Why don't locals like going to the strip?

As being a Vegas local for slightly over a year and a half, I find myself going to the strip less and less. More so, since MGM is charging for parking and I would imagine even less when CET starts to charge. I personally don't mind going to the strip to walk around, maybe gamble a little bit, as I know what to expect as far as the crowds and such. The traffic on the strip is terrible but that's why I do what I can to actually avoid driving ON the strip. I'll cross over it to get to parking behind the Linq or at Bally's/Paris. Otherwise, I'm parking at the TI since its right off of Spring Mt. I used to park at The Mirage until they started to charge for parking.

A bunch of people have mentioned that most locals gamble off strip because of better odds and rewards. I do go to Red Rock on just about every weekend as its 5 mins from where I live. Better odds? maybe/maybe not. Your mileage may vary. Red Rock does have some pretty good rewards though. Anyway, that's my two cents on the subject...

 

Odds are easy to figure out, as long as it's not a slot machine.

 

I've lived in a few big cities and can relate. Some of the Vegas locals I know enjoy the strip, but I would bet the majority (like any tourist trap) would rather stay away from the congestion (save a few) and those that do, go primarily for their work or entertainment.
I have come to enjoy Chicago's many aspects as I've weathered, not so much in my youth except the lakefront.
However, I don't drive in the city like I wouldn't drive down the strip in congested traffic.

 

Maybe late for the party here....but I live in Hawaii and I cannot remember the last time I've been to Waikiki. Waikiki (IMHO) is meant for the tourists. Why do I not go there? For one, it's expensive, you have to pay an exorbitant amount for parking in the hotel lots.....just to name a few. So I can understand why locals don't venture to the Strip.

 

Being a huge fan of both Vegas and the islands ... Waikiki sucks way more than the Strip.

 

I don't like to go to Waikiki either. Last time I went there was in January. I'm an electrician and we had to finish wiring up Yauacha, a high end expensive eatery in the new International Market Place Food Court. Dim Sum that costs as much as filling your car up with gas, lol!!

Other than that, I don't go to Waikiki.

 

The Las Vegas strip of Hawaii is no doubt Waikiki. I used to work as a waiter for a now gone Japanese restaurant called Kobe Fugetsudo in the Hawaiian Regent hotel now called Waikiki Marriot (I believe). Just like how the Las Vegas strip has that certain buzz or excitement Waikiki has that same sort of feeling to it to a lesser extent. I used to enjoy people watching, especially at night when the prostitutes would appear with their flashy mini skirts, high heels, and cheap perfume. Waikiki has some highest quality girls without a doubt that would match up amongst the best of them working girls on the Las Vegas strip. Like this youtube video in Waikiki of this blonde. Seemingly endless supply of hotties (lol). Watch as this Samoan guy in a yellow t-shirt picks up this blonde. At the end I'm presuming they hail a cab to take them to either her or his room. Usually she will have a rented room, from what my friend tells me (ha-ha).

VIDEO REMOVED

 

I should explain a bit more. For all the commercial/tourist crap that backs Waikiki, it remains a stunning setting and sight, and on the visual scale rockets past the Strip. But in the context of a Vegas getaway or a Hawaii getaway, the Strip is Vegas. Honolulu (and Oahu) gets the population nod out in the mid-Pacific, but for us neither is what constitutes a Hawaii getaway, hence my statement.

 

To be honest, I feel less "at home" in Waikiki vs The Strip.....if that makes any sense at all.

 

We are thinking about doing the same. In PA now.... hate the cold.... and love Las Vegas!

 

Just from my own personal experience, The Strip IS Vegas. The rest is what you can get pretty much anywhere else in the USA, since gambling is no longer considered a vice in America.

When it comes to Hawaii, Maui is where it's at if you want a true Hawaiian vacation experience with beautiful scenery, bicycle rides through the countryside, snorkling with dolphins and sea turtles, rainforest hikes, and more. Honolulu is like Newark, NJ with palm trees. Complete with the aggressive homeless people.

