The Neon Museum gives an alternative view of Vegas history. Photos / Ilona Hanne
The Neon Museum gives an alternative view of Vegas history. Photos / Ilona Hanne
The lights aren't as shiny but the heartbeat is strong, writes Ilona Hanne.
The name Las Vegas seems synonymous with gambling, glitter, burlesque, shows and plenty of x-rated entertainment but there's a whole other side to the city that is well worth exploring.
Downtown Vegas has been enjoying a resurgence, largely due to the commitment to invest US$350 million by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, one of the world's largest online shoe companies.
In 2013, Zappos moved more than 1600 staff from Henderson, Nevada, into the old Las Vegas City Hall in downtown with a view to kick-starting the revitalisation of a once unappealing area.
The first person to get funding by way of Hsieh's Downtown Project was a chef, Natalie Young, who opened her restaurant, called eat, in September 2012.
Now, nearly six years later, it is a popular breakfast and lunch spot in Downtown Vegas, and makes the perfect start to a day spent exploring the area.
Chef Natalie Young on the bench outside her Vegas restaurant, eat. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Young says the success of the restaurant is thanks to the community.
"When we were getting ready to open, people from around the neighbourhood came to see what we were doing. They pitched in and offered help in all sorts of ways."
That help included donations of items from people who believed in the project. Blinds, chairs, all sorts of things were donated to the restaurant which, at the time, was a good two blocks away from anything else happening in the area.
The success was instant, with Young recalling the first day, when she had thought they'd maybe get through 150 customers "if we were lucky". They did get that many customers, within the first two hours.
"We had to close early that first day because we were so busy and it just kept on like that."
Young says the restaurant has never had a day in the red, and she was able to pay back the start-up loan within 15 months.
Her ethos is simple, good food, made with love and her eaterie makes a great breakfast spot for getting to know Downtown Vegas. The menu is well thought out, and Young is confident the food she puts out needs no tweaking. The menu informs customers that "changes or modifications to the menu [are] politely declined".
And there really is no need to try. Every item ordered by our table was deemed delicious, with a crowd favourite being the Reuben sandwich served with "a really good pickle".
Before you leave eat, take a minute to sit on the bench outside the restaurant and indulge in a spot of people watching. As Young says, "everyone around here has a story to tell, if you take the time to hear it". Even the bench tells a story. Young says "it just turned up one day," put there by an anonymous person, who had painted the words of a love song on it.
From there, it's a gentle, two-minute stroll to the Downtown Container Park on Fremont St, although that stroll can take a lot longer if you dive down side alleys and keep an eye out for some of the eye-catching street art.
The container park is where a range of shops and bars co-exist alongside entertainment and meeting spaces, all in or around recycled and repurposed shipping containers. They are stacked together to create a multi-level collection of small, but perfectly formed, stores and bars, around an outdoor space that's ideal for watching performances or catching up with friends. Here you won't find standard chainstores but an eclectic mix of new brands, artist collectives and quirky originals.
The area also features a large play-structure, which children of all ages will love exploring, making it a great place to while away an hour or three in the Vegas sunshine.
As you leave, take a few minutes to linger near the giant praying mantis sculpture that guards the entrance. Not only does it breathe fire, but it has rhythm, and will dance along to a drum beat — on drums tourists are encouraged to beat. A four-minute Uber or taxi ride from the container park is The Neon Museum, resting place of many of Las Vegas' iconic neon.
Visitors to the museum are taken on an escorted tour through what could be described as a retirement home for old signs, but is, in reality, so much more.
The massive pieces of metal, glass and neon lights on display in the outdoor museum are as impressive as ever. The tour guides are well versed in the history of each sign and point out details that might otherwise go unnoticed such as the "s" letters turned into dollar signs.
These big boys weren't made to be viewed up close, points out tour guide Valerie. But the peeling, imperfect paint jobs don't spoil the impact of the signs, rather they remind you of a Vegas from times gone by, or maybe a retired burlesque dancer, knocking back a shot of whiskey and telling tales of her time in the spotlight.
A retirement home for signs. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Checklist
GETTING THERE American Airlines' direct flights from Auckland to LA resume on October 30, with connecting flights to Las Vegas. Fares from $1290, for sales until August 3.
