Open-Air Linq Project Provides The Promise of A Cool Addition to the City’s Nightlife: Lively Bars Outside On the Strip
Bars? Did somebody mention more bars!?
That’s part of the plan for a new development underway in Las Vegas. It’s an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment venue that will have the world’s tallest observation wheel and will include, yes, bars.
It’s called Linq and it will will open in 2013 (construction begins late in 2011) between the Imperial Palace hotel and the low-budget casino and beer pong “palace,” O’Sheas, across from Caesars Palace. It will house 30-40 businesses and bars (notice the “s,” meaning more than one), and occupy 200,000 square feet. There will be no casino as part of this project, which is being developed by the group that built The Grove in Los Angeles.
As part of the project, the Imperial Palace – where Elvis and Priscilla spent their honeymoon – will get a badly-needed facade and first-level makeover. It will be also renamed, though to what has yet to be announced.
The centerpiece will be the Las Vegas High Roller, a 500-foot-tall wheel (100 feet higher than the London Eye) with see-through seats. It will rotate around and provide half-hour rides for $20.
Of course, it’s the prospect of bars that is most attractive to the Bar Blogger. As long as they are bars and not mega-clubs, places where we can sit outside and have drinks in a lively but also casual environment, then I’ll give it an early “cheers.” The Vegas clubs are fun, no doubt, but they require patience and planning to get into them; this venue seems better served to be serving ’em up in a “sit down and drink” environment.
Plus there aren’t many outdoor bars on the Strip – certainly not any lively ones – so this would be a fine addition to Las Vegas’ nightlife.
The venue will also be used for concerts, though space limitations will likely mean cover or local bands rather than big-name touring acts.
There’s tons of people that pass by this busy area all day and night and by drawing them to an outdoor area to eat, drink and be entertained, this could turn out to be a modern-day Vegas success story.
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