OT: Visiting Las Vegas (with a Local Flair)

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
12,069
6,017
Bellevue, WA
The “I’m Coming to Vegas†Megathread.

The good thing about Vegas is that almost 50 million people a year come here and there’s at least as many people telling you what to do here. From restaurants to hiking, gambling to skiing, we’ve got it all. Vegas is a great place.

Instead replicating every Vegas tourism advice site out there, we’re going to put this thread together to give you some insight into the more local things to do here.
However, here’s the basics:

T-Mobile Arena.
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If you’re touristing it up, T-Mobile is accessible from pretty much all the “South Strip†hotels via a short walk or a mix of monorails and walking. If you’re staying north of Spring Mountain Road, take a cab, Uber, or Lyft to the arena. Here’s an image showing all the monorails and trams on the Strip (via Vegas.com):
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For reference, T-Mobile Arena is located directly behind the New York New York Resort.
If you’re driving, on site parking is available for $10 and is mostly geared towards Las Vegas locals, so access from The Strip is a little tricky. The arena is best reached via car from Frank Sinatra Drive or Interstate 15.

Inside:
We have been told that Vegas will shoot twice towards the “P6†section.
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So, that's it for that.

Let's get into the less popular/hidden gem/budget friendly type stuff.

My personal favorite little diner/restaurant isn't super local, but it isn't really on the must hit list for tourists either. It is...drumroll please.

The Peppermill.

peppermill.jpg


Awesome food, cheap for the Strip and always great service. It gets a little busy weekend mornings, but if you're travelling as a couple you can always sneak to the lunch counter while you wait for a table. The corned beef hash is awesome.

For late night/early morning (if you're really Vegasing it up) drinks, their fireside lounge is a must hit. It's got an old school Vegas vibe, there's mirrors and neon everywhere, plus there's an indoor fire pit sitting in a pool. It's pretty cool. The bloody mary to accompany your morning meal after a long night is strongly recommended.

2985 S Las Vegas Blvd. Kind of across from the Circus Circus.

My favorite divey casino.

Ellis Island.

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They make their own beer, and it's not bad at all. Plus, it costs $2!
Their coffee shop/diner is above average and they've got a $7.99 steak special in the diner that comes with a beer. It's not on the menu, so you'll have to ask for it. It's solid for $7.99, an old school Vegas-type meal deal. Plus, the BBQ joint inside is pretty good as well as being reasonably priced if you're into that.

It's not on the greatest neighborhood being a block or two behind the Strip, but it's worth a stop if you want a National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation type of experience. :laugh:

4178 Koval Ln, near Flamingo and Koval.

Get out of the casino and off the Strip stuff:

Red Rock Canyon.

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If you're in to hiking, this is the place to go burn off the calories from all the buffet food and steakhouses in town. If you're not in to hiking, it's a cool place to just drive around and see some pretty awesome rock formations.

It's about 10 minutes out of town (or 30 minutes off the Strip depending on traffic.)

Drive down Charleston Blvd past 215 and you'll be there in five minutes. Plus, you can do a little shopping in Summerlin afterwards.

Anyone else got any favorite locals places to share? We'll eventually combine all the posts and turn this into a sticky, so post them here and we'll get it started. It gives us something to do between team name posts and GM guesses. :)

I went a little closer to the Strip, but if you've got neighborhood stuff that might be good for visitors, let's do it.
 
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Super Cake

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
30,924
6,356
I recommend going to Mount Charleston. It is a beautiful place.

To get there, you basically have to get on the 95 and get off at Kyle Canon Rd. You then just stay on that road until you get to Mount Charlston.
 
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derriko

Registered User
Mar 7, 2009
4,615
446
Las Vegas
It blew my mind when I moved here that a 35 minute drive got you into a dense mountain forest with snow. The wife and I are temped to buy a cabin up there and just commute to Vegas since its hardly a commute at all.
 

Super Cake

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
30,924
6,356
It blew my mind when I moved here that a 35 minute drive got you into a dense mountain forest with snow. The wife and I are temped to buy a cabin up there and just commute to Vegas since its hardly a commute at all.

It blew my mind as well.

It is the perfect place to go in the summer.
 

MMC

Global Moderator
May 11, 2014
47,810
38,368
Orange County, CA
How far is the arena from the Bellagio? Haven't been to Vegas in years but that is the hotel we usually stay at.
 

Unsustainable

Bunch of Jerks
Apr 14, 2012
37,229
102,284
Charlotte, NC
When I visited Vegas 4 years ago, Red Rock Valley was nice, Lake Mead / Valley of Fire, Hoover Dam, Mt Charleston, then over to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley.

