Ask a Native
Ask a Native
Is it true that most Las Vegans don’t own a winter coat?
January 17th, 2013
So, while most Las Vegans probably don’t have a down-stuffed snow-survival suit, most own a winter coat. As for the folks sporting T-shirts and flip-flops during last week’s desert freeze? They were either Alaskan tourists enjoying our “nice weather” or Vegas fools stubbornly stumping for pool season while giving the rest of us a bad rep. Read more »
Ask a Native
What happened to the ATP tennis tourney that Las Vegas hosted a few years ago?
January 10th, 2013
Unfortunately, the Tennis Channel Open was sold to the ATP and moved to South Africa for 2009. The tournament never achieved stellar attendance figures here, particularly during weeknight sessions, when our notorious spring winds combined with the dry desert chill to chase away fans. Also to blame? A declining American love affair with tennis that can be traced, at least in part, to the nearly 10-year gap since an American man won a Grand Slam tournament. Read more »
Ask a Native
Will any of those condo projects of the mid-2000s be built in the future?
January 3rd, 2013
Anything is possible, and the future is long time, but my guess is no. The spate of projects was announced when development money was relatively cheap and easy to get, and the boiling Las Vegas residential real estate market suggested that the fantasy of buying in a luxury high-rise for (up to) $800 a square foot was reasonable. None of that’s been true for years. Read more »
Ask a Native
What happened to the Swim-In-Pool neon sign?
December 20th, 2012
In November 2009, Swim-In-Pool’s sliding-girl sign suffered an electrical fire and was extensively damaged. Repairs, which required the garage-made sign to meet current code, would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. The owners decided not to pursue it. Read more »
Ask a Native
Why is there no “West Fremont”?
December 12th, 2012
Let’s start with controversy: There is no “East Fremont” either. Yes, there is a “Fremont East Entertainment District” (the official name of the redeveloping portion of Fremont Street east of Las Vegas Boulevard), and yes, some businesses there may use “East Fremont” on their business cards. But official records, including U.S. Postal Service addresses and Clark County Assessor records, do not designate any portion of Fremont Street as “east” or “west.” Read more »
Ask a Native
I’m a 30-year-old single city girl with a 24-hour morning-flight layover in Las Vegas. I have never visited, and I have some cash to spend. What should I do?
December 6th, 2012
Despite its reputation, Vegas is a little less late-night oriented than you may expect, but the real action still happens after happy hour. Translation? Late afternoon is a perfect time for a disco nap. Time it so you can don that little black dress and hit the town around 8 p.m. Check out the urban/artsy Cosmopolitan for nightlife. Read more »
Ask a Native
What are the best Vegas holiday traditions?
November 29th, 2012
For those who demand a scene more Currier & Ives than Ansel Adams, a trek to Mount Charleston is in order. Given the right conditions, visitors can take an honest-to-goodness sleigh ride (On actual snow! With actual horses!) and then warm up at the lodge with a fire pit and a (brandy-spiked) Mount Charleston Coffee, just like grandma used to make. Read more »
Ask a Native
Do people really eat at Vegas buffets on Thanksgiving? That seems sad.
November 22nd, 2012
Of course they do, and it’s not necessarily sad. There isn’t a day on the calendar that folks aren’t lining up at our buffets. And why not, especially given the dramatic improvements we’ve seen in buffets in recent years? These aren’t your grandpa’s chuckwagons anymore. Read more »
Ask a Native
You’ve written about differences between “old” Vegas and “new” Vegas, but what about the gap between “old” Las Vegans and “new” Las Vegans?
November 15th, 2012
I have a theory about the social interconnectivity of Las Vegas: If you were here before the big growth spurt of the 1990s, you are but one degree of separation from everyone else who was also here then. Sure, it’s just a theory, but I test it every chance I get. Read more »
Ask a Native
What is that weird, windowless building on Las Vegas Boulevard, just before Fremont Street, with the antennas on top and the metal-grid facade?
November 8th, 2012
There are a few weird buildings downtown, but this one, at 125 Las Vegas Blvd South, is easy to decipher. That’s because my dad worked there in the 1970s, when it served as offices for Centel, the local telephone-service provider. According to county records, the building has been owned since September 1957 by the telephone company, first known as Southern Nevada Telephone Co., later as Central Telephone Co. (shortened to Centel for consumers). Read more »
