January 1st, 2011 marked the start of a new, rebounding, era of economic recovery, on the Las Vegas Strip, as the all-new
$3.9 billion dollar Cosmopolitan Hotel officially opened its doors to the public in a city-wide blaze of New Year's Eve fireworks.
With this new hotel's grand opening, the City of Las Vegas acts as the first major Post-Millenium Metropolis to take such a
bold and progressive gamble on the future of urban design, hotel-casino culture and civic improvement - showing the
world, once again, the cutting-edge, forward-thinking, Silver State, "Go for it!", nature of Nevada.
Standing alongside the strikingly beautiful, ecologically viable, $8 billion dollar, LEED Certified City Center Project, the new
Cosmopolitan Hotel stands as living testimony to the pioneering spirit that has been part of Las Vegas' make-up since its
1905 birth in the barren desert. Now, after a century of progress, Las Vegas shows yet another new face to the world.
On this page, and the following webpages, WestVegas.Com provides a significant, visual documentation of
The Cosmopolitan Hotel and City Center - thru three dimensional mapping, 360-degree street-views, all new
photographs as well as ample videos and whatever other imagery sources we can find and properly utilize.
Please check this website often as it continues to add new photographs and media which will chronicle this new
modern era in Las Vegas architecture, design, and futuristic imagineering within the hospitality industry.
When viewing the computer-generated-imagery on the following pages it can be helpful, for orientation purposes,
to glance at the compass placed in the upper-right of every image. The North point, on the compass, is always
shown and will help you gain your bearings and allow you to better understand what you are seeing.
Remember that the North point faces towards the Upper Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. Locations north of
The Cosmopolitan are hotels such as the Mirage, Venetian, Encore, Riviera and the Stratosphere Tower.
The Gung-Ho Spirit of a Gambling Town
Ever since the legalization of gaming, exactly 80 years ago, Las Vegas has been fully committed to the commercial expansion
and improvement of its gambling structures and hospitality services. From the time that casinos first began to be built along
the early strip of highway leading into Downtown Vegas, back in 1941, there has been a continual expansion
and well-developed effort to improve this town's hotel-casino facilities.
Whenever a new casino opened up, other neighboring casinos were competitively motivated to either expand or remodel
their existing buildings or else build completely new ones. This remodeling, expansion and new construction process
has been going on here for eight decades now with hardly a let-up. And it's not about to stop anytime
soon - since that is the way Las Vegas works.
Economic-downturns come and go, as we've all just seen in this last Great Recession of 2008-2010. Yet, Las Vegas
has a way of riding out such storms and then quickly getting back to "making hay" as soon as the first bit of sunshine
starts to appear. That is what is happening now. Las Vegas has renewed itself once again with the
successful construction and completion of eleven billion dollars' worth of new hotels.
There is one true fact about the gaming industry in Las Vegas. Its members remain optimistic, in spite of prevailing national
forecasts, and they always take bold risks and cast their bets on a better future. That's what they've done this time
around, as well, with the completion of City Center and Cosmopolitan. This fearless risk-taking, and the inevitable
reaping of eventual reward, is what a capitalistic business society is all about. It's the American Way and no
other city represents this system of expansion and progress better than Las Vegas, Nevada.
As we enter into this new and better decade ahead, we can all be proud of the fact that Las Vegas has
once again proved its fighting American Spirit, to the entire world, as it firmly took the initiative to
lead our country's national-vision back towards an optimistic belief in a brighter future.
The staff here at WestVegas.Com takes its collective hat off to the dream-makers and builders that brought us
City Center and The Cosmopolitan Hotel. As local residents we can bask in the reflected sunshine of their success.
A 35 Year Aerial Look at the Las Vegas Strip
From the InOldLasVegas.com Collection. Graphic Re-Working by Erik Wunstell.
1975 aerial photo of the Las Vegas Strip looking northward towards the Tropicana Hotel (seen at bottom- right).
The Marina Hotel (bottom-center) opened that year. The entire Marina Hotel would later be incorporated into
the 1993 MGM Grand Hotel where it operates to this day as the MGM's west-wing, closest to the Strip.
The yellow-star at the top-left marks the current location of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The Jockey Club is
seen in this photo and is now the Cosmopolitan's northern neighbor. The Aladdin (now the site of Planet
Hollywood) is seen in the top-center of this photo. The current MGM Grand now occupies the earlier Tropicana Golf Course. The Carriage House Hotel is seen at mid-right.
This 2010 computer-generated-image shows the current Las Vegas Strip from roughly the same northward
viewpoint as in the 1975 photo above.
The Excalibur and New York, New York hotels have since filled in the vacant lots (lower-left). City Center
now sits just beyond them, with the two Cosmopolitan hotel towers marked with yellow-stars.
MGM Grand has since incorporated the old Marina Hotel (seen to the right of the MGM roadsign). Further up
are the new Planet Hollywood Hotel and the blue PH Westgate Towers. Beyond that (center) are the TI
and Trump Tower, with FountainBleau seen at right.
This graphically enhanced and re-worked computer-generated-image comes from the great software provided by Google Earth.