I'm a outdoorsman type, so seeing the desert stuff was my thing, I missed the Painted Desert though. I put 1200 miles on a rental in a week though to give an idea of how much traveling i did there.

Can't wait to go back out again, I really love the west.
 

KnishOfTheCrease

Chez Pierre Enthusiast
Oct 8, 2010
6,292
1,473
Las Vegas
I had dinner at the BBQ inside Ellis Island on Wednesday. Best ribs in town. I eat there once a month.

I love the Peppermill too. It's a 5 minute drive from me so I like for late night breakfast or Happy Hour.
 

jwhouk

Former Cheesehead, Always a Preds Fan
Apr 19, 2004
5,225
49
Valley of the Sun
jwhouk.net
Can't really recommend much since it's been quite some time since I've been out there, but if you happen to stop at one of the Sbarro's in the various malls on the Strip and in Downtown, you might see my brother-in-law.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
12,069
6,017
Bellevue, WA
I recommend going to Mount Charleston. It is a beautiful place.

To get there, you basically have to get on the 95 and get off at Kyle Canon Rd. You then just stay on that road until you get to Mount Charlston.

It blew my mind when I moved here that a 35 minute drive got you into a dense mountain forest with snow. The wife and I are temped to buy a cabin up there and just commute to Vegas since its hardly a commute at all.

It blew my mind as well.

It is the perfect place to go in the summer.

Mount Charleston is definitely worth adding to the list. I don't know that I'd want to live and commute from up there unless I worked in Centennial Hills, but it's an awesome place to visit.

When I visited Vegas 4 years ago, Red Rock Valley was nice, Lake Mead / Valley of Fire, Hoover Dam, Mt Charleston, then over to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley.

I'm a outdoorsman type, so seeing the desert stuff was my thing, I missed the Painted Desert though. I put 1200 miles on a rental in a week though to give an idea of how much traveling i did there.

Can't wait to go back out again, I really love the west.

Painted Desert is a little far, and I haven't been yet. I hear it's nice. Sedona is awesome too, but they're a little more convenient to Phoenix than Vegas.
 

howlincoyote2k1

Registered User
Apr 14, 2005
795
0
Provo, Utah
Any ideas on a good Mexican food restaurant? Preferably a more divey hole-in-the-wall kind of place, as opposed to fancy bistro places. I've had Roberto's which is good; anything else out there?
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
12,069
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Bellevue, WA
Any ideas on a good Mexican food restaurant? Preferably a more divey hole-in-the-wall kind of place, as opposed to fancy bistro places. I've had Roberto's which is good; anything else out there?

The girlfriend is on a Tacos el Gordo thing lately. I haven't been yet, but she's obsessed.

If you want to go really grimey, El Compitas on Charleston and Torrey Pines is pretty awesome.
 

702

Registered User
Jun 6, 2016
364
0
El Gordo is amazing. Adobada tacos and fries!

It's right next to the Wynn hotel, those staying on the strip.
 

GKG18

Expansion Fan
Jun 25, 2016
1,307
807
Hendertucky
Lots of hiking trails at Charleston. Valley of Fire is similar to Red Rock, only bigger and better. It's a 1:20 drive North on 15. Lake Mead is 45 minutes SE and has all the leisure you can find at any lake (fishing, sailing, etc), not to mention Hoover Dam is a bit further down the road.
For Mexican, I prefer Lindo Michoacan on Desert Inn, about three miles East of the strip. Not a dive, but great, nonetheless.
 

derriko

Registered User
Mar 7, 2009
4,615
446
Las Vegas
If you are looking to swim at a non-casino...lake mead is muddy and nasty. If you go out there, rent a boat or jet skis or dont go imo.
 

BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
12,069
6,017
Bellevue, WA
I'll be in vegas this weekend. Planning on walking by the new arena.

Anything to look at or still big construction site?

The arena and the area immediately surrounding it are pretty much done. There's a lot of construction across Park Avenue, but it's easy to avoid. There's a few restaurants and bars along the route from the Strip to the T-MA worth checking out if you're looking for a drink. Beerhaus is pretty cool if it's not empty while you're there.
 

kook10

Registered User
Jun 27, 2011
4,656
2,787
We were up there for the Garth Brooks concert a couple weeks ago. The arena is very nice. It was pretty cool that the ice level/floor level is actually really street level, so walked right in to our floor seats. I might be tempted to go up there to watch my Wings play if it is on a weekend.

