By Rachael Mintz
Photo by Makena Markman
Not only is the weather changing in Las Vegas, but so is the city. Many changes will be coming to Las Vegas, both on and off of the strip in 2014.
The newest addition to The Strip skyline is the 550-foot-tall High Roller, the largest observation wheel on the strip at the LINQ. The wheel is located between the Quad and the Flamingo on the west side of The Strip and is expected to open this spring. The LINQ is not just all about the High Roller though; surrounding the wheel is a new shopping, dining and an entertainment district to enjoy.
Other changes to The Strip include New York New York adding a shopping area to resemble Central Park. After all New York is not complete without it’s most famous outdoor attraction. Central Park will wind its way into the Monte Carlo next door and house a two story Hershey’s Chocolate World. The park will also have a New York original, Shake Shack. This burger, hot dog, and frozen custard stand is set to open in late 2014.
Treasure Island, Bally’s, and the Tropicana will also be adding shopping districts to their hotels. Their new shopping area anchored by a CVS Pharmacy will replace Treasure Island’s pirate show that was offered nightly to those walking The Strip.
Tropicana will be utilizing the area in front of their hotel as a three-story shopping complex that will be inspired by South Beach. The Tropicana is expected to invest $100 million in the mall alone after just newly renovating the hotel. The construction will being in early 2014 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
Bally’s will be going for a more aesthetic look for their shops. The Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally’s will house over 150 boutiques and restaurants in an open-air market under a sea of multicolored rooftops and is set to open in late 2014.
The Cromwell, home to the new Drai’s nightclub and Giada’s, an Italian restaurant featuring TV personality Giada De Laurentiis, with great strip views, is set to open May 21. The boutique style resort will feature a rooftop pool next to the Drai’s two-story day-nightclub. The Cromwell has already begun taking reservations for their big debut right in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Also opening on The Strip before a major weekend is the newly renovated Sahara, which will now be known as SLS. The SLS will be straying away from their Arabian-themed roots and going modern with their renovations. The 1,600-room resort is set to open right before Labor Day.
Not only will all of these new shopping districts be added to the strip, but a $390 million, 863,000 square foot arena has been proposed for downtown Las Vegas set to open in 2016. The city is looking for either an NBA or an NHL to make the new arena it’s home that will also be used as a concert venue.
Moving away from The Strip, following behind Wet N’ Wild’s opening last May, Cowabunga Bay will be opening in Henderson on May 24, right before Memorial day weekend and just in time for the summer heat. Cowabunga Bay will be located on Galleria Drive west of the 95. Season passes are already being sold and range from $60 to $150.
With all of this new entertainment coming to the city, “there is nothing to do in Vegas” will become an obsolete phrase.
