Just had to comment on one of the funnier things i've read on here in a while in the comparing San Diego's "urban" areas to LV...now thats a good one lol.

Go off the side streets of the Strip, around Fremont St.or N. Vegas or Boulder Highway at night, i'd say its a just a tad rougher than someone getting a ticket for littering on the beach. I walked from the Sahara down the road to Stratosphere and i seriously thought i was in another country, it was like a zombie wasteland and this was during the day.

ELLIS ISLAND!

I haven't been to LV since 2019, and am excited to go back. I'm staying at Horseshoe for 9 nights during WSOP. I like to get outside and walk, especially in morning, and don't mind the heat too much. I always feel safe walking on The Strip, but sometimes I want to get away from that, and visit Off Strip casinos and restaurants that offer decent values and may be less crowded, or just to clear my head and get a little exercise.

I want to check out Ellis Island and Tuscany (never been to either) for potential video poker and cheap eats. Not too far. Also, if I need to go to the bank, there is a Wells Fargo branch on Howard Hughs Pkwy, 1.8 miles from Horseshoe, and also a few restaurants in that area. Not far, but there are some stretches of empty lots, which typically attract the unsavory elements of a city. Is it safe to walk in that direction? My instinct experience tells me that walking east on Flamingo is relatively safe during daylight hours, but risky at night, or if I have a lot of cash on me.

When I go to The Orleans (I like limit holdem and omaha hi lo cash games, and McMullans Irish Pub across the street), I'll get a ride because that is a long, horrible walk. I originally considered staying at Orleans, but then I found out that they have recent problems with legionella bacteria in the water, which resulted in several guests catching Legionnaires disease. They are telling hotel guests to not use shower, only baths. No thank you! I need to take a proper shower every day without risking my health. I've long been concerned about that sulfury sewage-like odor around that property. Also, the free shuttle no longer conveniently drops off near Linq, but way north at Fashion Island Mall, which is too far. It seems ok to play poker there and wash my hands in sink, but won't stay in the hotel anymore. I wound up getting a decent deal at Horseshoe for only a few buck more, so center strip I will be. Yabba Dabba Doo!

I got pickpocketed during a massive swarm of people watching fireworks in broad daylight last July 4th just in front of Linq, and a guy in my home game got robbed at knifepoint in front of Horseshoe a week after, so advise you keep your money very very secure (and/or don't have much on you walking around) in the very least

I keep most money & other valuables in safe in room. When out walking around, cash is secure in zipped pockets and/or money belt under my pants. Minimal amount in wallet. I tend to mind my own business, walk pretty fast, look like I know where I am going, and avoid eye contact or engaging with shady looking characters. Been living in Northern California for 30+ years, but originally from NY area, and spent lots of time in Manhattan. My NY instincts help me to avoid being an easy target. Of course, I'm screwed if someone holds a knife or gun to my head. So far in life, I've managed to avoid that. May the good luck continue!

Why would a bath be safer than a shower? You're using the same water, just getting longer exposure to it.

i went running a lot last week while staying at the horseshoe. always towards the east. i found it completely harmless and had 0 problems.
of course, it's not the same during the day (and while running) as at night with lots of money on you... so take it fwiw.

but the area between horseshoe and ellis island / tuscany seemed very harmless and it's a quick walk.

>>>Why would a bath be safer than a shower? You're using the same water, just getting longer exposure to it.

It isn't the water itself. It has to do with breathing in aerosols, which emit the legionella bacteria from the pressurized shower. Also, hot tub/jacuzzi jets emit these aerosols. That is as much as i understand. Perhaps someone with a greater science background can elaborate.

Orleans has had thousands of guests every night for weeks since the news that a couple people got sick without anyone else getting sick. I highly doubt the Orleans water is any less safe than any other hotel in Las Vegas

The Orleans has acknowledged the problem with legionella bacteria in the building's plumbing. No other casino in town has had such an issue. Not naive enough to think there couldn't be similar problems at Horseshoe or elsewhere, but there hasn't been any news or public info about any other property, as far as I know.

