Poll : 05 October - 18 October 2011

Analysis

As suspected, this poll drew a spectrum of responses that mirror the ongoing -- and as yet unresolved -- downtown debate. Here's what you had to say on the subject:

• "I love downtown.. It's noisy, it's Vegas!"
  
  
• "I don't live in Las Vegas, so I don't have to deal with the noise. But having said that, I feel that a 2 a.m. cut-off time is reasonable. It is Vegas, so some level of noise is to be expected. How bad IS the noise level ? Is it all night every night, or a few nights a week? Does it start to wind down at some point or is it pretty much all night?" [Ed: It's not every night and it's not everywhere, it depends on what's going on, although there are regular weekly/monthly events that run late.]
  
  
• "My fear is that this will start a trend away from a 24/7 fun destination city that would then take away from the flavor that's been a hallmark of the city almost forever. Don't open that door! Is this the same as people who buy a home across the street from O'Hare airport in Chicago and then complain about the noise from planes??"
  
  
• "I selected 'agree' with the new restrictions only because I don't really have all the facts. Just who, exactly, does the noise affect? Are there actually many residents who live within earshot of Fremont Street? If not, then the only folks who would be affected are visitors staying in the hotels along Fremont, and they're probably the ones most enjoying the late night/early morning music"
  
  
• "I love downtown for the fact that you have more options during late night, it's part of the allure of Las Vegas. Downtown has a great vibe and I'd hate to see a noise ordinance hinder this. Not to mention, I feel safer making the late-night trip from Golden Gate to El Cortez when plenty of people are still out and about; a noise ordinance may push these folks away, making my late-night journey a little less safe." [Ed: Yes, as a single female we feel the same.]
  
  
• "It’s not just about local residents. I have stayed downtown on trips that included a business meeting and I found the loud noise disturbing when I wanted to get to sleep on the early side. There is a ton of fun stuff to do late at night that doesn’t involve disturbing those who don’t want to participate."
  
  
• "I stopped going downtown at night because I am tired of being bothered by drunks, prostitutes and pimps. And if you smoke, you are constantly being harassed for cigarettes."
  
  
• "I believe that toning it down at midnight would hurt tourism and injure the businesses in and around downtown. What a fun place to be and I'm excited that it seems to be revitalized! This is a popular Las Vegas tourist attraction that residents should have taken into serious consideration before purchasing condos. This would be the Las Vegas equivalent of rolling up the streets at 5 p.m. in a small town. Shame on residents. You knew what you were getting into and now you are asking the entire world (because that's who comes to Las Vegas) to shut up and go home. Downtown is not a rest home. Don't make it a ghost town."
  
  
• "I think it's gone too far. My buddies and I have stayed downtown for three consecutive Octobers (we were there this year for three nights beginning Oct 14) and the noise on the entire FSE was over the top. I can appreciate the fact that it is working as the crowds also seemed larger than during the same weekend in previous years, but that doesn't make those live bands a great idea. I had a corner room at the Golden Gate (Rm 404) which overlooked the band (I attach the photo that I took of my 'private' band, which serenaded me from below my room, next to the 'A'). I am the typical middle-aged grinder wearing bermuda shorts and sandals, and though I can stay up late, one night in particular this weekend my bankroll was tapped... and I couldn't fall asleep for at least 90 minutes until the band was done (and truth be told, the music itself was fine; it was more the crowd shrieking after each song, then some unintelligible banter from the lead singer before he started the next song that was the issue.) As I mentioned earlier, just because an idea works doesn't make it a good idea. For as crowded as FSE was, it didn't seem to spill into the casinos, as there were plenty of seats at all table games at Binion's, Golden Gate, and Fremont. Let's cut out the live bands and find something that will not only draw crowds, but get them into casinos as well. The only winners seemed to be Mermaids and La Bayou, as everybody seemed to have a football or a three-foot margarita."
  
  
• "It reminds me of when city folk move to the country and don't like the smell of manure. It's downtown, for chrissakes."