 

Kauai.

 

On our recent trip I did random surveys with locals. 100% answered: They stay away except for food or guests in town.

 

downtown phoenix is super bleehh for me..but my cousin love it.... and i live in phoenix

 

I'd rather be drinking in Cave Creek!

 

Very aggressive. With a feeling of entitlement. It's getting out of hand here. And Waikiki reminds me of the Fremont St. Canopy. Minus the circles.

 

Met up with a friend (30 year local in Henderson) while in V and they insisted meeting DT (same reasoning)

 

Locals in Las Vegas are probably just like locals in any major city: they have probably seen and done The Strip many times over already and it just doesn't hold much interest for them any more.

Where I live there are a few attractions of which I could say "Millions of people come here every year to see that..." but I've probably been there more than 50 times in my life and don't really have much interest in going back - not because its a bad attraction, but because I've seen it so many times already and know it will always be there if I want to see it again that it doesn't seem special to me like it would to somebody visiting this city.

 

I was at the Pub at MC (before it closed). A couple at the bar asked the bartender how to get to Wynn. The bartender had NO idea and was even starting to give them wrong directions. I gave them all directions, then I asked the bartender how long he had lived in Las Vegas. He said 12 years.

 

Great thread!

I have lived in Vegas for 15+ years now. Before then, I loved vacationing here and loved the strip. I spent three New Years' on the strip and enjoyed freezing my butt off with a nice buzz on smooshed together with a couple hundred thousand other revelers. Since moving here, not once. LOL. I tell people that moving to Las Vegas is like going to Disneyland everyday. It loses its luster very quickly. As a tourist we don't care about the negative side of where we visit. Seeing the negative everyday gets old. Even when family and friends are in town, it is a pain in the butt to go visit them.

I liked playing in poker tournaments at the strip poker rooms, but now that they are charging for parking? No F'n way! Speaking of parking, it is just a matter of time when every parking stall on and near the strip will be charged. On the local news here yesterday they were giddy about telling us locals where we can still park for free. I am sure these locations (Venetian/Palazzo, SLS, Fashion Show Mall, Tropicana, Hooters, etc...) will not be as giddy as there garages fill up with folks walking to other properties.

One tip I give other locals is to consider parking at their local park and ride lot and take the express bus to downtown or the strip. Two bucks each way seems much more reasonable now rather than paying for parking. It is not as convenient as the buses usually only run once and hour and stop around midnight, but it is a good option. These express buses also run to the airport which is much cheaper than paying for parking at LAS. Now that UBER and Lyft have inundated the valley with cheap rides, we have another choice. Last night I took Uber from a dive bar three miles away and the charge was $5.15. LMAO!

Some of the other locations mentioned in this thread... Solvang. I spent a couple of nights there on a road trip and enjoyed what they had to offer. I am sure they have more to offer since then, about ten years ago. If I lived near there, I think I would visit there regularly. New Orleans. I spent four nights there about a year ago and have no desire to return. As mom said, if you don't have anything nice to say...LOL. Waikiki. I LOVE Hawaii. My favorite Island is Kauai but when I am on Oahu, I do like the tourist trap that is Waikiki. I enjoy bar hopping there and people watching. I can see the similarity of the resort corridor and the Las Vegas strip. Chicago. I enjoyed doing the tourist stuff, but can't imagine living anywhere near there. Weather, crime, etc... No thank you. Times Square. What a mad house. I stayed near Broadway and took in as much of Manhattan as I could. I don't know what the appeal, other than NYE, there is to visiting Times Square. I guess you might get to see George Suffleuffagus outside the GMA studio? Orlando/Kissimmee. Another great tourist area to visit, but live there and try to go to those tourist locations? Sounds a lot like living in Vegas and avoiding the strip. And there, it isn't a dry heat! Oye!