A guide to local favorites in Fremont East Las Vegas
Over the past decade, Fremont East has benefited from some of the city’s most creative development in an attempt to restore Vegas’s urban core. This neighborhood’s recent developmental success has sparked a new challenge: balancing the benefits of tourism against maintaining a friendly-to-locals attitude. On its fringes, the remnants of the area’s economic plight remain, but Fremont East offers a vibrant and dense nightlife scene not to be missed.
Meet your local
Chris has lived in Las Vegas since 2007. He’s a Detroit native who misses Michigan summers and bodies of water but loves the “anything is possible” spirit of this city.
bitovegas bitovegasWant to get in touch? Email bytheway@washpost.com
Where I live:
Glen Heather Estates is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. It’s a little gritty, but it’s home to some of the coolest mid-century modern houses in the valley.
Best way to get around the city:
Cars are still the best way to get around Vegas. The city has recently imposed parking fees at nearly all the resorts on the Strip, so using Uber and Lyft around town is the best idea.
Don’t leave without having:
Some time off-Strip. Get into the neighborhoods, to Red Rock or Lake Mead, or explore Chinatown.
But the local favorite is really:
The comp. One of the biggest perks of living in Vegas and working on the Strip is the hookup. It’s a small town, and you always know someone who can get you in somewhere.
If I moved, I’d most miss:
The sunshine. You hardly ever have to plan for inclement weather and can wake up daily ensured it’s gonna be bright and warm. It makes the rare rainy day a treat.
Fremont East
Eat
Chef Natalie Young’s brunch spot has had a waiting list since it opened in 2012. It’s well worth it to enjoy Eat’s sweet and savory comfort creations.
Eat, 707 E. Carson Ave. Las Vegas, Nev. 89101
Carson Kitchen
The late and beloved chef Kerry Simon’s neighborhood joint, in the historical John E. Carson Hotel, serves up comfortable yet refined American fare.
Carson Kitchen, 124 S. Sixth St., Ste. 100. Las Vegas, Nev. 89101
Felipe Pantone mural
The Life is Beautiful festival has given Las Vegas an ongoing series of murals by world-renowned names. The brilliant Argentine-Spanish graffiti muralist Felipe Pantone’s retro-inspired piece is one such blessing, converting a previously dilapidated building into beautiful public art.
Felipe Pantone mural, S 7th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Bunkhouse Saloon
Once a battered but popular dive, the Bunkhouse Saloon has been renovated with an outdoor lounge and improved performance space that’s hosted Bob Mould, Better Oblivion Community Center, Laura Jane Grace and even, by surprise, the Killers.
Bunkhouse Saloon, 124 S. 11th St. Las Vegas, Nev. 89101
11th Street Records
This vinyl-only record shop offers new favorites and rare finds, plus a top-notch recording studio in the back.
11th Street Records, 1023 Fremont St. Las Vegas, Nev. 89101
Atomic Liquors
This place is proud to be Las Vegas’s oldest free-standing bar and home to one of the city’s best back patios, a healthy craft beer selection and subtle nuclear motif.
Atomic Liquors, 917 Fremont St. Las Vegas, Nev. 89101
The Writer’s Block
This bookshop is a gem of Las Vegas’s literary community. The Writer’s Block recently reopened as an upgraded space inside the arts collective Lucy, with a coffee shop, gathering lounge and larger collection than ever.
The Writer’s Block, 519 S. Sixth St. Ste. 100. Las Vegas, Nev. 89101
Chris Bitonti
Chris has lived in Las Vegas since 2007. He’s a Detroit native who misses Michigan summers and bodies of water but loves the “anything is possible” spirit of this city.
@bitovegas @bitovegasMikayla Whitmore
A contributing photographer and Las Vegas native, Mikayla has been an artist and photographer for 10 years. The Barrick Museum of Art, surrounding deserts, neon colors and the sunsets (real, not the ones painted over the casino roulette tables) are some of the reasons she holds the city dear.
@mikaylawhitmore
