Revitalizing Downtown Las Vegas

Back in the day, Downtown Las Vegas was Las Vegas. It was where you lived, did business and gambled. Beyond that was, well, desert. That all changed with the development of the Strip, including the Frontier and the Flamingo in the 1940's. Then in 1989, Steve Wynn's Mirage opened. It was a mammoth casino that featured an "active" volcano. His concept opened up the era of themed resorts where pirate ships, castles and mini-cities dominated the Strip landscape. 

Downtown Las Vegas became secondary during those years. People still visited, but the area knew it needed to innovate to keep up. Turning Fremont Street into a pedestrian mall and the opening the Fremont Street Experience in 1995 helped. The construction of Neonopolis did not. Casino renovations (Golden Gate, the Plaza), expansions (Golden Nugget), rebranding (Fitzgerald's, now D) and new attractions such as entertainment stages, the SlotZilla zip line and al fresco bars also helped keep the area current.

Downtown Las Vegas may not have the scale of the Strip, but it offers an intimate Vegas experience that many people (myself included) enjoy. 

The attention and momentum is now focused on the area East of Fremont Street. We walked around the area a couple of years ago and it was still a bit sketchy. Today, the area is growing and thriving. New eateries and businesses have opened and more people are coming by.  

A large part of that has to do with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh's vision of that area. He saw potential for the area that went beyond the visitor industry -- a live-work-play vision that focused heavily on locals and small business. 

His first step was to move his Henderson-based headquarters to the old City Hall building downtown. Next, he committed $350 million of his own personal funds and purchased 100 parcels of land in the downtown area. 

His efforts is called Downtown Project and you can already see the results as you walk through the area. We signed up for a Downtown Project tour to learn more, and it's a really great way to learn about his vision and the new businesses that now call Downtown Las Vegas home. 

Previously, the tour was normally conducted in Tony's apartment, but our tour guide, Caleb "Superman" Edison took us on a walking tour of the area. It was a great way to see first hand the new businesses. 

Interior view of The Window.

On display, the letter "N" from the old Barbary Coast signage. Barbary Coast
(located on the Strip) became Bill's Gaming Hall and is now The Cromwell. 

The evolution of Tony Hsieh's businesses.

First floor of Inspire. While not funded by the Downtown Project, it is one of the notable businesses that mark Downtown's revitalization. The first floor includes a coffee shop, a newstand with periodicals from around the world and areas for cofficing.

A sampling of the magazines offered at Inspire.

Upstairs lead to theater space for performances. On the third floor is a roof-top bar.

The Emergency Arts building. The Beats Coffee is located at the corner, and Feetish Spa Parlor is located on the second floor. If you need a massage or beauty services, check it out! Read my review here. Right across the street is El Cortez, which has recently been renovated.

La Comida wasn't open at the time of our tour, so we couldn't take a peek inside.

One of the buildings purchased by Downtown Project. Per our knowledgable guide, "Superman" (as he prefers to be called), all the property buying is complete. They are now in the development phase of finding new businesses to occupy the spaces.

Bud & Vine is a florist that also offers classes.

Inside Bud & Vine.

The John E. Carson Hotel is now home to Birkam Yoga, which offers hot yoga, pilates and more.

Grass Roots offers fresh juices and smoothies.

Look at all the fresh fruits and veggies just waiting to be blended!

Donuts. O Face Donuts, to be specific.

Some of O Face Donut's offerings. Looks so yum, doesn't it?

Pizza donuts. Superman claims Tony is a fan of these.

And there he is! Caleb "Superman" Edison leading our walking tour. We were moving at quite a brisk pace to see as much as we could!

Eat, serving American style breakfast and lunch. The restaurant was packed when we stopped by mid-morning, but we were able to meet owner and chef Natalie Young. I was too shy to ask for a pic with her. But she was warm and friendly!

Vintage typewriter on display at Eat. I wonder if my kids would even know what this is?

Urban art on the wall along the backside of the Container Park.

The Container Park is made up of cargo containers. But don't worry, all businesses are fully air conditioned with electricity and technology. Pretty cool concept. We saw this being built last year and wondered what it was. Now we know.

This giant praying mantis greets you at the entrance of the Container Park. She spews a huge ball of fire every day at dusk.

According to Superman, Tony can also manually trigger her to do so at any time via an app on his phone. How cool is that?

The Container Park is a business incubator. Small businesses fill up three stories of retail/office space. They can spend some time here to get their business up and running and the expectation is to move out into a permanent location. 

At the center of the park is a real park -- a playground for kids and adults with a tree house,
which you can see at the back of this picture.

Don't you wish Hawaii had trash cans like these?

The eateries at Container Park are exceptions to the "move out" rule.
These businesses are permanent tenants. 

There is an outdoor venue for performances. Sheryl Crow was one of the first performers
to use the venue as part of a benefit concert.

A nod to Tony, whose first business was a worm farm he had when he was eight.

Close up view of the treehouse.

Now, here's Tony's apartment. His living quarters make up three units on the 23rd floor of the Odgen building. It consists of three kitchens and eight bedrooms. I must have took half a dozen photos when I asked Superman if Tony actually lived here and he replied, "He sure does. He's probably in one of the bedrooms now!" I suddenly got nervous and wondered if I should stop taking pictures. Lucky for you, I didn't. (Insert smiley face emoji.) Not sure what this is, but it was on the island in one of the kitchens. Notice the breakfast cereals on top of the fridge.

A wall full of ideas via Post-Its. 

I'm wondering if that treadmill gets any use.

 Notes on a column in one of the living rooms.

I like the fact that everything is kinda messy. Makes him more relatable, don't you think?

When we took a tour of Zappos' Henderson headquarters (before they moved to Downtown
Las Vegas) there was an area called Monkey Row, where all the execs sat. That aisle of
cubes (yes, the execs had cubicles) were decked out in a jungle theme. This room paid
tribute to Monkey Row. 

The vines that drop from the ceiling of the room are artificial.

However, the foliage on the walls are not and are watered regularly. 

Downtown Project also coordinates the Life is Beautiful festival, which takes up 15 blocks.

Walking through another area. Notice more Post-It's on the wall.

View from one of the windows. The Life is Beautiful Festival was held in this general area.

The building straight ahead in this picture is the new Zappos headquarters. We didn't have time to take a tour, but it is definitely on the agenda for our next trip. The building to the far left of the picture is the Mob Museum.

View of Fremont Street Experience.

Another unicorn.

The former Gold Spike is now a "crash pad" for the Downtown Project.  

On the first floor of Gold Spike is a lounge area (good for cofficing), a bar and a coffee shop.

Inspo quote poster. 

The tour was just jammed packed with information; my brain can't recall everything and I couldn't take pictures fast enough. One interesting thing to note is that Downtown Project assists with businesses beyond with just leasing them space. They offer admin services such as hiring, human resources, marketing and more. Since it's tough to create, run and sustain a small business, it's a unique aspect of the program.

There's also so much more that's a part of the Downtown Project, including a school and health care services. Like I said, too much for me to write down. But, if you're interested in learning more:

• Visit their website.
• Sign up for a tour. Request for Caleb "Superman" Edison. He was a great guide! Energetic, personable, passionate and knowledgable. 
• Visit the Container Park website.

Of course, you don't need to take a tour to learn about the area. Just visit the area the next time you're in Vegas and see what's new!