Eight New Things We Stumbled Upon in Downtown Vegas

By Scott Roeben, on September 13 2013

3 min read 0 comments

Downtown Las Vegas Las Vegas Las Vegas Bars Las Vegas Casinos Las Vegas Hotels Things to Do in Las Vegas

There’s always something new in Las Vegas. Here are a few downtown quickies we stumbled upon during our last visit. And we do mean stumbled. It’s downtown.

1. Casino Sign at Downtown Grand

This renovation project is barreling right along! You know things are getting serious when a “Casino” sign goes up.

This is how you know the party's about to start in Las Vegas. — Few things get us as excited as a new “Casino” sign. Yes, we realize we have issues.

2. Downtown Grand’s Gazebo Lights and Flourishes

Granted, several of the new things on our list are at Downtown Grand. That doesn’t make them any less new. Downtown Grand’s new rooftop gazebo is looking good.

We'd get married under this gazebo. If we suddenly suffered a serious head injury. — The origin of the word “gazebo” is unknown, but it’s believed to be derived from “gaze,” which presumably one does while sitting under a gazebo.

3. Downtown Grand’s Valet Entrance

This structure sits on the east side of the Downtown Grand, and we hear it will be a “grand” new entrance to the hotel.

Built it, and they will come. And leave their cars with strangers. — Build it, and they will come. And leave their cars with complete strangers.

4. Mob Museum Gets Some Color

We have no idea when this happened, but the Mob Museum is now bathed in color at night.

Not the most complex visuals in Vegas, but we'll take it. — Not the most complex visuals in Vegas, but we’ll take it.

We find the Mob Museum’s new exterior lights mesmerizing. (We are easily amused.) Here’s some video you can use to enter a deep state of relaxation and/or an epileptic seizure.

5. Video Display at Golden Gate

It seems like only yesterday the 39 video displays were being installed over the new outdoors bar at the Golden Gate. It’s already showing off its high-res graphics.

What were the odds these screens would include go-go dancers? Answer: Downtown knows what it's doing. — What were the odds these screens would include go-go dancers? Answer: Downtown knows what it’s doing.

Here’s a little taste of the newest “light show” on the Fremont Street Experience.

6. Big Six Wheel at The D

The folks at The D are master marketers, and their new Big Six wheel proves the point. These wheels often feature one hotel offering (typically a show), but at The D, the wheel advertises ALL the hotel’s restaurants and shows. Note: While it’s an eye-catching addition to The D’s casino floor, Big Six wheels have fairly awful odds for players, so “caveat aleo” (“gambler beware”).

A clever melding of a classic game and marketing prowess.

7. Rush Lounge Construction at Golden Nugget

We breached security to get a peek at the construction going on at the Golden Nugget’s Rush Lounge renovation and expansion.

Vegas makes things happen, baby. — Looks like the Rush Lounge is getting a new everything.

We love that Las Vegas renovates things even when the existing one is perfectly fine. Hint: Renovations of existing things tends to mean the existing thing wasn’t making enough money.

Golden Gate's Rush lounge, in the throes. — The bar at Golden Gate’s Rush Lounge, in the throes.

8. Mob Bar’s Cognac Bottle

Granted, the cognac bottle at Mob Bar isn’t new, it’s been there since the joint opened, but the bar’s policy about it is new to us. Traditionally, when a customer purchases the last portion of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin cognac, they get to keep the bottle. The ornate bottles can be worth several hundred dollars. While the $150 pours at Mob Bar are a good value (the same cognac is many hundreds more on The Strip), we’ve been told the Mob Bar won’t be giving the bottle away. So, one sucky thing about an otherwise great place. There are two pours left in this bottle, if you’re keeping score at home.