Good Morning & Hello Friday!

My April travels are winding down and I am thrilled to have finally gotten my travel mojo back.

Also thrilled to have discovered a new “Happy Place” in this town. It used to be the Cosmopolitan, but now it is Fergusons in DTLV, most especially the Mothership. This coffee shop hangout is where I spent all day yesterday writing, while observing what a mecca the Mothership has turned out to be – especially for creative, cool locals.

I also want to do a shout-out to Nicole at Primrose (Park MGM). She turned me on to both the Arts District and Downtown Summerlin.

Also big thanks to Cherie for the recommendation to see the Neon Museum at sunset and to Jo Russ for arranging the tickets. And, finally, to Charlotte Dutoit for the tip on The Mothership. Super grateful to all of you!

If Vegas is of interest and you are planning a trip this year, scroll down for tips and recommendations based on my adventures this week.

1. Fergusons Downtown – MAJOR! (see it while you still can!)

I last wrote about Fergusons and the Big Rig Jig sculpture (created by artist Mike Ross and purchased by Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project) on November 6, 2018.

Highlights:

• Mothership Coffee Roasters (where I took an Uber on Thursday morning and spent the day writing ZandlSlant)
• LV plant collective
• Neon Cactus Vintage
• Mike’s Recovery – his bath products make the area around Mothership smell so good
• Peyote Restaurant (open Thursday-Sunday)

Mothership Coffee Roasters

Retail

Mike’s Recovery: handcrafting wellness for the people since 2016 (LOVE!!!!)

Sadly, FERGUSONS‘ days might be numbered. It is one of the over 100 properties in DTLV slated to be sold by Hsieh’s estate. Fingers crossed this creative mecca survives.

2. The Arts District Downtown – Vegas’ Best Kept Secret (thank you Nicole from Park MGM for cluing me in!)

I was totally unaware that an official Arts District even existed. Imagine my surprise to learn that it started almost 20 years ago. It’s over 18 blocks of art studios, art galleries, antique shops, theaters, restaurants, bars, yoga, boxing, gyms, shops, murals, hair salons, and outdoor events. The vibe is RETRO COOL!!

Highlights:

• Recycled Propaganda (1114 S. Main Street)
• Antique Alley Mall (1126 S. Main Street)
• Main St. Provisions (1214 S. Main Street) – I didn’t eat here but comes highly recommended
• Lots of retro/vintage stores along S. Main Street, e.g., Retro Vegas.
• HEALING GARDEN (1015 S Casino Center Blvd)
• CAUTION: Although I felt perfectly safe walking around this area in the middle of the day, the surrounding streets are a bit sketchy so stay aware of your surroundings (and if traveling solo, take a taxi to one of the places listed above and walk from there).

3. NEON MUSEUM GUIDED TOUR – a must-see!!

TIPS:

• No matter what time of the year you visit, book the dusk/evening tour (that’s when all the neon signs really pop). Thank you Cherie Flanagan for that tip and Jo Russ for arranging my tour.
• Also, if you manage to get “Cat” as your guide (pic below), you are in for a treat!!!
• NOTE: the museum is open from 3-6 for non-guided visits. However, from 6pm on it’s only available via guided tours and you MUST book in advance. I got there way early and saw every tour 100% booked with lots of people turned away who did not have tickets.

Here are some standouts:

4. DTLV – sketchy as ever but worth a visit: cool signage, murals, Light shows

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Retro signage esp. hotels
• Top-notch Murals – most from Life Is Beautiful (all curated by Charlotte Dutoit’s Just Kids)
• Container Park — altho looks a bit tired, may not survive.
• Commonwealth – love this bar (I was personally introduced to it – and its speakeasy – by Tony Hsieh). It doesn’t open until 10pm which is a wee bit late for my cocktailing!!
• Le Thai -delicious and judging by the crowds, still the go-to spot
• Fremont Street Experience – they’ve dialed up their game (no doubt in response to Area 15’s arrival)
• Circa Resort and Casino – entrance is off Fremont St. Renowned for having the largest sports betting experience in the world, with an impressive 3-story sportsbook.

