Las Vegas - What Do You Like/Dislike About Las Vegas?

It is no secret I am trying to create a website about all things Vegas...so I thought I would throw this question out to those of you who have been here often enough to have an opinion.

I intend to do a major re-do of my website soon and am looking for some ideas - and I figure who better to ask than people who come here to Flyertalk, have been to Las Vegas and can give some input about what they like and dislike about this city.

Even if you have only been here a couple of times - let me know what you think.

It will help me put relevant info - and would just like to know your opinions.

Can locals respond? I love the sun, I love the diverse population, I love the local restaurants.

I wish people would use turn signals and trash containers more often.

Love just about everything. Hate hate hate the cigarette smoking.

LOVE: (in no particular order) Shopping, restaurants, shows, weather, luxury hotels/spas.

HATE: Smoking and people who drink too much and can not control their (usually bad) behavior. Traffic on the Strip (which we usually avoid by going down Paradise.

Note: Did not mention gambling, as we are not gamblers except maybe $50. a night, which doesn't go far.

Good luck with the web site Dmark. I did visit it. Looking forward to getting out to LAS on 12/27. I want to sit by the pool in the sun. Funny thing is it was warmer here in NJ then it was yesterday in LAS. Walked the dog and needed only a sweater. I think I have had my winter coat on once this month.

I have been to Vegas way more that I have ever wanted to and All of the old people drive me nutz. They need a wheelchair/walker/oxygen until they get near the slot machines....then look out. Some of those old women get aggresive if you get near one of the five slot machines they are running back and forth between.

Pretty much harping on what others have said but...

Like: the variety of restuarants, it being a 24hr city, the vibe (tourists are in town to have a good time), the weather (specifically next to no rain), the freebies/comps/deals, free parking at the casinos.

Dislike: the smoking, the traffic

Like -- mostly everything.

Dislike -- smokers. Traffic. Moving walkways where people stand around like lumps instead of moving.

Like: hotels, shopping, poker

Dislike: The porn leaflet distributors on the strip and the time share people.

Like: Blue Man Group

Dislike: Overpriced monorail

Like: Your website (okay, kissing up a little), the comraderie at the locals casinos (i.e. GVR), the access to world class restaurants, the surreal feeling I get when I pass tourists/celebrities

Dislike: the smoking, the hyperplanned nature of everything, the fact that the restaurants are all chains (i.e. there is no "Ray's Pizza", everything is Pizza Hut, Papa John's, etc.), actually I think except for Canaletto's at the Venetian there is no really good pizza out here.

Like:
- UFC
- (outlet) shopping
- 24-hour everything
- diversity of people
- proximity to LA
- atmosphere - people are there to have a good time
- Henderson
- In'n'Out Burger :-)

Dislike:
- served only by TED. RAR.
- s-m-o-k-i-n-g
- traffic on Strip/Decatur/Maryland Parkway
- more hookers per capita than in Bangkok
- downtown

Likes : Neon lights, variety of levels of service (from cheap to expensive/luxurious), weather

Dislikes : '24 hour city' misnomer.. the only thing that's really 24 hours is gambling. I find many instances at 11PM at night when the majority of restaurants are closed in the majority of the casinos.

Likes: one-stop shop for adults including shopping, gambling, wide variety of eats, shows, clubs, bars, I love to sit at the sports book and watch all the games going on at the same time, and most importantly, the eye-candy ;) .

Dislikes: I concur with most here on the smoking; attempts by taxi drivers to long-haul, pedestrians crossing the streets without watching the signs causing even more traffic problems, the heat during the summer, and the traffic at LAS during peak hours.

< likes cheap off-season rates (just got the Hilton in early December for 4 nights for $140 total).

< likes great restaurants (even though I'm a jaded New Yorker).

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< hates Bell Transportation from LAS to the hotels. It took 55 minutes to get to the Aladdin. :eek: The driver started a hotel or 2 north of my hotel. The next 25 minutes were a total waste. I cabbed it back to the airport.

< hates long walks from casino entrance to (.....fill in the blank)

< hates treking from the street all the way through the casino to the Monorail stop. (not applicable at the Hilton stop). ;)

Last time I was there was July 2004, but this is what I (dis)liked.

Love:

Location of the executive terminal (I think Atlantic Aviation has it now) at McCarran. Walking distance to the strip and the monorail station at the MGM Grand.

The monorail.

Hate:

The porno litter on the ground or stuck in fences.

The heat.

Love the great weather almost year round.

HATE when parents bring their kids (anyone under 18)! Leave the brats at home!!!!!!

