[eveningblooms]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

What people FAIL to understand [because they dont want to admit it] People could care less of theres an SST....but people NEED Gambling

Gambling can be done anywhere.

Even Detroit "MGM Grand Detroit" and how bout Missisippi Harrahs and MGM casinos. Check out Tunica. Along with dozens of Indian casinos nationwide. Not to forget Atlantic City. There are many economies domestic and abroad that have built lovely gambling hubs in the last 10yrs. Overseas these gambling hubs rival anythiing Vegas had to offer. You should check them out on your next vacation. If it's just gambling that made people want to come to vegas, then stateline, pahrump and mesquite would be successful.

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by Swigchow

Seattle went through something similar in the 1970's. It was basically a one industry town, Boeing. When the SST (supersonic plane) was cancelled, Boeing collapsed and Seattle went into a regional depression. It also had signs on the freeway showing "last person out please turn off the lights." Now Seattle has one of the most diversified economies and has weathered this recession better than most. Why has Detroit failed, but cities like Seattle and Pittsburgh have succeeded? This is what Las Vegas needs to emulate.

IMO, Nooooooooooooo we don't

[dynimagelv]

Originally Posted by eveningblooms

Gambling can be done anywhere.

Even Detroit "MGM Grand Detroit" and how bout Missisippi Harrahs and MGM casinos. Check out Tunica. Along with dozens of Indian casinos nationwide. Not to forget Atlantic City. There are many economies domestic and abroad that have built lovely gambling hubs in the last 10yrs. Overseas these gambling hubs rival anythiing Vegas had to offer. You should check them out on your next vacation. If it's just gambling that made people want to come to vegas, then stateline, pahrump and mesquite would be successful.

Bullcrap.....sorry son I have been to them and WORKED in them and they ALL are a pale comparison to Las Vegas and they serve ONLY to interest new people in LV...Macao being the possible exception.

[tr00th]

Wow, I didn't think this would be this big of a discussion.

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by eveningblooms

Gambling can be done anywhere.

Even Detroit "MGM Grand Detroit" and how bout Missisippi Harrahs and MGM casinos. Check out Tunica. Along with dozens of Indian casinos nationwide. Not to forget Atlantic City. There are many economies domestic and abroad that have built lovely gambling hubs in the last 10yrs. Overseas these gambling hubs rival anythiing Vegas had to offer. You should check them out on your next vacation. If it's just gambling that made people want to come to vegas, then stateline, pahrump and mesquite would be successful.

Yes, gambling can be done anywhere in the world. Even online in your own home!

But when all is said and done, the people cry "there just ain't nuttin' like Vaaagussss"

People moved to LV not just because of the gambling, but because it has so much more to offer than the lovely and lonely gambling hubs you speak of.

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by tr00th

Wow, I didn't think this would be this big of a discussion.

Doesn't take much my friend

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by unf0rgiven6262

You're not kidding. I drove through Cleavland on my cross country trip here in '09 and it was easily the most depressing looking place.

Try Waterbury, CT if you want to see depressing

Just curious unforgiven, where did you move here from if you dont mind me asking?

Louisiana was the most depressing state when I drove out here. New Orleans and Baton Rouge seemed old and run down. Baton Rouge reminded me of old Industrial Rust Belt cities of New England like Springfield, MA Hartford, CT among others

[hotpa2d2]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

Try Waterbury, CT if you want to see depressing

Just curious unforgiven, where did you move here from if you dont mind me asking?

Louisiana was the most depressing state when I drove out here. New Orleans and Baton Rouge seemed old and run down. Baton Rouge reminded me of old Industrial Rust Belt cities of New England like Springfield, MA Hartford, CT among others

Mississippi was pretty bad. Alabama too. The whole area just screamed poverty to me.

[Robustus]

Yeah, to echo a number of people's comments... I used to play poker for a living, and played lots at Foxwoods, Borgata whenever I was in NJ or NYC, and anywhere else I could find a card-room. Despite frequenting my regular rooms and making money at them, I happily took every opportunity to come to Vegas. I don't know about Macau, but Vegas is a totally different (and better!) experience than anywhere else in the country where you can gamble (and that includes AC, Tunica, Biloxi, SoCal, and all the Indian casinos). The fact that I was playing in these places regularly just made me want to come to Vegas more.

And to back up MomMom, it's funny, but I ended up moving to Vegas *after* I stopped playing poker regularly. I moved here for the climate, cheap housing, lack of state income tax, variety of outdoor activities, scenery, etc. The fact that I can always find a poker game is a plus, but I've actually only played 7 or 8 times since I've lived here.

[barney_rubble]

Detroit can succeed as a major metro area in the future. There are lots of problems with the place, but also reasons to locate or keep industry there. Whether they can boom again will depend on their ability to a) diversify industry, b) adapt to changing conditions, and c) deal with urban and political problems. The new UAW agreements seem to be a promising sign of part b.

Look, I like LV. The desert is beautiful. But the idea that a desirable major metropolitan area can exist there is IMO a little crazy. For reasons explained elsewhere in this thread, it isn't a good location for most industry. Gambling/tourism can do a lot, but that sector gets squeezed during any economic downturn, not to mention what could happen if travel costs increase. And lots of retirees will bring lots of demand for low-paying service work, plus a few better-paying healthcare jobs. You end up with the worst of S Florida. The only other economic driver I can see would be government, and to be fair Nellis will probably continue to be important.

Is the end of the world - or LV - upon us? Of course not. Doomsday predictions are almost always overhyped. LV will still be here years down the road. But I think recent rates of growth are completely unsustainable.

Originally Posted by eveningblooms

In general the only type of business that could work profitably here is a business that doesn't deal in a commodity doesn't need huge cooled warehouses and long shipping routes... (Although we did once have a marshmellow factory here, til it blew up in the pepcon explosion. )

Banking, insurance, etc... Customer service clearing houses like that would be an idea if they haven't all moved to india. It seems to me that citibank has one of these in summerlin.

Unless you're interested in a third-world standard of living, I wouldn't count on call centers for economic development.

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

What people FAIL to understand [because they dont want to admit it] People could care less of theres an SST....but people NEED Gambling

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

Bullcrap.....sorry son I have been to them and WORKED in them and they ALL are a pale comparison to Las Vegas and they serve ONLY to interest new people in LV...Macao being the possible exception.

Okay, you're basically saying that LV can succeed because there are lots of poor suckers with gambling addictions who can't quit. This is probably true.

However, I haven't seen research indicating that people are deeply addicted to the specific ambiance of Vegas. Nobody goes into a casino - addiction or not - hoping to lose a bundle. On the other hand, a plane ticket is a guaranteed and immediately absorbed loss. If fuel prices rise to a point where commercial aviation becomes significantly more expensive, I think you'll see many more gamblers forgoing the LV experience and instead patronizing more local casinos.