So many of our visitors to our web site are arriving from outside the Las Vegas Metropolitan area – here is a quick mini introduction to the history, geography and unique places that make up our wonderful city and area.
Las Vegas literally means “the meadows” in Spanish and this name was given to the city of Las Vegas in the early 1800s when our fertile green valley, with its fresh spring waters provided sustenance to bone weary travelers on the Old Spanish Trail heading to California and the west coast.
The actual city of Las Vegas was founded in 1905 – the original layout of our fair city was tiny compared to the reach and size it has today, only 110 acres made up the original “downtown Las Vegas” in its first incarnation as a real American city.
We are a destination city in many senses of the word – each month somewhere between 5-7K people move to our desert oasis and somewhere between 30-40 million people from all over the world come for a visit to see what the phrase “what goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas” means to them!
Four Primary Areas
Downtown – is often referred to as “Old Las Vegas” which was the first part of Las Vegas to be developed and currently going through a massive redevelopment phase to compensate for the area being a little down on its luck here and there. Some of the more well know Hotels include: Horseshoe, El Cortez, Fitzgerald’s Four Queens and the Golden Gate. If you close one eye and squint with the other you might see Bugsy getting out of a car with a glamorous moll on his arm heading into a back door in this part of town.
South Strip: this area is undergoing massive development, with numerous multi-billion dollar developments underway; any address on on Las Vegas Blvd. south of Tropicana is considered within this area.
The Central Strip: this is the heart of the world renowned Las Vegas Strip – and is between Tropicana (anchored by the Mandalay) and Sahara (Stratosphere). If you are looking for action, hustle (hustlers we should warn you in some cases), the bustle, noise, lights, cameras, action – you get the picture, this is where the action goes on in Las Vegas 24/7/365……….
The Harmon Corridor: now referred to as the “hip strip” – a 2.5 mile stretch which intersects the Stip and Planet Hollywood, anchored by the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on the East and the Rio at the West end.
Hang Out & Relax
So, we’ve given you a little bit of history and geography. What is there to do here besides have a great time, eat wonderful food, shop to you drop, gamble the night away and look for that hot special person? We thought you’d never ask.
Las Vegas is surrounded by BLM (Bureau of Land Mangement) land and we have tens of thousands of gorgeous desert vistas, mountains, trails and reservoirs to explore.
Check out the awe inspiring Hoover Dam, Red Rock National Recreation Area, and if time allows, the Valley of Fire. Or, take half a day for a helicopter ride over the magnificent Grand Canyon. We have a lot to offer anyone here for a casual visit or if you are looking for a place to call your own…………..
