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There Goes The Neighborhood
March 20, 2010
There is a long-running cat-and-mouse game around Rexville between our local gangbangers and the people who come behind them and clean up their crap. The bangers tag, it gets removed, the bangers re-tag, it gets removed, rinse and repeat. It never ends. Why do the perpetrators do this? My opinion is that they do it because they have the IQ's of primates. I'm not exaggerating or using hyperbole. I honestly and truly think these taggers are people with extraordinarily low intelligence quotients. You would have to be extremely dim to get off on the type of defacement shown on the Beverly Green sign. It's really just destruction for destruction's sake, and the graffiti doesn't even require any talent or artistic ability. I appreciate burners in or near vacant properties and eyesores. One might even say that I am a bit of a graffiti connoisseur. I enjoy well-done ... Read the full blog post...
Away From It All
January 25, 2010
It rained more in Vegas last week alone than in all of 2009, and even though the "storms" here are laughable by East Coast standards (our heaviest day of flooding was caused by .89 inches of rain), the precipitation still left a nice coating of snow on the mountains. Since Sunday is the day of the week with the least amount of traffic in the Vegas Valley, we took advantage of the relatively empty roads and cool temperatures to spend a day in Red Rock and the adjacent canyon. The trip is actually a pretty easy drive from The Arts District. You simply head west on Charleston Boulevard and 25 minutes later ... there you are. Believe it or not, Charleston is the precise road that takes you from Sunrise Manor, to Rexville, to Red Rock Canyon. If you can catch favorable light timings (which I never do), the trip can actually ... Read the full blog post...
Life is a Byway
October 19, 2009
My love/hate relationship with Las Vegas means that I get homesick quite a bit. Frankly, I hate the desert with a passion, and were it not for the casinos, entertainment venues, the weird “character” that makes up Vegas, and a few other intangibles … I wouldn't be here. Save for the areas within three miles on either side of Las Vegas Boulevard, the Boulder Highway corridor, Sunrise Mountain, and a few choice neighborhoods scattered about … the Valley kind of sucks. Hell, now that I've read that last sentence, I may make it my mayoral campaign slogan. Aside from the neighborhoods that have been around for decades, Las Vegas is the world's largest 7/11. Strip mall, strip mall, gas station, wall, gate, wall, strip mall, porn rack, car dealership, strip mall, rinse and repeat. I didn't always live in this one spot. At one point I lived in the luxurious “Lakes” area on the West Side, ... Read the full blog post...
Ghetto Custard
September 16, 2009
It's not often that I get embroiled in a Hollywood celebrity scandal (and honestly, that's not really what's happening now) … but somehow … someway … I was way ahead of the curve on this one. If the one and a half of you who read my articles may remember, I mentioned going to Luv-It Frozen Custard a couple of times in yesterday's post. Not only did I mention it, I did indeed, go. This morning I woke up to a few emails in my inbox regarding this establishment. Apparently, my blog comments foreshadowed a controversy surrounding this very custard stand. Before going any further, I need to make it crystal clear that I am not exaggerating when I say that I do not own a television. I honestly do not. I have not had a television in approximately two years. I do stream certain shows and events via YouTube, Hulu, etc … but I ... Read the full blog post...
Skid Row of Vegas
August 4, 2009
In another installment of the “neighborhood series”, I decided to hit one of the places that few tourists know about, and frankly, most of Las Vegas wants to keep it that way. That fact of the matter is, yes Virginia … Las Vegas does have a Skid Row. Neighborhoods like Skid Row are not unfamiliar to me at all. I've lived in mostly urban areas for my entire life, and I actually lived “on” Skid Row in Los Angeles for a number years, and my rapport with the surrounding community was actually quite good. While I did not live in a tent on the street myself, many years ago I was able to procure a “loft” (a/k/a the corner of an old 1920's office building converted to residential use) on the East Side of Downtown LA for a monthly cost that was practically free. Coming from the East Coast, I thought the ... Read the full blog post...
