weird artsy shit.  Gradually it became a phenomenon, with worldwide tours, 3 albums, and more blue latex than any person should have access to. The Blue Man Group brand was sold to Cirque du Soliel in 2017, another Vegas mainstay.So what the hell is it? The show is kind of a techo-surreal experience.  Three Blue Men guide the audience through various experiences, like making music, art, and marshmallow tossing.  Without spoken words, the show manages to explore themes of science and technology, information overload, and cultural norms.  The characters have a sort of naive curiosity in their behavior. It can come across as mime-like in its execution, but there’s more to it than that. The characters seem like visitors from another world, and their experiments and explorations address our assumptions about the world around us.   Chest-hole.   Imagine colored paint leaking out of a member’s chest hole onto an under-lit drum that flashes brightly when struck, showing colored drops of paint splattering through the air. If you are thinking that this seems weird as fuck, you’re right, but there’s a sort of mystical coolness about this when BMG does it on stage.  Watch as they play wild instruments custom made from PVC pipe and create songs that are absolute bangers.They play songs that the group has created themselves, along with well-known classics like Beethoven’s Fur Elise, pop songs like Bad Romance, and even tease a little Freebird.Audience Fuckery Factor:Minimal, but they do go out in the audience looking for volunteers. They look for people raising hands, so don’t raise your hand if you don’t want to go onstage.And just like a trip to Sea World, avoid the first several rows if you don’t want to get splashed.  I think they hand out plastic rain ponchos, because I saw several people with them.The show plays with light (you may be blinded by the lights during the show) and sound (I highly recommend ear plugs). This could be you! The theater is nice. It has a capacity of 830 people. There is a low slope on the house floor, so you may have people blocking your view.  I recommend row AA if you don’t want anyone directly in front of you, but you also don’t want to be splashed or singled out. Shows are 2 - 3 times /day everyday of the week.  Tickets start at $49.  This is a great value show.  I also think it works well as a family show, or show to take the in-laws to when they decide the

Random Vegas While already in use at multiple other businesses in the valley, the Las Vegas Club installed the 1st neon sign on a hotel gambling establishment in 1931 (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week While there are many reasons to not like Caesars Palace, the architecture isn’t one of them.  The move from the Sarno block exterior to an aesthetic that more appropriately reflects the time and place its representing was masterfully applied.  Even though we know these are all recreations it still projects a sense of authentic grandeur.  I mean, whose eyes aren’t drawn to statues of topless females and concrete penises.  Thanks to @las_when for sharing a great representation of what we are talking about. News Happy Hour Deals Kitchen Nightmares Fontainebleau Details MGM Cyber Attacks Zero Bond Red Rock Point Theft Planet Hollywood Fire Alarms  Rio Refurbishment

Patreon.com/360Vegas   Something for everyone, that’s what Vegas has that makes it a magical destination.  It took decades for the market to get that way but it seems every time change is needed, the city finds a way to adapt and evolve.  At the end, the Hacienda looked miniature next to its new neighbors Luxor and Excalibur.  Like many properties before it and since, the Hacienda evolved as much as it could but ultimately had to be imploded to make room for the future of the strip.  Thankfully part of that evolution includes other properties adapting to cater to the audience that once frequented the Hacienda. For more on Hacienda, check out the following resources lvstriphistory.com  Gambling on a Dream Volume 2  The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream  Pinterest  Vintage Vegas Shirts  Battle Born Pins

Random Vegas By 1980, the states five dominate gaming entities were publicly traded companies.  They were Harrah’s, MGM, Del Webb, Caesars World and Hilton (Neon Metropolis) Twitpic of the week The concept was unique and interesting to begin with.  City Center, a city within a city.  So big it has its own fire department onsite.  Unfortunately, what we got was essentially a very expensive office park on the strip. While not pictured, Aria is a sexy bitch, but it was designed to usurp Bellagio as the premier property in the portfolio and to date, it has done no such thing.  While Veer towers have always captured our imagination the remaining resorts on property, include Vdara and Waldorf Astoria, don’t have casinos in them so there is no reason to even visit either of these properties, in our opinion.  It is amusing that the most popular resort in the City Center portfolio is arguably Cosmopolitan, a property they had to acquire and fold into the complex.  Thanks to @TheCrybabyvegas for sharing the view from his room during VV12. News Cyber Attacks free credit monitor and identity theft protection services Zorkfest 2023 Pawn Stars DUI Big Rig Jig Caesars fountains Darren Aronofsky film

