Welcome To The Neighborhood
October 20, 2008
To get things started, I thought it would be a good idea to kick things off with some sights and sounds from my neighborhood.
I told you that I would give you the good, bad, ugly … and scantily clad, and true to my word, in a little over three minutes, I am giving you some quick peeks into all of the above.
I produced this video with clips that were taken by myself over the past couple of months while I was going about my normal routine here in Vegas.
Easily the most unique neighborhood in the USA, if not the world.
People always ask me … “Why in the hell do you live near The Strip? Why don’t you move out to a nice neighborhood in the suburbs?”
I moved to The Strip for the same reason that 40 million people visit here each year, although it took me a little while to realize it.
When I first arrived here, I got a large house about 10 miles West of The Strip.
About a year later, reality hit me. Forty million people don’t fly here each year to go to the suburbs. Thinking that Vegas offered something outside of the entertainment corridor was a mistake … because it doesn’t. At least no more than any other mid-sized city.
I’m simply not a “big house”, suburban person. I grew up in inner-city closets and lofts.
It’s not so bad down here near the action. It is kind of crime-riddled and ghetto-ish, but I can walk to pretty much anything, including the entire Strip (via monorail), two major shopping malls with 200+ stores, a major medical center, etc.
The whole Strip, and to a lessor extent … Downtown Vegas… has simply become part of my everyday environment. The Fashion Show Mall is my local shopping center. My pizza joint is in the NYNY. My ice cream and sushi joints are in Bally’s. The Wynn and Bellagio are home to my favorite buffets. My post office is actually in The Flamingo hotel.
If I am in the mood for a nice dinner, I will take $100 out of the ATM, head to the poker room, and try to turn it into $200 so I don’t have to pay for dinner. Gaming is actually how I pay for some things. It doesn’t always work, and if I have a bad session I’ll just eat something at home instead, but it works often enough to be worthwhile. This is one of the few places in the world where you even have that option.
I go to concerts all the time. Hard Rock, Mandalay, Planet Aladdinwood, Palms, etc. Those are my local music venues. I also see a fair amount of casino shows, and most of them are pretty good … and if I can pay for them with gaming proceed, all the better.
I can take a 5 minute cab ride to the world’s largest indoor theme park with the kids. They love the place.
When people I know are in town (damn near every day), they stay in a Strip hotel, and that is where I visit them.
The Las Vegas Strip
Almost all of my business, shopping, and recreation is centered around The Strip … and to the area a couple of miles east, such as the Boulevard Mall, Commercial Center and Convention Center.
As I am typing this, I am looking over the top of my screen and watching the hotels shimmer. Just a few minutes ago, I just watched the finale of the 8pm Bellagio Fountain Show.
Granted, I hate this city somedays. Sometimes I realize I despise it. Then again, back in New York everyone bitched about filthy, stinking New York all day. When you live someplace, especially a somewhat dense urban area, it gets on your nerves. I don’t care where it is, you will grow to dislike it on some days.
However, today was not one of those days. It was 80 degrees and sunny, and I spent the afternoon hanging out on Las Vegas Boulevard.
When the sun went down, I went over to the Las Vegas Hilton, where I placed a small wager on tomorrow’s Monday Night Football game, and had a nice dinner at the Paradise Cafe.
Since my good moods are few and far between, I thought I would capitalize on the rare occasion by making the video above.
Welcome to my Las Vegas.
Now that you’ve made it this far, there’s no turning back.
By the way, if some parts of the video gave you a boner, don’t worry … it’s normal. Most people get aroused when catching a glimpse of the Bellagio Fountains.
Written by Jerry P on October 21, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Yes you should be sued. The real Rex wouldn’t have used Elvis as background music.