The opening of City Center in Las Vegas brought back found memories of my trip last August. Construction was really humming and despite a previous walkout and financial issues, everything looked nice from where I stood. Of course, where I stood was behind the fence along Las Vegas Boulevard, but the next time I’m in Vegas, I’ll actually get inside those buildings.
Aria is 4,000 room hotel, and sometime after I see Beatles LOVE, I’d like to see the Elvis show that Aria hosts. If it’s still there – I don’t get to Vegas as much as I would like. And City Center is so big, it has it’s own tram system.
The Harmon is a hotel without a casino. Yes, such places do exist in Vegas. It looks pretty slick in its varying shades of blue glass. It reminds me of Greektown Casino in Detroit, without the cold weather and urban decay around it.
Jockey Club are those white buildings squeezed between City Center and Bellagio. Sure, the views may not be great, especially if you have a room on the south (City Center-facing) side, but you can’t beat the location on the strip. And they have suites and kitchenettes for you with long stays. Lucky SOBs.
So was it worth destroying the Boardwalk casino to make room for the gargantuan City Center? I never went inside the Boardwalk, but it did have a (non-functional) roller coaster on the roof, and you just don’t see that sort of thing too often.
And if you like seeing things blown up, and you know you do, check out Vegas Tripping for video of the Boardwalk coming down, as well as other casinos being reduced to rubble.