New York-New York Opens New Strip-Side Promenade

New York-New York has opened its much-anticipated outdoor plaza to visitors, although the promenade is still a work-in-progress.

New York-New York bridge
New York-New York’s tugboats are gone, but strolling along the Brooklyn Bridge replica should help ease the pain.

For months, guests have been directed around the construction area along the Las Vegas Boulevard-facing side of the hotel, but new walkways are open to foot traffic, including a path along New York-New York’s replica of the Brooklyn bridge (above), all the way to the hotel’s Statue of Liberty (below).

New York-New York renovation
Is it too much to ask that the area at the base of Lady Liberty have duckies?

Several new retail offerings have opened as well, including a Swatch store, novelty and gift shops Stupidiotic and I Love NYNY, and a Starbuck’s.

New York-New York
There’s so much newness, this Las Vegas blog is going to have to start wearing an expandable waistband. Or something.

Soon, a Hershey’s Chocolate World will join them, as well as a Shake Shack restaurant. Yes, we poked our head into the Hershey’s Chocolate World space, but there’s nothing to see yet, sorry.

A renovated patio area for Nine Fine Irishmen appears to be complete.

Nine Fine Irishmen
We suspect the other eight Irishmen are ticked they didn’t get a statue.

Among the dramatic changes to the New York-New York frontage is a brand new entrance. This area made news recently, as it once sported a neon sign which has been donated to the Neon Museum, downtown.

New York-New York
This happened within, oh, 48 hours of the hotel’s neon sign being removed. Impressive.

Several areas are still under construction, but getting around, and gaining access to the shops and restaurants along the promenade, is a breeze now.

New York-New York hotel
We love these New York City-inspired facades.

Further north, Monte Carlo is getting some work done, too. Progress doesn’t seem to be happening as quickly there, but work is humming right along.

Monte Carlo
Sorry we couldn’t get a photo behind the construction fence at Monte Carlo. Security breaches are wrong.

Perhaps most noticeable are the addition of greenery and stonework, fitting with the overall park theme. This whole project was referred to as “The Park” at one time, but the hotels haven’t been calling it that lately. We would ask them why, but we’ve been very busy researching cocktails and showgirls.

Monte Carlo park
Outdoors! So, yeah, the opposite of Las Vegas.

Overall, this construction project will cost about $100 million, give or take a “Wow, that’s a lot of money to invest in something that doesn’t have slot machines.”

Double Barrel Las Vegas
In Vegas, cranes always bring happy things with them.

Update: Hopefully, construction won’t be delayed too much by a recent fire (which happened a day after our photo, below) at the Double Barrel construction site. Read more.

Double Barrel
The future home of Double Barrel, a “roadhouse restaurant,” where we can only hope the bouncers will “be nice, until it’s time to not be nice.”

Exciting times on the Las Vegas Strip!

We’ve got more photos than you’ll know what to do with, so enjoy.

New York-New York Promenade