Q:
A recent QoD asked what LVA predicted the "next big thing" would be in Vegas, if/when the EDM/nightclub phase runs its course (see Archive 9/21/14). We responded with three suggestions, of varying degrees of plausibility, to which added a few more, but
your ideas are also of great interest, so gaze into your crystal balls and use the "Other" option/email link to share your predictions.
A:
842 Total Votes
| Las Vegas Boulevard will no longer be known merely as the Strip, but as the ultimate Strip Mall, a shoppers’ delight and the new fashion capital of the U.S. |
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| When there are no more new beats to be dropped and no casino can afford to hire a billionaire Resident DJ anymore, Las Vegas will become the ultimate live-music destination. It’s already happening, with Life is Beautiful, iHeart Radio, Rock in Rio, etc., and rock stars and rappers will be relocating to Sin City in droves. |
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| Medical marijuana dispensaries are only the beginning; soon weed will be widely available for purely recreational purposes and Las Vegas is set to become the "Amsterdam of North America." |
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| The imminent legalization of gay marriage in Nevada will dovetail with the still-vibrant club scene, and the retail/fashion frenzy, leading to Las Vegas becoming the Rainbow Capital of the world and not just a haven for the LGBT community, but the leading spokes-city and political force for equal rights and non-discrimination worldwide. |
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| OTHER - it’s your turn now! Email suggestions via the landing-page link. |
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| In a reaction to all the decadence, Vegas will reinvent itself as the world’s premier wellness retreat. We were kidding when we suggested this, but perhaps a mobile hangover clinic and a recharge-your-batteries facility at MGM Grand are just the beginning? On Oct. 8 construction begins on Union Village a, master-planned community with a health center, residential, entertainment and specialty retail space, a senior retirement community and a civic and cultural arts center, so who knows? |
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Analysis
Obviously, this was just a bit of fun, reminiscent of last year's Reader Poll when we asked for suggestions for a new themed casino. (Yikes! What a difference a year makes: The reader suggestion of a "Bundyland" casino kind of takes on a different meaning now...] Anyhow, here are some of your ideas for what the future may hold for Las Vegas in general:
- "Probably all the above, but with no water, no one will really care."
- "Gambling will be outlawed in Nevada, again, but the existing casinos will just fill in the empty space with more shops, restaurants, shows and strip clubs." [Ed: That's so close to reality it's not even a joke! Especially when we consider the recent poll on virtual dealers. Perhaps ALL casino play will become virtual/online, so you gamble exclusively in your hotel room, while the former casino space is given over entirely to "retailtainment."]
- "The Neon Museum was just the beginning: Las Vegas will discover a new reverence for its past and a return to the Wild West days, when things were really "wild" - smoking will be obligatory, as will whisky drinking, poker playing, and real-life shootouts. Every resort will have a built-in brothel, 'ultralounges' will be replaced by saloons, and other entertainment will take the form exclusively of burlesque/striptease, foul-mouthed comedians, and sideshow/freakshow acts.(Absinthe is welcome to stay, but Cirque will be out.) Oh, and children will be outlawed, obviously, although outlaws will be welcome."
- "As the "party crowd" who frequents the nightclubs begins to age, they will try to recapture past glory in the city, but now they'll be married with kids, so Vegas hotels will attempt to attract them by revisiting the ill-fated 'Las Vegas as a family destination' model of the '90s." [Ed: No, no, no!! See above!]
- "Vegas will turn back to what it once was: a destination for gambling. Let's face it, any big city has great restaurants and the club scene will fade away as the younger generation finally sees the folly in paying $400 for a $30 bottle of vodka."
- "Pot and gambling? Ho hum, available elsewhere. Big ferris wheels and zip lines - you can find them around, too. What sets LV apart really? Maybe we need an in-town actual red-light district? Gather all the debachery in one place and keep an eye on it. That's not something any other place in Middle America is going to want to copy right away."
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