Like: Your website (okay, kissing up a little), the comraderie at the locals casinos (i.e. GVR), the access to world class restaurants, the surreal feeling I get when I pass tourists/celebrities

Dislike: the smoking, the hyperplanned nature of everything, the fact that the restaurants are all chains (i.e. there is no "Ray's Pizza", everything is Pizza Hut, Papa John's, etc.), actually I think except for Canaletto's at the Venetian there is no really good pizza out here.

Have you tried Aurelio's??

There is one on Eastern in Henderson and another on Cheyenne near Buffalo up toward Summerlin. This restaurant started as a small single run pizza joint in about 1958 in the Chicago area. Joe Aurelio himself made all the pizza's. Now it has franchises all over the Chicago area and luckily for me two locations in LAS.


To keep on topic - I love the Bellagio Fountains

Likes: Bellaggio fountains,
Bellaggio conservatory/garden ( i can close my eyes and smell it right now!)
and all the upper scale restaurants (i could eat for weeks there, but I'd go broke with their prices!)

Dislikes:
tourists who would rather see life thru the viewfinder of their video /camera while walking down the street,
the traffic on the strip,
location of the monorails,
the porn littered everywhere,
having to hear slot machines (the noise drives me crazy!!!) and moreover having to hear them at the airport!

Likes:
The weather. Even in July. (I'm a hot weather kind of guy.)
The monorail. When doing a poker room tour, it's convenient.
The general west-of-the-Mississippi friendliness and culture.

Dislikes:
The monorail. Should have been built as a subway. Should have been built with an airport connection from the get-go. Far too expensive per trip. A monument to inept city planning.
Vinnie and his assorted friends from Staten Island who lack even the basics of politeness or tact.
Strollers.
Parents rolling their kids around in the above-mentioned strollers. At midnight. They ought to be arrested for child abuse.

Love:

FOOD
Skylofts
shows
attractions


HATE:

Smoking
TIPPING FOR EVERY SINGLE THING -- I still do not understand why to tip a taxi for doing his FREAKING JOB !!! Not like he is doing me a service...unlike a restaurant/bar...

It is no secret I am trying to create a website about all things Vegas...so I thought I would throw this question out to those of you who have been here often enough to have an opinion.

I intend to do a major re-do of my website soon and am looking for some ideas - and I figure who better to ask than people who come here to Flyertalk, have been to Las Vegas and can give some input about what they like and dislike about this city.

Even if you have only been here a couple of times - let me know what you think.

It will help me put relevant info - and would just like to know your opinions.
Like:
Marble bathrooms abound.
Great entertainment choices (provided you book ahead).
A chance to win (big)
Free stuff!
Dislike:
The food - it's been a long time since this was a perk.
The traffic (overhead crossings are have saved many but it's like the demolition derby on the strip)
msv

Love:
The Shows, slots, comp's by the hotel, wonderful meals, nice rooms & never knowing what time it is.

Hate:

The smoke (although at the MGM, not so bad), the HORRIBLE/MEAN/ALMOST KILLED US Taxi driver :mad:

Travel safe:cool:

Wow - thanks all for the responses so far!!

And thanks for the compliments on the website, but as mentioned, it is long overdue to make this a "real" website (what you see now was a class project) and I want to include info that will help people coming here.

Your comments (seems like taxi drivers are not well-loved, nor smoking, nor monorail accessibility, etc) are valid and I will be sure to put many of the other comments on the website as well!

If you think of any more (specific) likes or dislikes, please keep adding them as my major update is going to take a few weeks at least - and even then, I can go back in and add some of your comments.

Thanks again - I can't think of a better group of "tourists" to ask then you guys!

DMark

On the other hand...Las Vegas is somewhat welcoming to smokers. When I was a smoker, I really appreciated the smoking room (gaming room) at LAS' D Terminal.

Edited to add: Coming back to LAS, today, it seems the indoor smoking room is a goner!

Love:

Casinos (gambling is fun)
Cirque du Soliel
Restaurants
Shopping (my wife made me write that)
Shadow Bar (and other efforts to make Vegas more of an adult attraction)

Hate:

Buffets
Children in casinos and restaurants
Strollers on the strip
The 10 year experiment at making Vegas family friendly.

Loves:

The pool scene at Mandalay and the Palms
The shows
The clubs (when I can get in)
Fried Twinkies on Freemont Street
Seeing old, fat guys with 20 something year old hotties
Seeing older women with much younger dudes
Seeing two old folks having the time of their lives at 1 AM in a casino bar

Hates:

Security lines at LAS
Smoking everywhere
Dealers at tables that are mean
Overpriced drinks in some establishments
The Range Restaurant (I've never had a good steak there)
Seeing boozed up kids making stupid mistakes
The no cell phone usage in a sports book rule

Likes: (most of them posted already)
Proximity to the great outdoors... water, mountains.. etc

dislikes: Rental car shuttles at the airport... would be nice if you can walk to
your rental cars.

