Not sure if the El Cortez Hotel Downtown Las Vegas was first on the Fremont Street East District, or the Red shoe was. The famous red shoe and the neon dancing lady are just in front of the hotel and I believe that these signs were there since the beginning of Las Vegas times. :)
Anyways, I liked to take the photos of them shining at night. BTW. I uploaded some of these pictures to my Fine Art America gallery, where they are available as art prints. Click on the links to see all the options:
It’s exciting to see the nostalgic look of the classic advertising display framed by light bulbs. The hotel neon sign became itself an icon. Isn’t it?
And here is the glamorous and famous red shoe, decorated with bulbs and glowing on the night sky of the city. I read that the ruby shoe was somehow inspired by the The Wizard of Oz movie. The way it looks on the Fremont Street however, looks more like a cabaret type of design, more appropriate for what Las Vegas is about :)
El Cortez Hotel Downtown Las Vegas is the heart of Fremont Street East
This historic hotel is one of the oldest hotel-casinos in Las Vegas, and has continuously run since 1941 – as stated in the El Cortez official website.
“El Cortez Hotel and Casino has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior 1941″ says the sign.
I really liked the look of the hotel building with its glowing sign and logo at dusk, viewed from the the back. I just noticed it from a parking lot nearby and couldn’t resist to photograph it.
The hotel has been restored, but it maintains it’s authenticity. I really enjoyed seeing this retro decorative artwork on the side of the El Cortez Hotel Downtown Las Vegas. There are quite a few beautiful pieces of mural art decor in this area of Las Vegas. This is just part of the city attractions.
Inside, you can see, feel and even smell the authenticity of this place once you step inside the casino.
… Everything from gambling machines, tables, chairs and decorations look like the way they always have been in the past. Well, if the winning is always questionable, at least you can say that you played at the same gambling table as the gamblers 80 years ago. – Gambling can be pernicious anyway ;)
From here, you can just walk and see all of downtown Las Vegas jewels. Vintage neon signs, the Art District, gourmet restaurants are just a few of them. the Fremont Street Experience is of course one of the most interesting section of the downtown Las Vegas, but that’s another story.
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