LAS VEGAS IS BECOMING A GREAT CITY

We just left Hawaii, which has been getting the worst floods in two decades.  We came to Las Vegas, where Google AI reports:

As of March 23, 2026, Las Vegas is experiencing a historic heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 97°F (36°C) at Harry Reid Airport. This marks the highest temperature ever recorded in March, breaking the previous record of 94°F set just days earlier in the same week, and far exceeding the previous all-time March high of 93°F from 2022. 

Interestingly enough, it all depends on exactly where you live and go.  No problem about the rain in Nuuanu.  During the two-week period, we never lost electricity at all.  Went out to dinner in Las Vegas yesterday, and while the peak high in this city is at 4PM, around 5PM there was a slight breeze and I actually felt quite comfortable walking around.  Of course, it's still March, and the temperature goes up in the Summer.

Okay, first, Las Vegas does not rank up there with the world's best cities.  However, I remember coming here in the 1950's, and comparing to Honolulu, Vegas has improved so much more than my home town.  

• Google AI estimates that 50,000 people with Hawaii ties now live in the Las Vegas aea.
• Why?
• Cost of living in Las Vegas is much lower.  Home prices, for example, is about half that of Hawaii.
• The California Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas has served as a cultural hub for Hawaii residents, and influenced this transition.
• Read this report from Hawaii News Now.

Quoting Google AI:

In 2026, Las Vegas is a premier city, driven by its evolution into a global sports and entertainment capital, a booming, diversified economy, and enhanced, immersive tourism experiences. The city, having successfully transitioned beyond relying solely on gambling, now features top-tier sports teams, premier conventions, and a thriving cultural scene, making it a vibrant destination for both residents and visitors. 

Key Reasons for Its Growth in 2026:

• Major Sporting & Entertainment Hub: Known as a "major league sports city", Las Vegas hosts the Raiders, Golden Knights, and Aces, alongside Formula 1, WrestleMania, and the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC). The Sphere continues to draw massive, international crowds, anchoring the entertainment industry.  Also, the NBA could be coming 2028-29.
• 
  Economic Diversification: The economy hasmatured beyond hospitality, with significant growth in tech, healthcare, logistics, and renewable energy, attracting new residents and jobs.
• 
  Cultural & Culinary Explosion: The city has become a culinary destination, with restaurants in the Arts District and Chinatown earning national recognition, moving beyond just celebrity-chef spots on the Strip.
• Improved Livability: Investment in residential areas like Summerlin and Henderson offers high quality-of-life, with the city offering a better balance of work, lifestyle, and entertainment.
• 

  Tourism Rebound: A packed 2026 convention schedule and high hotel occupancy signify a robust return of tourism, with new, immersive attractions such as the Museum of Ice Cream at AREA15. 

The city's ability to reinvent itself has solidified its status as a top global destination for 2026. 

What makes Las Vegas a nearly great city?

• Three clear reasons why:
• Lower cost of living with high quality of life.
• Economic opportunity and no state income tax.
• Elite global sports and entertainment hub. 

• 
  A new global study spotlights the best cities in the world where people over 50 still confident, social and connected.  Las Vegas is right up there with Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles.

• 
  Houzeo, America's best home buying and selling website lists Las Vegas as the Best Place to Live in 2026.
• Ranks #1 as the top city for U.S. real estate investment.

• Nevada has no state income tax, significantly improving net investor returns
• Las Vegas metro population has grown more than 15% since 2015
• 
  Lake Las Vegas offers rare waterfront living in a tax-advantaged market
• Condotel properties maintain strong liquidity and global appeal
• Over $15 billion invested in sports, infrastructure, and entertainment

• Incidentally, #2 is Scottsdale, Arizona is #2
• Dallas, Texas is #3.

Las Vegas;

• The city of 135.8 square miles is at an elevation of 2030 feet, with surrounding peaks of over 10,000 feet.
• Nevada is the third most seismically active state and the U.S. says there is a 10-20% chance over the next 50 years of an M6.0 or greater earthquake within 31 miles of Las Vegas.  But while 6.0 is not a particularly huge earthquake, the biggest quake ever felt on Oahu was 5.3, 41 years ago.
• Only rains 4.2 inches/year.  Honolulu averages 20-30 inches/year.
• 
  The average daily high in July is 104.5 F.  
• Has gone as high as 120 F, on 7July2024.
• Interestingly enough, the temperature today in Las Vegas, 23March2026, is the hottest on record....97 F.
• The metropolitan area has 2.4 million residents.
• The city of Las Vegas only had a population 64,405 in 1960.
• 66 years later, today, just under 700,000 people.
• 
  In 1829, Mexican trader/explorer Antonio Armijo led goup of 60 men and 100 mules along the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico to Los Angeles, California, and stopped in what would become Las Vegas for water at the Las Vegas Springs.  This was the winter residence for the Southern Paiute people.

