A Ghost Town Called Las Vegas

I moved to Las Vegas in December of 2017. Leaving behind the absolute madness that is the I95 Highway commute through Northern Virginia. Two hours of one way bumper to bumper torture. Make that three hours on a Friday just to drive less than 45 miles. Now add a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas where everyone up to New York, decides to take a trip down south to see their country cousins as far as Florida.

I have been visiting Las Vegas since I was a kid. Our first cross country road trip was back in 1979 when my father PCS'ed from Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California to Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Las Vegas was a lot different back then. I remember staying at a Motorhome park outside of the Circus Circus Hotel.

There were no fancy LED screens or major attractions. No grass landscaping or palm trees. Just a bunch of tall signs lit by what seemed to be a thousand light bulbs at night. Even as a kid I could sense that it was a strange place. It was very much sensory overload for someone that only knew the seclusion and protection of a military base. The brightest thing I remember seeing at that time may have been the Drive In movie theater in town. It seemed as if everything was off limits to us and yet, everyone I saw dressed as if they were going to church.

Las Vegas was founded as a city on May 15 in 1905. The completion of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad which linked Southern California with Salt Lake City, established Las Vegas as a railroad town. The availability of water made Las Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop.

In 1931, the construction of Hoover Dam brought an influx of construction workers, which started a population boom during the Great Depression and gave the valley's economy a needed boost. When the workers got a break from building the dam, they would travel to Las Vegas to spend their hard earned money on alcohol, gambling and women.

Ten years later, the Las Vegas Army Airfield now known as Nellis Air Force base, was established in the north east. It was far away enough from the coast in case of a surprise attack and it was the perfect location for pilots to train all year around while the United States prepared for World War 2.

Around the same time the mob moved in. Las Vegas’s embrace of old wild west-style freedoms—gambling and prostitution—provided a perfect home for East Coast organized crime. Beginning in the 1940s, money from drugs and racketeering built the casinos and was laundered within them. Visitors from all over, came to partake in what the city offered: low-cost luxury and the thrill of fulfilling all your wildest fantasies. Now in 2020, there is a different type of mob without any semblance of organization.

Population Boom

Starting in 1985, the annual population grew nearly seven percent, which doubled in just 10 short years. Increasing by a whopping 97.6% from 186,380 to 368,360. It was the fastest growing city in the United States. In 1989 longtime casino developer Steve Wynn opened the Mirage, the city’s first mega-resort. It paved the way for the massive complexes that make Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world. Today in 2020 that number has grown to an estimated 662,00 according to the Census Bureau and that number is most likely higher if you include the homeless and those that do not fill out a census form.

People from California, Hawaii and New York are moving here in record numbers. Realtors tell me that a record number of Californians are purchasing homes with cash to escape the mounting problems in their home state. High taxes, natural disasters, overpopulation, Liberal laws dealing with gun control and sanctuary cities and in some cases crime. Why live in a 30 - 50 year old home that costs upwards of $600k - $2 Million, when you can sell that home and buy a brand new 4000 Sq Ft modern home for half the price?

It makes perfect sense, if you are the one moving here but to those that already live here, it is a nightmare and here are the reasons why:

1. Jobs - It is already hard enough to find a job in Las Vegas. When Covid-19 struck, many of our small businesses closed their doors for good. In a Nationwide study, Las Vegas came in third for the highest Business closings. Where are these people going to work? Those that fled Hawaii for work and less traffic, which came in first on this list, will find themselves in the same situation again in the near future.

2. Culture - The mixture of people from the east coast and west coast has made living here a very unfriendly place. When I was a kid, we knew everyone in our neighborhood and could play miles away from home and stay out until it got dark. Now, I don't even know the neighbors that live to the right and left of me and that is not an exaggeration. I have lived in three different areas of Las Vegas since moving here and each one was the same. Everyone sticks to themselves, and hardly anyone comes out of their homes. Partly due to the heat during the summer, but even then most stick to those that are close to their family and inner circles.

3. Crime - Every city has it share of problems. The problem here is that now we have a melting pot of crime. Yes, the city was run by the mob back in the day and it has seen it's share of drugs, prostitution, and the occasional murder. However, organized crime was just that. You couldn't come here and start trouble. Shooting at someone on the strip over an argument, probably would have led to that person being buried somewhere in the desert the next day.

4. Traffic - A year ago, I could drive from the South West by the South Point Hotel all the way up to the North East where the Race Track is in 35 minutes. Now, It takes about 45-50 minutes and the new Raiders Stadium hasn't even seen it's first game with fans yet.

Pandemic Shut Downs

In the 115 years of this city's history, Las Vegas has never been more populated and yet more quiet on the strip. This summer our city was a ghost town. On the day that I recorded the video where this image came from, the scene reminded me of the movie "I Am Legend".

I couldn't help thinking that this might be the last time anyone would see the strip in this condition right before mother nature reclaimed the land with weeds. Buildings turned brown from the damage caused by sand storms and rain. Or the desert animals roaming the streets that once held millions of people, happily gawking at the sites and drinking their cares away.

I was conflicted on how to feel about this situation. On one hand I thought it was very sad an unfortunate that an event like this would happen in my life time. The survey by Yelp indicated that 163,000 businesses across the country have closed in total, and 100,000 of those will probably never reopen. So many jobs lost, but more than that, thousands of Entrepreneurs who persevered over the months and even years to achieve the dream of owning a successful business, only to see it crushed by the unexpected.

On the other hand, it was beautiful to see the locals reclaim this city. For the first time we were able to enjoy the strip in peace. Many of us brought our bikes and skateboards out to ride from one end of the strip to the other. Some came out in small groups to walk in their exercise gear as if they were on the boardwalk at the beach.

The Las Vegas Strip became something completely new. It was no longer about big crowds, gambling or the nightlife. It was a beautiful place to enjoy the architecture and the planning that went into making it look like what it is today. Removing money and industry from the equation allowed us to get a glimpse of how life would be in a true paradise.

All of a sudden, everyone started getting out of the house. They went hiking in the Red Rock Canyons. Walked their dogs in the parks. Sat and read books on the edges of Lake Las Vegas with family. The people that passed by on their bikes while I was filming, smiled and waved to me. One lady arrested my attention when said "Isn't this a beautiful day?" as she rode by. It is a crying shame that I was shocked when she spoke to me.

Now I am having difficult time trying to understand why we live the way we do? It took a global pandemic to show me what we are missing! Yes, it is extremely unfortunate that hundreds of thousands of people have died and many more will continue to do so until we get a handle on this situation.

For me personally, I believe that this is God's way of showing us what's really important. I know many of you may not believe in God and that's fine. Whatever you believe, one thing is clear. As a society, we have become too consumed with things. The more we want, the more complicated our lives become. Technically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially.

Sometime around August of this year, the casino's began to reopen their doors to the public. It started out slowly with just a few on the strip and by October, we were at near pre-covid tourist levels. The Casino's were back in action and the paradise I saw a six months ago was just a memory. The reports of crimes, shootings, fights, car accidents along with tensions from this years election seem to be worse than it was just a year ago.

At the risk of sounding insensitive to the thousands of families that lost a loved one, and to the business owners that saw their dreams and hard work destroyed this year. I say this with all due respect. Bring back the May in Las Vegas. In no way am I trying to say that a leisurely stroll through the strip or anywhere can replace what was lost. My hope and sincere intent of this story is that one day, we can return to the peace I experienced this summer.

If you experienced this change here in the Las Vegas area or wherever you live, I would love to hear about it in the comments. You can also leave me a message on my social media platforms below.

Instagram: @mr_1as_vegas

Twitter: @mr_1as_vegas