The Real Fremont Street
July 22, 2009
The photos you see on this page were taken on what is arguably the most famous street in Las Vegas, and as far as world-renowned streets are concerned … it's certainly up there. Even though it is almost a household name, most people have never actually traversed this famous thoroughfare. Sure, everyone is familiar with the four block stretch under the canopy, and the two block “Fremont East” district, but that's all for show. Given the fact that cars cannot drive in most of the resort area, what most people know as “Fremont Street” is hardly a street at all. It's just the name of a pedestrian mall. So, what of the “street” part of Fremont? Does it even exist? If so, where does it go, and what does it look like? Let's face it, once one gets past 8th street, Fremont becomes a mystery for all but the most ardent explorers of Vegas. It's an ... Read the full blog post...
Alta Drive
April 30, 2009
First of all, for those of you who have not heard, this week MGM/Mirage secured financing to complete City Center. We are still waiting on the Fontainebleau's financing issue, but Las Vegas is guaranteed that at least one project will open by the end of the year. I've been over both of these projects ad-nauseum this month, so I have nothing to add other than … I hope they both open and succeed. I also doubt that this completely puts an end to the City Center drama (as a matter of fact there is a construction code issue hanging over the place), but we'll see. Anyway ... A couple of months ago while doing the “neighborhood series” where I toured through one inner-city neighborhood after another, I mentioned that we did have neighborhoods that were upscale, unique, and not completely suburban and cookie-cutter. The two that sprang immediately to mind were Sunrise Mountain and Alta ... Read the full blog post...
The Other Strip
April 15, 2009
Believe it or not, we actually have two “Strip”s in Las Vegas. At least that's how it is marketed. There is The Strip we all know and used to love on Las Vegas Boulevard, and there is the lessor known “Boulder Strip”. The Boulder Strip also has several pejorative names like the “Blue Hair Highway”, “Redneck Road”, “Trailer Park Turnpike” and any number of a dozen other monikers. Physically, Boulder Highway is actually Fremont Street. They simply renamed it and changed its trajectory just East of Downtown. The “Boulder Strip” is a roughly 5 mile stretch of Boulder Highway between the Las Vegas City Limits and Tropicana Ave. Give or take a couple of miles since it appears to be a very flexible term. One old timer informed me that Boulder Highway and The Boulder Strip was synonymous. I disagree, but such is the interpretive nature of the road. I get asked about the Boulder ... Read the full blog post...
Tuscany in the Mojave
April 14, 2009
Paris and the Venetian aren't the only fake European cities within the confines of Clark County, Nevada. An often overlooked (if not the most overlooked) resort destination in Las Vegas is a place known as Lake Las Vegas. The reason for its relative obscurity is probably explained by the 25 mile drive from Lake Las Vegas to Planet Hollywood. I actually clocked it on the odometer. Throw traffic into the equation, and you have a solid 60-90 minute drive. Depending on how much you like faux-Europe, it may or may not be worth it. Lake Las Vegas is technically in Henderson, and is also called “The Lake Las Vegas Resort”. The primary objective of the resort is to create a “Mediterranean” theme for residents and visitors alike. From what I understand, the place is supposed to resemble Tuscany, and I guess it does to some extent. The lake itself has a shoreline of 10 miles, ... Read the full blog post...
First Friday in Las Vegas
April 4, 2009
Well, it was that time of month. No, not the time of month that most men fear. Yesterday was the first Friday of the month. Many cities nationwide have "First Friday" events to promote their Arts Districts, and Las Vegas is no different. While I am not a huge fan of the "loft" concept they are trying to push Downtown, I am a big fan of The Arts District. It's one of the few places on the West Coast that reminds me of my neighborhoods back east. From Dino's to the Outlet Mall, it's one of my favorite "hang out" areas in town that don't have anything to do with casinos whatsoever. It's actually a human-scaled, pedestrian/bike friendly area that I pray never becomes gentrified (read: ruined by yuppies). Last night was cold and windy. It was about 45 degrees, and we were getting solid 40Mph gusts. First Friday is usually packed, but the weather ... Read the full blog post...
