New arena and park, with a nod to Burning Man, to open next week in Las Vegas
reporting from las vegas — The newest hot spot in Las Vegas isn’t a hotel or a casino. It’s the side-by-side T-Mobile Arena and pedestrian hangout called the Park, which are scheduled to open next week.
I got a sneak preview of both earlier this week. They’re impressive (what? a bit of Burning Man?) and located between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo hotel-casino resorts.
The Park opens Monday, and T-Mobile Arena will host an opening night gala two days later on April 6.
Folks on foot will enter the pedestrian mall from the sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard. While it will have park-like features such as benches, plants and trees, The Park’s main draw will be the cool new restaurants that line it. Highlights include:
--Beerhaus. Guests can enjoy craft beers and sandwiches while playing games such as darts and ping pong.
--Bruxie. In its first venture outside the Southland, this Orange County-based eatery will feature its familiar waffle sandwiches.
--Sake Rok. Infused with Japanese pop culture, this high-energy restaurant will combine private-label sake and Asian cuisine with servers who double as entertainers. They will encourage guests to join in dance parties and lip-sync contests.
Reflected in a pool, “Bliss Dance” in its new home at the Park, an entertainment district between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo hotel-casino resorts.
And as for Burning Man, the centerpiece of the 2010 festival held each year in the Nevada desert has found a new home in the Park.
Created by San Francisco artist Marco Cochrane, “Bliss Dance” is an oversized sculpture of a naked, dancing woman. Cochrane said he designed the 40-foot-tall sculpture to represent female empowerment and strength.
At night, the sculpture glows courtesy of 3,000 colored LED lights within.
The Park also features colorful, towering pieces of metal that will provide much needed shade.The structures, designed to look like abstract trumpets, dot the walkway.
Keep an eye out, too, for the cut stone in hues of plum, pink and gold. The quartzite came from a Southern Nevada quarry less than an hour’s drive from the Strip.
Workers put the finishing touches on T-Mobile Arena last week in preparation for its grand opening on Wednesday.
The 20,000-seat arena launches with a sold-out concert Wednesday. The eclectic lineup includes veteran Vegas crooner Wayne Newton; North Las Vegas-born Shamir, a young singer-songwriter with R&B and soul influences; and the Killers, a popular rock band launched in Sin City in 2001.
Upcoming acts include Garth Brooks, the Harlem Globetrotters and Janet Jackson.
Beginning next year, the arena could be the home of a new professional hockey team. The NHL is considering a proposal to bring an expansion team to Las Vegas for the 2017-18 season.
Whether it’s a concert or hockey, guests can indulge in food and beverage offerings with a signature flair. Master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim has created custom cocktails available only at the arena.
They include his Champagne punch, a concoction made with champagne, gin, crème de framboise, fresh lemon sour and a savory syrup.
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