Las Vegas Strip
*** 7/10/09 Update – I am going to insert a comment from a Biker Law Blog Reader named Sam below. I feel that his update is succient and to the point. Here it is:
Comment from : sam [Visitor]
i just wrapped up a trip that ended up in las vegas for a week recently. we have been going to vegas for the past 15 years. the last 3 years i have seen the slow decline in service,decreased payouts-or tight slots, lack of people filling up the machines. etc. the taxi drivers are dying a slow death trying to keep their escalades and limos on the street-practically begging for tips each time you enter their vehicle.
At the circus circus they lived up to their ‘circus’ name recently. all the elevators were down, off and on for three days we spent there. people were stranded in elevators that would not open etc. we waited over 30 minutes a couple times to get on an elevator only to get stuck ourselves. i’ll never stay there again. its the same old run down room in the west tower it was 15 years ago. carpets are filthy, brass is nearly worn to the nickel plating, painted areas are filthy…at the mandalay bay had backed up toilets and sinks for a couple days. service is also lousy.
if you look at the skyline you will see at least 10 cranes proudly standing in the air that have not moved since october last year! thousands of construction workers have been layed off-and if you look around long enough you will find a completed casino–but the doors have never been opened.might as well wrap the casino up in plastic wrap like they are doing to the empty condominiums right now.
will las vegas make it out of the recession? yes. but it will entail alot of bancruptcys and mergers.
beaware saudi arabia owns the new city center the great mgm started. every time we spend a dollar in vegas you may as well send it to the saudis.i think there are only 3-4 stand alone casinos in vegas now that is not somehow owned by the saudis…..something to think about.
if i were to visit vegas again today i would stay at new york, new york or the mgm. they are much cleaner, service is nice, and for the location you will be closer to everything else you want to do there…..good luck all
My fiancé and I visited Las Vegas last week for a little mini vacation. I was absolutely shocked at what I saw. Basically, Las Vegas was empty. There was still the ubiquitous building on the strip, and tourist walking on the strip, however, it was not the same.
The casinos were empty and basically dead, the slot machines were as dead as doornail’s, the excitement that used to permeate the Las Vegas strip is gone. Hell, there is more excitement at the local casino in Temecula.
Before we went to Las Vegas, I heard that Las Vegas was the emptiest city in the country with respect to vacant houses. This report was confirmed when my fiancé and I went looking for a few houses for investment purposes. We actually saw a really nice three bedroom house that could be had for $69,000. The same house previously sold for around $300,000. Imagine, being able to buy a house for only $69,000.
Watching local news in our room, we heard reports about the Hooters Casino being able to make their payment and stay open, but other local businesses losing thousands of jobs. The doom and gloom of our economic crisis is certainly in the air Las Vegas.
On a good note, I observed many bikers and motorcyclist riding all types of motorcycles. Unfortunately, I was stuck in my cage for this trip. It always bums me out to see bikers, motorcyclists, and everything on two wheels passing me by while riding in my car. I guess you can’t ride your motorcycle all the time.
At least I can say that I contributed to the Las Vegas economy; I dropped about $500 to the blackjack tables, and slot machines. My fiancé lost about the same amount of money.
This is one of the few Las Vegas trips, where I was really happy to leave. The Las Vegas of old is gone. I am not that old, however, I can remember the good old days, going to Las Vegas, dressing up for a night on the town, and being treated like royalty at the Desert Inn. We did see a few people formally dressed at the Venetian; however it is all tank tops and shorts.
If you want to buy a really cheap house, go to Las Vegas, Nevada. However, I am not quite sure that Las Vegas Nevada is going to survive. Let’s hope I am wrong!
By California motorcycle accident attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, © 2009
Welcome, my name is 
I have never been to Las Vegas but it’s still my dream. I always wanted to visit the city.
Hello Mr. Norman Fernandez,
My name is Brittney Stalbaum and I live in Las Vegas, NV. I happened to find your site & blog while searching for pics of the Las Vegas strip. I was compelled by your title “Is Las Vegas Nevada a dying city”. Being a bartender at an off the strip location, I’ve seen business slow down. It’s not empty in Vegas though, we just had all the casinos on the strip full this last weekend. I felt compelled to defend my city (I was born & raised here), although I know you’re not attacking it. I am thankful that you and your fiance visited our city, and I hope that you don’t let your last experience keep you from choosing to visit Las Vegas again.
Hi all.
I was in Vegas this past weekend and it seemed to be rocking. We biked in from Lodi,Ca and had a blast.
Las Vegas is dying ? What about the Biker Lawyer ?
No new trips since that cage visit ?
