In a nutshell, I don’t know. I personally end up staying on the Strip most of the time. This is because the nightlife appeals to me; actually, it is mostly the restaurants. Having said that, I go to Fremont Street every time I visit Vegas.

To me this is a very personal decision. Both of these places will provide you with the tools to have an outstanding weekend.

 Fremont Street tends to appeal to the traditionalists, those looking for a little nostalgia that “old Vegas feel”. It is smaller than the Strip, and can be a little less overwhelming.

History

The mother of the strip is the El Rancho Las Vegas which opened her doors on April 3^rd 1941 with a grand total of 63 rooms. A couple of years later a fellow by the name of “Bugsy” Siegel opened the Flamingo and the Strip has been getting bigger and better ever since. Well, at least bigger.

The mega-resorts of today arrived in the early 1990’s. They along with their fabulous properties have led to a destination like no other. The Strip is an entity onto itself. Honestly, where else in the world can you visit New York, Ancient Egypt, Rome, Paris, Venice and more, all in one day.

Pros

The Strip has everything. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, if it’s shopping, the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace offer more than 160 boutiques and shops, as well as 13 restaurants and specialty food shops. While across the street at the Aladdin, the Desert Passage offers another 500,000 square feet of shopping. There is also hundreds of ‘kiosks’ as you walk down the strip. Here you have the advantage of haggling over the price of your merchandise, ranging from dice keychains to designer clothes.

Almost every casino in Vegas offers some type of entertainment, whether you are looking for a free lounge act or a several hundred dollar Broadway-like play, you will find what you desire at one of the hotels on the strip. The strip is also unique with many interesting and free sights as you walk Las Vegas Boulevard. From active volcanoes, water and light shows, to pirate ships, the strip is as fascinating a sight as any hundred dollar show.

Finding a room shouldn’t be a problem, as Las Vegas is home to over 151,000 hotel rooms with over half of them are on the Las Vegas Strip. Add to this that the Casinos are fabulously wealthy and happy to give their favourite guest as many “comps” as they can handle, and you have a destination like no other in the world.

Cons

Too much. This is usually the first and last complaint from anyone who dislikes the Strip. The excessive crowds, noise and waits can be overwhelming for some people, as hundreds of thousands of travellers seek Vegas’s charms each week.

There are amenities everywhere and every last one is crawling with people. With this many people in one place, the chances for accidents or criminal activities multiply. Personally, I have never had ANY problems on the Strip; I believe if you pay attention to your surroundings, most if not all problems, can be avoided.

Another downfall of the Las Vegas Strip is the price. Vegas is no longer a cheap getaway. Expect your rooms to be in the hundreds of dollars; expect to pay top dollar for your meals; and expect to pay top dollar for entertainment.

This doesn’t mean that you cannot find a quieter, cheaper weekend for yourself on The Strip. It’s just that you have to work for it.

Tomorrow, we will be concluding our look at Fremont Street or The Strip.

It would seem that these two destinations are causing a little bit of a dilemma for travelers.  Over the next few posts, we are going to attempt to list the pros and cons of both areas. Armed with the right information, your decisions shouldn’t be nearly as difficult.

Fremont Street

A history

Established on May 15^th 1905, by a railroad land auction, Fremont Street is where the legend began and the original Las Vegas started. Fremont Street has been the site of numerous “firsts” in Las Vegas:

• First paved street (1925)
• First Nevada gaming license – issued to the Northern Club at 15 E. Fremont St.
• First traffic light and first elevator (the Apache Hotel in 1932).
• The first high-rise (the Fremont Hotel in 1956).
• 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.

In 1995, Fremont took on the look that today’s visitors recognize, with the $70 million Freemont Street Experience. This seven block open air pedestrian mall features live entertainment, permanent performance stages and an amazing light show.

As of June 14^th 2004, Fremont boasts a $17 million digital video display system unlike any other in the world. The four-block long, 90-foot canopy now features state-of-the-art LED technology that creates a myriad of eye-popping color combinations, while 12.5 million bulbs ramp up resolution to deliver superb picture quality and clarity.

Pros

You will find that the hotel rates are generally a lot more reasonable on Fremont. The hotels are quite nice but compared to the Strip they feel somewhat dated, although most people consider this the Fremont experience.

Fremont Street is all about the classic Vegas. The ambience is generation bridging. You can almost see “the brat pack” walking the casino floors. There are about 14 smaller, yet somehow just as awe inspiring casinos. With places like The Golden Nugget, Binion’s Horseshoe, Four Queen’s, Fitzgerald’s and Freemont to choose from, there are more than enough to keep a traveler busy for a weekend.

The hotels have a “genuine” feel to them. You feel appreciated here, even if you aren’t touting a large bankroll. Casino games on Fremont are generally better for the player. With “looser” slots and a wider offering of “player friendly” table games, like single deck blackjack, most gamblers will enjoy their visit to Fremont.

Cons

Nostalgia aside, Fremont does fail to deliver on a few fronts. All the Casinos on the street are small operations, at least compared to the billion dollar corporations on the Strip, and they are run with the bottom line in mind. You MAY find that some of the perks that you are used to on the Strip are a bit harder to come by on Fremont. I personally have not noticed a lack of free drinks or buffets but I have heard of people not receiving as many as the monster casinos like to doll out. One thing I have noticed is that the points on Player’s cards are much harder to obtain and don’t appear to be worth as much as some of the other places I frequent.

Also, if you are traveling to Vegas for the shows, nightlife, or multi-dimensional dining, than Fremont is not for you. Yes, it has some shows and dining and nightlife but, it does not deliver on the same level as the Strip. This being said a lot of people enjoy the fact that you do not have to choose amongst hundreds of restaurants for every meal. This all being said the Strip and it’s influx of shows and nightlife is a mere $20 cab ride away.

Check back tomorrow when we will be discussing The Strip