A good little tip: if you stay at any MGM hotel you can park in any of their lots. So while it is easy enough to walk from most places, you can also park in the Monte Carlo hotel guest lot right across the street for free. We did this for my father in law who has knee problems.
 

molon labe

Registered User
Jul 13, 2016
4,567
2,936
Florida
Definitely planning a trip if I don't end up moving to Vegas - so I appreciate the initial advice but I still have a question(s):

Is the strip-area considered the "bad" area of Vegas? Where should I look to be buying a house if I were to be moving there?



Cont..
I'm transitioning out of service early next year and am actively seeking Information Security jobs Vegas pops up semi-frequently due to the AF base and casinos. It's a big draw for me because my hobbies are pretty much hockey, guns, and Jeeps - and now Vegas offers all three!
 
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BattleBorn

50% to winning as many division titles as Toronto
Feb 6, 2015
12,069
6,017
Bellevue, WA
The perfect thread... though I only had a feeling this is what it was meant for so maybe a different title to help with the future "I'm coming to Vegas" threads?

Anyway, I am definitely planning a trip if I don't end up moving to Vegas - so I appreciate the initial advice but I still have a question(s):

Is the strip-area considered the "bad" area of Vegas? Where should I look to be buying a house if I were to be moving there?



Cont..
I'm transitioning out of service early next year and am actively seeking Information Security jobs Vegas pops up semi-frequently due to the AF base and casinos. It's a big draw for me because my hobbies are pretty much hockey, guns, and Jeeps - and now Vegas offers all three!

The area around The Strip isn't great at all. It's just the older part of town and there hasn't really been any revitalization efforts yet, there's still a lot of land in the valley so people just move out instead of moving into the older neighborhoods and cleaning them up/gentrifying/whatever. It's similar to a lot of places, the central area isn't where you really want to purchase a house unless you want to get in on the ground floor and be involved in the improvements over the next 10-20 years.

My advice is to stick around the 215. Down in Henderson there's a lot of nice places south of 215, and that continues through the southwest, west, and northwest. Summerlin is nice if you prefer the west side (I do.) If there's a chance you're going to work at Nellis or Creech AFB, Centennial Hills is a good option.

I'd avoid the east side completely, and if the address includes the city of North Las Vegas, I'd likely stay away too.

(Hopefully I didn't offend too many people in northtown and the east side.)

Summerlin, the newer parts of Henderson, Rhodes Ranch/Coronado Ranch, Centennial Hills, and Mountain's Edge are where I'd look. In that order.
 

molon labe

Registered User
Jul 13, 2016
4,567
2,936
Florida
The area around The Strip isn't great at all. It's just the older part of town and there hasn't really been any revitalization efforts yet, there's still a lot of land in the valley so people just move out instead of moving into the older neighborhoods and cleaning them up/gentrifying/whatever. It's similar to a lot of places, the central area isn't where you really want to purchase a house unless you want to get in on the ground floor and be involved in the improvements over the next 10-20 years.

My advice is to stick around the 215. Down in Henderson there's a lot of nice places south of 215, and that continues through the southwest, west, and northwest. Summerlin is nice if you prefer the west side (I do.) If there's a chance you're going to work at Nellis or Creech AFB, Centennial Hills is a good option.

I'd avoid the east side completely, and if the address includes the city of North Las Vegas, I'd likely stay away too.

(Hopefully I didn't offend too many people in northtown and the east side.)

Summerlin, the newer parts of Henderson, Rhodes Ranch/Coronado Ranch, Centennial Hills, and Mountain's Edge are where I'd look. In that order.

Thank you for the info :yo:

A lot to be said about asking locals about their own area especially if you share an interest - so I appreciate not immediately getting the 'go google it' response. I'll start looking in those areas and hopefully find some places that help me with an idea of job commutes/costs/etc.
 

VEGASKING

Registered User
Dec 23, 2002
3,149
557
Sin City
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Really depends on where you work. If you'll have the job before moving here let us know and it'll be easier to make recommendations. I'd definitely prefer the south and southwest over Summerlin as far as traffic goes if you do have to work in the central part of town. Going north on the 15 or 95 during rush hour sucks.
 

jwhouk

Former Cheesehead, Always a Preds Fan
Apr 19, 2004
5,225
49
Valley of the Sun
jwhouk.net
Long time ago, I was a regular reader of Anthony Curtis' Las Vegas Advisor. I don't think he's updated his website much, but he still seems to be up on deals for gamblers and people who want to do Vegas on the cheap.
 

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