We decided to work out there in 2007, lasting only 6 months. Being in the vacation business for year, we were really looking forward to it. How ever, we found a town just as you described. I couldn’t agree with you more, Vegas is dying. MGM (owner of most of the hotel/casino’s) has driven Vegas into the dirt, only caring about taking every last penny from everyone. Profit margins have replaced quality and greed has replaced pride in service. In there over-bloated ego, they thought there could replace Disney, letting old vegas CLASS die. Don’t blame Baba and his wife, with their six kids. They were invited by MGM promotion wizards, wanting to steal Disney’s clients. Want Vegas to survive, get rid of MGM!!!! The days of the mob boys are even more popular with the local people. Until then, save your vacation money or go somewhere else instead.
The Governor of Nevada is a little bit irked at he current President of the US for a comment saying for business folks not to go to Las Vegas for conventions. To be quite frank there are too many folks who can afford to go on vacation period. I know that I am having a difficult time. we are seeing property drop in Florida. loss of jobs. I live on the Space Coast and construction has stopped.In the town of Fort Pierce Florida 10% of the lawyers have lost their jobs and one out of ten people are working. Things are not good.
Things are not good for the landlords in Las Vegas. I own a 80 units of apartments, it used to be full but now I have 30 Vacancies and every Month we are losing tenants, all of them lost their jobs and moving back to another states. Banks are not helping us..instead, they increased our interests on the loans so it seems like the banks love empty city.
i just wrapped up a trip that ended up in las vegas for a week recently. we have been going to vegas for the past 15 years. the last 3 years i have seen the slow decline in service,decreased payouts-or tight slots, lack of people filling up the machines. etc. the taxi drivers are dying a slow death trying to keep their escalades and limos on the street-practically begging for tips each time you enter their vehicle.
At the circus circus they lived up to their ‘circus’ name recently. all the elevators were down, off and on for three days we spent there. people were stranded in elevators that would not open etc. we waited over 30 minutes a couple times to get on an elevator only to get stuck ourselves. i’ll never stay there again. its the same old run down room in the west tower it was 15 years ago. carpets are filthy, brass is nearly worn to the nickel plating, painted areas are filthy…at the mandalay bay had backed up toilets and sinks for a couple days. service is also lousy.
if you look at the skyline you will see at least 10 cranes proudly standing in the air that have not moved since october last year! thousands of construction workers have been layed off-and if you look around long enough you will find a completed casino–but the doors have never been opened.might as well wrap the casino up in plastic wrap like they are doing to the empty condominiums right now.
will las vegas make it out of the recession? yes. but it will entail alot of bancruptcys and mergers.
beaware saudi arabia owns the new city center the great mgm started. every time we spend a dollar in vegas you may as well send it to the saudis.i think there are only 3-4 stand alone casinos in vegas now that is not somehow owned by the saudis…..something to think about.
if i were to visit vegas again today i would stay at new york, new york or the mgm. they are much cleaner, service is nice, and for the location you will be closer to everything else you want to do there…..good luck all
Wow, only three or four stand-alone casinos somewhat not owned by the Saudis?
Sorry, this is absolutley not true. I feel bad that this vistor did not enjoy his stay in our fine city. Please don’t spout off on misinformtion without facts. Funding for the City Center is indeed not only by MGM, but it is Dubai money as well. However, almost all the casinos are corporate US based owned. Your anonomous visitor should take a step back and realize Las Vegas is not the only city with infused money from overseas. Sadly, most of America has been dependent on foreign capital, and Las Vegas is just like any other major city.
Thanks for your comment Brittney. I sure hope Las Vegas stays with us and I am sure it will. The city sure has changed is all I can say. Driving through the neighborhoods and seeing all of the foreclosed homes was an eye opener!
Norm
Hey bro long time no talk to! We need to get together and ride. I am busy buying a house right now. Lets connect, maybe we can ride soon.
Norm
That sucks Fennnyyy.
Maybe if the Casino’s increased the payouts like they used to be in the old days, it would loosen up a bit. Las Vegas went too commercial. In the old days you could get a room real cheap, and meals were almost given to you because they wanted you to gamble. Now everything is expensive and the casinos are not paying out.
Hell we Californians can go to Indian Casino’s and get better payouts. Why drive or fly to Vegas to pay top dollar. The solution for Las Vegas would be to go back to its roots.
Norm
Well Sam I guess I was not the only one to notice. I have had the urge to ride to Vegas on my Harley. Maybe I will just do a 4 corners ride instead. There are plenty of Indian casinos here in California that I can lose at and not have to drive that far to.
I do not think Vegas will ever be the same unless it goes back to its roots.
Norm
I have been going to LV for many years. First time was 1969 – just a short while before my deployment to Vietnam. Everything has changed – for the worse. Service used to be great. Now it is horrible. The theme hotels ruined the city. Didn’t need that. And, of course, let us not forget that the acceptance of gambling in a thousand different places in the US hurt the city. Too bad. I used to look forward to my trips to the city. Now, I feel like I am just going to another city. High hotel room prices; high food prices; and an unfriendly atmosphere. Las Vegas is “Gone with the Wind.”