Love:

FOOD
Skylofts
shows
attractions


HATE:

Smoking
TIPPING FOR EVERY SINGLE THING -- I still do not understand why to tip a taxi for doing his FREAKING JOB !!! Not like he is doing me a service...unlike a restaurant/bar...

So you would rather pay for a rental and have to drive in the strip traffic yourself? Sounds like the driver is actually doing you a service and letting you relax rather then having to fight the traffic. Don't like tipping the driver don't take a cab.

So you would rather pay for a rental and have to drive in the strip traffic yourself? Sounds like the driver is actually doing you a service and letting you relax rather then having to fight the traffic. Don't like tipping the driver don't take a cab.




The driver is NOT doing a service----he is being well-paid for it.
I don't think that tipping should be mandatory as you seem to be advocating. I prefer to choose whom I tip.:)

Pros:
Great buffets/restaurants--and many choices all within walking distance
Cirque du Soliel shows

Cons:
Smoking--A few hours in the casino at a busy craps table and I'm going home with a sore throat
Transportation to/from LAS--link up the monorail from the strip to the airport, and this problem is solved

I am kind of surprised at the mention of transportation to and from the airport - I mean, Las Vegas is one of the few cities that I know where the airport is smack dab in the middle of almost everything! Other than the madness of a Friday night on a busy weekend, how long does it take you guys to get to your hotel? Depending upon where you are staying, you could practically walk there...then again, living here I don't see this side of Las Vegas, so thanks for the comments! One thing to tell your taxi drive is to NOT take you on the 215/and 15 freeway...that is generally a rip off (again, depending upon where you are staying) and they should take Paradise or go down Tropicana to The Strip. (I would opt for the Tropicana to The Strip route - even in bad traffic, it is fun to see the casinos and get your bearings.)

Keep 'em coming - I have started the re-do of my website and fully intend to incorporate a lot of what you guys are saying. I truly appreciate your input.

I am kind of surprised at the mention of transportation to and from the airport - I mean, Las Vegas is one of the few cities that I know where the airport is smack dab in the middle of almost everything! Other than the madness of a Friday night on a busy weekend, how long does it take you guys to get to your hotel? Depending upon where you are staying, you could practically walk there...then again, living here I don't see this side of Las Vegas, so thanks for the comments! One thing to tell your taxi drive is to NOT take you on the 215/and 15 freeway...that is generally a rip off (again, depending upon where you are staying) and they should take Paradise or go down Tropicana to The Strip. (I would opt for the Tropicana to The Strip route - even in bad traffic, it is fun to see the casinos and get your bearings.)

Keep 'em coming - I have started the re-do of my website and fully intend to incorporate a lot of what you guys are saying. I truly appreciate your input.
There are two problems with cabs at the airport:

1. Waiting for one -- if you fly in for the weekend (as many, many people do), you can wait in line a long time before you finally get a cab.

2. Long-hauling, aka "tunneling," taking fares through the tunnel because "it's quicker," just to jack up the fare. Those of us who go often know enough to give directions (or even say, "no tunnel, please"). Newbies, however, get tunneled often enough that it's a problem.

I am kind of surprised at the mention of transportation to and from the airport - I mean, Las Vegas is one of the few cities that I know where the airport is smack dab in the middle of almost everything! Other than the madness of a Friday night on a busy weekend, how long does it take you guys to get to your hotel? Depending upon where you are staying, you could practically walk there...then again, living here I don't see this side of Las Vegas, so thanks for the comments! One thing to tell your taxi drive is to NOT take you on the 215/and 15 freeway...that is generally a rip off (again, depending upon where you are staying) and they should take Paradise or go down Tropicana to The Strip. (I would opt for the Tropicana to The Strip route - even in bad traffic, it is fun to see the casinos and get your bearings.)

Keep 'em coming - I have started the re-do of my website and fully intend to incorporate a lot of what you guys are saying. I truly appreciate your input.

DMark, may I suggest a transportation page on your website with links to the monorail routes, the deuce routes, etc. Might I also suggest the number to the Taxi Authority if you will be discussing "tunneling" on your website.

DMark, may I suggest a transportation page on your website with links to the monorail routes, the deuce routes, etc. Might I also suggest the number to the Taxi Authority if you will be discussing "tunneling" on your website.

Excellent idea! I think a new page is warranted about this topic.

