Tag: Lost Vegas
View All TagsPools / Pool Scenes / Lost Vegas / Vegas History / → All Tags
How They Laid Out In Vegas Back In The Day
Grass. Slides. Diving boards. Rafts. Inner tubes. Vegas pools of today may think they're all that, but they ain't got nothing on the pool scenes of yesteryear.
The Las Vegas News Bureau recently released file footage reminding us how lost Vegas really made fun in the sun, well, fun. No DJ required. Check out this video compilation showing Vegas pool life spanning the 40s to the 60s.
Vegas History / Lost Vegas / Key Largo Casino / Turning Back The Clock / → All Tags
Turning Back The Clock: Key Largo Casino
We love Las Vegas and part of that is loving Las Vegas’ history. So, while we enjoy telling you what we love about Vegas and keeping you up-to-date on what's going on, we would like to take some time to look back at Vegas past. Today, we continue a special series on shuttered (but not forgotten) Las Vegas hotels and casinos. We hope you enjoy the stroll down memory lane.
Last week, the Key Largo Casino on Flamingo caught fire and burned almost to the ground. Since then, the fire Clark County has ordered that the remainder of the casino be demolished by the end of April. Key Largo is probably best known for being the abandoned casino across the street from the Hard Rock (and Terrible's). The casino was built in 1972 and closed in 2005.
Vegas History / Lost Vegas / Victory Hotel / Downtown / Downtown Vegas / → All Tags
How Do You Save A Downtown Hotel? Pick It Up And Move It
Las Vegas likes to blow up its past. But, a century old remnant of the original Downtown Vegas may get a second life. And, free up some potentially valuable real estate.
A bold proposal would move the entire two-story, 113-year-old Victory Hotel and drop it three miles away at the Springs Preserve to create an authentic recreation of pre-gambling, turn of the century, Nevada city life. So simple, you wonder why nobody thought of it earlier.
Lost Vegas / Vegas History / Sahara / SLS Vegas / Neon Boneyard / → All Tags
Sahara Marquee Gone, Dome Going But Sign Will Never Be Forgotten
And, just like that, another piece of Vegas has slipped into history.
This week, SLS Las Vegas is stripping the last lingering remnants of the Sahara from its exterior, including that iconic marquee and the porte cochere's open-air dome.
The good news is that a piece of the Sahara will always live on in downtown's Neon Boneyard where this sign can already be found:
Openings / SLS Vegas / Sahara / Lost Vegas / → All Tags
SLS Vegas Now Flush With Cash, Debuting Fall 2014
SBE, the nightlife-hospitality company that bought Sahara (and then, hiccup, closed it down), reports that it (finally) has the money it needs to transform the historic, aging property into the shiny and new SLS Las Vegas. And, that construction begins now. Just when we were beginning to wonder what up with that.
The SLS Vegas is expected to open in the fall of next year after a $415 million makeover. We're still having a hard time believing that timeline, though. When it does make its debut, it will offer 1,600 Philippe Starck-designed guest rooms; all Fred Segal, all the time retail shopping; four nightlife venues include a new version of SBE's original Shelter nightclub and a Sayers Club; and dining options that will include Hollywood hotspot The Griddle Cafe, The Bazaar by José Andrés, Katsuya by Starck and a Umami Burger, a chain of Cali burger joints.
Vegas History / Lost Vegas / Dive Restaurant / Turning Back The Clock / → All Tags
Turning Back The Clock: Dive
We're not going to lie. We thought Dive was totes exciting (or, we guess, we should say da bomb) when it surfaced on The Strip back in 1995, anchoring itself to the Fashion Show Mall.
The submarine-themed restaurant was the creation of movie magic man Steven Spielberg, but fellow entertainment whiz Jeffrey Katzenberg and even casino mogul Steve Wynn were on board as partners. The plan was world domination with Orlando, San Fran and New York all mentioned as future locations and a spot already established in LA. The Orlando Sentinel once reported that the Vegas eatery saw 3,000 customers a day, and had "a 1 1/2 hour waiting line for lunch."
Downtown / Downtown Vegas / Fremont Street / Vintage Vegas / Lost Vegas / Vegas History / Vegas Neon / → All Tags
Neon Signs on Sticks Could Be On The Move (And, Maybe Not A Good One)
We need to be convinced this is a good idea.
