The Las Vegas Strip

Untold Stories: The Las Vegas Strip: The Early Years

July 1st, 2008 Categories: Las Vegas History, The Las Vegas Strip

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Everyone thinks they know the real history of the Las Vegas Strip. 

But did you know that Bugsy Siegel didn’t build the Flamingo Hotel from scratch? 

Do you know who the first nude showgirl was? 

Do you know who Jakie Freidman was? 

Do you believe that Tommy Hull was inspired to build the El Rancho Vegas because his car broke down and he counted the cars that passed him on the old highway?

Well, if you don’t know the real answers to these questions or if you think you do and want confirmation of that, then come out to the Springs Preserve on Thursday evening, July 3rd for our next installment of “Untold Stories’ where we explore the real history of the early years of the Las Vegas Strip.

Joining us will be:   Betty Bunch: a dancer who came here in the early 1950s and is still dancing on the Strip today. Lisa Medford; the first nude showgirl (okay, we gave you one answer) George Stamos: writer of the original Strip Hotel histories for the Las Vegas Sun in 1979.  and Dr. Michael Green: historian and Professor at the College of Southern Nevada.

It all happens on July 3rd at 7:00 pm at the Springs Preserve.  Gas is over $4 a gallon so if you are spending the 4th of July weekend in town, then come join us for a great night of history and stories.

Come early for the Farmers Market and the Mojitos and Mozart in the Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

Untold Stories:  The Las Vegas Strip: The Early Years

Thursday, July 3rd

Las Vegas Springs Preserve

7:00 pm

Admission $12.00 

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Mid Century Modern Will Never Die - It Just Reinvents Itself In Las Vegas

May 29th, 2008 Categories: Mid Century Modern, The Las Vegas Strip

Thanks to Brian Paco Alvarez for reminding me that I need to check in at Vegas Today and Tommorow more often.

The Fountainbleau hotel which is under construction just north of the Riviera seems to be a magnificent homage to the mid centruy modernism that we write about so often. Check out all the various renderings on their Fountainbleau post.

There’s plenty more to see.

My first trip to Miami when I was 10 years old was for my cousins wedding. The reception was at the Fountainbleu on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. Modernism was in it’s heyday, and I fell in love with so much of the architecture of the 50’s and 60’s on that trip, (as well as the Art Deco of the 20’s and 30’s in what later came to be known as South Beach.

quoting from VTT:

Fontainebleau sales center is getting a MiMo treatment. Random round holes in the triangular Porte Cochére supports are reminiscent of 50’s-era Miami style. This is a big clue as to what we can expect in the resort. Photo 3/1/08 by Aaron Auxier

Personally, I’m not a big fan of “MiMO” as a moniker for Mid Century Modern. I prefer “Mid Mod”. But I am a big fan of VegasTodayAndTomorrow.

UPDATE 5/30/08 Brian Paco Alvarez tells me that the meaning of “MiMO” as used in the post was a short cut for “miami modern”, instead of “mid mod”. It’s obviously gets more usage in Miami than in Vegas. The famous original Fountainbleau being in Miami would account for it.

I’m ALWAYS learning, and always happy to pass on what I learn. Thanks Paco.

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Urban Development Update

January 11th, 2008 Categories: Architecture, Las Vegas History, The Las Vegas Strip

Via Urban Historian – Brian Paco Alvarez

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Friends Of Classic Las Vegas Fundraiser Tomorrow

November 16th, 2007 Categories: Architecture, Crestview, Culture, Downtown Las Vegas, Events, Historic Preservation, Las Vegas History, The Las Vegas Strip

This is the final reminder regarding the Friends of Classic Las Vegas Fundraiser this Saturday, Nov. 17th.

This is an Open House/Soiree in a restored mid-century historic home in fabulous Downtown Las Vegas. 

The Open House/Soiree is from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at 1905 Chapman Drive.

There will be wine, savory snacks, a silent auction, hourly raffles as well as talks about Las Vegas history by Dr. Michael Green.  Michael Green is a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada and has written extensively about Southern Nevada. He is co-author of “Las Vegas: A Centennial History.”

There will be DVD promos highlighting some of the Downtown preservation issues.

DVDs of The Story of Classic Las Vegas: An Overview, companion tee-shirts and the Mid-Century Guide to Historic Las Vegas Sites will be on sale as well.

Tickets are only $35 per person and there are some tickets still available.

You can call 878-3889 to make your reservation and pick up your tickets at the door on Saturday afternoon.

We hope to see you there as we celebrate Las Vegas History and begin to work together in preserving our history. 

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Street Spam Is Just As Ugly As Graffiti -

November 16th, 2007 Categories: Everywhere We Look, Las Vegas Real Estate News, The Las Vegas Strip

There’s another pervasive form of SPAM that I had never thought of as Spam. But it’s just as annoying, distracting, ugly and illegal. So I guess the word Spam is appropriate.

