Outside Places

One development in Las Vegas over the past few years has been the emergence of a number of outdoor shopping and entertainment districts on the Strip. The reviews have been mixed but each area has developed a kind of personality and I thought it was worth discussing. The Linq Promendade is the oldest (and best) of these places. The volume of shops, bars and restaurants is impressive and most are worthwhile. It is like a busy main street with pretty high foot traffic most any time day or night. It can be a bit too much at times and, other than the fountains by In ‘n’ Out Burger, it lacks places to just relax. The Park next to New York New York and the T-Mobile Arena doesn’t have that problem. There are tables and chairs scattered along the broad sidewalks with foliage and water and you feel welcome to sit and relax and enjoy the moment. Of course, during a major event, it is madness and all bets are off. And it has nowhere near the variety of interesting places that the Linq does. Finally there is the Grand Bazaar shops in front of Ballys. It is crowded and loud and is a mix of junk shops and some decent bars and restaurants. There are even people trying to lure you into their place of business with some sort of deal. It isn’t a place to linger unless you are in the market for what they are selling. In other words, it is kind of like a bazaar. It isn’t a favorite of mine but it is improving. What do you think?