This view of The Cosmopolitan Hotel is looking northward up the Las Vegas Strip and shows the front, Strip-side
of the hotel where the casino area is located as well as the unique Marquee Nightclub and pool-deck.
The Stripside pool-deck is the first of a kind for Las Vegas and provides excellent party space and great views.
Looking southward, down the Las Vegas Strip, from in front of The Cosmopolitan Hotel-Casino (seen at right).
Planet Hollywood is at left and MGM is further down. Just south of The Cosmopolitan is the upcoming Harmon Hotel.
View of the two Cosompolitan Hotel towers looking southward from the parking garage at Bill's Gambling Hall.
The Flamingo Strip Bridge is at bottom. At far left is Mandalay Bay, The Harmon and City Center's Mandarin
Oriental hotel. The 1974 Jockey Club is at bottom, with the Monte Carlo seen beyond. Vdara is on right.
Pre-Sunrise at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Hotel. Looking northward from the Harmon-to-Cosmo Bridge. The Marquee Nightclub
is seen on the left (white structure with large window). The Cosmo West Spa Tower is on the left and the Cosmo East
Beach Tower is on the right. The video-roadsign is announcing one of the new bar-nightclubs called Bond.
Bird's Eye View looking eastward towards the two Cosomopolitan towers from a vantage point directly above
the Aria Hotel's North Valet Circle. Vdara is seen at bottom-left and Aria at bottom-right.
The Aria driveway and two Veer towers are at far right.
The road running between The Cosmopolitan and Harmon Hotel is West Harmon Road. The vehicular entance
into Cosmopolitan's hotel garage is located at about 100 yards before the Strip. Beyond the Strip the road
becomes known as East Harmon and continues to Paradise, the Hard Rock Hotel and UNLV.
Using Harmon Road allows you to drive from the eastside of Las Vegas, across to the westside, without needing
to use Flamingo Road or Tropicana Avenue. This can be quite helpful if needing to avoid week-end traffic jams.
The West Vegas Entry Into Cosmopolitan-City Center
The West Vegas approach into City Center and The Cosmopolitan is seen in yellow, with road-turns indicated
in pink. This entry allows you a quick anddirect access to Aria Hotel's Valet Entrance, Vdara and Cosmopolitan
The West Entry onto Harmon Road can be reached from either Flamingo Road or Tropicana Avenue. The
main thing to do (when using either Flamingo or Tropicana) is to first set out towards Panorama Towers.
This view shows the Flamingo Road approach.
Heading east on Flamingo, turn right onto Hotel Rio Road. Head downhill and turn right again onto Dean
Martin Drive. When you reach the first stoplight (at Panorama Towers) turn right onto Jerry Lewis Way.
Drive 50 yards and turn left at Aldebaran. You'll reach another stoplight and West Harmon Road. Turn
left and you'll be heading towards the Strip and going over the freeway on Harmon Overpass.
If you are approaching from West Tropicana Avenue then turn left at Polaris Street at the Casino
Wild West and head up to West Harmon Road and then turn right and use the Harmon Overpass.
If you're wanting to go to Aria or Vdara, stay in the right lane, look for the sign and then make a
right-turn into the North Circle, where valet service takes over. If you need to go to The Cosmopolitan
or the Strip just stay in the center lane. Cosmopolitan's entrance is just ahead or you can continue to
the Strip and then turn north or south - use the diagonal veer onto East Harmon Road heading towards
Paradise Road, Hard Rock, Hofbrau House or UNLV's student parking. Turn right, at Paradise, to
reach the airport or left to reach the Convention Center and the Hilton.
This is an eastward-looking view of the same back-entry into City Center and The Cosmopolitan. Rio Hotel
is seen on the left. Turn right onto Hotel Rio Road. Right onto Dean Martin. Right onto Jerry Lewis.
Turn left at Aldebaran. Turn left again at West Harmon. Continue over the overpass. Turn right for Aria.
Go straight to reach The Cosmopolitan and then left into their parking entrance. Or continue to the Strip.
This eastward-looking photo shows the Panorama Towers and the intersection of Aldebaran and West Harmon Road.
The Harmon Overpass that goes above the I-15 Freeway is seen straight ahead. This is a convenient way for
West Vegas residents to approach City Center and The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Plus, in my opinion, is one of
the most beautiful driving-sights that a person can see in all of Las Vegas!
View from West Vegas of the West-Side Approach to Vdara, Cosmopolitan and Aria Hotels.
NEW YEARS EVE AT THE COSMOPOLITAN & ARIA
Jay-Z, Cold Play, Beyonce & EC Twins
1. Midnight Inside the Marquee Club with Jay-Z & Cold Play 2. Beyonce & Chris Martin (Halo),
3. Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub Renderings 4. EC Twins Perform at Aria's Haze Nightclub NYE
Las Vegas Strip 2011 Fireworks Video
HOVER & WAIT HERE FOR 10 SECONDS FOR VIDEO TO APPEAR
8 Minute Video from Channel 8 KLAS CBS Local Las Vegas News