I know a woman who briefly worked at MGM Grand at the front desk, and they were told to tell guests booking a room NOT to allow the taxis to take them through the tunnel when arriving at the airport and taking a taxi to the MGM.

(For those of you unaware of it, there is a nice set of freeways that are actually pretty fast, but they are (usually) a huge waste of time and money when taking a taxi from the airport to The Strip. There are some exceptions - maybe a ride to Rio or Palms, or to the Palace Station, or one of the casinos off The Strip. Otherwise, there are ample shortcuts from the airport to most of the large casinos that are faster, and cheaper, than taking the tunnel route.)

DMark have you checked out www.cheapovegas.com ? Might give you some ideas on tips for travelers.

I love the fact that Vegas represents the best of what America has to offer, and the worst of what America has to offer - all in the same place!

Love: The resorts themselves always trying to top one another (see www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com) , the energy, the food, and the people watching.

Hate: The smoking, the parents who push their kids in strollers on the strip/in the casino, and the traffic.

The driver is NOT doing a service----he is being well-paid for it.
I don't think that tipping should be mandatory as you seem to be advocating. I prefer to choose whom I tip.:)

Do you know the Definition of a Yorkshireman

.........


..............


A Scotsman with the generosity beaten out of him

Ok, I am ready for some flaming!! The best part of being in Las Vegas is that I can smoke just about anywhere but the elevator!!
I love it that I can get anything I want to eat at anytime of the day or night. I can go to bed at 7PM and get up at 3AM and do just about anything I want, most things open 24/7.
I love that I could, if lucky, have a great vacation and maybe come home with all the money I took with me and maybe even more!!
Viva Las Vegas!

My Likes:

- Seeing tourists in 45 degree January wearing flip flops and shorts thinking
it's 100 degrees every day in Las Vegas...can't get enough of that

- talking to toursits on the plane ride home and being asked if I live on the
Strip..happens more often than you think

- listening to tourists on plane mistake Boulder Hwy for the Strip as we're
about to land and then wonder aloud "thought it would be bigger than that"
and "where's the MGM Grand, I don't see it anywhere"

- telling a tourist on same plane ride I live in Las Vegas and being asked if I
can get them into a club/show/upgraded room...sure thing man, you want
to crash on my couch too?

- hearing the high roller wannabe's story while in line for the Southwest
check-in...sure thing you dropped $5K this weekend sport, that's why you're
flying back to Chicago on Southwest using the $49 internet fare

- tourists who get in an uproar for paying an extra $5 cuz the taxi took the tunnel
but then later that night spending $15 on a watered down screwdriver at a
nightclub after paying a $30 cover to get in


God bless you tourists, I love each and every one of you...someone has to pay my taxes and it might as well be you.



PS: As far as smoking everywhere goes, not anymore. New law passed by voters in November slowly taking effect. Can't smoke in restaurants anymore excluding casinos of course.

If any of my FT Vegan friends are disliking the freezing weather you are currently enduring, I just want to let you know that the $257.20 r/t all-in Hawaiian Airlines airfares that are bringing us to LV 3 times in the next 4 weeks, (see the When Are You Coming To Vegas thread), are available in reverse: LAS - HNL. Soooo, now is a good time for a quick, cheap trip to Hawai'i for you, if anyone is interested! Aloha!

Likes
1. The old neon lights on the Strip like the Frontier and Tropicana (they will be gone soon and i will miss them greatly)
2. 4.95 Steak and Dollar Drinks at Ellis Island
3. The Bathrooms at Wynn, Mirage, and Bellagio
4. Sportsbooks during Football Season

Dislike
1. Slow People walking or turned around and dont see others
2. Time Share People
3. Overpriced Drinks at some of the bars/lounges
4. Harrahs and MGM Monopoly on the Strip
5. Drinking on the Street

If any of my FT Vegan friends are disliking the freezing weather you are currently enduring, I just want to let you know that the $257.20 r/t all-in Hawaiian Airlines airfares that are bringing us to LV 3 times in the next 4 weeks, (see the When Are You Coming To Vegas thread), are available in reverse: LAS - HNL. Soooo, now is a good time for a quick, cheap trip to Hawai'i for you, if anyone is interested! Aloha!

I went to Hawaii for the first time in my life last February - non-stop from LV...remember last February? During my 10 day visit, it poured rain for 8 days - there were floods and lets just say, a week in Maui during non-stop rain is not exactly a day at the beach. My guess is that the people showing up in Las Vegas this week with a bottle of sun tan lotion and two bathing suits probably feel the same.

Get your okole over here ASAP, DMark, it is GORGEOUS, and we ain't scared of a little frozen water! Join us and MrpAlert Monday, 6:00pm at Triple George Grill, 3rd and Ogden? Complimentary valet parking in front!

