Vintage Vegas
February 27th, 2009
If you’ve come to Vegas expecting Googie Architecture, barroom crooners, and a fine single malt but found in their places slick skyscrapers, the Blue Man Group, and a Kir Royale, fear not. The following attractions will save your trip.
Stay in a Vintage Hotel: the Riviera
The Strip’s most authentic vintage hotel has been around since 1955, formerly hosting the likes of the Rat Pack. In fact, it was so popular with the crowd that Dean Martin was once its partial owner and it appeared in original Ocean’s Eleven. The Riv’s register of in-house entertainment includes a burlesque revue and a small comedy club, both of which bolster its traditional Vegas vibe. A stronghold on the Strip, the Riviera is a rare successful meld of classic atmosphere and new Vegas glitz.
Get Outfitted: Valentino’s Zootsuit Connection
Valentino’s offers Vegas’ most comprehensive vintage clothing collection, notably including, as its name states, a lot of Zootsuits. If you’re reaching for the bona fide, this is the place to find it. A fine trilby hat will serve you well if you’re not in the market for a full-on suit, though Valentino’s assortment may inspire you to boldness. Pick up a classic fleck blazer and a fedora for the poker rooms or a pinstriped number for a night out. When in Vegas, ask “why not?”
See the City’s Oldest Landmarks: the Neon Boneyard
Vegas’ Neon Museum is dedicated to the cause of preserving the city’s once-futuristic scene, housing over 150 signs and related relics of the bygone aesthetic. Its limited outdoor walking tour is open 24-hours a day to visitors of downtown Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience, but its more extensive guided tour requires an advance appointment. The Populuxe mementos preserved in the Boneyard include icons like the Hacienda Horse and Rider and Aladdin’s lamp, and they’ll all make for some stunning trip photography.
Eat (and Drink) in Classic Style: Napoleon’s at the Paris
Though its designers intended to conjure a distinctly French vibe, Napoleon’s is equally Old Vegas. Its leather furnishings, scotch selection, and cigar lounges make it an ideal evening destination for anyone who doesn’t want to brave the Strip’s dancing throngs. Vegas’ classiest joint also hosts nightly jazz, an impressive menu, and more champagne than the whole of France. As an alternative, try it for champagne brunch.
See the Icons Themselves: the Plaza’s Rat Pack Experience
The Plaza’s comedic spectacular approximates Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin et al. in their traditional environs. The performers render the Pack’s most celebrated songs with the help of an orchestra and with special guests like Marilyn Monroe. What’s more, the Plaza’s downtown Vegas location will draw you off the Strip and into the original Sin City. Be sure to wander Fremont Street’s neon promenade while you’re there.
Vintage Vegas should certainly include a cheap hotel room along the strip, but you will find no better hotel deals than here.
Categories: Destination Guides
