Topic Of The Week: 7/26/10: I Long for those Good Old Days!

[rifledude]

Originally Posted by legalois My all-time favorite place to stay and play was the Stardust. Yeah, it was old. Yeah, it smelled, too. But it was a good smell. It smelled like you expected a casino to smell. They always had great lounge acts and the lounge was located so that if you didn't drink, or didn't want to pay for one, there were plenty of machines within seeing/hearing distance. I enjoyed staying at that end of the strip, with the Riviera, Westward Ho, Silver City and Slots-a-Fun close nearby. Silver City was a nice little casino - smoke free, which I appreciated since smoke does a number on me most of the time. You could play roulette with 25 cent chips and there were $1 craps and BJ that was perfect for beginners, or those who didn't have, or want to lose, much money. Loved the fact that you could get a buffet breakfast for $1.99, which was cheap even back in 1980. Even though they were snooty, I even liked Caesar's Palace until it got so big you need a road map or trail of breadcrumbs to find your way around. I guess what I really miss is the sleaze factor. That dollar blackjack used to have me hooked for days on end. Come night time I'd head back to the Ho where we were staying and play blackjack till the roosters crowed. The wife loved those nickle 3-reelers at Slots A Fun. We still go back to that place every once in a while when we are in Vegas. I like the pigeons that fly around your head while you're playing 2 dollar craps.

[IPSWICH]

Well, I've read everyone's post so far. My husband and I went to Vegas for the 1st time in 1989. We stayed at La Mirage. Couldn't find it at first, but drove down the strip and saw The Mirage which was I think still under construction. We were puzzled, and realized that we were on the wrong street. Finally we found it and had a wonderful time. I miss the Stardust which was my favorite and the Flamingo Hilton. At the Stardust the coin girls would tell you which machines were hot, and 99% of the time they were right. The Flamingo Hilton was a great place to stay in the early to mid 90's. Now, not so much. I do like the looks and the decor of the newer casinos. But, I miss the older ones and the coins tumbling in the tray. Oh well, everything changes as time goes on, and we all must adjust and make the best of it.

[Cousin Eddie]

A repeat of what others have said, but I miss: 1. Hitting the late night/early morning food specials-the $1.99 steak & egg, the 99 cent jumbo shrimp cocktail, etc. Having a handy guide book that listed all these specials so you could plan your night accordingly. 2. The quality lounge acts you could see for the costs of a few drinks. I remember seeing a fiddle player name Doug Kershaw in some lounge one night, and then seeing him performing at the Super Bowl halftime show a year later. 3. Pit bosses that gave comps based upon their inclinations, not what a computer told them. 4. Going to casinos and seeing the same dealers that you remembered from you previous trip 5 years earlier. 5. When a $20 tip would get you & your guest moved to the front row of the house show. I remember seeing George Carlin and was looking up at him from the front row.

[REEMAN]

A few things I miss: People dressing nicer- not necessarily formally, but nicer thank tank tops. Cigar/cigarette ladies that actually give them out for free (I do not smoke, but I cannot get enough of hearing "cigarrrrrrs, cigarettes") Friendly workers at ALL of the hotels. I think this has faded due to the corporate mergers. I feel at times that I am treated as a number instead of a guest. I miss the old hotels- Dunes, Sands, Stardust, etc. I am not saying they shouldn't have torn them down (except the Stardust), but I just miss them. Even with all of the above, I still LOVE Vegas and will continue to visit a few times per year. It is my favorite city in the world!

[Vengeance]

I used to like the Sahara Buffet, but they don't have it anymore. Thats the only one wher they would actually let you sleep in the booth along the wall near the front of it. The benches weer pretty comfertable. The only thing I didnt like about ti was you had to walk so far to get to it. How come they always put the bathroom so far away from the beuffet. If I wanted to hike, I'd go to the gym

[pennyslots717]

Carrot Top has a routine about that- to the tune of "I would walk a hundred Miles"!

[harold]

"Old" Vegas for me is 2002, not that old, but that's when I turned 21 and first started going several times a year. Even from that short of a time ago, there are things I miss, so that's saying a lot. For me, the biggest issue is changing from smaller, themed casinos/hotels to mega monstrosities with no vibe. Not to bite the hand that feeds my family, but City Center could not be more of the antithesis of what I want in Vegas. City Center, Wynn, Encore, Palazzo and Planet Hollywood could all be swallowed up by the desert and I could care less. They are just giant, boring structures full of expensive stores with nothing to offer. Planet Hollywood looks like a strip club inside now. The Ultra lounges are ultra stupid in my book. Everyone else in my age range seems to think they are just awesome. Horrid. No appeal what so ever. When my friends and I go out, we want to go somewhere that we may be able to actually TALK to each other, not go deaf from pounding club music. And NO, I don't want to buy a bottle of booze for $1,000.00 just because you call it 'bottle service.' What I do like, is the much nicer rooms you can find now. Same with food. While the prices have gone up, a lot of the quality of food and rooms has as well. I'll spend a huge portion of my budget on food. I spend more time planning what I'll eat in Vegas, than anything else. My biggest fear is that Vegas will just become way too commercial. It already feels like a giant mall. I just hope they can keep some of the better, free attractions, like the fountains.

[Jringo]

I want the Mob back they knew how to at least make you feel like you got value for your cash even when You lost it all. You could find yourself in the midst of the rat pack at 2am in the casino lounge after a show. now the "bottom line" bean counters just want to clean your wallet and not care if you feel like you got your monies worth. You walk into am casino and your "suspicious" to the employees. Used to be if you made the pit boss laugh he'd comp you like it was Christmas. now you it seems like you need 3 forms of ID and a polygraph to get anything. Now a days Your lucky if You can get 42 rows back from Your favorite "Star" at $129.95 a ticket. But than the World has changed, Vegas is just following the new standards.

[BobK]

For me, first visit in 1989: $1 BLACKJACK at Binion's The old Pioneer club in downtown - low limits and plenty-o-cocktail waitresses. The Donnybrook buffet at OShea's ($2.99 b'fast) for starters.