Downtown Vegas is awesome.
Downtown Vegas is a shit show.
Even since I first visited Downtown Vegas I made it a part of every vacation. Now that I live in Vegas it’s become a regular stop. Downtown Vegas is great but it’s like that two face like that woman on Seinfeld years ago.
During the day Downtown Vegas is a much different place than at night. I’ve always been partial to visiting Downtown Vegas during the day. Here’s why.
Fewer People – The canopy and free concerts on Fremont Street bring out hordes of people. I don’t like hordes of people. The confined space feels claustrophobic. I don’t want drunk people touching me for no reason. I’m also always in a rush and hordes of people slow me down.
See Everything – During the day you can actually see everything. The vintage neon signs are great and I truly enjoy them but they’re distracting. The signs are designed to draw the eye and they do a great job at that. Those signs are really all you see at night. During the day you can see everything Downtown Vegas has to offer.
Even Cheaper Gambling – Gambling in Downtown Vegas is always cheap compared to the Vegas Strip. However on weekend nights you’ll see some minimum bets around $10. Yes, that’s still low but you can usually find minimums around $5 when the sun is up. I can dig that.
The Freaks Come Out At Night – The buskers and mascots looking to make a buck are always out on Fremont Street. During the day you can easily just walk by them. Buskers multiply at night since there’s more people and more money. They just get in the way. No thanks.
I like Downtown Vegas a lot and I prefer visiting during the day. Unless I’m staying overnight you’ll rarely, if ever, catch me in Downtown Vegas at night. If you enjoy crowds and a chaotic environment you’ll probably love Downtown Vegas at night.
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The smart person stays on Fremont Street, but either hangs out around the fringes (Downtown 3rd, East Fremont, Container Park, Main Street Station/California) during the evening until the crowds thin out or they head to The Strip.
The fun time on Fremont Street in the evenings is between midnight and 2AM. There are some real characters (not of the costumed kind) that are out there nearly every night and it’s a bit Felliniesque and the crowds have thinned out.
“Fun Time is 12-2a Time Downtown” doesn’t have the same ring to it. Haha. Good point though.
I’m torn – Fremont is definitely a ton more crowded now than when I started going down there 6 years ago. I love the vibe down there, but tend to be inside a casino during those peak times, so I don’t have to deal with the crowds so much. I know there’s better odds on the strip for Blackjack, but the low roller in me likes playing $5 games too. Now on the other hand, my last trip my friends got sucked into $1 roulette at the El Cortez – sucked into the time warp!
I remember my first time getting lost in that El Cortez roulette game! We were playing with 25 cent chips and throwing them around like we were high rollers. Haha. Ahhhhhhh….the memories. El Cortez has a special place in my heart.