HISTORY HUNT PART 2 Downtown

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BELOW IS THE ARCHIVED HISTORY HUNT FROM JUNE 2007.

THE CONTEST IS OVER SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE PICTURES.

BUT THERE'S STILL PLENTY TO LEARN AND LOTS OF GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS TO EXPLORE.


The Hunt Downtown (PART 2) It’s a little more complicated, and full of a lot more history, but we assure you that you’ll be astounded when you’re done.

Starting At the Stratosphere 2000 Las Vegas Blvd S
Head North on Las Vegas Blvd to the first traffic light, which is where Main Street starts. Turn left on Main Street, and continue northbound.

WELCOME TO THE ARTS DISTRICT…
The Art Bar at 1401 Main is a great Arts District Hangout. In the 1200 block of Main are some of our favorite galleries, including 1218, Dust and GC. The Arts District is coming of age now, and you should definitely come back on the First Friday of each month for the street fair, music and more from 6 to 10pm. The “First Friday” is a must do event every month. Daily hours of the galleries vary.
Make a U-TURN (safely, please) and head south for a block.
Turn Left on Colorado. This is the “antiques alley” of the Arts District and the corner of Colorado and Casino Center is the home of the “Funk House Antiques” which is ground zero of First Friday. CLUE NUMBER 8: stop and take a picture of any of the murals on the Funk House walls. (Make sure we can see your face!) Stop and take a stroll down memory lane if you want to, or come back and do it another day. There’s another half dozen antique shops in the next block.
Continue east on Colorado until it dead ends into 4th street.
Travel north on 4th Street. Cross Charleston. You can’t miss the 30 story “SoHo Lofts”, and look off to your left at the “Newport Lofts” tower which is still under construction. This area will soon be a major urban living hub.
Turn Left on Bonneville and you’ll see the “Juhl” midrise lofts being constructed.
Follow to 255 E Bonneville (JUHL is the hot hot midrise loft project you just passed) This Is CLUE # 9 take a picture of yourself in front of the JUHL office. Stop in and take a tour if you want to. Tell them Uncle Jack sent you.
Continue west on Bonneville to Main St.
Turn (north) right on Main, pass the Fremont Street Experience (If you’re doing this at night, stop for the amazing light show every hour on the hour…. Or come back some time soon and check it out.
Follow main all the way to 516 N Main. VERGE is our favorite affordable loft project. It’s in walking distance to everything in the new downtown. Stop in if you want to find out more. Tell them Uncle Jack sent you.
Continue on Main to Bonanza
Make a Right East on Bonanza and you’ll see the city of Las Vegas’s indoor and outdoor aquatic center.
Turn Right (south) on Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas City Hall is on your right, and just west of city hall you can see the old Post Office building from the 1930’s.
Continues South on Las Vegas Blvd past “The Downtown Coctail Lounge” at 111 s. Las Vegas Blvd. It’s our favorite hangout. Mega Urban Hip. Stop for a drink if you’re inclined.
Take a left or east on Bridger. At Seventh Street, you’ll find one of the great “Art Deco” buildings in Las Vegas. The original Las Vegas High School which is now on the National Registry of Historic Places. It’s now the “Las Vegas Academy”.
Stop at the corner of 9th and Bridger which is CLUE # 10. “The Morelli House” was moved from the Desert Inn Golf Course and lovingly preserved by the Junior League of LV. It now serves as their office. We wanted to have you take a photo of yourself in a bathing suit by the pool, martini in your hand, but they didn’t keep the pool, so you’ll just have to take a picture of yourself in front of one of the finest examples of Mid-Century Modern in all of Las Vegas.

Make a right on 9th (south) and head into “Lawyers Row”.

WELCOME TO LAWYERS ROW
This was Las Vegas in the 1920’s and 30’s. These are some of the oldest homes that are still standing. A few are still residences, but most have converted to office/professional.
Follow 9th to Bonneville and turn right. (you’ll enjoy driving up and down 8th and 7th streets also, but don’t get lost)
Continue East on Bonneville to 6th and turn left (south).
Turn left East on Gass to 8th St. and turn right (south) to Charleston.
YOU NEED TO CROSS CHARLESTON and Continue south on 8th St. PLEASE BE CAREFULL CROSSING CHARLESTON

