Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

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CHAPTER 10 . LAS VEGAS AFTER DARK
beer you can drink for $5) Friday night from 9pm to midnight. There are pool
tables and darts, and music videos play in this not-striking environment. It’s very
cheap, however, with longnecks going for $2, and it gets very, very busy, very late
(3 or 4am). Open 24 hours. 4640 Paradise Rd. (at Naples St.). & 702/733-8355.
The Eagle Off the beaten track in just about every sense of the phrase, The
Eagle is the place to go if well-lit bars make you nervous. It’s dark and slightly
seedy, but in that great ’70s gay bar kind of way. All in all, it’s a refreshing change
from the overprocessed slickness that is Las Vegas. The crowd, tending toward
middle age, is mostly male and of the Levi’s/leather group. There is a small dance
area (calling it a dance floor would be generous), a pool table, video poker, and
a nice-size bar. Drinks are inexpensive, and special events make them even more
so. For instance, The Eagle is rapidly becoming famous for its twice-weekly
underwear parties (if you check your pants, you receive draft beer and drinks for
free—that’s right: free). The 20-minute drive from the Strip makes it a questionable
option, but try it out if you’ve got a sense of adventure. Open 24 hours.
3430 E. Tropicana Ave. (at Pecos Rd.). & 702/458-8662.
Gipsy For years, Gipsy reigned supreme as the best gay dance place in the city,
and for good reason: great location (Paradise Rd. near the Hard Rock), excellent
layout (sunken dance floor and two bars), and very little competition. A few
years ago, some fierce competition stole some of its spotlight, along with a good
portion of the clientele, and so the Gipsy fought back with a $750,000 renovation
that seemed to recapture past glories. The drink specials, along with special
events, shows, male dancers, and theme nights make this place a good party bar.
Open daily from 10pm to 6am. 4605 Paradise Rd. (at Naples St.). & 702/731-1919.
Cover varies, but is usually $5 and up on weekends, less or even free on weekdays.
Good Times This quiet neighborhood bar is located (for those of you with a
taste for subtle irony) in the same complex as the Liberace Museum, a few miles
due east of the MGM Grand. There’s a small dance floor, but on a recent Friday
night, nobody was using it, the crowd preferring instead to take advantage of the
cozy bar area. A small conversation pit is a perfect spot for an intimate chat. Of
course, there’s the omnipresent pool and video poker if you’re not interested in witty
repartee. We remember this place as being a lot more crowded than it was during
our most recent visit (but perhaps we were there on an off night). It makes a nice
respite after the Liberace Museum (after which you may very well need a stiff
drink). Open 24 hours. In the Liberace Plaza, 1775 E. Tropicana Ave. (at Spencer St.).
& 702/736-9494.
Icon This 24-hour gay bar received a new name (it used to be Angles) and not
a whole heck of a lot else. It’s still a casual neighborhood hangout compared to
gay bars in other cities. The clientele is mostly local, about 85% men (including
drag queens) in their mid-20s to early 30s. There are special promotions that
vary from week to week, including occasional drag shows and go-go boys.
There’s a dance floor (the music’s pretty loud), a small outdoor courtyard, and a
game area with pool tables and darts, plus the requisite video poker at the bar.
4633 Paradise Rd. (at Naples St.). & 702/791-0100.
8 Other Bars
In addition to the venues listed below, consider hanging out, as the locals
quickly began doing, at Aureole, Red Square, and the House of Blues, all in
Mandalay Bay (see chapter 6). There’s a separate bar at Aureole facing the wine