Random Vegas There are over 130 unique employee uniform styles at the Aria.  Each uniform is equipped with a radio frequency ID chip (sincitytalk.com) Twitpic of the week Welcome to the new strip landscape, one populated by a mesmerizing giant cylindrical object proving that even LED can be done in an interesting way and not just as a giant rectangular TV.  It will come as no surprise that @maverickhelishared this new view.  Here we see the entire strip showcased with the Strat in the foreground all the way down to Mandalay Bay.  The Sphere, of course, stands out because of its uniqueness, not just to the market but in the world as the largest spherical object.  As with everything, someone will probably build one larger, probably in the middle east, unless it’s a huge flop but I don’t think Venetian owners will allow that to happen.  What the hell else are you gonna use that thing for if not its intended purpose.  Is the Sphere too big to fail or will it fail because its too big.  Time will tell.  We are hoping it doesn’t fail either way and instead became as iconic as the Fountians of Bellagio or the Mirage volcano. News Comps for Debts Twitpic of the Week The Paddock Building Like An Onion: The Vegas Skim Stray Pirate Tiki Bar Video Poker Tournament Money Laundering for Dummies Severed Negotiations Tesla’s Cybertruck

Random Vegas The myth is that casino carpet is busy to keep guests looking at the slots.  The fact is its to conceal stains as well as wear. (@VitalVegas) Twitpic of the week A breathtaking photo of @Caesars Palace from @maverickHeli.  An arial view of the property showing just how diverse and sprawling the property is.  This photo has it all, well, almost all.  It has the 6 different hotel towers, the Roman, Centurion, Fantasy (known today as the Nobu tower), Palace, Augustus, and Octavius towers.  It has the porte cochere and the famous fountains capped off by the Absinthe circus tent.  While I’ve been assured this tent is a permanent structure, I can’t help but wonder why Caesars didn’t build them something more on brand.  Perhaps the juxtaposition better suits the show’s theme.  Whatever the reason it’s a marvelous photo and one I’m happy to add to the Twitpic of the week collection. News Adele Disruption Fan Girl Opportunity Ticket in-Bonus Out in Testing 360 Vegas Vacation Naming SkyVue Removal Zoo Station: A U2/UV Experience Durango Wax Rabbit

Random Vegas Silver Sevens deals live roulette again. That makes 67 casinos in the Las Vegas market that offer the game. There are 71 with table games. Of the four that don't deal roulette, three are small locals that only have blackjack. The other is Main Street Station. (@John_Mehaffey) Twitpic of the week Whenever we start talking about “locations” for 360 Vegas Vacations, think of this picture from @JustWonOne when we refer to center strip.  From the Horseshoe to Aria.  Just disregard that MGM marquee as it doesn’t serve our narrative and as we all know, it’s all about the narrative.  Or maybe you don’t know that but just go with it.  For the record, we consider South Strip to be Mandalay to Park MGM and north is Cromwell to Palazzo.  We expanded it beyond Mirage thanks to Flight Club Social Darts Experience, as I’m calling it.  All seriousness, this is a great photo of center strip. News 360 Vegas #1 Best Vegas History podcast Top Las Vegas podcasts 360 Vegas Vacation 2024 More F1 Details road closures 360 Vegas Vacation and the Pinball Hall of Fame Bats in Gotham Delano Forgery Lab Stripwalking.com Wynn Resorts Future Bellagio’s exterior lighting off

Random Vegas Casino staff often use police code as shorthand when dealing with guests.  For example, a “408” means a drunk guest (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week It’s a hell of a view of west Fremont St, although not the view it used to be.  But that’s okay.  Business is business and the only constant is change.  Especially in this town.  So we’ll enjoy what we have and be grateful for it.  Or so help me I will turn this car around right now.  Anyway, thank you @cinamongirl for sharing your view from Oscar’s.  At least this view has been classed up by the giant LED showing the various former views down Fremont St.  Or was that a final shot at Plaza, showing them what they used to have, now reduced to a tv on the back of a concert stage. News Durango Las Vegas Crocodile Dumbass  The Sphere Hard Rock Guitar Hotel Fontainebleau Restaurant Details Paris Cherry Bombing More Paid Parking Flight Club Survey Legacy Club @Circa Special Events New Exterior Illumination at Mandalay Bay  Vegas Eyecandy in Usher’s new music video Vegas history art Interlock Social Craps

In 1955, the Dunes Hotel and Casino was the 10th property to open on the Las Vegas strip.  This is her story.

Wynn Paradise Park Plans, Excalibur 4-D, The Voice: Neon Dreams and we kid.

Bally's gets a new resident, Luxors unveils Esports arena, Caesars Palace Tower renovations and return of the theme.

