No problem! Located at 3525 W. Russell Road, The Playground occupies the space that previously housed the Penthouse gentlemen's club, which was previously called Sin.
Right at the time that the first edition of our Topless Vegas* guide was being finalized back in May of this year, the Penthouse affiliation was on the way out, but the venue's new identity remained up in the air. The Rock Room live-music venue, which seemed an odd fit for a strip club, debuted inside (more of that later) and the venue's whole persona seemed somewhat confused.
Fast forward to early June and the announcement was made that the Penthouse club was transforming into The Playground, "a revolutionary concept offering multiple rooms to satisfy the 24-hour cravings of tourists and locals alike, including a gentlemen's club, live music, fresh sushi, hookah lounge, and a nightclub." And, as is not always the case in this city, that's exactly what happened.
While The Playground debuted in mid-summer, the finishing touches and grand openings (it's the norm in Vegas these days to have two or three, or more!) took place in late August and early September, one of which we atteded. So, here's the lowdown: After some legal wranglings, the name settled on for the strip club element was Crazy Horse III (no relation to the scandal-ridden and still closed Crazy Horse Too). It's pretty small and intimate compared to the likes of Sapphire, Spearmint Rhino, Cheetahs etc., with an oval-shaped main stage and a VIP room that's accessible to anyone for the price of a cocktail. There's a happy hour Mon-Fri from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. with complimentary food cooked on the premises (usually Italian) and two free drinks per customer.
The Rock Room is a cozy live-music venue that features rock and indie bands, open daily from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. The cover varies for different events and depending on what band's playing. Sometimes it's free admission, like the gentlemen's club (provided that you come in your own vehicle; taxi or limo drop-off will cost you $40) but on some nights there is a cover. As you can see from the picture below, it's a pretty cool space.
Obsession's the nightclub, which follows the after-hours trend set by Seamless gentlemen's club. It features well-known DJs every night from 2 a.m. until noon spinning an array of formats ranging from Latin music and jazz, to Top 40 and mashups. We really liked the look and feel of this venue when we poked our head in there at the grand opening; the photo doesn't really do it justice.
Like Treasures, Rick's Cabaret, Badda Bing, Spearmint Rhino, and Play It Again Sam, The Playground has an on-site restaurant. Of the aforementioned, some basically serve bar food while Treasures and Rick's have actual restaurants and Badda Bing serves decent Italian/American cuisine. The Playground, however, takes a different tack and hooked up with chef Bruce Lee (yes, that's his real name) from Summerlin's popular Sushi Avenue to present Sushi All Night, which serves via the Rock Room from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 6 p.m. until 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Finally, there's the Karma Sutra hookah "lounge." Hookah's popularity seems to ebb and flow in Las Vegas, with the trend being on one of its upswings right now. We know of at least one other gentlemen's club (Déjà Vu Showgirls totally nude) that offers hookah and we were intrigued to see what The Playground's venue consisted of. We got a quick peek at it on the opening night and to call it a lounge is something of an exaggeration. It looked more like a small trendy bar -- we noticed a wine cooler inside the doorway -- with a bunch of people sitting at the bar or at tables drinking and smoking hookah. An interesting little retreat if you want a break from the main action.
So, there you have it -- a nightlife venue that really does seem to be trying to offer something for everyone. It will be interesting to see if this experiment works.
*If you're interested in purchasing a copy of Topless Vegas, whether as the e-Book download or in hard-copy format, stay tuned for an imminent and very interesting announcement... Feel free to purchase a copy now, however, as you'll still be eligible for the upcoming offer, which might well be released as soon as later on today... Watch this space! And "Today's News."