I very much dislike the Unamericanized foreign horde that proliferates everywhere. Wish they would stay home, and that ain't in the good old Us of A! They are very rude, crude, uncouth and probably wealthy.

Like: Your website (okay, kissing up a little), the comraderie at the locals casinos (i.e. GVR), the access to world class restaurants, the surreal feeling I get when I pass tourists/celebrities

Dislike: the smoking, the hyperplanned nature of everything, the fact that the restaurants are all chains (i.e. there is no "Ray's Pizza", everything is Pizza Hut, Papa John's, etc.), actually I think except for Canaletto's at the Venetian there is no really good pizza out here.

There is much more to Vegas than the Strip and if you pick up a few brochures or ask a few folks you'll find a "Ray's Pizza" or a Ricky-Bobby's BarBQ".

LOVE-the weather, the "fantasy land feeling" of it all, cirquedusoleil, wynn, the timeshare presentations, cheap breakfasts, the constant and never-ending buzz.

DON'T LOVE-the porn leaflets, the creepy feeling of a casino around 2 am, hotels that make you walk through the casino to get to the pool, smoking.

Likes: (1) general ambiance of LV--the whole city is like a "theme" park (with no unifying theme:) )
(2) rooms in the newer hotels on the strip are generally upscale.
(3) CAT bus system--it is reasonably efficient for getting around the city
(4) Bellagio fountains and conservatory--free and super.

Dislikes: (1) monorail is too expensive and the stops are not near the strip (las vegas blvd) proper.
(2) shuttle buses, you have to wait sometimes 30 minutes before they fill up and then winding up being the last to be dropped off--they expect a tip on top of all this.
(3) crowds on the strip, at times it feels like the rush hour in the subway.

Likes:

1. All kinds of people from everywhere, and there to have a good time
2. Shopping
3. Lots of great places to eat, from dives to $$$$
4. There is a buzz everywhere, and everyone is buzzed
5. Golf

Dislikes

1. Smokin' in the boys room, and the whole joint is the boys room
2. Tip solicitation in the friggin' bogs...I am not such a numnutz that I think I'll drop caste if someone doesn't hand me a towel after washing my hands
3. Hotels are not really set up for business travelers
4. More homeless folks moving in
5. Still kind of sleazy in a lot of places

I very much dislike the Unamericanized foreign horde that proliferates everywhere. Wish they would stay home, and that ain't in the good old Us of A! They are very rude, crude, uncouth and probably wealthy.

wow. you have issues.

Love:

FOOD
Skylofts
shows
attractions


HATE:

Smoking
TIPPING FOR EVERY SINGLE THING -- I still do not understand why to tip a taxi for doing his FREAKING JOB !!! Not like he is doing me a service...unlike a restaurant/bar...
This LONGHORN hates to tip $1 for a free beer worth 80 cents. I usually mix my own drinks and avoid the uncertainty of getting what I ordered

I very much dislike the Unamericanized foreign horde that proliferates everywhere. Wish they would stay home, and that ain't in the good old Us of A! They are very rude, crude, uncouth and probably wealthy.They probably wish you'd stay home, as well.

I very much dislike the Unamericanized foreign horde that proliferates everywhere. Wish they would stay home, and that ain't in the good old Us of A! They are very rude, crude, uncouth and probably wealthy.

Don't be silly - Brooklyn IS in America. :D :D :D

Like:

*Weather
*Restauants
*9/6 JoB VP (Hey, I'll surrender 0.48% for a few hours of fun.)
*Round-the-clock entertainment
*The views of the mountain
*The mayor (We should make more mob lawyers into mayors.)
*The easy freeway system and the side streets along the Strip
*The Silverton and Main Street Station

Dislike:

*Smoking
*Traffic
*People who complain about traffic on the Strip on Saturday nights
*A certain casino's destruction of the video poker paytables (No names, but it rhymes with "Smarrah's.")
*The fact that all the concerts are only 90 minutes and I pay $150 for a ticket.
*The fact that my wife refuses to pick up and move there with me.

Mike

Likes:
Buffets
Night scenery
Bellagio fountain show

Dislikes:
Smoking permitted inside casinos
Desert heat during summer
Venetian's Gondola

This LONGHORN hates to tip $1 for a free beer worth 80 cents.
Well you're not tipping the beer, you're tipping the person who served it to you, so it doesn't really make much of a difference how much the beer cost the casino.

I usually mix my own drinks and avoid the uncertainty of getting what I ordered
How do you do this? Do you carry around your own alcohol and mixers? :confused: