Downtown Things I Miss....

Discussion about the revamping of the Lady Luck made me sort of nostalgic about some of the things I'll miss when it re-opens.

Feel free to share your Downtown Las Vegas memories here.

Lady Luck

1. The "Mr. Mad Money" key chains



You'd get these freebies with a coupon for a number of years. They were always great for keys that you'd lend someone temporarly. These tacky jewels would always get returned!

2. The crap table.

I can't remember a time when I ever saw five dice in the bowl that were the same color! They'd, no doubt, retire one die at a time until all five dice were different colors!

And the crew! A mix of wizened veterans on their last gig and green break-in dealers. And the players were likely to get their hands slapped by the stickman for a wisecrack. Always an entertaining experience.

3. The bus fumes.

There were always two or three busses outside with their motors running. I never could figure out where the people from those junkets came from or who they were, but constatnt diesel fumes were a fixture at the Lady Luck.

4. The Win-A-DeLorean slots.

I never play the slots, but I fed countless quarters into that bank of slots trying to win that DeLorean in the early 80's. I'd gladly go Back to the Future for another shot at it.

 

One place now downtown has a Chip Foose Mustang, was there in feb 2011, and still there in apr 2012, only with a few more dents n scratches on it. I still wonder how long before someone finally wins that thing. My brother stuck a $20 in and hit $275 or so on it, not bad for starting out with a $20.

 

All the casino policies are different, but I know MSS used to have the car giveaway slots. There is no cash option. If you win, you have to have it gone in ~14 days.

 

As a fan of BACK TO THE FUTURE, I find it hilarious that there was a car giveaway at one time at Lady Luck featuring a Delorean. Classic.

I didn't start going to Vegas until 2004, but I remember walking into Lady Luck and playing roulette where the chips were... dimes. Yes, 10 cents per chip!

I remember getting the cheesiest of all sign-up bonuses for their Players Club... a Lady Luck trucker hat. (This would be a baseball cap with the Lady Luck logo, but trucker-hat style with the cheesy mesh on top.) I also got a Lady Luck coffee mug for earning something like 10 points (still have that).

Oh, and the ACG coupon years ago that was "beer and a hot dog for $1." Heh.

Good times.

I hope the new Lady Luck replacement-- the Downtown Grand-- rebrands itself and keeps the low-rolling tradition alive. I also hope it doesn't charge an evil resort fee. I remember when there were NO resort fees at all to speak of... and for a while, downtown avoided them, too, until Gold Spike suddenly started charging one, and now The Plaza. Needless to say, I am avoiding staying at both of those properties.

 

Oh. I almost forgot:

Lady Luck

5. Pitty Pay in their lounge.

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I miss hidden coffee shops and restaurants in basements and second levels. Quiet places with cheap food, cranky servers and kooky customers at all hours.

 

I personally miss the "old" Binion's. A casino full of single deck blackjack tables where a blackjack paid 3:2. Most of the dealers and pit remembering you from your previous trip. A bellman who knew your first name. Standing in line for the $1.99 steak special starting at 11:00 p.m. Ah, the good old days and glad I was able to experience them.

 

Yeah I have read many many times how Bennys daughter completely ruined the place after she took over.

 

The Pioneer. Mainly the Craps table that was almost out on the sidewalk of Fremont St. Great old school place to play in the shadow of Vegas Vic.

 

Yes the Pioneer! Had those big can of beers. You had to get them yourself by reaching into a ice cold metal container that were used for give horses water. The coldest ones were always at the bottom. Also, across the street they gave out white gloves. Pictures of u standing in front of the Horseshoe with the million dollars at Binnion's.

 

Binion’s Horseshoe

1. Craps

Old man Binion used to let the players bet from 50 cents to $10,000.00 at every table, all day long, and the just didn’t care!

I remember shooting craps there one time during the WSOP when T.J. Cloutier was betting $5,000.00 on the pass line and another player was betting 50 cents with 75 cent place bets on the 6 & 8. And they had 8 tables that were jamb-up all the time with never less than 4 crowded with action at 5:00AM on any day.

2. The Coffee Shop downstairs.

Home of the “Benny Binion’s Natural” breakfast, cheap prime rib and great chili. What was your favorite in this place that everybody loved?

Benny would sit in a booth there and conduct business (there was a telepone behind the seat) and greet wellwishers.

3. The Sombrereo Room

Great Mexican food in a quiet oasis.

