I wish for …
… an easier damn commute.
Like everyone else I complained about roadwork on Charleston Boulevard. Cursed the orange cones. Yelled “It’s a [expletive] ZIPPER MERGE,” like that mattered to anyone. But then, one day, the work was done. And as I drove through the Medical District on new, glassy-smooth asphalt—past widened sidewalks, improved lighting and landscaping, and even that relocated “Free Aspirin and Tender Sympathy” vintage neon sign—I realized it was worth the suffering. New Charleston makes me happy. It makes my car happy.
I’m hopeful I’ll get that feeling again in 2025. The Nevada Department of Transportation says that the I-15 Tropicana Interchange Project—a gridlock producer so effective and prolific it’s invaded my dreams—should wrap up late this year. (In fact, according to NDOT’s i15trop.com website, the freeway portion of the work should be completed by this spring.) The widening of I-15 south, from Sloan Road to Warm Springs Road, should be complete by December. And the Regional Transportation Commission’s Maryland Parkway project—adding dedicated bus and bike lanes, 10-foot-wide sidewalks, improved lighting and more shade trees to that midtown thoroughfare—is moving along rapidly, with a projected finish date in fall 2026.
But more and bigger roads don’t make a city better. We also need some roads to shrink down a bit—looking at you, Boulder Highway—so pedestrians can cross without fear of being mowed down by a 22-year-old doing 110 in a rented exotic. (RTC CEO Dave Swallow describes wider sidewalks and slimmer roadways as a “visual hug” that encourages drivers to slow down.) And we need a rapid transit solution, light rail or otherwise, that encourages mass commuting and saves us the cost of an Uber ride to the airport. (Teslas in tunnels probably ain’t gonna cut it.) Do some of these things, and maybe, we’ll look kindlier on the cones. In retrospect. –Geoff Carter
… more themed attractions.
For crying out loud, we had a pirate ship! The good old days of themed Las Vegas brought us Buccaneer Bay at Treasure Island, not to mention Luxor’s Nile River ride and a Wet ’N Wild near the Sahara. I’d give anything to get that fun back. Here’s a start: Let’s replace the Las Vegas Monorail with a lazy river. And how about we establish a nice, climate-controlled zoo? Finally, I wish for a Disneyland. So much land is being built upon for housing Californians. Let’s add one more attraction to make ’em feel at home. –Amber Sampson
… something better than last in the nation for affordable housing.
According to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development definition, “affordable housing” means residents are paying no more than 30% of income on rent, utilities and other home expenses. Nevada has had the worst affordable housing shortage in the nation for several years, according to reports from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Specifically, Las Vegas has been at the top of the list of worst shortages in the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., with only 13 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income households. (“Extremely low-income” means either at the federal poverty guideline or at or below 30% of area median income. More than 91,000 Nevada renter households are considered extremely low-income.)
Since 2022, Clark County has invested more than $200 million to build and rehabilitate almost 5,000 affordable housing units in Southern Nevada, which is a great start. But more than 78,000 units are needed to meet the demand of extremely low-income families in the region, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
To address such a dire need, it would make sense to keep funding affordable housing development, and also to address the root of the shortage. According to developers, some of the biggest barriers to building affordable housing are zoning—which local governments can facilitate—and limited land availability. Nevada’s governor and federal delegation have honed in on the state’s abundance of federal land as prime for affordable housing development. State representatives are also looking at cracking down on out-of-state investors who are driving up housing costs.
We wish for these initiatives to be successful in creating practical, affordable housing. We also wish for more immediate relief for families who are struggling with their housing expenses, in the form of expanded housing vouchers through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and in the form of robust rental assistance programs across Southern Nevada. –Shannon Miller
… the return of Neon Reverb (and the Bunkhouse).
Nearly all the music festivals and residencies that come to Vegas are tourist-facing. Sometimes that works in our favor—try getting night-of-show tickets to David Byrne anywhere else in the country—but for the most part we don’t have a say in who plays here. That’s what made the Neon Reverb music festival—and the Bunkhouse Saloon, where that festival belonged—so truly special. The likes of Phoebe Bridgers, The Drums, Foxygen, La Sera, Jay Som, Wavves and more played for us, and only us. We need that again. –GC
… more drive-thru healthy spots.
There’s a moment during every other workday when I’m drowning in fast-food revulsion. The Wendy’s is close enough to practically hear the grease sizzling, but I’m yearning for something fresh, crisp and vibrant. If someone could just invent a drive-thru chain for healthy bowls—real ingredients I can gobble up without the soggy, plastic-wrapped shame—I’d be in nirvana. –Gabriela Rodriguez
… more pocket parks and dog parks.
Let’s talk about dog walks, the unshakeable joy of seeing your dog’s face light up as they sprint on a patch of grass. But when your closest park is a ten minute drive away, the magic wears off fast. I’m not asking for a nature preserve, just a small patch of grass with a few trees sprinkled throughout, placed in those areas of the Valley that have had to go without. –GR
… more cooling.
We really need to do something about this heat. Las Vegas’ vast amounts of asphalt and other impermeable surfaces trap the sun’s heat, causing an “urban heat island” effect where the urban core is much hotter than the surrounding sweltering desert. What’s worse, it prevents natural nighttime cooling; those impermeable surfaces continue to release heat at night, a time we’d much rather be cooling off from the blistering daytime temperatures.
The experts say one of the best things we can do to combat this is plant more trees. Along those lines, Clark County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to give away 4,500 trees by spring. More of that, please!