• 
  In 1844 came John Fremont, who was responsible for drawing people to an area that became Downtown Las Vegas.  Fremont Street is named after him.
• Was first settled in 1905, adjacent to the Union Pacific Railraod station in "downtown" Vegas,  and was officially incorporated in 1911.
• 
  This Welcome to  Fabulous Sign at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip was installed in1959, the first time I went there.
• Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, the year which began construction of tunnels for Hoover Dam, which is 35.8 miles away from Las Vegas.
• Las Vegas Army Airfield was built in 1941, now called Nellis Air Force Base, home to the Thunderbirds.

• 
  In 1951, nuclear weapons testing began as the Nevada Test Site, only 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
• This could have been the killer for any future, for Vegas was also nicknamed Atomic City, and mushroom clouds could be observed from town, with nuclear fallout.
• In 1955, the Moulin Rouge Hotel opened as the first racially-integrated casin-hotel in Las Vegas.
• Thankfully, came the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and all tests moved underground.
• 
  The Mirage opened in 1989 on the Las Vegas Strip, shifting the gambling venue away from downtown.   By the way, this casino was closed in 2024, demolished, and is being replaced by another casino shaped like a guitar.  Hard Rock International will open in 2027.

• To bring back tourists, the Fremont Street Experience opened in 1995 in the downtown area.  This canopied five-block area features sounds and lights from dusk until midnight at the top of each hour.

• 
  The Gateway Arches in front of the Strat Resort and north of Sahara Avenue was built in 2020.
• Bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, attracting 41 million visitors annually.  Hawaii only draws 10 million/year.
• Tolerates adult enterainment, earning the nickname Sin City.

Have I ever considered moving to Las Vegas?  Nope. 

• Safer in Honolulu.  But not by that much, actually, for the homeless problem is getting more serious.  How bad?
• As of 2024, the Hawaii homeless rate was 80.5 per 10,000 people, 20 times higher than the lowest state.
• Just walking around the touristy part of downtown Las Vegas, though, I felt uncomfortable about the quality of people milling around.  
• Clearly, there, too, is a shelterless problem in Las Vegas.
• Read this report about homelessness in the USA.
• 
  What about natural disasters?
• This study shows that Hawaii is relatively a safe to live.
• Of course it rains more in Honolulu, with 16-17 inches/year, to 4-5 for Vegas.
• Both cities have a latent earthquake problem.
• 
  Amazingly enough, Hurricane Hillary came to Las Vegas in 2023, with wind gusts said to reach 75 MPH.  
• Honolulu has never in history suffered from a hurricane.  
• Also incredibly, the Big Island of Hawaii gets threatened virtually by Category 5 hurricanes, but has not ever suffered from a hurricane in history.
• Kauai, of course, was hit by Hurricane Iniki.
• 
  Hilo is the town that has gotten devastated by tsunamis.  However, Oahu ws hit by a 55-foot wave from the Aleutian Islands earthquake of 1946, and 35-foot waves from the 1960 Chilean earthquake.  While there were areas of destruction, Honolulu city itself was generally fine.  We live in seniors' community mauka of Judd street, which is at an elevation of 200 to 300 feet above sea level.  So we'll be safe from any serious tsunami, although services like electricity will be destroyed.  But never has yet.  Of course, Las Vegas has never seen a tsunami.
• Well to that question.  Never thought about moving from Honolulu to Las Vegas.  I like to live in Purgatory, which is a lot more comfortable and secure than Sin City.

We haven't done much in Las Vegas, and we leave tomorrow for Denver.  We have:

• Slept a lot.
• Went gambling, and we are both ahead at this point.  I had a six of a kind in deuces on a deuces are wild machine, and my $20 jumped to $64, and I'm still safely in the 50s.
• My brother, who has lived here for many decades, took us out to dinner at Shabuya.  Some graphics of truly fine meal.

My ingredients.

Otherwise, we walked through the Fremont Street Experience.

What about Cherry Blossoms?  Maybe tomorrow.

-

*BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD (PART 31: #5 Las Vegas)

First, it was gorgeous at Waialae today for the SONY Open, the final threesome of Stuart Appleby, Shigeki Maruyama and Roland Thatcher below:

Appleby and Maruyama on the 9th hole of the first 18. 

However, the leader at this point is Mark Wilson:

This tournament is being televised in 3D on the Golf Channel without commercials, and the effect is absolutely awesome.