4. The $1,000,000.00 free photo

I still have a few of these photos featuring me as a substantially younger man. That Becky could sell the 100 $10,000.00 bills was a tragedy. The new display is a joke. Just a pile of paper. Nobody cares.

The Pioneer

1. Ditto on the craps table by the street.

2. Vegas Vic.

When his arm used to move and you'd hear "Howdy, Pardner! Welcome to Las Vegas!" as regular intervals.

 

Scary, in a couple of years new gamblers will be arriving to downtown who were born after the canopy was built.

 

Not to stray too far off topic, but all the Binion talk reminds me- did anyone ever buy Teddys house? I have often wondered, I know it sat vacant for awhile

 

Ah the Lady Luck. I miss the leaky ceilings.
I miss the tent like showroom that had cheezy shows for cheap.
I miss the swimming pool hidden away out back that took until my third stay to even realize existed. If I remember right, you had to cross a roof top, and go down ladder type stairs to get to it from the hotel. They had a wedding chapel out there that I always got a good laugh out of. I think your marriage is doomed if you have to resort to a wedding there.
I miss playing craps and roulette there, betting dimes. I miss the security people that would walk you back from the canopy to the hotel to make sure you were safe.
Heck, I even miss the timeshare hawkers that you had to go past to get to your room. I think they were the first timeshare people downtown.
I DONT miss the horrible steak special they had. I swear to god you could not chew it. Worst piece of meat I have ever eaten.

I have no illusions that any of this will exist when it reopens, except maybe the timeshare. It will still be nice to have a new place to go downtown.

 

Four Queens.

I think it is a 2009.

 

Honestly I am a little shocked that nobody has mentioned the original .99 shrimp cocktails at the Golden Gate.

I personally miss the Center Stage restaurant. On my first couple of visits my grandpa used to take us there to eat one evening, and he would request a window table so we could watch the FSE show. I know there still is a restaurant there, but just not the same as my first couple of trips to Vegas with him before he passed away.

 

2. The Coffee Shop downstairs.

Home of the “Benny Binion’s Natural” breakfast, cheap prime rib and great chili. What was your favorite in this place that everybody loved?

Benny would sit in a booth there and conduct business (there was a telepone behind the seat) and greet wellwishers.

"The Natural" was the best breakfast. The ham steak was as big as the plate! Even after they changed the place and it wasn't on the menu, I still would order "The Natural" and the waitresses would know what I wanted. They would smile and say, "You have been coming here for a long time".
The place was always crowded. Why change that? Oh, that's right. They would rather you were in the casino these days. Sad.
Good luck.

 

When they used to roll that big ass TV out in the middle of Fremont and set up some chairs to watch the Superbowl.

TFK

 

The first time I was there, a friend asked if there were many vegetables in the chili. The waitress said "No, but there's about an inch of grease on it", demonstrating with her fingers. Never forgot that.

 

Man, reading some of your stories almost gets me teary-eyed. I remember playing at Binion's back in the 70s, playing 25 cent craps with somebody playing $100 chips right next to me, and everybody having a great time. Downtown was a cool place, and you felt safe just walking around.

Of course, I'm one of those ridiculous old farts who misses the coin slots, and having some silver dollars in my pockets. Silver dollars were just too cool.

Here's an old downtown story for you:

I miss some of the little hole-in-the-wall joints downtown. They were great fun. I remember walking past one late one night, a tiny little smoke-filled dump. This horrible, witch-looking old hag was standing in the door trying to coax people in. Holy smokes, she was a sight. Heavy makeup, long black hair, cigarette drooping from her mouth. She looked like a 90 year old junkie. "Heya, honey! Go put some money in that machine over there, it's hot tonight!!" she grunted at me, grinning through filthy smoke-stained teeth and pointing at a dollar machine a few feet away.

I had a few silver dollars in my pocket, so I just smiled like an idiot and walked in and over to the machine. She smiled, thinking she had nailed a sucker. I put a silver dollar in the machine, pulled the lever, and stood there watching 50 silver dollars clatter noisily down into the tray. I calmly put them into my pockets, turned around and strolled out, nodding politely and saying "thank you" as I passed the old hag, whose face had an expression of pure, seething hatred. I'll never forget it.

But I loved the old downtown. You could almost SMELL the history, the authenticity, the "realness" of the experience and the gut level thrill of just being there.

All gone.