MGM Buys a WNBA Franchise other stuff about Vegas

Future of slots, Park MGM Pool Progress, Wynn Temporary Policy Changes, Renovated Cosmopolitan Rooms and we heep scorn on media coverage

Enhanced Podcast Returns, Mandalay Bay Shooting, Fountains of Samsung, No Phase 2 @Tropicana, Notoriety Coming to Neonopolis and Zorkfest Atlantic City

Cafe Hollywood  replaces Planet Dailies, Wynncore Nightclub Changes, Raiders may stay in Oakland in 2020 and false Vegas memories.

Fontainebleau Actually Sold, Sports Betting & Cannabis, Satan's Kitchen, Monte Carlo Update, NHL Begins in Vegas, 24/7 Weed, 18 Fremont Progress Report and Listener Feedback

Enjoy another installment of our misadventures in Vegas with some kick ass listeners.

White Castle Fremont Signage, Taxicab Authority Pretends to Address Long Hauling...again, Palazzo Casino Renovations, More Week Regulations, Wynn Secures Wynn Resorts, Listener Feedback and on #360VV5 Eve

Ride Sharing Woes, Weed Advertising, Crimes & B&B, Vegas Teflon Retail, Serial Security Guard Stabbings and Wynn's new Sports Book

Park MGM Renderings Revealed, 360 Archives, Chandelier Bar Renovations, Neonopolis Questionable Business Practices and Real Talk about Anxiety and Depression...in a good way.

Golden Gate Renovations Revealed, Weed Shortage, Free Downtown Shuttle Service, Wynn Stuff, More Mirage Restaurant News, Uber Tipping, Vegas Vicki Plans, Kerkorian Estate Sells MGM Assets.

Downtown Grand, Recreational Blaze, Burning Man Dragon Art Car, 99 Happy Hours and listener feedback

360VV5 Details and RSVPs, Giada Expands, Bally's Mini Golf & Las Blazus

Slot Drink System, Palms remodel, New Frontier for sale, Las Vegas Club Project Gears Up, 6.4 acres behind Plaza, Downtown Grand Plans, North/Off Strip Ownership changes, SLS Dining Changes, Fremont Food Emporium and New Caesars Forum Shops Marquee

Because of coure he did, hear some of the details behind what happened at 360 Vegas Vacation 4

Lives were changed, memories were made...and lost

#360VV4 Eve News, Resorts World Resurrection?, Ninja Contractors, Death with Dignity, Caesars Entertainment announces old plans and cat like reflex injuries for the stupid.

Still No Golden Knight Jersey's, Weed Conventions, IRS Jackpot Limits, Paradise Park Phase Plans and friends make each other laugh.

Hell's Kitchen Returns, Raiders Buy A Vegas Home, Frontier Air Expands, The Dome Opens and our listeners to very supportive

It is literally the original hotel in Las Vegas, built in 1906 and given the address 1 Fremont St.  It was originally the Hotel Nevada, then in 31 it became a casino and was renamed Sal Sagev, Las Vegas backwards until 1955 when a group of Italian-Americans from San Francisco rethemed it into the Golden Gate.  Fast forward to today and this isn’t what you would expect out of a 110 year old property.  This is the very definition of classic.  It’s old without being dated, it’s small without feeling cramped and it's themed without being gaudy.  Much of that can be attributed to it’s most recent owners, Greg and Derek Stevens.  Their 2012 renovation may be the most subtle and functional ever in a place that doesn’t really have any space to grow.  With 122 rooms Golden Gate is the smallest hotel/casino in Vegas on Fremont or the Strip but again, that somehow adds to it’s charm.  And the future looks even brighter.  The Stevens group’s recent acquisition of La Bayou next door seems to indicate plans for expansion of the Golden Gate.  And the purchase of the Las Vegas Club, Glitter Gultch and Mermaids across the street makes it clear that they are making their claim to shape Fremont St as they see fit.  Those who are fans of the D have reason to believe a players club card that connects all 3 properties is coming soon.

MGM/Cosmopolitan Rumors, Skill Based Gaming @Planet Hollywood, Light Rail to Fremont and someone Shat's the bed.

The Fires of Bellagio, Win Wynn (Sorry), Mob Bar Museum, Monte Carlo Update, The Nerd Opens, Plaza Pool Renovations, Mekka Robot Beer, All Inclusive Rio Deal and lots of listener feedback.

