A local’s guide to Las Vegas
- By Chris Bitonti
- Photos by Mikayla Whitmore
It’s easy to see Las Vegas for its tropes — a party city and convention town and nothing more. Sure, Vegas prides itself as the world’s playground, and you can always find that escape here. But behind the scenes, Las Vegas is rapidly changing — growing up, even — as new residents flock to the desert chasing opportunity and booming immigrant populations build communities.
Now more than ever, the neighborhoods off the Strip are shining. Plus, we finally have our own sports team (and another on the way); the arts scene is growing; and the city is bordered by some of the best hiking and climbing spots in the West. At its core, Las Vegas is a hopeful city, full of people continually optimistic about its future. You’d have to be to live in arguably the most unconventional city in America.
Meet 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.
Want to get in touch?
Email bytheway@washpost.comStay
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- Drink more water than you think you should. Dehydration will creep up on you — and make your hangover worse.
- The valley is a grid of major streets, so you’ll often hear locals talk in fanciful intersections like “Tropicana and Rainbow” or “Flamingo and Paradise.”
- Outside the tourist corridors, Vegas is a normal suburban city. Yes, some of us work weird hours at crazy places, but there is a strong community here.
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