The following continues the serialization of the final chapter from SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity:

#5: Las Vegas

The city of Las Vegas was established in 1905. By 1920, there were still only 2300 residents. Today, the metropolitan district has 1.7 million and is the fastest growing area in the nation. It has among the highest suicide, marriage and divorce rates in the country. The former is embodied in Leaving Las Vegas with Nicholas Cage and the latter two because industries are built around them.

Water could someday become a serious problem, and there are those nuclear facilities in the region. A serious blackout one hot summer could prove fatal and the city is on the terrorist list of priorities.

However, on the plus side, Las Vegas has become a global city with the very best restaurants and hotels. From Zagat’s recent survey for an expensive meal: Tokyo ($70), Paris ($75), London ($80) and Las Vegas ($113.78). At one time food was gratis. Now, what is a $500 meal when you are losing $5k at craps anyway, and not enjoying it very much doing that? 

People from Hawaii stay at the California Hotel chain because food and lodging are still almost free there, so that they can lose their few thousands gambling the night and morning away, as they almost surely tend to do. In 2010 will come Boyd Gaming Corporation’s Echelon Place Resorts to enhance those contributions. (But was postponed.) Shows now cost upwards from $100. They were also once almost free. And people keep coming and spending.  Listen to Hotel California by the Eagles, which, actually, is in Baja, Mexico.

Las Vegas reminds me of religion. There is an illogical faith influencing the mind of the human. Many go there because they think they can win at gambling. All those luxurious casinos should provide a clear warning that someone is paying for them. But, like in religion, some have faith. For most, okay, so you lose a few hundred dollars. The excitement, enjoyment and cheaper food/rooms should be worth it.

Why then is this city rated #5? Las Vegas represents the city of the present and future. You can get anything there, for a price. It is the virtual sports capitol of the globe and a growing must stop for other entertainers and jet setters.

Yes, visit Sin City every so often and enjoy yourself. If you’re sensible, the buffets show good value, exhilaration palpable and pre-New Year’s celebration grand. Plus, you must believe.

My brother and most of his family love it there, but I don’t think he has bothered to place a quarter in a slot machine. That is an important key to comfortable survival. Many have moved there, especially from Hawaii. But the best place in the world? Nah.

-

Total number of visitors to this blog site:  65,889

Visitors this week                                    1,427

Number of countries                                   163

-

IS THE FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE SAFE?

I've already said a lot about the Fremont Street Experience, but walking up and down that covered street scene was about the only thing we did yesterday.

• Here is where you can get a sense and whiff of the culture of Las Vegas.

• 
  A pedestrian mall in the olde downtown known for years as Glitter Gulch, for it had the first neon signs.
• The ceiling is 90 feet high and runs for 1375 feet.
• There are three stages, and the acts are usually free.
• There is the SlotZilla zip line if that is your interest.
• Some history.
• Fremont Street had Las Vegas' first hotel (Hotel Nevada in 1906 that is today called the Golden Gate).
• 
  First telephone in 1907, paved street (1925), gaming license to the Northern Club, traffic light, elevator (Apache Hotel) in 1932 and high rise.  Can you believe this was the Fremont Hotel in 1956?  
• 
  The Horseshoe was the first casino to install carpeting, and the Golden Nugget was the first structure designed to be a casino.
• 
  However, by 1992 80% of the casino market was away on the Las Vegas Strip.
• So the downtown casinos came up with the Fremont Street Experience, operated by the downtown hotel casino companies.
• Architect Jon Jerde was paid $900,000 to create the concept.
• 
  The architect of record to design FSE was Mary Kozlowski, who grew up in Vegas and loved Fremont Street.  Interesting that I can't find a photo of her.  So that is Jerde to the right.
• She created the LED canopy light show, still the world's largest video screen.
• 
  Each bulb had four colored lights to show the full spectrum.
• The most expensive bulb cost $15 to replace.
• Expected cost was $63 million.
• 
  A five-block section of Fremont Street was closed to automobile traffic on 7 September 1994.
• 
  The light show was opened on 14 December 1995, followed by the now annual New Year's party. 
• There was a $17 million upgrade in 2004, and another $32 million renovation in 2019 made the attraction four times the resolution and seven times the brightness.
• What began as a 2.1 million bulb canopy now has 49 million energy-efficient LEDs.
• There are also now 220 speakers with 550,000 watts of amplification.
• The light and sound shows begin daily at 6 PM and continues on to 2AM on what is called the Viva Vision video screen.
• 
  In 1996 the horse-and-rider sign from the Hacienda Hotel located way north on Las Vegas Boulevard, was taken from and moved south to the east entrance of FCE when that hotel was imploded to build the Mandalay Bay Resort. The Neon Museum was added when the La Concha Motel was in 2012 converted into the Neon Museum to house the neon lights from casinos that closed.
• Also on the east end is a parking plaza for 1430 car spaces.
• 
  Neonopolis is a shopping complex located at Las Vegas Boulevard South and Fremont Street.
• Prominent casinos include Binion's, Circa, D, Four Queens, Fremont, Golden Gate and Golden Nugget.
• Casinos that closed include the Las Vegas Club, Mermaids, The Mint and half a dozen others.