NEW 360 Vegas Merchandise, Raiders Approved to move to Las Vegas, Japonais Closes, WarMachine Down, Rolex Robbery @Bellagio, Cosmopolitan Shooting, Vegas Weed Lounges, Neon Museum Expansion and the Murrenization of Las Vegas

Infamously known as the Kayotay Tackos episode The themed resort is one of the things that makes Vegas so special.  If you just want to gamble, you can find casinos all over the place.  Only in Vegas can you walk from an Egyptian pyramid to a Mid-evil Castle to New York City without even traveling a mile.    Enter NYNY, MGM’s contribution to the Vegas themed offerings.  Located on the corner of the busiest intersection in the United States, Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd, NYNY was a huge hit from day one.  It aimed for the mid-market right out of the gate and they came.  Some have argued that the property has an identity crisis with Cirque’s most provocative production in residency while also offering a huge arcade and a roller coaster, clearly aimed at entertaining those not old enough to gamble.  Today, it’s one of the anchor properties of MGM’s outdoor promenade “The Park”, a play off of New York’s central park, if only in general concept and location to the themed resort, complete with a 20,000 seat arena and home to the cities first professional team.  Coming up on it’s 20th anniversary, it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

360 Vegas Vacation V details, Criss Angel Blacks out, Atlantic Club Water Park and Tony is back.

360 Vegas Vacation 4 & 5 updates, Vegas Takes Your Money, Hard Rock Buys Taj, Vegas Extreme Park Pretends to Return, Cromwell Rebranding, Tipsy Robot Bar, Sands Bethlehem Sold, Vegas gets 2nd NASCAR event and Alastair is mean

When the fabled Sahara casino closed its doors on May 16th 2011, many were sceptical as to whether new life would be breathed into this grande dame of the strip. Fast forward to August 23rd 2014 and SLS, a shiny white concept of ‘LA in the desert’, was born kicking and screaming into the world. Replete with Olympic mascot lookalike Sam, the shiny silver cyclops welcomed the non-existent foot traffic to the property. Would SLS succeed? Or would it be buzzed off stage faster than Tony Snyder at an America’s got talent audition. The jewel in the dining crown at SLS was ‘James Beard Award-winning chef’ Jose Andres’ Bazaar Meat. Already a known quantity in Las Vegas through his presence at The Cosmopolitan with Jaleo, e and China Poblano, expectations were high. Fortunately, whilst the rest of SLS seemed to struggle with stores, restaurants and casino layouts coming and going, Bazaar Meat built a solid and growing reputation. After reading a glowing recommendation in a magazine (but not listening to the constant verbal love fest that Alastair has been having with the place), Keren finally decided to head out to the wasteland of north strip to discover the truth for herself

The Real Du-Par's Story, Monorail Mistake, Fremont Resort Resurrection and jokes

#360VV4 update, Du-Pars Closes, Club Neonopolis Coming Soon, More Linq VR, New Gaming Age Bill, 2 Die @SpeedVegas, Lucky Dragon Expands, Golden Gate Renovations and Tony falls into a bottle of Bourbon.

Okay, she’s hot.  No one is going to argue that.  She is also Italian so the odds of her being batshit crazy is also pretty probable.  All those things aside, this women couldn’t have gotten famous as a chef if she wasn’t actually good at it to begin with; right.  Well this is her first restaurant ever anywhere so if you want first hand knowledge, here's your chance  Giada’s is Cromwell’s only dining option and it is brilliantly located on the 2nd floor, basically in the same spot the famous Barbary Coast/Bill’s cascading neon signage formerly resided.  As has become the newest fade in Vegas, that this show can’t encourage enough, it offers outdoor dining, right on the strip…well, elevated above the strip.  The restaurant is described as Italian cuisine with refreshing California influences.  To encourage perfect pronunciation, the menu phonetically spells out how to pronounce bastardized words like Spaghetti and Rigatoni. But let’s not focus on the pretentious and let's get to the f

Raiders tell Adelson to suck it, Plaza's Brightside, Vegas' Innovation District and listener feedback

Hooters Gets Work Done, Free Shake Shack, Alto Lounge Opens and we explain...again...how to play Stadium Blackjack

Cautionary Uber Tale, Milk Bar opens, Parasol Up Re-opens, Raiders File for Relocation to Vegas, Sammy Davis Jr: The Movie, Keith Sweat Residency Extension and babble

#360VV4 RSVP, More Vegas Weed News, Rio Pays Electric Bill, Stadium Blackjack @Venetian, Hard Rock Entertainment Shift and we disagree...a lot

It’s a burger, right?  Sure, some are better than others but how do you justifying charging $10-20 for it.  Well, once you taste it, you’ll understand why.  Apparently there really is such a thing as a gourmet burger and Broadway Burger is a good example of one. You wouldn’t expect much from a restaurant with a name that fits the theme of the hotel/casino it resides in but you would be wrong to overlook this experience.  Broadway Burger showcases the concept that the whole is more than the sum of it’s parts because, while each element is well taken care of, the combination is something special. While the concept isn’t new the simplicity of their build a burger is something to be enjoyed, appearing to be inspired by the Chipotle concept, if only in menu layout.  Pick your protein, cheese, veggies, meats and even fry styles.  I know your listening to this and thinking, lots of people do this, it isn’t anything new.  Let me assure you, Broadway Burger doesn’t do burgers like everyone else does.

