Few cities in the world have been caricatured in movies and on television quite like Las Vegas. We know, of course, there is some truth behind the Sin City depictions and the 24/7 nightlife and anything-goes outlook, but there is – and always has been – a more serious side of Las Vegas that never quite fits the tropes.
Moreover, Vegas has also been changing, especially in recent years, perhaps more so than any other US city. There are plenty of pillars of ‘traditional’ Las Vegas still in place, and they are still celebrated and used to draw in tourists, but the truth is that Vegas’ rapid transformation has made a much more interesting place. Below, we look at five of the biggest changes:
Table of Contents
Dining Options Are Much More Diverse
Vegas used to be famous for the old-school dining experiences of the casino buffets and steak & shrimp cocktail joints. Those still exist, although they are dwindling in number, and they are often on the bucket lists of first-time travelers, but dining has become so much more diverse. It is now home to one of the highest concentrations of celebrity chef restaurants in the world, sure, but at the other end of the scale, there are now amazing options for authentic street food and ethnic culinary experiences.
Sports Entertainment
In the 1990s, the thought of bringing Big 4 sports teams to the desert felt out of reach, but now we have the NFL (Las Vegas Raiders), NHL (Golden Knights) and WNBA (Aces), and it’s the de facto home of the NBA Summer League. There are concrete plans to bring an NBA team there with the latest expansion, too. Vegas has gone from having no major sports teams to having all-year-round options for sports fans in a matter of a few years. It’s a huge vote of confidence in the city.
Casinos Are No Longer the Main Attraction
Casinos still matter in the city, both culturally and, most certainly, economically, but their position as the main attraction has been challenged by everything from sports to nightclubs. Some of this feels like rolling with the times, as digital casino entertainment means you can play roulette online or whatever other games wherever or whenever you want, but there’s also a desire for the city itself to move away, to diversify. Casinos remain hugely important to Las Vegas, but the casino resorts themselves have changed to become more diverse, realizing that revenue must come from more places than the blackjack tables.
A First-Class Music Destination
Yes, when we consider the legendary performances of everyone from Sinatra to Elvis to Cher, we can say Vegas was always a top music destination. Yet, there was always a typical ‘type’ of artist that took up the Vegas residency. Today, it is much more diverse, with new and upcoming artists rubbing shoulders with global superstars. Vegas has also quietly become the home of electronic dance music in the Western Hemisphere in recent years. It’s one of the reasons why the planes flying into Harry Reid International are now more likely to be full of Gen Z and young Millennials than older folk flying to play the slot machines.
An Underrated Arts Scene
Finally, a word on Vegas’ growing art scene. For a city that has often been tagged as being kitsch and bombastic in its approach to art and, especially, architecture, there is a growing movement across the city to support and highlight local and international artists. The sheer number of arts festivals, independent galleries, and other events that have popped up around the city and its environs is another feather in the city’s cap, and they are well worth checking out if you wish to escape the bright lights of The Strip.
