Glitter Gulch

A return to old school Vegas: Fremont Street

April 24, 2008

By Leah Bailly
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

There is a revival occurring in Vegas, a return to Glitter Gulch. Local hipsters refer to it as the renaissance of the "neon neighborhood," the real Vegas, downtown Vegas. We all know Las Vegas Boulevard for its cavernous hotels and theme park casinos humming under fake cerulean skies. Sure, there's that flashy upscale-for-everyone culture on the Strip, with its roller coasters, circus acts and celebrity chefs, but locals agree that the overpriced nightclubs and faux gourmet meals on the Strip soon wear thin.

True Vegas aficionados tend towards the classic joints, the older downtown joints with history and charm, so you may run into your landlord's wife breathing into an oxygen machine, dropping dollars into a dodgy Keno game. At least you know that the casinos on Fremont have seen real winners and losers, have weathered the mob days, the Elvis days, the dirty 1980s and even the megopolis resorts of the new millennium. The old neon signs, the classic carpet joints. Old Fremont Street, now known as the "Fremont Street Experience," remains true to its cheap drinking and heavy gambling roots.

Olden Times in the Gulch

Home to Nevada's first hotel (now the Golden Gate), Fremont Street has been the heart of Las Vegas' gaming culture since the 1920’s Depression. What started as a two block stretch of prostitution and penny slots, Freemont drew crowds of men working on the Boulder Dam project and later at military camps in the area. At the time, Vegas was barely a railway stop between Salt Lake and Los Angeles, but there was deregulated gambling and cheap booze to take the edge off that desert sun. The boys flocked to Fremont, risking most of their paychecks on Blackjack and cheap thrills. 

Times changed. By the 1930s, gone were the legalized prostitutes and dusty road. Fremont Street was the first in Vegas to be paved in 1925, but it retained that rugged cowboy feel thanks to its sawdust saloons. By the time the mob arrived in Vegas near the end of World War II, Fremont was a cluster of gritty (but legal) gaming joints, the perfect environment for a big bankroll lacking moral values. The syndicate brought a touch of class to the downtown casinos, introducing carpets and lounge entertainment to the rough Reno crowd.   

Blasts from the Past

The downtown casinos that managed to survive from that tumultuous era read like Vegas history books, each one with their own story. 

Best known of the Fremont hotels is the high-end Golden Nugget. First built in 1946, the Nugget is the largest casino on Fremont, boasting 1,914 deluxe guest rooms and a 38,000 square foot casino. The Nugget was Steve Wynn's first casino purchase in Las Vegas, made possible by his "Caesars Palace Parking Lot" deal with Howard Hughes in 1973. Wynn gave the area a huge lift with the Nugget's massive renovation, including the addition of the Golden Nugget's classy hotel and pool. Featured in several Hollywood films, the Nugget is famous for the highest table limits in Vegas, up to $15,000 per hand.

Binion's is a classic old-school casino.

One of the real classic Fremont Street spots is Binion's Gambling Hall, originally known as Horseshoes. Opened in 1951 by Vegas legend Benny Binion, a Texan bootlegger and esteemed felon, the Horseshoes was known for its impeccable service. Binion was known to say, "If you wanna get rich, make little people feel like big people." And he treated his clients with care. The first to offer free booze at the tables, first to showcase $1 million behind glass and the first to allow no max bets, Binion was a favorite among gamblers. He was also mastermind and host to the first World Series of Poker in 1970 in his famous poker room.

On the other side of Main Street (and on the low end) is East Fremont's infamous El Cortez. First purchased by Meyer Lansky's gang in 1945, the El Cortez remains today on the shady side of the Fremont Street Experience, a relic of days passed. With their frontman manager and profit skimming, the mob financed major projects with its El Cortez cash. Now in a steady state of disrepair, some of the direst gamblers in the world frequent the dark and dingy tables. Despite its faded charm, the El Cortez is a local favorite for one-deck Backjack and video poker. Lined with ancient black and white photos of a bygone era, the El Cortez manages to maintain its air of sullen dignity thanks to friendly staff and die-hard regulars.

The Rebirth of Cool

In Las Vegas, Fremont Street is known best for its reincarnations, falling into seedy times through the 1970s and again in the 1990s only to be revived again. Most mobsters, and eventually gaming tycoons (like Steve Wynn), used the downtown casinos as a jumping point for their major construction projects on the Strip. Too often, the tourists would follow, flocking to the newer bigger resorts, relegating the downtown casinos to junkies and derelicts.

Fremont Street has experienced yet another rebirth.

But perhaps, now things are different. Renamed the "Freemont Street Experience" in 1995 and rejuvenated into a pedestrian mall, downtown Vegas has made yet another comeback. Featuring outdoor stages with nightly performances, vendors and showgirls on street level and the world's largest lit sign, today’s Fremont attracts millions of tourists each year. Most recently revamped in 2004, the overhead canopy screen contains over 12.5 million (LED) lights, accompanied by a 550,000 watt sound system through 220 speakers. The Fremont Street Experience boasts 60 restaurants and several renovated casinos in its four block stretch, a far cry from the dusty strip of brothels of its past. 

Unsurprising, too, that Fremont Street is the new hipster hangout. With such local hot spots as the Beauty Bar and the Griffin, Fremont East is not afraid of the ghosts of Vegas past but seems to relish in the legend. Lined with retuned neon signs and independent eateries, the tattooed rockabillies and fashionistas love the cheap all-night breakfast after rowdy rock shows. They dig the dingy carpets. 

After all, Fremont Street is one part of Vegas that you can't implode and begin again. This part of Vegas will just find a way to survive, despite it all.

TOP PHOTO: Glitter Gulch.