New & Noteworthy in Las Vegas

Vegas is only just figuring out that it's a proper city with a fascinating history. After decades of neglect, Downtown and the inner suburbs are getting a revamp as locals and seasonal residents move back, taking advantage of the property bust to snap up gorgeous mid-modern homes and renovate them to their Mad Men era glory. Meanwhile, a series of quirky museums have opened or expanded, showcasing Vegas' unique founding myths. The new Mob Museum is a world-class institution that takes a forensic look at the history of organized crime in America. The Neon Museum, meanwhile, has consolidated and now offers regular tours of its haunting "Neon Boneyard", a display of hundreds of rescued signs from the art form's glory days. If this doesn't appeal, then perhaps you can discover Vegas' best-kept secret, namely: that it's in the middle of a desert of almost hallucinatory beauty. Otherwise, just shut up and do what everyone has always done in Vegas: get wasted and wake up somewhere dubious.