Ask a Native
Ask a Native
Prom, Wind and Other Vegas Spring Pleasures
May 14th, 2013
Much is made about how fancified the ritual of school dances has become, but Vegas prom in the 1980s wasn’t much different than it is now, except that today’s attendees seem to spring for limos more often than we did. That’s likely a byproduct of fewer teenagers with drivers licenses—a good thing considering the shenanigans that often take place on prom night. Read more »
Ask a Native
Anthony Bourdain and Vegas's Under-the-Radar Restaurants
April 30th, 2013
Since it’s usually all about authenticity with Bourdain, I hoped—and still hope—for more from him. In a city of chain restaurants, chain clothing stores and gambling-financed replicas of famous spots, it’s easy to find the copies. If we get Round Two of Bourdain in Vegas, I’d like him to take on more of our originals. Read more »
Ask a Native
Silly Vegas Questions Better than No Questions
April 23rd, 2013
Do you live in a hotel? Is Wayne Newton your neighbor? Which casino does your mom work in? Is she a showgirl? A hooker? A stripper? Is your dad in the Mafia? Is he a gambler? Do you eat in casinos? Where do you play outside? Read more »
Ask a Native
Are There Really “Gambling Trailers” to Keep a Gaming License Alive?
April 16th, 2013
“Pop-up casinos” periodically appear on the sites of closed or demolished gaming establishments. The license attached to an establishment can outlive the establishment—but only if the owners know the rules and play by them wisely. Read more »
Ask a Native
Should the Las Vegas 51s Make the Move to Summerlin?
April 10th, 2013
I didn’t have much of an opinion on this subject until I read some of the comments Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey made when positioning the team for a move to a new suburban stadium. Read more »
Ask a Native
What’s all this about the city’s open-container laws? I thought Vegas didn’t have those.
April 2nd, 2013
Many are confused by a flier circulating around Fremont Street depicting an open beer can and stating, “Having an open container of alcohol within the city of Las Vegas is illegal, including East Fremont Street. Even if you are 21.” So, what does that mean to all the yard-long margaritas we see? Absolutely nothing. Read more »
Ask a Native
What is the Oldest Locally Owned Business in Las Vegas?
March 26th, 2013
Other businesses are older (Union Pacific and Wells Fargo arrived in 1905), but Anderson Dairy—which retains its original name—reigns as the city’s oldest homegrown biz. Read more »
Ask a Native
Should I tip the busser? And how much?
March 14th, 2013
Most (if not all) Las Vegans are close to someone who works (or has worked) in the service industry in some capacity. And most of those folks know that a century of tradition upholds the idea that the support staff is tipped-out by servers. It’s a helpful checks-and-balances system that works like this: Good servers who get tipped well require fast, efficient bussers to sell more booze and help turn tables, thereby earning more and better tips. To get bussers on their side and help make this happen, servers tip bussers for their efforts much like we tip servers for theirs. Read more »
Ask a Native
Why re-brand an iconic casino such as the Sahara into something as soullessly named as “SLS”?
March 7th, 2013
You aren’t the only one asking this question; if my friends are any indicator, plenty of locals are hand-wringing about what they see as the blanding of Vegas branding. Some of this concern is nostalgic (“The Sahara is classic Rat Pack Vegas!”), some of it is preservationist (“Las Vegas always destroys its own history!”), and some of it is aesthetic (“It’s going to be all white walls and glass. Yuck!”). Read more »
