Next stop, Vegas please
Here's a few of my recent recollections...
Chandelier Alert!
Kudos to Cartier in Crystals Shopping Center in the new City Place Complex. A precision hung mini chandelier display creates a bigger sum of its parts mega chandelier smack dab in the center of the showroom whilst mannequin-esque shopgals and shopguys wait for a customer.
Best Use of light for Effect
Changing color orb chandelier in Planet Hollywood was mesmerizing. PH gets stars for its creative use of morphing light colors amidst textural shades and column elements in its casino.
Stairway hourglass chandeliers puddle with crystals onto glossy marble floors...mmm
Fashion Police, Puh-leeeze!!
Warm weather brings out the best of the worst in Vegas attire. Could ALL of these people have run out of the same burning building? That they chose to pack this stuff as an ensemble is sobering.
Favorite Dive Motel
The Barker in North Las Vegas is worth a drive by, on so many levels. Check it out. And they have the audacity/spunk to advertise both a Fantasy Suite and Honeymoon Suite next to the Beware of the Dogs sign. Oh yeah.
New Favorite Fancy Bar
The Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental. The 23rd floor view with floor to ceiling windows on the strip is worth the price of a cocktail. Check out the shadow play of the bottles against the backlit scrim of the cocktail mixing room beside the bar. The mini height bar and stools around the back of the bar to service smaller guests is a bit too much, though. PC run amok.
Favorite Dive Bar(s)
Toss up between the fire pit at the Peppermill Lounge and necking first daters on the red leatherette and the creepy cool dark Artisan Hotel bar with its fantastic Midsummer Night cocktail. Both well worth the detour!
Best New Architecture
The World Market Center is a masterpiece of photo ops up close with crisp clean angles looking up to the big Vegas sky. The kooky Frank Gehry designed Brain Center across the street, defies its purpose, but is a stunner. Eager to see the inside when it's done.
Favorite Local Employee
Has to be the happy stumble bum donning the Statue of Liberty suit with matching foam crown in North Las Vegas on the Strip with the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign for Liberty Tax services.
Just says it all.
