Las Vegas Nevada News
When you say Las Vegas, vision of the strip and gambling immediately come to mind. And why not? Las Vegas grew from a weary little flyspeck in the middle of the desert into a multi-billion dollar tourist destination in just a few decades. Despite legalized gaming in almost every state, tourism continues to grow in southern Nevada. The city has evolved over the last decade into a thriving metropolis. The vertical climb started in 2003, with the construction of Las Vegas' first ultra-luxury residential high rise, just one block away from the strip. More properties followed and several resorts expanded while some older properties were demolished to make room for newer, even larger resorts. As the city matured, different types of entertainment started to appear on the strip venue. Despite being known for more adult entertainment, broadway worthy shows started to appear in the late 1990's. Today there are several broadway shows that now appear on the strip. With the significant increase in the quantity and quality of shows, revenue from entertainment started to surpass gaming revenues along Las Vegas boulevard. As competiting resorts took notice, expansions started to include larger showrooms and some were built around specific entertainers.
Unprecendented growth
The flurry of construction activity along Las Vegas boulevard and the millions of visitors to the area has helped fuel unprecendented growth. New residents flocked to the city, lured by a low cost of living and plentiful employment. The construction industry is still growing and the local union started another second union to handle all of the members. With several mega-resorts still under construction, activity on both ends of the strip will continue well into 2011 and beyond. The strip is not the only area that is experiencing renewal. Downtown Las Vegas has become the target of the city for renewal and has been transformed. Less than five years ago the area was rundown and becoming a liability to the strip. Mayor Oscar Goodman, along with the Las Vegas city council, implemented a renewal plan to revitalize the area. Residential lofts and high rises are being built and downtown has been redivided into new districts, each focusing on a different theme. That coupled with the Freemont Street Experience has revitalized the area. New businesses and residents are moving, ensuring the continued growth of the area. Of course, all of those new businesses needed employees, who needed a place to live. Housing and condo projects popped up all over the valley. The biggest project was Summerlin, a small city onto itself. Encompassing over 22,000 acres, construction is still ongoing. The suburb of Henderson, also experienced phenominal growth and boasts the first large scale master planned community of Green Valley. In 2004, there was a huge boom in the Las Vegas real estate market, causing housing prices to spike. Builders and sellers had difficulty keeping up with demand. With the recent slump, homes have become very affordable again and prices are going back up.
Outdoor recreation
The Las Vegas area has a lot more to offer than just gaming. Lake Mead is just a short drive away and offers a variety of water sports. Lake Las Vegas is even closer and offers sailing, fishing and several outdoor concerts throughout the year and the community has several top notch golf courses. The Las Vegas valley has several great public and semi-private golf courses, including two TPC courses in Summerlin. For winter sports enthusiasts, skiing and snowboarding are avaialble at Mount Charleston, about an hour's drive away. Brianhead ski resort in southern Utah is also short drive away. Red Rock conservation area is located on the edge of Summerlin and is open to hikers and campers for most of the year. The unique rock formations offer great hiking and scenic views found nowhere else in the valley.