Another solution pushed by environmental groups is to build solar canopies over parking lots in the city, rather than out in the desert. Not only would solar canopies help make your walk from the grocery store to the car much cooler, they would generate renewable energy for the city. –SM
… around-the-clock convenience.
There are still a few here and there. Some of the grocery stores stay open around the clock. Many bars run 24 hours; Blueberry Hill, Denny’s and Norms serve 3 a.m. breakfasts; and it goes without saying that the casinos never close. But listen: There used to be 24-hour businesses all over Vegas—grocery stores, dry cleaners, even a round-the-clock record store. (That would be Odyssey Records, near what’s now the Arts District.) This onetime 24-hour town needs to re-engage. –GC
… no more concert ticket fees for locals.
Concerts are a gamble. You’ve saved, you’ve scraped, you’ve pinched pennies just to get that ticket, and then—bam—service fees, handling fees, and hell, fees for the fees! The local economy thrives on entertainment, but locals are getting gouged, not just for the ticket, but for every scrap of paperwork that comes with it. Let’s ditch these additional costs so local fans who want to go to more shows can get in the door without the financial body slam. –GR
… locals to go to Vegas shows more often.
Las Vegans love to reminisce on the good old days when parking was free everywhere and access to the wonders of the Strip came easier and cheaper. We love old-school spots and wish our bygone favorites were still around, but let’s admit that maybe we talk about them more than we patronized them.
Vegas entertainment keeps getting bigger every year, but there are still plenty of traditional shows that are keeping this iconic city’s fabulous legacy alive—and maybe it’s our duty as locals who love this part of our city to go back and enjoy these shows again, and to tell our friends around the world how much fun we had. And it’s a great way to connect to Vegas in a deeper way, because the talented entertainers in these shows are people who live here and probably patronize your business. They participate in charitable projects and they contribute their art to our community, probably popping up in their own performances in casino lounges and indie venues like the Space or Notoriety. And to give this wish a little boost, here are some of our favorites … go check ‘em out:
Zombie Burlesque at V Theater at Planet Hollywood, tickets starting at $60, vtheater.com.
All Shook Up at Alexis Park Resort, tickets starting at $38, allshookuptribute.com.
The Mac King Comedy Magic Show at Excalibur, tickets starting at $45, mackingshow.com.
Tape Face at MGM Grand, tickets starting at $49, mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com.
Blue Man Group at Luxor, tickets starting at $49, luxor.mgmresorts.com.
Jabbawockeez at MGM Grand, tickets starting at $49, mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com.
Miss Behave’s Mavericks at the Plaza, tickets starting at $35, mavericksdtlv.com.
Mad Apple at New York-New York, tickets starting at $49, cirquedusoleil.com.
Soul of Motown at Westgate, tickets starting at $30, ticketmaster.com.
Vegas! The Show at V Theater at Planet Hollywood, tickets starting at $60, vtheater.com.
Wow: The Vegas Spectacular at Rio, tickets starting at $46, ticketmaster.com. –Brock Radke
… a college town feel near our university and community colleges.
I want a distinct social scene. I want a sorority row. I want to see the area surrounding a campus oozing its academic and coming-of-age culture. I want a beer district, a cozy college coffee house and enough road real estate for safe biking. Make it an affordable place to live. Make it a community. –AS
… an arts ecosystem that supports independent ART AND THEATER.
There’s no shortage of creativity. A new generation of Vegas artists and performers is itching to share their vision. And Vegas still has an Arts District, at least in name. But Vegas’ homegrown arts scene is in considerable peril.
Earlier this year, the Weekly spoke with artist and gallerist Priscilla Fowler, and Daz Weller, executive director of Vegas Theatre Company, both of whom have seen their venues hit with rising rent costs. Priced out of operation, Fowler’s fine art gallery eventually had to shut its doors, as did Nancy Good’s Core Contemporary space at Commercial Center—stark reminders of what happens when the arts aren’t supported by the community. Without more patronage for these independent galleries and theaters, the heart of local art is in serious danger of flatlining. –GR
…rolling back the Forum Shops to 1999.
There was a dream that was Rome. It was a place where we could grab lunch at Lombardi’s, browse the Warner Bros. Studio Store and the three-story FAO Schwarz, ride the Race for Atlantis motion simulator, then drop a couple hundred bucks on music at the Virgin Megastore. I will see that Rome again … but not yet. Not yet. –GC
… more mental health support.
According to a 2024 report from Mental Health America, Nevada ranks last of all U.S. states for prevalence of youth mental illness and access to care. When it comes to adults, the state doesn’t fare much better, ranking 48th. This is largely because of a severe shortage of behavioral health providers. According to a 2022 presentation from the state Department of Health and Human Services, Nevada had 10.3 clinical professional counselors for every 100,000 people, well below the national average of 45.4. The state falls below the national average for psychologists, psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers, too.
We can’t just wish for all those professionals to suddenly appear and start working in our state, so our wish right now is for state lawmakers to create incentives for behavioral health providers to stay in the state. Increasing funding and expanding telehealth, especially in rural areas, would be a good move, too. –SM
… more arcades.
Losing Las Vegas’ last GameWorks in 2021 cut deeper than a corrupted save file on the final boss. Chinatown’s Game Nest has proven a family-run, independent arcade can thrive—even without a bar. So let’s start playing around with the idea of more arcades per capita. Make America game again! –AS
… a complete Vegas retail EXPERIENCE.
There was a time when Vegas didn’t have IKEA, Crate & Barrel, Daiso, Aldi or H Mart, but now we have them all. Now we’d love to see a Uniqlo at Town Square or Downtown Summerlin, and a Porto’s, wherever the hell it wants to be. –GC
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