Sin City Alternative: The Strip isn't the only cool place in Las Vegas

photo A huge shark tank that houses a three-story waterslide sits in the center of the pool at The Golden Nugget.
photo The Fremont Street Experience is uncrowded by day, making it the ideal time to take a stroll inside the covered pedestrian mall. Every hour nightly from dusk till midnight, the mall has a free sound-and-light show that appears on a massive, 90-foot-high, four-block vault ceiling.
photo If you go to eat at The Heart Attack Grill, right, come prepared to consume massive amounts of food. The restaurant has a hospital theme where "patients" don hospital gowns before ordering, and those who do not finish their meal receive a paddling by one of the "nurses" with the option to buy the paddle afterward.

There's a certain nostalgic charm found in downtown Las Vegas. It's a feeling that you simply will not find along the city's more-famous Strip.

Granted, if you're going to Vegas for its glitz and glamour, the Strip, with its flashy resort casinos, theaters and restaurants, is the place to be. But venture off the beaten path and you may feel as if you're walking alongside the spirit of mobster Bugsy Siegel, who opened the doors of Vegas' first hotel and casino, the famous Flamingo, back in 1946. Downtown is an art-deco experience, one where you'll find a sense of the past with visions of the future.

Yes, Las Vegas continues to bill itself as a destination for adults, but recent growth also envelops the cultural side of Vegas, as well as making it an experience for families.

"When visiting downtown for the first time, allow enough time to experience it all. There is much more to see there than you think," says Courtney Fitzgerald, public relations manager for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "The appeal of downtown is really the authenticity. It is much less commercial than The Strip, and visitors can get a better sense of where Las Vegas has come from and visit some of the places that the locals also enjoy."

Visit the Golden Gate hotel, she suggests, where the first phone in Vegas was installed -- and it's still there. Try out the Mob Museum "to find out how Las Vegas got its start," she adds.

And don't believe all the ads you hear. What happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas ... so here's the lowdown on downtown.

To Play

When Las Vegas was founded, downtown grew around the first casinos, and it continues to be an area that generates quite a bit of money from gamers. Here are a few of note:

• Binion's, 128 Fremont St. A little dated, but it has all the machines you can imagine. It's located smack dab in the middle of the Fremont Street Experience, a covered pedestrian mall with a free sound-and-light show that appears on a massive, 90-foot-high, four-block vault ceiling every hour nightly from dusk until midnight.

• Golden Gate, 1 Fremont St. Dancing dealers make this one of the most fun casinos and, like many downtown casinos, it opens out into the the action of the Fremont Street Experience. It's the oldest casino in Las Vegas, built on land purchased in 1905 for $1,750.

• El Cortez, 600 Fremont St. A small, older casino frequented by hotel guests and locals alike. Located a block away from the action of the Fremont Street Experience, it's a quieter casino filled with slots and tables.

• Four Queens, 202 Fremont St. Slot and video poker machines, as well as gaming tables, run the gamut. The casino is a little dated, but it's quite large.

• Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St. The largest, swankiest casino on Fremont offers everything from exclusive games of baccarat to the fun of the penny slots. New to the game? Lessons are offered.

If the casinos are not your thing or you need to take a break from gaming, there are plenty of activities. Try the hip and trendy Fremont East District, which is loaded with comedy clubs and blues and jazz nightclubs.

There's also the burgeoning arts district, where you can find local galleries and other arts venues. Every Friday night year-round, the district comes alive with an outdoor festival celebrating food, entertainment, music performances and exhibits.

And in Symphony Park, in the heart of downtown, there is a new and exciting neighborhood of residences, businesses and cultural landmarks, such as the Discovery Children's Museum, the World Market Center and the Smith Center for Performing Arts.

To stay

Las Vegas has a total of 14,701 rooms, according to figures from the Convention and Visitors Authority, but just a small percentage are located in the downtown area which has fewer rooms due to space constraints. But downtown rooms have made marked improvements in recent years. Here are a few to consider:

• El Cortez, 600 Fremont St. It may sound simple, but one of the best things about the rooms at El Cortez, besides the new surroundings and comfortable cabana suites, are the complimentary coffee makers in every room. You won't find them in most casino hotels.

• Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St. Excellent location in the heart of the Fremont Street Experience. Eight restaurants, three hotel towers with newly renovated rooms making it the largest hotel in downtown Las Vegas. The big draw: A 200,000-gallon shark tank with a three-story waterslide that zooms right through it -- selected by Conde Naste Traveler as one of the best pool scenes in Sin City.

• The Plaza, 1 S. Main St. More than 1,000 rooms, some of which are the largest in Las Vegas, were totally remodeled four years ago, along with the huge, 80,000-square-foot casino. The hotel also boasts four restaurants plus a food court.

• 4 Queens, 202 Fremont St. Guests love the location in the heart of all the action of the Fremont Street Experience. Bonus: By staying here, you don't have to go far to experience Hugo's Cellar, a steakhouse that has earned a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" since 1993.

• The D Las Vegas, 301 Fremont St. Formerly home to Fitzgerald's Hotel and Casino in the shadow of the Fremont Street Experience, the D has been totally renovated and is the newest casino resort in downtown Las Vegas. It boasts 638 rooms and has four restaurants, including Vicari's Andiamo Steakhouse, which was voted the best steakhouse in Vegas -- and that includes The Strip -- by Eater Vegas readers.

To eat

If you're pulling out all the stops or if you've hit the jackpot in the casinos, downtown Vegas has some remarkable steak houses. Top picks are Binion's Steak House, Golden Steer, Vic & Anthony's and Hugo's Cellar. But if you're looking to save some money and want a change, here are some suggestions:

• Cafe Cortez, off the casino floor at El Cortez, 600 Fremont St. You may not believe it, but yes, it's possible to get an excellent prime rib meal for $9.99. It's a full meal served with baked potato and one other side. Also, excellent sandwiches and burgers for under $10.

• Triple George, 201 North Third St. Voted the best place for a power lunch in downtown Las Vegas, the steakhouse is also a popular draw for dinner, but it's best if you make reservations beforehand. Top picks here are the Petrale Sole with Lemon Sauce ($18.95) and the New York Steak with Garlic Herb Butter ($28.95).

• Rachel's Kitchen at The Ogden, 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd. A wide-ranging menu of quality breakfast, lunch and dinner meals at a reasonable value, from morning smoothies to sandwiches, wraps, pasta dishes and burgers later in the day. Don't feel like leaving your room? They deliver. There's nothing in the menu priced higher than $11.95.

• Le Thai, 523 Fremont St. Since being featured by The Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain, this tiny eatery has become a popular spot for authentic Thai food. You get a lot for a little here, beginning with the salty spiced peanuts placed on the table at the beginning of your meal.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.

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