Asgard Update, Free Parking Lost, Crown's New Vegas Plan, Mike Ensign Dies, Vegas Golden Knights, Ramsey Outbreak, Las Vegas Raiders Update, Level Up MGM and listener feedback.

In a city known for excess, the idea of a restaurant who’s entire concept is gigantic portions of food seems like a no brainer.  Hash House A Go Go has made that their thing and they’ve been so successful at it that they’ve got a location on the strip at LINQ, Off Strip at Rio, Downtown at Plaza, a Reno spot and 2 for the Vegas locals.  However you might be surprised to know, Hash House didn’t start in Vegas, it stated in San Diego California.  Now they have locations in Illinois, Connecticut, Florida and Texas as well as the aforementioned.  Twisted Farm Food is how they describe their food.  A Bacon, Bacon, Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato sandwich, waffles with either bacon or sausage inside and a one pound burger are just a few examples of the delicious excess that can be ordered at Hash House A Go Go.  But do huge portions of familiar favorites equal a quality food experience? Let's discuss.

The Four Queens isn't exactly where you would think of when you think of an evening of fine dining on Fremont St. Never heard of Hugo's Cellar? Don’t be surprised. It’s literally in the basement of the property.  It’s probably the best place to eat at 4 Queens but the fact that I had to use the word says something but that isn’t saying much in a place with only 3 places to eat and one is a coffee shop.  It’s described as one of those places that capture the “old school ambiance” of high end dining in Vegas.  Each woman receives a rose, the sommelier visits each table to help find the perfect wine to pair with your meal and even the salad is prepared table side, a la cart.  Charm, wit and customer service served in small portions are all apart of the dining experience at Hugo’s Cellar.  In a word, romantic.

Private Trip, Paris Power Outage, Recreational Week Legal in Nevada, Hakkasan Level Up, Hard Rock Cafe Closing and some 2nd Tier Feedback

Sunrises and sunsets can suck it.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more magical, and dare I say romantic, than seeing the reflection of neon signage in water; a sight that

Steven's Group Expands Again, Bonanza Sold, Cirque Du Avatar, Vegas Pioneering Driverless Technology, BAR coming to Grand Bazaar, Murren Wants NBA and Adelson Ready to Walk from Stadium/NFL Deal

Park Theater News, Miracle Mile Shops @Planet Hollywood Sold, Vegas Stadium Approved, Vegas Deal and Listener Feedback.

360 Vegas Vacation 4 details, Evel Pie Recreational Weed in Vegas, New Las Vegas Logo, Bruno Mars Vegas Residency, More New LINQ promenade and life changing news

Las Vegas’ continuing success is its ability to reinvent itself when the market needs it to.  Unlike urban developments in established cities, Vegas doesn’t venerate the old, the past or history in general.  Nothing is so sacred that it can’t be imploded to make way for the next thing. While it can be sad to lose that history, it is unarguable that for Vegas, it works.   As much as I’ve fallen in love with the cities history, it was it’s current incarnation that drew me to it for the first time.  Properties like Luxor, Excalibur, NYNY and Paris are what caught my attention and cultivated the desire to experience Las Vegas.  In a very short period of time, I’ve learned about her history and enjoyed her evolution. That brings us to now and Vegas’ current incarnation, retail.  It started with shopping malls and have transformed into outdoor dining and shopping experiences.  The Linq promenade was a brand new experience to the market and has already been mimicked by Bally’s Grand Bazaar and MGM’s The Park.  Vegas properties are finally understanding that the guests of today aren’t trying to get out of the desert heat; they want to spend lots of time in it.

Is there anything more rewarding that a great steak dinner?  Of course I can't speak for the whole world but there is something very American about steak. It seems to embody what it feels like to be successful.  Like a beer at the end of hard days work, steak is how you cap off a special occasion and steak makes an occasion special. So you agree, steak is great; but have you ever had a steak in Vegas?  Vegas steaks make the exceptional ordinary and boring, actually disappointing.  We’ve actually described a steak as “good I wasn’t eating it in Vegas”.  Vegas offers steaks like you didn’t know it could taste in dining environments that actually somehow compliment the dining and elevate the experience.  If you can only do it once in your life, do your homework, pick wisely and treat yourself.