WELCOME TO JOHN S. PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT. Mary Dutton Park is on your right. Continue South a few more feet and turn left onto Park Paseo. This brings you into one of the many small 1950’s neighborhoods that make up the John S. Park Historic District. This one is called Vega Verde and was built between 1940 and 1950. Park Paseo turns south and becomes 9th St., and it dead ends at John S. Park Elementary. Turn Right on Franklin and continue to 8th Street. On your left at the corner of 8th St. is the Stake House of the Mormon Church.
Continue on Franklin to 7th St and turn left. This is one of Uncle Jack’s favorite streets. This part of the historic district is all custom homes from the early to late 50’s. Almost every home is well kept and well loved, and all of them are very cool.
Make a right on Oakey Ave. for 1 block and turn right on 6th St.
CLUE # 11 There is a special sign somewhere on this corner from the Blog, (if you’re driving a tour bus, you might not have room to park) snap a picture of yourself with the sign.
Continue North on 6th Street, past the former homes of Benny Binion, Jimmy the Greek, Bob Stupak and other famous Las Vegas Legends.
Turn left at Park Paseo, and left again onto 5th Place. Continue Southbound past the many interesting and unique homes along 5th Place, including a few homes from the 1930’s which were built WAY out of town in the middle of the desert.
Turn left (east) onto Oakey Ave. There’s some very interesting and unique homes of all styles along Oakey.

When you cross 10th Street, you’ll start to see the Huntridge Cottages, which sold new in 1942 for $2500. We’ve blogged about these several times (and, of course 1047 Oakey is for sale and listed with Uncle Jack. Yes, it’s self serving, but it’s his contest)

Continue on Oakey across Maryland Pkwy. When you stop at the stop sign at 15th, you’ll see a few things we’ve mentioned on V3. It’s a great corner. Continue east to Chapman Drive.

Take a right on Chapman Dr.
Follow Chapman Dr. to the bend.
1905 Chapman was the home to casino mogul Jackie Gaughn of the El Cortez and Union Plaza. (Remember where you are, because you’ll be coming back to this corner for the party on Saturday, June 16th.) It’s for sale, for $777,777 (really!)

Continue around the bend to 16th street and take a left.

Turn Right on Oakey and take a look at all the “Cinderella Ranches” that we’ve talked about in other posts. Make a left on Bruce, and stop on the corner of Bruce and Griffith.
1737 Griffith is CLUE # 12. Make sure to get some bright colors into your picture along with your smiling face.
Turn Right (east) on Griffith and enjoy some more Cinderellas.
Turn Right on Burnham and continue South to Oakey.
Take a right on Oakey and go back to the stop sign on 15th.
This looks familiar, but take a left and go to 1720 15th. Frantz and Stephanie have started restoration on this great home, which is on one of the premier streets in Vintage Vegas. It will be the next “frantz&Stephanie redeux.” This soon to be gorgeous home will be available for sale in mid June. This home is Clue # 13 Take a picture of yourself in front of the house.
Take a look at the house 2 doors to the south. Liberace built this house with the twin garages and the musical notes on the gates. It also has a grand piano shaped pool, and sold 2 years ago for 795k.
15th street makes a funny left turn here so turn left which keeps you on 15th st. (if you continue around the bend my mistake, just take a right on 14th, check out some other very fine vintage vegas homes, and turn right on oakey and right on 15th to go back to where you missed the turn.)

Make a right at St. Louis Ave.
On your right are Liberace’s Townhomes, which were quite lavish (as you can imagine) in their day. Several of them have stayed very original, and some are screaming to be restored.
Cross Maryland Pkwy
Follow St. Louis to 8th
Make a right on 8th
Take 8th to Bonita
At the NE corner of 8th and Bonita is CLUE NUMBER 14. Take a picture of yourself with Uncle Jack’s for sale sign.
It’s another frantz&stephanie redeux . It’s for sale now for 389,900. Don’t hesitate to take a peek into the kitchen window. It’s fabulous. (yes it faces 8, but it’s actually 801 Bonita)
Continue north on 8th for one block and take a left on Canosa.

Drive thru “Beverly Green” once the home of luminaries such as Louie Prima. Go to the end and take a left onto Rexford. Take a right onto St. Louis, the 4 story apartment building with the great balconies have just been fully renovated, and are now being leased. stop in. I bet you know someone who rents in the suburbs who'd love a really big apartment in Vintage Vegas. Obviously, look up and you’re back to where you started. You can always tell where you are in Vintage Vegas with the stratosphere as the "light house".

SAVE those pictures. Don’t send them in yet. You need to send them all at approximately the same time, once you’ve finished all 3 parts of the History Hunt (it’s ok to send 17 emails, or group them as your ISP will allow bandwidth wise)

Ready for Part 3? Go for it!