When we first starting working at the Riviera in Las Vegas back in 2005, the hotel was surrounded by other legendary casinos. Directly across the street was the Westward Ho with its neon umbrellas and the best cheap bar in all of Sin City. Across the street and to the left was the Stardust, with one of the greatest signs on the strip and, for many years, host to Wayne Newton. Further to the left, was the Frontier, home of Mickey Gilley's nightclub and the mechanical bull bikini riding contest.
Now they are all gone. Only Circus Circus and Slots of Fun remains.
The Riviera stands virtually alone amidst a sea of construction. The Fontaine Bleau and the Echelon will soon fill the void but, for now, the area outside is noisy and unpleasant.
I'm sure the new casinos will be spectacular but I will always miss the Frontier, the Stardust and-- as we affectionately called it-- the Ho. The day Slots of Fun is gone will be a sad day indeed. Soon the final 99 cent hot dog will be sold and the old Vegas will go the way of the old, old Vegas.
I can only hope the Riv survives.
Here's video of the Frontier being imploded. In my mind, it wasn't a cause for fireworks and celebration.
Traci Skene is a veteran professional comedian and author. She is an accomplished humor writer and blogger. She was a featured performer on Episode 3, Season 7 of NBC's "Last Comic Standing." She was a 20-year contributor to US Weekly's "Fashion Police." With her husband, comedian Brian McKim, she is the author of "The Comedy Bible: The Complete Resource for Aspiring Comedians." Her most recent book, "Love & Aliens: The Abnormally Normal Life of Claire Sullivan," is available on Amazon.com, as is "Sometimes Ask A Man," her riotous examination of the mid-twentieth century fault line between Tradition and Modern Feminism. In 1999, she established the influential online standup comedy website SHECKYmagazine.com.
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