Fear not! The angel is still there, contrary to a few rumors we'd read online. Matt O'Brien, author of My Week at the Blue Angel and Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas, happens to drive past the Betty Willis-designed downtown mascot every day, and confirms that she is still present and correct.
The motel itself is still boarded up but there was something of an uproar not so long ago when the archway signage was altered and the classic mid-century modern "BLUE ANGEL" lettering replaced with modern type spelling "NIGHT CLUB" (click the link to view a slideshow).
The Latin nightspot Club 2100, named for the Fremont Street address, occupies the former parking lot of the property and has been going strong for awhile now -- the only aspect of bigger plans for the "Downtown Gateway" entertainment complex that has come to fruition, so far. What the future holds for the rest of the property, only time will tell, but hopefully Las Vegas' new mindset toward historical preservation will at least mean that the angel will be safe, whether in her original existing context, or at some future home, like the Neon Museum.
For more on the history of the Blue Angel Motel and its much-loved statue, see QoD Archives 4/11/2013.
