Bonneville Avenue in Downtown Las Vegas. Image: Claudia Magana
The exposure to the Fremont Street Experience for the first time approximately seven years ago amazed me tremendously. Lots of people, from different parts of the world, strolling around and taking pictures. Diversity of cultures captured my attention immediately. At the time, I had never explored pictures of old downtown. This is interesting since I’m a person who likes to see the before and after pictures of most things; especially, of places I’ve been. This area has changed throughout the years. As a result, I chose the above picture that says, “Downtown living just got brighter.” To me, all construction going on reflects the transformation and improvements. My curiosity went further and I took the time to walk by Bonneville Avenue, which is under construction right now. So, I grabbed my Casio EX-Z550 and explored the area despite the intolerable heat.
Golden Nugget 2011. Image: Claudia Magana.
This site defines the beginning of “Sin City.” According to its website, Fremont Street “has been the sight of numerous ‘firsts’ in Las Vegas: First paved street in 1925. First Nevada gaming license – issued to the Northern Club. First traffic light and first elevator at the Apache Hotel in 1932. The Horseshoe was the first casino to install carpeting, while the Golden Nugget was the first structure designed from the ground up to be a casino.” One of the things I noticed between pictures from 1951 and 2011 is there was no Viva Vision, which is the “light and sound show delivered on a high-tech overhead canopy” that began on June 14, 2004 at the Fremont Street Experience. I noticed that there use to be traffic by the Golden Gate building, but not in the present day, which makes me even more curious about how this area was in the past. Cars can drive either south or northbound, but not in the middle of the Fremont Street Experience. Since I rarely take these kinds of tours because of my busy schedule, I patiently scrutinized my surroundings.
Golden Nugget in the 50s. Image: Neato Cooleville.
As I slowly walked away southbound on Las Vegas Boulevard, I explored the Bonneville Transit Terminal which “provides a facility equipped to serve as a central transfer point for its transit system.” I perceived it as a more convenient location because it doesn’t take too much time to get there from Fremont Street: Especially, for a person like me who commutes on a bus. The previous terminal was located on Stewart and 4th Street. Bonneville Avenue is under construction from Las Vegas Boulevard all the way to Main Street. After my excursion to the heart of Las Vegas, I enjoyed a well-deserved break before returning to reality.
Finally, change is the new word to describe Downtown Las Vegas. I’ve heard some comments from friends saying whenever I suggest to hang out there: “Ewww, I don’t even wanna drive over there.” But I’ve found interesting things when I explore unexpected places. It’s just a matter of being open minded. This exploration was an adventure and unique indeed!
Oh, please don’t forget to check out my Downtown Las Vegas 2011 pictures!