Question of the Day - 16 September 2013

Due to some technical issues we experienced yesterday, which could have prevented some readers from seeing the results to the Old Vegas vs. New Vegas survey, plus the sheer volume of thoughtful replies we received in addition to your votes, we are running a taste of the feedback in today's QoD spot; click the link if you didn't see the poll results yet.

• I voted for New Vegas #1, but I lean a little more to the Old Vegas than that description. I love all the new things in Vegas, but I’d like to see some of the things that were part of Old Vegas like *no* children, and adults who dress like adults and not like they’re getting ready to do housework. C’mon, let’s class up Vegas a little and get some of that old-school charm back!"

• "There are plenty of things about old Vegas to be nostalgic about: $8 lobster dinners, seeing Keely Smith at the Desert Inn for no cover, grooving to the Sunspots at the Union Plaza while violating the posted "no dancing" policy, not getting carded while gambling and drinking at the Silver City casino when I was 19, or coming in for the annual Grateful Dead show at the Silver Bowl, for example. But Penn and Teller correctly said on their TV show (which I won't name here) that there is no such thing as "the good old days". There are plenty of things in Old Vegas we probably don't often think about that weren't so wonderful, from air conditioning that frankly didn't work when it was 110 degrees outside, to overt segregation. Also, we might think nostalgically about characters such as Bob Stupak or Tony Spilotro, but the reality is that some were shysters at best, and thugs or cold-blooded murderers at worst. Also, there are plenty of positive aspects of 21st century Vegas that were not there in the past. For example, the variety of accommodations, dining options, and activities available now, at just about any possible budget, can't be beat. In addition, for the few of us who cheerfully bring our children along with us, we can find several kid-friendly hotels (e.g. Orleans) where we can stay without apology or fear of retribution. Since the 2008 crash, hotels are often less expensive than they were in the '80s and early '90s, often even without adjusting for inflation, as long as we play the postcard deals right."

• "I DO miss OLD VEGAS – REALLY old that is! My first visit was in the 50’s and I loved all of it. What I mind now is the concentration on up-scale everything. I really HATE the over-the-topness of everything in the new Vegas. I still go and do well using the LVA coupons etc. But it isn’t only the money. I don’t really care who shows what part of their body, or what insane music is blasting in my ear -- I can still remove myself from those things -- but it is the total 'grossness' of everything. I loved the Stardust and some of the older clubs, but today it’s really hard to get away from 6,000-pound chandeliers, gold flatware, Dior, higher buildings, bigger this & higher that etc. etc. I still visit once or twice a year, but it’s harder and harder to just have 'fun,' never mind having fun at a sane cost. I’m not cheap and I can afford MOST everything I might want, but it’s harder and harder to find what I WANT!"

• "I would have picked 'Old Vegas' but the 'Old' explanation was too boxed in. I don't want to dress up to go to a casino unless I'm in the mood for that. And while I don't mind some Rat Pack music, I can live without it. What I miss is the uniqueness of the vintage Vegas style, tacky though it often was (I remember elevators at the Golden Nugget having veined mirrored walls and a little picket fence around the bottom with fake red flowers tucked behind the fence. Where else in the world would you see that?) You really knew you were someplace else when you went there to get away, and it was cheap enough that you could say, on the spur of the moment, "HEY, let's go to Vegas" and just go. Maybe it was the corporate control that took out much of the personality, but now a room in Vegas looks like any other room in the world. The old Vegas had an over-the-top enthusiasm with low prices that welcomed you in. Now, the sex-in-your-face combined with high-priced shows/rooms/foods seems to limit the demographics of the tourist crowds to rowdy drunks and conspicuous consumers - not my kind of people."

  "There are good and bad things about both the 'Old' and 'New' Vegas. Slot clubs did not exist, but neither did resort fees. Comps are easier to get but cheap meals are becoming a thing of the past. Entertainment was much cheaper, but not so diverse or exciting. Perhaps the biggest loss with no counterpart, though, is the passing of the lounge acts. We started coming to Las Vegas in 2007..14 trips later. We have seen Vegas come through the recession... We've moved from downtown to the Strip and can't wait for the Linq to finish. Las Vegas is still the best 'bang' for the buck! Wish we could have come years ago. 'Old' Vegas for us was 6 years ago; 'New' Vegas is now, after the recession...and we love it!!!"

• "I must be the square peg trying to fit in a round hole as none of the options fit me. I visit Vegas usually twice a year and have been for the last ten years or so. I don't remember the Old Vegas, however I do miss the old Stardust. Stayed there several times. I enjoy the newer hotels but care nothing about the Linq, have no interest in that one. I'm not into the club scene, (too old for that), I just enjoy Vegas as it is. I'm sure there will always be change. Downtown seems more like old Vegas to me but I always stay on the strip. There's enough variety for everyone. Enjoy all your questions and polls. Thanks."

• "Your polls are getting worse by the year." [Ed: Everyone's entitled to their opinion. Guess you can't please all the people all of the time. We'll be issuing you with a full refund. In the meantime, see above ;-)]

• "The first time I went to Las Vegas was 1974. I was 18 years old and on my first leave after basic training in the USMC. Some of the older guys told me that I would not be able to gamble or drink because I was not 21. At the Dunes, I put $20 on the crap table and the dealer slid it to the boxman and asked, 'Old enough?' The box took one look at me and said 'Marine Corps money is always good.' My buddies and I played awhile and then the pit boss gave a coffee shop comp to all four of us. Can you imagine that happening today?"

• "What we need is a crossbreed of old and new. Some of the old ways were better (cheaper, better comps, better odds and more personalization of the old casinos, max volume penny machines that sound like an air alert (all for $2.50); but the new can be good too (better, cheaper, and faster transportation – monorail, trams and buses - can hardly wait for more ziplines), no more clinking of coins on the slots and cheesy plastic buckets, and a lot more exposed skin on performers and tourists alike (don’t tell my wife). If we could just could get the best of the old and new together – implode some of the worst new hotel-casinos and rebuild and update some of the best old hotel-casinos."

• "I enjoy the downtown vibe that still has so much of Old Vegas in the air and where gambling is the primary entertainment. But the new options like the Fremont Street Experience, ziplines, street vendors, and the expanding arts scene are good additions. And they continue to have new offerings coming up all the time. Even the casinos are revamping themselves to combine the old and new. After all, just five or six years ago the music currently played at the Golden Gate with dancing girls and risque dealers would have looked and felt so out of place. Now it is a strong part of their attraction with the updated casino and I would guess the updated rooms. I haven't stayed there yet but I may soon. And all the time I feel comfortable in my tennis shoes, shorts and golf shirts. If I decide to go to Oscars or Hugo's then I can dress up but that is the only reason to do that when I am downtown."

• "I'm sure that the majority of poll voters will opt for 'Old Vegas.' But it's obvious that 'New Vegas' is here to stay. If there's money to be made, which there certainly is in LV, the logical thing is to make sure there's plenty of BOTH styles of entertainment, food, etc. Let the younger crowd party by the pool all night with deafening hip-hop and booze in large quantities, and in another part of town, let the more mature folks linger in a retro lounge or opt for a more traditional Las Vegas dining room or show. You certainly find this arrangement in major entertainment cities like New York, L.A., and Chicago. The best of both worlds!"