The last ten years in Las Vegas have been the metaphoric equivalent of World War I: initial excitement soon shattered by the grim reality of life in the resort trenches. We’ve endured implosions, construction cranes, new professional sports teams, the Sphere (among other unique attractions), restaurant openings and the new Strip disrupter, Formula 1. It feels like a perpetual campaign that has become exhausting.
Isn’t it time for a ceasefire?
What if Las Vegas took a step back and became quiet?
Beginning with downtown, what if we turned off the Viva Vision light show on Fremont Street and cleared it of, well, street performers and zip lines? People could stroll through the corridor in a relaxed mood and when they craved excitement, they could go into any of the casinos there. The contrast would make the experience work.
A quiet day at the lake? The Fountains of Bellagio could be turned off and visitors could enjoy Lake Bellagio without the spraying distraction. Watch and chill to the calming waters!
What if all the Strip reader boards were turned off for a week or two? Keep the excitement within the resorts, build anticipation and, at the same time, keep stimulation overload from happening. The exception: keep the neon on at the Neon Museum—a nod to tradition.
How about no new special events for six months, allowing resort and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority staff to recharge their batteries and make them enthusiastic again for their jobs? Las Vegas could be known for six months of calm.
Can we quiet the singing gondoliers at the Venetian Resort? Sure, as a visitor, you enjoy the outdoor view of authentically rendered Italian architecture coupled with the Las Vegas Strip, but let’s cut the singing and enjoy the sounds of silence.
Is this Coney Island or Las Vegas? New York-New York Hotel & Casino is a tribute to the Big Apple, but we don’t have to incorporate every aspect of the city. Keep the noise level down and enjoy the rest of the ambiance.
And we know, Sphere, you are new to town, but it’s time to dim the light shows. Subtlety is best, but if you have to light up, just make it an eight-ball.
Moratorium on implosions: Just stop erasing the past for a while. There’s enough new stuff to keep visitors visiting. Less is more.
Name changes are allowed, since they don’t require too much noise. In other words, the Delano will soon transform into the W. That’s fine for overall quiet. But, if Circus Circus turned into Monster Trucks, we’d have a problem.
There will be people complaining about the placid look and feel of Las Vegas when the noise volume is lowered and lights are dimmed. You can’t please everyone.
But then I woke up! And there it was… the sights and sounds of Las Vegas!
And I realized—there’s no place like home.