5. Downtown Summerlin: an excellent mall hangout

Highlights:

• Downtown Summerlin is a Howard Hughes Corporation project (developer of NYC’s South Street Seaport). The company is currently in the process of adding more office space as well as more residential to the master-planned community. Their strategy is to develop a walkable urban center that includes Class-A office buildings, along with luxury apartments.

“Demand for working close to home is on the upswing — both locally and nationally — along with demand for urban-style living surrounded by all the conveniences that make for an enriching and fulfilling lifestyle. The pace at which we have leased our previous two office buildings and Tanager (luxury apts) speaks volumes about that demand.”

Kevin T. Orrock, Pres., Las Vegas Region, Howard Hughes Corporation

• Downtown Summerlin is spectacular, with gorgeous outdoor space, shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
• Lots of kids, teenagers, and families at Summerlin when I arrived late afternoon. It must be odd, as a kid, to basically grow up in a mall (do they see the mall as an extension of their homes?).
• The Dave & Busters at Summerlin is HUGE (and extremely busy).
• BIGGEST PROBLEM: Staff shortages. Sur La Table had a sign outside their store offering “on the spot” interviews.

6. Area 15 and Omega Mart: What can I say? Another immersive experience. been there, done that!

Highlights:

• Area 15 is enormously popular – I don’t quite get it. I appreciate the art but it’s all starting to look the same to me. BORING!
• However, despite my lack of enthusiasm, I do still recommend you check it out – especially if you want to stay up-to-date on what is state of the art in immersive experiences or if you want to see how people react to this kind of stimulation.
• See below for more videos from my visit. Let me know what you think!

7. Need your hair done While in Vegas? Highly recommend DryBar at the Cosmopolitan. Ask for Michael (he’s a doll!)

Address: Drybar at the Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd Space 5.

8. Delilah at the Wynn: again, everyone’s raving about it. it’s fine, not great

Know before you go:

• Downstairs bar is where you can order from the regular menu and if you’re there by 5:30 (when they open), you stand a good chance of getting seated. People coming in later (on a Tuesday) were not accommodated.
• They have a NO PHOTOGRAPHY/ NO POSTING RULE which I always find annoying. I snuck a few pics of the food but otherwise had to rely on their website for a photo of the restaurant.
• I ordered the Ahi Tuna Tiradito ($31) – meh, too bland. I also ordered the filet mignon au poivre – very good!
• I also got the whole bar ordering Perfect Manhattans.
• ON THE PLUS SIDE: The bartenders are fabulous, I met cool people at the bar, and I did get seated!
• ON THE DOWNSIDE: It’s kind of stuffy and feels dated. The food was OK but not outstanding and I can’t stand the NO PHOTOS rule (probably because I write this blog and love to use my own photos). Crazy when you consider Lady Gaga allows (encourages!) photos and videos of her show but Delilah is so special no one can take photos?!
• BOTTOM LINE: Doesn’t warrant a return visit.

9. Rockabilly Weekend: and everyone looks fabulous!

Here’s a small sampling of the rockabillies I ran into over the last few days:

10. Lady Gaga: first night of her jazz and piano residency (Park MGM)

My take:

• First of all, Gaga’s a consummate entertainer. She’s got it all: great voice, great stage presence, great personality.
• That said, I considered the show about 15 minutes too long, I got a bit bored.
• The show needs some tweaks! There, I said it!

And that’s a wrap for this week, my friends.

Heading back to NYC today (Friday). I will be using my newly acquired Clear Pass to cut the line. However, I can’t entirely recommend CLEAR. It lets you cut the line but it costs twice as much as TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry and you still have to do the whole shoe removal/ laptops out, etc. rigamarole so feels less special for twice the price.

I am excited to be flying Jet Blue Mint. Will be checking out their new menu, created in collaboration with Pasquale Jones (a really good NYC restaurant). Will see if it lives up to the hype.

And with that, my friends, wishing you all a great weekend. Look for me in your inbox next Friday — I’ll be returning with a trends focus – plus a video intro (which some of you have told me you’ve missed).