Las Vegas - 2013

A few days ago I wrote about my walk down the Las Vegas Strip after watching a half dozen episodes of the old "Vegas$" television show.  This morning I got up thinking about what the Strip used to be and what it is now.

Five years ago the Strip from Twain/Spring Mountain was a thriving, exciting place to be.  The bus stop in front of the Westward Ho and across the street from the Riviera always had dozens of people waiting to get on.  Now there is nothing but a deteriorating construction site. 

(NOTE:  the names of streets in Las Vegas can change two or three times in as many miles) 

The Stardust was a city block long with spitting fountains in front and a fascade that frequently won the Las Vegas Review Journal's "Best Of" award - for worst front.  It was pink and purple and reflective with a flashing neon sign and palm trees and landscaping.

For five years that same space has been a vacant lot with steel girders for buildings that may never be built and a half finished building rising in the air.  The property was recently sold, but that does not mean it will have completed buildings on the site any time soon. 

Tommy's Steak House, perhaps the best place for steaks in Las Vegas until five years ago, was housed in the Algiers, across the street and slightly to the north of the Stardust on the site where the  unfinished Fountainbleau now sits. 

There was a wonderful souvenier store attached to the Algiers.  A great place for tourists to get one of those t-shirts that says, "My Grandparents went to Las Vegas and All I Got was this Lousy t-shirt."  Now there is nothing but security guards and ferral cats. 

There are no plans to finish the Fountainbleau or immediate plans to raze it, although there has been some talk in the papers about tearing it down.  For what?  Another vacant lot for years to come. 

Las Vegas does a wonderful job of promoting itself.  It's too bad the county can't do something about developers whose dreams are bigger than their pocketbooks and who don't have the business savvy of the M.O.B.  It makes me wonder, who are the bigger theives?  The M.O.B. skimming a few million bucks while giving back to their customers or the corporations trying to squeeze every penny they can out of the public and giving nothing in return.  When looking at the two and a half miles of dirt and half built buildings, it's obvious who the smarter group is.