CityCenter Las Vegas

The CityCenter development in Las Vegas is HUGE. They say you'll either love it or hate it but I still can't decide.

CityCenter is very grey and the contemporary architecture is very different from the rest of the Strip, but it is sexy. The public art like this eraser by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen (I hope) and Henry Moore's 'Mother and Child" are nice additions. Right between Bellagio and Monte Carlo on the Strip, the location is excellent. Hoards were pouring into Crystals, the mega-mall (correction: "Retail & Entertainment District"). The Mandarin Oriental was having a grand opening celebration which prevented me from snooping.

Pedestrians are justifiably outraged by the design, which forces them to walk the equivalent of three city blocks (complete with huge flight of stairs) to keep their driveway free of human obstructions. Perhaps when construction is completed, they'll implement a better solution.

I admit to loving the molto fabuloso Las Vegas and Caesar's Palace is still my favorite hotel here (best shower ever). So when Vegas goes all urban sophisticate, it feels inappropriate. If CityCenter were in NYC, the piazza-like space would be for people, not cars and there would be a lot more plants to mitigate the grey.

Steve Marcus took way better photos than I did for the Las Vegas Sun, click here for his Slideshow.


Popular posts from this blog

Mother-Daughter Spa Getaway to Langdon Hall

Image
Hard to believe it was two years ago that I took my Mom on a Spa Getaway to celebrate her birthday (February 15-17, 2018). We drove about 90 minutes from her home to Langdon Hall Country House Hotel (a Relais & Chateaux property) in Cambridge, Ontario. It's also about 90 minutes from Toronto and an hour from Niagara Falls. We went for the spa facilities and the gourmet dining . We had delicious cocktails at Wilks Bar .  In summer, they have beautiful gardens and wooden trails, as well as an outdoor pool and croquet lawn. Here are My Photos .  Mom says: My first time in a feather bed - no, not a feather pillow or feather comforter, but the entire bed!  Sleeping on a soft dreamy cloud must be discussed more frequently as an antidote to ordinary life doldrums.  Of course it enhances sleep to the nth degree, but what about the imaginative realm reaching up to the heavens?  I am not kidding when I say Nothing in my life has compared to it, and if that realiz...
Read more

How to move across the Atlantic (Cunard Crossing on Queen Victoria)

Image
Our embarkation photo with my giraffe table in hand In 2015, my husband asked if I’d be willing to relocate from NYC to London. Always up for an adventure, I eagerly agreed. I had the perfect solution to the logistical challenges of relocating to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean: a cruise, of course! He was incredulous too but hear me out. The cruise fare for a Trans-Atlantic crossing isn’t much more expensive than a one-way air ticket but it includes a week of meals and relaxing activities (which you def need after organizing a such a big transition). Plus, you can bring as much luggage as you want without extra charge. There are no size or weight restrictions either. Usually, people ship their stuff via a container ship but sea freight isn't cheap and takes months for delivery; so you must do without your belongings for an extended period. I showed up at the Manhattan Cruise Teminal Pier 90 with 2 carloads of boxes and suitcases feeling like Elizabeth Taylor. We even had a...
Read more

Regent Cruises, Seven Seas Explorer Ship Review

Image
Regent is my favorite cruise line, and I was finally able to inspect the Seven Seas Explorer while she was docked in Bilbao on May 27, 2019. Launched in 2016 for 750 passengers, this all-balcony-suite ship lives up to the hype (“The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built”). She is gorgeous. The chandeliers, the in-laid marble floor, the zebra carpet... The Culinary Arts Kitchen offers 18 individual cooking stations for hands-on cooking classes at sea. Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Enrichment, Kathryn Kelly designed the curriculum of classes with a destination-focus, catering to all skill levels. Above is the Compass Rose Restaurant, the main dining room with open seating. Preciosa designed the stunning lighting: "The Sea was design inspiration for the aquamarine lighting installation in Compass Rose. Bohemian hand blown crystal glass droplets in combination with fused glass with chips creates together wavy and organic object, that evokes impression like you a...
Read more