I got a call yesterday from a man in Dallas Texas. He had googled “Code Enforcement Las Vegas” and found my post on 20 Frequently Asked Questions From Las Vegas Code Enforcement. He belongs to a group that’s purpose is to get rid of STREET SPAM!

He says that Las Vegas is the Street Spam capital of the world, and that the vast majority of it is SCAM SPAN. I doubt you’ll make 5000 a month working from home if you just call this 800 number.  

It turns out theres a whole internet organization called CAUSS – Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam

I’ve pulled many a sign off of stop signs and street light poles when I find them in actual neighborhoods, but I’ve never done anything about them when they’re all up an down streets like Charleston, and Desert Inn and Eastern and Rancho and Valley View.

I’m not going to get officially involved as there’s too much on my plate as it is, but I thought perhaps some of you might like to take on a new civic beautification project .

From the 20 Questions

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Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 2 Comments »

Frontier Hotel Implosion Saddens The Las Vegas Historic Preservation Community

November 13th, 2007 Categories: Historic Preservation, Las Vegas History, The Las Vegas Strip

The Frontier Hotel is a pile of rubble now, but it was a true icon of “Vintage Las Vegas”. In case you don’t have a tv, here’s a link to the KLAS-TV Channel 8 videos of the implosion. And here’s the link to the KTNV Channel 13 coverage and to Channel 3 KVBC

From Our July 16th Post On the Old BlogSite

A Farewell To The Frontier Hotel

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The Rat Pack In Front Of The Sands Hotel Is The Iconic Las Vegas Photo Of All Time

November 6th, 2007 Categories: Historic Preservation, Las Vegas History, Las Vegas Real Estate News, Mid Century Modern, Moonlight Mid Mod Bus Tour, The Las Vegas Strip

The Moonlight Mid Mod Bus Tour – Part 4

It took something REALLY exciting like a moonlight bus tour of Modernist Las Vegas to get me onto the strip on a Friday Night. But there we were looking for the original site of one of the preeminate photos of all time (as far as Vintage Las Vegas is concerned).

MM figured out from satellite photos of then and now exactly where the photo was taken. Well, exactly within about 10 feet. So that’s where we took the group photo of everyone on the bus tour.

The spot is now the front sidewalk of the Venetian.

And that’s the first time in 20 years anyone’s managed to make me go on the strip on a weekend night.

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Moonlight Tour of The Mid Century Modern Heritage of Las Vegas

November 3rd, 2007 Categories: Architecture, Cool Stuff, Culture, Downtown Businesses, Events, Historic Preservation, Las Vegas History, Las Vegas Real Estate News, Mid Century Modern, Moonlight Mid Mod Bus Tour, The Las Vegas Strip

Chris Nichols author of  “The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister” was a featured speaker yesterday at the Vegas Valley Book Festival. He also graciously conducted the tour along with MaryMargaret from the Atomic Age Alliance.

The Wiki entry on McAllister can fill you in on his life and work and influence in the creation of the strip. His work was a major topic of the tour. He designed the Desert Inn, The El Cortez, The Sands, The Fremont and his first work in Las Vegas, the El Rancho Vegas.

The mood on the double decker, open air bus shifted repeatedly from joy for the buildings remaining, to sadness for the treasures that have been lost. Both were pointed out along the way.

The most prominent emotion displayed by those on the tour was determination to save what is left and preserve it for the future.

Our first leg was a drive down Las Vegas Blvd on the way to one of the Icon Businesses of Vintage Vegas. The Golden Steer Steak House is on Sahara, just west of the strip. It’s been there since 1958, and is one of the best remaining examples of what Chris and Alan Hess call the “Red Booth” period of fine dining in America.

Tomorrow, I’ll publish the second installment. I didn’t attend First Friday last night, so instead of our usual week of First Friday Posts, we’ll give you a sampling of what we saw on the bus tour.

Tags: Jack+LeVine, uncle+jack, golden+steer, chris+nichols, alan+hess, atomic+age+alliance, wayne+mcallister

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Cultural And Historical Preservation - If We Don’t Know What The Problem Is, How Can We Get To A Solution?

November 1st, 2007 Categories: Las Vegas History, Las Vegas Real Estate News, The Las Vegas Strip

Travel and Leisure’s Poll points out why we have to try even harder!

Kristen nailed a great response to the  article which put Las Vegas last on yet another list. Poll says last; We don’t care. by Kristen Peterson, Las Vegas Sun

VVV’s own Cultural Curator and Historian, Brian Paco Alvarez responds beautifully to both with a letter to the editor. He had sent it in to us, also in case it didn’t get published in the sun, but since it did, we’re linking to it here.

Letter: Las Vegas has, fails to promote, culture

Regarding Kristen Petersen’s Oct. 26 article, “Poll says last; we don’t care”:

Read the rest of this entry »

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