The recession has taken a lot of hubris out of Vegas. On the other side, many good shows, eateries, and concepts have vanished or never had the chance to thrive.
1. Hairspray (Luxor)
2. Spamalot (Wynn)
3. The two weeks that Cathouse was cool (Luxor)
4. 40 Deuce (Mandalay Bay)
5. 40/40 (Palazzo)
6. The Rainbow Bar & Grill (next to Hard Rock)
7. Las Vegas Art Museum
8. Empire Ballroom (freestanding Strip)
9. Poetry (Caesars Forum Shops)
10. The Reading Room (Mandalay Bay)
(Photo: Sarah Gerke)
Most of that stuff you posted sucked anyways with the exception of the museam.
Here’s my top 5 (because 10 is too large of a list on this topic!):
1. 24 hour restaurants (even some of the cafe’s have reduced their hours)
2. Cultural Centers (this includes the museam, libraries, art centers etc.)
3. Making it rain!!! (People aren’t doing this with their cash anymore).
4. Las Vegas style Showgirls
5. Strippers & escorts parading around the Las Vegas Valley as “Real Estate Agents & Investors”.
along the lines of Empire Ballroom:
Shark Club.
Ice/Drink (and Eat too)
The Beach. The only thing going for this last one was it’s proximity to the LVCC. And probably less expensive than Empire, Ice, and probably Shark Club. To drink at least.
All three were stand alone properties if memory serves.
I’ll add one concert venue, Huntridge Theater. A sign of the poor venue choices available in Vegas for lesser known bands that don’t want to deal with places like HoB, Pearl, Joint, or other venues of a similar size. Or from a slightly different POV, the poor longevity of small concert venues in Vegas.
Bob
I would add Fashionistas to that list and maybe the short lived stripper-mobile.
Stage 16 Restaurant in the Venetian (where TAO is now)