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Vegas is a manufactured tourist destination whereas NOLA is a charming cultural city that uses it's history. Tell us what would Vegas be if there were no casinos? Atlantic City!
No. AC has an ocean, and also it has casinos. LV without the casinos would be like Phoenix.
If the question were "Which is the better party city," then I'd go with Vegas. As an overall tourist destination, I think NOLA is heads and shoulders above Las Vegas.
NOLA's major weakness (if you want to call it that) vis-a-vis Vegas is the absence of a 24/7 party scene. Vegas is in club mode all of the time. If you want a vacation where you're going to be in a Hip Hop/EDM-fueled environment 97.5% of the time, then Vegas would probably be a better destination.
Vegas is very commercial, but that's what I like about it. Its new, shiny, and puts a huge focus on catering to it's tourists.
Vegas is sort of like a cruise ship experience on steroids in the middle of a desert. Just add in a younger, sexier crowd (at select venues anyway). If you're not fist-pumping away at the Hard Rock, or getting bottle service at XS, then you're stuffing your mouth at a buffet. I guess you could also walk the Strip where you're bombarded with call girl solicitations. There are decent restaurants but it's not a city many would visit for its restaurant scene specifically.
I'm a huge fan of the Vegas nightlife experience but Vegas can be an utter drag during the day. There's shopping but most people could do that back home, particularly if they're coming from a city with superior shopping options (NYC, Chicago, LA, etc.). There are only so many hands of Blackjack I can play before I have to quit (out of boredom or to stop the bleeding). And I can only sit at a buffet eating subpar crab legs for so long.
Another downside to Vegas is that there's generally no way around spending money. The whole city is designed to suck as much money out of you as possible. It's a 100% pay-to-play city. In New Orleans, a good time usually only sets me back the costs of a few shots.
There is really no point in going to Vegas if you are not going to casinos or clubs (many of which are in casinos).
Last edited by BajanYankee; 06-11-2015 at 09:28 AM..
There is really no point in going to Vegas if you are not going to casinos or clubs (many of which are in casinos).
I don't really do either but have always had a great time in Vegas when I've gone. I've always found plenty to see and do during the day outside of Casino's. I much prefer New Orleans overall and am pretty sick of Vegas and the only reason I've been there the past few years, including this upcoming July, is for bachelor parties. It's still a fun city to visit but I really wish some of my friends would pick something slightly less cliche lol.
I don't really do either but have always had a great time in Vegas when I've gone. I've always found plenty to see and do during the day outside of Casino's. I much prefer New Orleans overall and am pretty sick of Vegas and the only reason I've been there the past few years, including this upcoming July, is for bachelor parties. It's still a fun city to visit but I really wish some of my friends would pick something slightly less cliche lol.
I feel like daytime in Vegas is just killing time until the big clubs ramp up again. We may go to a pool party and then play a few hands of poker. Maybe go to a buffet. But all in all, there's not much in the way of options that are not purely entertainment-oriented. If we didn't go to clubs, I'm not sure why we'd ever go to Vegas.
Some people say Downtown Vegas is worth checking out. There's certainly a lot of history worth learning about there. But the historical aspect of Downtown is not a major tourist draw relative to the Strip and there's not enough to see to keep you occupied for a whole day, imo.
I feel like daytime in Vegas is just killing time until the big clubs ramp up again. We may go to a pool party and then play a few hands of poker. Maybe go to a buffet. But all in all, there's not much in the way of options that are not purely entertainment-oriented. If we didn't go to clubs, I'm not sure why we'd ever go to Vegas.
Some people say Downtown Vegas is worth checking out. There's certainly a lot of history worth learning about there. But the historical aspect of Downtown is not a major tourist draw relative to the Strip and there's not enough to see to keep you occupied for a whole day, imo.
I've just mostly walked up and down the strip checking out all the different places and sites, grabbing drinks and food along the way. Really not that different from what I've done in NO during the day just in a manufactured, cheesy, more commercialized setting.
If the question were "Which is the better party city," then I'd go with Vegas. As an overall tourist destination, I think NOLA is heads and shoulders above Las Vegas.
NOLA's major weakness (if you want to call it that) vis-a-vis Vegas is the absence of a 24/7 party scene. Vegas is in club mode all of the time. If you want a vacation where you're going to be in a Hip Hop/EDM-fueled environment 97.5% of the time, then Vegas would probably be a better destination.
That sounds awful!
NOLA is definitely a 24/7 party place. The first time I ever went there, I arrived at 4AM and was swiftly taken to a packed bar around the corner. Wanted to hit another spot, so we filled up the plastic cups at the door and hit another bar (which offered a free beer with every AA chip, haha). Etc., pretty much every night I've spent there (and I've never once hit up Mardi Gras or the popular times to visit). You can drink 24/7 and you can walk around with your drinks, which is rare in this country. I find that more conducive to fun than some lame casino bar or overpriced Ugly American schlock club spot, zzzz.....but different strokes!
I've just mostly walked up and down the strip checking out all the different places and sites, grabbing drinks and food along the way. Really not that different from what I've done in NO during the day just in a manufactured, cheesy, more commercialized setting.
That wouldn't be that different from what you'd do in London or Barcelona either.
I suppose the difference is that most of the sites in Vegas are famous hotels rather than parks, cemeteries, churches, museums, etc.
Or cheesed-out hotels that look like spots that are actually famous in different locales
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