Post #452418 by JOHN-O on Thu, May 7, 2009 8:16 PM

Las Vegas through the decades - COOL or UNCOOL ?

1945-1950's - Pictures of the first strip resorts (Flamingo, Desert Inn, Sands, etc) display hip architecture very much in harmony with the desert setting. Think Palm Springs, Miami, or Havana Modern. Very cool. Also the nightclub buzz of L.A.'s Sunset Strip migrates here. Very cool. Lounge acts like Louis Prima and Keely Smith are free for the price of a cocktail. Very cool. During this time however, Las Vegas is the "Mississippi of the West" where Jim Crow is in effect. Very uncool. Overall rating for the first decade and a half - COOL (Unless you happened to be Lena Horne or Nat King Cole. They are not allowed to sleep in the hotels they perform in.)

1960's - Las Vegas hits it's peak of cool between 1960-1965 with the Rat Pack performing and hanging out at the Sands Hotel. Also during this time, the Aku Aku opens at the Stardust hotel (Tiki + Mondo Atomic = Very cool). The latter part of the decade however gives rise to the counter-culture. If you're under 30, Jimi, Janis, and Jim are cool. Frankie, Dino, and Sammy are not. Overall decade rating - COOL, but this is the beginning of the slide.

1970's - Las Vegas becomes the place where "old people" and "the Man" go for vacation. Also the corporations take over from organized crime. The gangsters understood cool but the MBA's and accountants do not. The bean counters cut back to increase the bottom line on everything which takes a toll on customer service and employee morale. Overall decade rating - UNCOOL.

1980's - The bad from the 1970's just gets worse. Las Vegas is in a major rut. Overall decade rating - UNCOOL.

1990's - The birth of the "New Las Vegas" is jump started by Steve Wynn's Mirage, the first major resort in over 15 years. Lot's of new Disney-style resorts come on-line during this period. Also the decade of "Vegas is for Families". What a stupid idea. Circus Circus is already the perfect place for parents to abandon their kids while they gamble away their college educations. Also Las Vegas becomes the new Detroit where service-industry workers can live the middle-class dream. Overall decade rating - UNCOOL (but still impressive for how much the city and economy grow.)

2000's - Some of the sin comes back to Sin City with "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas". The nightclub boom makes Las Vegas a hot destination among the club kids and urban hipsters. OK, so all the young girls dress more like hookers and the guys all wear the same uniform of untucked striped long-sleeve shirt, over-priced designer jeans, and black leather shoes but at least it's better than wife-beaters, cargo shorts, tennis shoes, and mullets. Go to a place like the Palms, Hard Rock, or Mandalay Bay on a weekend night and you'll feel a young energetic buzz which didn't exist 15 years ago. Yeah I know a lot of the club guys act like privileged douche bags but they're probably just channeling Frankie who was an obnoxious bully when not performing in the Copa Room. Also all of the new resorts are focusing on modern elegance and luxury instead of the kitschy themes of the previous decade (although I'm not sure if this is cool or just boring.) One thing's for sure, there's lots of new upscale restaurants serving a variety of cuisine. Las Vegas becomes a Foodie destination (albeit an unoriginal one). Another interesting development is what's happening on East Fremont in downtown. It's still in its infancy and I hope it survives the economic downturn. Also with Frankie's Tiki Room and places like this opening - http://www.elcortezcabanasuites.com, the future looks bright for some old-school Vegas fun.

Overall decade rating - COOL.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-05-08 07:43 ]