Most people on this fourm seem to be newbies to Vegas, meaning visited for the 1st time within the past 5 or 6 years (or so).
I moved to Vegas in 1990 to attend UNLV, this was right when the Mirage was built and kind of the end of one era (Old Vegas) and the beginning of a new one (Mega-resorts).
Prior to moving to Vegas in 1990, I spent alot of time in 1989 there and growing up in Vegas visited quite a few times from about the time I was 9 or 10.
Vegas has changed alot since 1990, and sometimes I even feel like an old timer. My first house in Green Valley would have been in the middle of the desert just a year earlier, the population the traffic, etc. Pecos used to dead end in to Wayne%26#39;s house on Pecos and Sunset.
I always was told about, and I always wished I could have gone back in time to the 70%26#39;s and 80%26#39;s, when the mob ran the casinos when Vegas was only a gaming town and nothing else. Now its a city of a million people with a very diverse population. Vegas used to be called the Mississippi of the West.
Anyway my question for those that either lived in Vegas or visited often back in the 60%26#39;s,70%26#39;s and early 80%26#39;s. What is the one thing you miss? What is the one thing that you remember about old Vegas, that is not around anymore?
Vegas longtimers?The way people dressed. I was often at the Sands, Dunes and DI. It seemed that the people, most actually, were much more well appointed. And I was a college kid early on so maybe I was the bum!
Vegas longtimers?Excellent post Goodbeer- I too would be interested in hearing what some longtimers can say regarding your questions-
Shona ;-)
Well I%26#39;m not a long timer, but relating to a previous comment, I will add my 2 cents. One thing I wish about Vegas in general is that (parts of it ) could be a little more upscale in terms of the way people dress, at least in the nicer . For many of us it%26#39;s a fun getaway, and being around people dressed like they are at Applebee%26#39;s is kind of like going out for a nice romantic dinner and being seated next to the family with the toddlers. I don%26#39;t know. It would be nice if a few places had a dress code.
I meant ...';at least in the nicer casinos.';
I vistited as a child, when the entrance protectied the gaming floor with red ropes (where did those go?). Wet and Wild is gone, I remember walking a really really long time to see a car show with my daddy ( I assume it was IP?). I remember people being dresssed up and women in gobbs of make-up..
Funny story... Grandma always took an hour to get ready when we went to Disneyland, but the day we spent in Las Vegas Grandma was up ready (full make up, fancy rinestone sun glassses, tons of fake jewelry and all) in 10 mionutes flat! Lol she ';Won'; 50.00 that day... I have no idea how much she putin the slots to ';win'; 50.00...
First visit was in 1972, became a regular visitor in 1987 or so. Two visits per year. I got to see the Desert Inn when it was still one of THE places to be. Saw the Sands, Dunes, Hacienda and Aladdin (I) during their final days.
Saw the implosions of the Sands and Aladdin in person. Hacienda on tv.
I miss how Vegas used to be a big deal to visit. You%26#39;d get dressed up, go to a nice dinner, see the show, gamble some more and then head for the midnight buffet. Today the buffet closes at 9:00 p.m. What%26#39;s up with that?
miss cigs at bj table,
my dad took me where he liked castaways ,ho and dunes on the strip,
the western for bj , schlitz beer in can ,on table with many drink stains, cig. burns they used real ike dollars for play..
not many kids back then maybe 1984,
first trip was under age in 64
I agree with the dressing up part. What%26#39;s funny is that the Strip was still a busy place (at least my experience from the 70%26#39;s on)...it was full of hotels and casinos, even though they were smaller, they were still there, still one after another - Westward Ho, the Castaways, the Dunes, the Landmark...they were all torn down and replaced, it%26#39;s not like there was nothing before Paris and Bellagio and the Mirage and the Venetian were built. They were of course not as big and grand as the casinos are today, but they were still bigger and grander than most hotels anyone had ever seen.
What I don%26#39;t miss from that time period was the way the shows were run - they didn%26#39;t sell tickets for particular seats like they do now, it was pretty much GA and then according to how much you tipped, that%26#39;s where you sat. And there was always the cover and 2 drink minimum...where all your ice melted by the end of the show and the drinks got all watered down. And all the seating was at those long tables where the views were bad for half the people in the theatre.
It was fun then and it%26#39;s still fun now.
Gus, when you said cigs you reminded me...at the shows they would have the cigarette girls who would come around selling I can%26#39;t even remember what now from their trays that were around their necks - cigarettes, gum, what else?...and the photographers who would take your picture at every show.
Before they had the crosswalks, I miss seeing people run out of the way to cross the streets. People would see the traffic stop and start walking , not realizing the left hand turn light was green. Lets see... also the old ladies in the casino at the Westword Ho in bedroom slippers. And everyone walking around with their cups of quarters.
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