Flamingo casino
I love Times Square. Whenever we go to New York, I always want to stay right on Times Square. I leave the curtains open so that when I wake up at 3 a.m., which I always do, I can see all the beautiful lights.
It’s for that reason that I fully expected to be just as crazy about Las Vegas and all its great lights when I visited there for the first time earlier this month. (Alan and I were there for a public relations conference, which I’ll post more about later.)
Wow. That's a huge Coca Cola!
But the lights of Las Vegas just don’t satisfy like the lights of Times Square do. I guess it’s because the whole thing is such an incredible pretense — all primarily intended to drive people to the tables. A group of us from the conference signed up to have dinner together at a restaurant called Le Provencal in the Paris Hotel and Casino. You know, the famed property with the replica of the Eiffel Tower attached to it. What kind of food would you expect to have there? French, right? Wrong. Spaghetti and meatballs, which is what one of my colleagues had. And pizza, which is what I had. Why? I’m guessing that experience (or research) has shown that the average Las Vegas visitor is more familiar with traditional Italian food than with French.
Don’t get me wrong. We all had our share of fun in Las Vegas — and in Lake Las Vegas where our conference hotel, Loews, was. And the dinner we had at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in another casino was out of this world. We also saw The Lion King and Cirque du Soleil’s “Love,” a production of songs by The Beatles — and we loved them both. But folks were puking on the sidewalks. And at one point on Saturday night, I was actually afraid for our safety because of the crush of people who were out on The Strip.
So here’s what I would suggest if you head to Las Vegas for anything but gambling. Go for the shows and for the celebrity restaurants. Be careful about the restaurants that don’t have famous chefs — you will certainly get food, but it won’t be anything to write home about. Or, better yet, just head for New York City instead.
Here are a few more observations about Las Vegas, in case you do go:
- In Vegas, things are farther away than they appear. Some of our crowd suggested that it’s because the signs are so large that they seem closer than they really are. But I think it’s because the humidity is so low and the visibility is so high. There’s very little haze. On several days when we were there, visibility was listed as “unlimited.” So you can clearly see things that are very far away. Because of this optical illusion, things take longer to reach than you think. What you think will be a ten-minute walk will take 30 minutes. We missed our shuttle to the hotel due to this little fact and had to take a $90 taxi ride instead. Ouch!
- I wondered what was so irritating to me about The Strip and the casinos, given the fact that I love the bright lights of Times Square. Alan figured this one out. It’s the music. Almost everywhere we went, rock music, hip-hop music or techno music was blasting. This was the case in all the casinos we visited (except for Mandalay Bay, which was much more pleasant) and all the lobbies and even outside. On Times Square, it’s noisy, of course. But it’s the noise of people and traffic — not the overly loud thump-thump-thump of a bass beat.
- The economy still hasn’t come back. One of our cab drivers had been in the construction business for 30 years but had turned to driving a taxi because the construction business still is so stalled. The landscape is littered with casino and multi-use developments (residential, commercial and office) that were begun years ago before being abandoned when the economy tanked. Sadly, while we were in Las Vegas, the legendary Sahara Hotel and Casino closed its doors forever.
The Bellagio
Caesars Palace
The opportunity to see stars is one of the good things about Vegas.
Bill's Gambling House and Saloon
The Strip -- and how it made me feel! Blurred!
Bally's
Here's Paris, right next to Bally's
This is Alan on a street in "Paris." That's not a sky above him -- it's a ceiling!
Here is a pretty stained glass ceiling in one part of Paris.
Le Provencal, what I thought would be a French restaurant, inside Paris. Until we took a closer look.
This dessert at Le Provencal is called "Concerto." Cute.
Back on The Strip, a very recognizable brand.
Meanwhile, back at our hotel, Loews Lake Las Vegas, this is the magnificent view from our window.
The patio at our hotel. Sweet.
View from the patio
All the ushers at the Cirque production of the Beatles' "Love" show were dressed like bobbies and such.
Alan admires his t-shirt from The Lion King.
Leaving Las Vegas: Alan at the airport waiting for our flight to board! I said I wasn't a gambler -- I didn't say anything about him!
Thank you Cynthia, you have confirmed my suspicion about Las Vegas. I’ve never been and don’t plan to go. If I want good food and bright lights, I’ll just head to the Great White Way.
And, I’d guess that Las Vegas developers took greater risks than most (read: were greedier?) and speculated on properties even more than the rest of the country in the mid 2000s. They may never finish those projects, even when the economy fully recovers.
I also am not a gambler, so have never felt lured by Vegas. You post assures me I am right to spend vacation money on other venues. Never could stand to see people vomiting anyway.
I agree 100% with your assessment. I have been 3 times; all on business, and unfortunately, the business was the best part; plus as an early riser, the town just doesn’t work at all.
Two words: Barry Manilow
I agree with so much of your assessment about Vegas. But didn’t “LOVE” just about make it all worthwhile? What an experience!
Mox,
Vegas is like making love, you never get right the first time. Vegas has the largst concentration of the greatest chefs in the world in one place, yes even better than NYC. Everything is larger than life, including the city blocks, which are about a mile, not a couple of hundred yards. Vegas never stops, NYC does. You have to do your homework before you go, or ask me, then you go to the right places and not the tourist traps. Don’t get me wrong, I love a trip to NYC, and I like Chi town too, but Vegas, nothing comes close!!
Thanks, everybody, for your comments. Annette: Haha about the puking! Ken: you are right about “LOVE.” It was fabulous. But, all things considered, I’d rather see it in New York.
Thanks, Stephen! I was waiting for my pro-Vegas friends to chime in! I should have talked to you, you are right. You know the best restaurants in almost any town. Kicking myself! Next time, you’ll be getting a call. If there is a next time. . .
Couldn’t agree more. Have never had a desire to go and I think it’s because it is a pretend city. For example, I’ve been to Paris and don’t need to see a mock up. There are great restaurants and chefs everywhere without dealing with everything else Vegas has to offer.
I’ve been to Vegas once with my girlfriends for a bachelorette party, and we had a great time. And, that’s just about all I’m allowed to say about it on a public forum… just kidding. Of course, Vegas and bachelor/bachelorette parties just seem to go hand in hand. I agree that we didn’t get it completely right on the first trip, and we’ve all wanted to go back. We did see “LOVE” while there, and that was my favorite part.
I have never been to Vegas and you confirmed that I could care less about going for all of your reasons. Would love to go to NY with you!
I agree with you, Cynthia, and the above. Stephen – we haven’t met, but if we do go, I will ask for suggestions! But my first love is NYC. Atlanta, Chicago, and Istanbul are great, but there is just something special about NYC. Besides, I really prefer to be outside, and it doesn’t sound like “outside” is a good place to be in Vegas! I should try it before making negative comments, though.
the thing about NYC is it is the melting pot of the world. When I lived their for 33 great years *actually i lived on Long Island 30 minutes out from the city line* anyway if I wanted Chinese food I would go to China TOwn, Italian Little Italy, and ectera. NYC was created by diversity over 100s of years, Vegas really has only been in business for 50 years. Gambling is what made Vegas great…everything is what makes NYC so amazing and great. You cant replicate a bunch of great places n be great
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