Okay, but is it really safe in Downtown Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience.  Here is at least one side of the story, by the people that run FTE:

• They never quite say it is perfectly safe, and, in fact, want you to be careful and report anything to an official.
• However, they say they have a professional security force of 50 full-time officers who are there 24/7, 365 days/year.  Some are uniformed, and some are not obvious, as to the right above.
• They are on foot, in electric cars and on bicycles.
• They have 300 high-definition cameras scattered throughout.
• They work closely with the strong government police force.
• Casinos provide additional security in and around their property, plus parking areas.
• They also say most locals come to downtown rather than the strip, for shopping, bar hopping, etc.

Ladah Law says:

• There are crimes like pickpocketing and muggings, but maybe less than any large city.
• Be aware and use common sense.
• More than crime, be especially careful about slipping and falling.
• Don't walk from the Strip to Downtown, not particularly because of crime, but the usual pedestrian accident.

Anthony Curtis' LasVegasAdvisor:

• According to the FBI Crime Report, the crime rate in downtown Las Vegas is 93% HIGHER than the national average, and most of those crimes occur in the Fremont Street area.
• The first five weeks of this year in the Downtown area saw 6 homicides, 14 sex offenses, 43 aggravated assaults, 16 robberies and 125 motor-vehicle offenses, as part of a grand total of 1,012 crimes.
• Watch out for homeless people.
• Don't walk at night from Fremont down Charleston to the Arts District, 1.2 miles away.  There are seedy patches.

Travel Safe Abroad:

• Fremont is not one of the safest cities in America due to an almost 23% increase in crime.
• The chances of being a victim of crime in Fremont is 1 in 36, with robbery the most common offense.
• Whoops...that was the city Fremont, near San Francisco.  
• IGNORE THIS SECTION.

Here is my assessment.  

• Like at home, if you want to minimize danger, stay in bed and don't leave your room.  
• You can trip going to the bathroom, so be careful.  
• Similarly, in Las Vegas, stay in your room and avoid people if safety is your concern.  
• Of course you will get out to eat, drink and even gamble, but some just stay in the casino, as the proprietors would like.  
• But getting outside, like me, into the Fremont Street Experience or across the street the other way to the California Hotel is reasonably safe, if you don't mind nearly 100-degree weather in June...and into September.  FTE is cooly comfortable.  The city is cold during the winter months.
• By the way, I've never paid for travel insurance.  But that's me, not that advice to the right.
• Yet:
• I start with downtown Honolulu.  Say lunch at Marugame Udon, while watching the crowd walk by.  Safe, certainly, but every so often you see some crazies and weirdos and the homeless.  I guess that's life today.
• Walking around the Fremont Street Experience offers the same, perhaps more weirdos, crazies and the like.
• People in this attraction are more drunk, and marijuana is legal, so that smell permeates here and there.
• But the same can be said for Amsterdam, and they also have magic truffles.  But I feel safe in that city.
• New Orleans during Mardi Gras is a bit testy, but not that bad.
• FTE is like all the above.  However, I feel a bit safer on Fort Street in Honolulu than downtown Las Vegas.
• I'm at the stage of my life that I mostly stay within comfortable security and don't travel to Africa, South America, Italy, Paris and so on anymore.  Las Vegas seems safe enough for me, as the Strip is more secure than Downtown and most other sites like Summerlin and Henderson, very safe.
• Some photos of our walk yesterday, where I picked up a Subway sandwich to eat in our room:

For dinner, walked to the California Hotel to pick up some food to take back to my room.  The noodle shop was closed, and so were Aloha Cafe and the buffett.  Market Street Cafe said no takeouts.  Back to the Circa and went to Saginaw's, a delicatessen. 

The chicken would have been fine if they had not drizzled on to it a cup of brown sauce.  But okay with some Chardonnay.

Not sure about lunch today, but maybe while at the gigantic sports book room.  Tonight, Redwood Steakhouse in the California Hotel.  I need to lose the money there I still have available on a sheet of paper.  I only play video poker.   Then the next day, Friday, we return to Honolulu.

-