Las Vegas is very easy to pick on. I mean, how seriously can anyone take a city that celebrates and markets itself as the planet’s best destination for hedonism? Then throw in the lack of quality education, sky-high unemployment, foreclosed and “underwater” homes, the absence of real “neighborhoody” neighborhoods, no pro sports teams, no zoo, no important museums, Righthaven, Sharron Angle... This horror hit list is quite extensive and, I must say, more than a little depressing.
But, I dug deep and took a hard look around and asked myself this basic question: What do I love about Las Vegas? The answer may be extraordinarily subjective, but there are at least five reasons why I call Las Vegas home.
Yes, Las Vegas is an easy place to criticize and our long list of flaws seems to keep getting longer. Because of that, I’m glad to be an optimistic sort. Those who know me best are perpetually amused by my indefatigable, unshakeable ability to always—always—see the glass half full. Given our economic realities and civic shortcomings, good thing I’m so chipper.
So, buck up, fellow Las Vegans. Our city may be far from perfect, but it’s all ours. Every dusty, sexy, crazy, strip-mally square inch of it. Get out there and find the reasons why you, too, love Las Vegas. Wanna know the best part? Las Vegas will love you right back. Promise.
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1. Free valet parking
OK, so this sounds like a joke, but I do not joke—ever—about free valet parking. For someone who’s lived in New York City, San Francisco, Miami Beach and Los Angeles (and those cities’ $45-and-up valet charges), the very existence of such a thing as free valet parking is all I need to hear to live anywhere happily. Valet parking is one of those treats I insist on, much like my weekly barber shaves and manicures and expensive car washes. But for the ability to pull up anywhere on the Strip, drop my car off with valet, take a cab home after too much, um, socializing, pick up my car 12 hours later and no one raises an eyebrow or charges me a penny for the convenience, I say, “Hell, yes, Las Vegas!” That, my friends, is reason enough to live here for me. I know locals scoff at the notion of valet parking, but I don’t care. More room for my car.
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2. Sightseeing
When my gazillions of friends descend upon this city to see me, they’re actually not here to see me at all, they’re here to party on the Strip. I’m an afterthought and I couldn’t be happier about it. And unlike, say, San Francisco or NYC, since there’s absolutely nothing “touristy” to see in Las Vegas—no Golden Gate bridge or Empire State Building or anything of majestic import, really—I’m not forced to endure a tourist outing of any kind. My friends coming to Vegas just means I’m drinking at a different bar. Works for me.
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3. Year-round outdoor tennis
This one may surprise some folks who didn’t know me when, but there was a time, in my distant past, that I lived for tennis. Lived for it. As a kid in Miami—my friends and fellow members of the Glades Junior High and Southwest Miami Senior High tennis teams, André, Gene and Steve—would be up at the crack of dawn to play tennis where we would be at it for more than 12 hours, deep into the night. Now, so many years later, I live in a city where I can play year-round. In the sweltering summer, I can play under the lights at night and, in the chilly winter, I can play under the afternoon sun. Tennis is one of those activities I hope to be doing the rest of my life. And, now, in this desert town, I actually can.
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4. Weekend Getaways To Los Angeles, Palm Springs and San Diego
Getaways To Los Angeles, Palm Springs and San Diego. Getting in a car heading anywhere near or in LA is always a nervy experience, but I’m thrilled to say that living in Las Vegas makes me miss my amazing West Hollywood life a little less because I’m so close by. Routinely, I call up my SoCal gang and plan weekends in Palm Springs or La Jolla or Santa Monica and can fully enjoy time away from Vegas and be back at work Monday morning. Try doing that in Chicago, Atlanta or Seattle. Not so much.
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5. The other stuff
Then Las Vegas surprises me with the little things, you know the people and places that fuel our souls, clear our heads and fill our hearts. My love for the Cosmopolitan and its eateries, particularly Jaleo and its Manhattan-like pizza joint, have already been documented in these pages, but it’s worth repeating. Yum. Our city’s efficient airport is smack in the middle of town. Love that, too. The globe’s best restaurants (and chefs) are jammed in a two-mile stretch of road. Just think about that. Mind blowing, really. The crazy-good shopping in this city is only matched by a 20-minute ride to Primm and its can’t-miss outlet experience. Neiman Marcus and Versace? Yes, please. And, most importantly, at VEGAS INC, I work at a job I love with people who inspire me and make me laugh. That’s not always a given, as so many of you surely know.
