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...in an otherwise great city?!?! I'll grant you that the Vegas Strip can be considered one big tourist trap. But the rest of the city is pretty miserable, at least as far as large cities go. The only reason people travel to Vegas is for the Strip/gambling. And while I recognize there are some casinos that are not technically "on the Strip", I don't think you can really separate the Strip from the rest of the city's gambling industry. They are one and the same.
My conclusion (and his) is that people always think the "touristy" sections of their cities are horrible and not realistic and so much worse than the "authentic" parts of their cities, but I think that's wrong. I think the reality is that people become jaded to what their city's image is in the eyes of visitors because they spend so much time there and appreciate so much more than just the touristy area. And yes, the touristy areas have tourist traps and souvenir shops galore selling chochkas and souvenirs and that is very "tacky" to the people who live there, but for tourists, it's part of the experience of that city, and often it's their introduction.
In NYC, the "touristy" area is essentially Times Square (a few others but that's the most maligned one as being a "tourist trap"). I hear people mocking the tourists for going there and so on and so forth. But it does represent NY, especially in the eyes of visitors. It is a good way for them to immerse themselves into the city and from there, move on to a finer appreciation for the city. I think all visitors to NY SHOULD go to Times Square, but I never go there.
The problem with Times Square is that there is little to nothing there that you couldn't see in any other city or at Disneyland. Lot's of chain restuarants and franchised business', like one giant lit up outdoor suburban strip mall. Why travel thousands of miles to see a Hard Rock Cafe or Toys R Us? If they did away with all the neon flashing lights it would be fairly ordinary. I think the developers could have made better use of this real estate and introduced stores or restaurants that are exclusive to NYC, rather than renting out space to so many franchises. But that's what Times Square represents now, consumerism, marketing and corporate greed.
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