Five neon signs are moving away from Fremont Street to a traffic median on Las Vegas Boulevard. The Red Barn, Nevada Motel, Flame Steakhouse, Wedding Information and Dot's Flowers neon structures, floor mounted on the pedestrian section of Third Street between Fremont and Ogden, are being transplanted. This group was part of the Neon Signs on Sticks preservation project. They'll end up on a median on Las Vegas Boulevard between Fremont and Charleston. We don't yet know the exact location. But, we bet int the future, you'll only notice them from a car, or riding the Deuce.
Binion's / Downtown / Downtown Vegas / Room Remodels / Rumors / Lost Vegas / → All Tags
Binion's Opens Door To Past While Keeping Mum On The Future
Binion's checked out of the downtown hotel game back in 2009, but last Friday, it posted photos of what its old rooms look like now on Facebook.
The accommodations reflect a lost Vegas decor that was clearly meant as a homage to grandma Laura Ashley. Check out the rose-colored carpeting. The floral wallpaper border. The floral prints. The floral drapes. The floral sheers. Yes, at one time, everything was coming up roses for Binion's.
We posted a query about plans for the remodeled rooms (hey, we're nothing if not dogged) and were told there were no plans for that "as of yet." But, in response to another fan's question, Binion's did have this to add:
Openings / Neon Boneyard / Neon Museum / Downtown / Downtown Vegas / Vintage Vegas / Lost Vegas / Vegas History / → All Tags
We're So Excited The Neon Museum Gave Us a Boneyard
The Neon Boneyard continues to press its neon best in preparation for this Friday's First Night Grand Opening celebration. We hate to break it to those VIPs paying $75 a ticket hoping to cross virgin ground, but VegasChatter was lucky enough to attend a media preview party that was thrown earlier this week. Organizers informed us the event was the first time the Boneyard had been fabulously lit up at night.
The La Concha Motel, torn apart from its original location, rebuilt and pictured above acts as the Neon Boneyard visitor center. Guardian to the history that stands proud just beyond. While Mr. Pappagiorgio wasn't reunited with sister Audrey or cousin Vicki this evening, we were reintroduced to Vintage Vegas.
Turning Back The Clock / Vegas History / Lost Vegas / Downtown / Coin / → All Tags
Turning Back The Clock: Coin Castle
We love Las Vegas and part of that is loving Las Vegas’ history. So, while we enjoy telling you what we love about Vegas and keeping you up-to-date on what's going on, we would like to take some time to look back at Vegas past. Today, we continue a special series on shuttered (but not forgotten) Las Vegas hotels and casinos. We hope you enjoy the stroll down memory lane.
Continuing a theme in more ways than one, Turning Back the Clock turns to downtown's Coin Castle. The former Fremont Street casino caught our eye in the Vegas car chase scene of a James Bond marathon. A property with a name as throwback as Coin Castle was just begging to be featured in this series.
Turning Back The Clock / Showboat / Castaways / Vegas History / Lost Vegas / → All Tags
Turning Back The Clock: The Showboat
We love Las Vegas and part of that is loving Las Vegas’ history. So, while we enjoy telling you what we love about Vegas and keeping you up-to-date on what's going on, we would like to take some time to look back at Vegas past. Today, we continue a special series on shuttered (but not forgotten) Las Vegas hotels and casinos. We hope you enjoy the stroll down memory lane.
In downtown Vegas, the Showboat was once king. The project of William Moore of the Last Frontier and J. Kell Houssels of the Las Vegas Club, the $2 million Showboat opened in September 1954, according to Wikipedia.
Openings / Neon Boneyard / Neon Museum / Downtown / Downtown Vegas / Vintage Vegas / Lost Vegas / Vegas History / → All Tags
Don't Think You Can Just Show Up At The Neon Boneyard When It Opens
The Neon Boneyard is finally, finally opening to the general public later this month. Yes, we know, the impressive collection of Las Vegas signs of old has kinda already been open to the public if you were go-getter enough to put yourself on the roster for a tour, but soon you won't have to do that. Although, you probably should.
Downtown's Neon Boneyard, complete with a welcome center created out of the old La Concha motel lobby and with the addition of several new signs, will show itself off the night of October 26. That's when it will celebrate its First Night with a Vintage Vegas-inspired party. Guests who purchase a $75 ticket will be treated to Neontinis, live music, and bragging rights about being one of the first to see the 'yard. Well, officially, anyway. Attendants are being encouraged to join in on the fun by showing up in costumes celebrating lost Vegas, too.
