Sometimes, adventure Beyond the Neon is just a short journey from the neon! Michael Printy, Director of Operations / Concierge for Circa Las Vegas, The D, Golden Gate, and Downtown Las Vegas Events Center is sharing tips for exploring the vintage, the new and the unique in and around Downtown Las Vegas. And, yes we know technically still surrounded by neon.
Q: Downtown Las Vegas has seen tremendous growth over the past several years, thanks in part to Circa and The D. What are some of the recent highlights that make downtown worth visiting?
A: Downtown Las Vegas has experienced tremendous growth over the past several years. Both Circa and the D have opened, offering new and unique hotel, dining and gaming experiences. Additionally, we have Brewery Row, and all kinds of restaurants and boutique bars and lounges that have popped up. The entire area has been completely regentrified. Circa was the first ground-up resort in 40 years on Fremont Street, which brought a whole new generation to downtown and Fremont Street. The neighboring Arts District area has also created an energy that attracts young, cool people who want to experience more than just the mammoth casino resorts.
Q: Downtown is unique in that it’s not only a great destination for tourists, but it’s also an area that is seeing tremendous growth of residential development, creating these cool neighborhood pockets. Do you think that is also part of the appeal of downtown?
A: Absolutely. We’ve seen the developments on several high rises such as The Ogden, Jewel, Newport Lofts, and other high-end residential towers that started popping up around 2005. Now Symphony Park, where the Smith Center for the Performing Arts is located, has announced the addition of two high end residential towers, in addition to two Marriott non-gaming hotels, retail, dining and an anticipated art museum. Much of what’s happening in and around Main Street and the Arts District are not necessarily supported by tourism. It’s primarily the locals that support the businesses in the area, although those tourists looking for a ‘locals experience’ can find it in these easily accessible areas. It’s exciting to see how the entirety of Downtown Las Vegas keeps growing.
Q: What’s the best way to get around downtown if you want to visit all these cool places the city has to offer? Is it walkable?
A: It’s absolutely walkable. You can relatively easily walk from Fremont to the Arts District. That said, it can be less enjoyable to walk when it’s 100 degrees outside! There’s also the Downtown Loop which is a free shuttle that goes around the city with several stops including the Arts District, Brewery Row, Fremont Street, the Mob Museum, North Premium Outlets, Symphony Park, and the Circa and Strat hotels, among other stops. You can also find rentable bikes all over downtown with the RTC Bike Share, and ride safely on the dedicated bike lanes throughout the city. Of course, you can also Uber or Lyft if you prefer.
Q: What are two or three things, beyond gambling, that make Downtown Las Vegas unique?
A: We have the Mob Museum down here, which is a Smithsonian-curated Museum located inside a historic Federal courthouse and post office. The Neon Museum is a unique boneyard experience with several vintage neon hotel and resort signs have since been retired. Both experiences are family friendly.
You can also go brewery hopping and hit 7-8 breweries in a quarter mile. The culinary explosion down here is also phenomenal. The English Hotel, set in the heart of the Arts District recently opened The Pepper Club, an Asian fusion concept by Chef Todd. Also in the Arts District, you’ll find Esther’s Kitchen which just moved into a bigger location because it outgrew its previous location, and Main Street Provisions serving modern American comfort food through a reimagined melting pot. 7th & Carson Downtown Kitchen & Bar recently opened on East Fremont. The Downtown Las Vegas Events Center has things going on almost every weekend, not to mention the live entertainment going on up and down Fremont Street. You don’t even need to enter a casino to have a full and fun day and night.
Q: For people who want to cool off and get wet in the summertime, what would you recommend?
A: Well, I might be a little bit biased here, but we have Stadium Swim at Circa which is a pool amphitheater. It has a 143-foot screen and six pools across three levels, and it’s open 365 days a year. In the wintertime, we crank up the heat and turn them into large hot tubs. So, if you like to watch sports and dip in a pool, relaxing on a daybed or private cabana, you can do that. Whether you have kids, or if you prefer a more adult experience, The Golden Nugget has The Tank and Hideout pool complex complete with 17 private cabanas on three levels, and a 200,000-gallon shark tank with a water slide going right through it! (The Tank is for the family, and the Hideout is for the adults). And the Downtown Grand has The Citrus Grand Pool Deck, a fabulous rooftop pool with cabanas, daybeds, a firepit, lawn games and live entertainment on the weekends.
Q: What would you say are the biggest differences in the Downtown Las Vegas experience, versus the megaresort experiences on the South Strip?
A: The biggest difference is that they’re all mega hotels down there. You’re looking at hotels with anywhere from 2,000 up to 7,000 rooms. In downtown, we’re older, we’re smaller, the odds are a bit better here, we have looser slots and lower table minimums, cheaper drinks, cheaper food, plus the action is great! I call Fremont “The Greatest Show on Earth” because there’s free entertainment seven nights a week, where you can walk around, enjoying a reasonably priced beverage, and submerse yourself in the experience. Even the people watching is better than New York City!
It used to be that people would largely stay at the big resorts on the South Strip and make a day trip to downtown here and there. Now, with the new developments and revitalization of downtown, we’re seeing more and more people choosing to stay at a downtown hotel and making a day trip to the South Strip resorts!
Q: If you could recommend one must-see experience in Southern Nevada, wherever and whatever it may be, what would it be?
A: Southern Nevada is not just Las Vegas. It’s also Mesquite, it’s Laughlin, it’s Boulder City, Moapa Valley and Primm. Las Vegas isn’t just for gambling. Fly into our international airport. Stay in our world-class hotels, dine in our world-class restaurants, see some of our world-class shows, and then get out! Literally get out! Because within minutes of our city, we’re surrounded by world-class golf. 30 minutes away you have hiking at Red Rock Canyon. An hour away, Valley of Fire state park offers outdoor adventures such as hiking, kayaking, and camping. Take a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. Rent ATVs and explore the desert. You can do an entire vacation without stepping foot inside a casino. Or you can spend the day on an outdoor adventure and still make it back in time to get cleaned up and head out to dinner and a show – all in the same day!
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