From what I understand (admittedly very little), most healthy people can process the bacteria without getting sick and showing symptoms, but it is potentially dangerous for the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. I read that this particular bacteria emits a sulfury odor, which I have smelled there many times over the past 10 years during my visits. No reports about any of the old locals who play poker there getting Legionnaires, just a few hotel guests. I realize that most likely I would not get sick if I stayed there, but why take the chance, and/or feel apprehensive about taking a hot shower in Vegas in summer after spending time in smoky casinos? I also realize that no matter what Boyd management says as PR, they are never going to do anything thorough to fix the problem. To do so would cost too much money. They would have to close the building to public for a long time, and spend multi-millions while they lose revenue. Not gonna happen.

The only upside for me staying there is to be upstairs from my favorite cash game poker room, and to be able to get some reasonably priced meals at a few restaurants I like. It used to be a big savings compared to strip hotels, but now the price of the Orleans room + resort fee (for a shitty pool area) is not as cheap as it used to be, and it will only cost a few more bucks to stay at Horseshoe, where I will be playing a few WSOP tournaments.

That's not the first time for Orleans and legionaire

I think I remember the Rio having a lot if reports of that a few years ago, but nothing since then. I wonder what they did to fix the problem. They certainly didn't shut down.

According to this article, in 2017 Rio did a series of disinfections to allegedly remove or lower levels of the legionella bacteria.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/...gas-rio-hotel/

Maybe this is what Orleans plans to do. I'm skeptical that they can actually do this without closing the building to the public for a period of time, tearing through walls, replacing a lot of equipment, and spending a large amount of money on plumbers and other contractors. But I'm no scientist or engineer, just a donkey tourist with some curiosity. Perhaps someone interested who understands this stuff can share an informed opinion or insight.

6 or 7 years ago, while staying at The Orleans during WSOP, I walked to the Rio to play a tournament, and a few hours later when that didn't work out well, I walked to the strip, all during daylight hours. I didn't feel unsafe between Orleans and Rio, but it was an unpleasant walk, partly because I smelled a similar sulfury sewage smell at various places along the way . I wonder if there is something widespread messed up in the water systems in that area west of the freeway. The walk to strip from Rio was also unpleasant, because the freeway overpass smelled like piss and garbage, and was full of vagrants. I won't be doing either such walk again in the future.

Yeah, that's what I was remembering. It was first being reported right before the WSOP that year and people were wondering if it was safe to stay there. It seems like they did their disinfecting without tearing things up and closing down anyway. And it must have helped as there weren't any significant number of reports made if the following years.

7 years ago I lived about a year right in that area; part of it just a few blocks from the Rio. I would often walk to Bellagio and occasionally to Orleans. I don't remember any significant smells. Honestly don't remember any vagrants between the Rio and Bellagio either. I would occasionally see people in the area around the tunnels south of Rio, where the homeless are known to live. I stopped walking during the summer in the daytime though, because it was way too hot. The heat may have brought out the piss and garbage smells.

Have you ever been to San Diego? It’s not all surfing and beaches. They have a fair number of gangs and cartel activity. There are good and bad parts of every city.

Been there multiple times and am aware of the gangs and cartel activity but comparing SD to Las Vegas is a very long stretch is all im saying. Obviously every city has its bad areas but I think comparing bad parts of say Bel-Air compared to the bad parts of Detroit aren't gonna be in the same ball park lol.

I did a quick search and your post was the first mention of Detroit.

FWIW, I've run all over LV. I think characterizing it as "seedy" is appropriate, but it doesn't seem any more dangerous than any other major city.

Bel Air is part of LA. You’re selecting an elite enclave of a major urban area and comparing it to the whole of Detroit? You should be comparing the bad parts of LA to the bad parts of Detroit.

I get that yes it stacks up as dangerous as any other major city, my comment was strictly based upon whoever commented above saying San Diego is the same as LV.

Vegas? Even outside the Strip, Vegas feels extremely save to me compared to major cities in the Midwest and South.

Google shows me roughly 22 homicides a year per 100k population for Vegas. The city where I lived until last year was almost 50% above that and is generally considered pretty save outside a specific part of town.

I believe the Vegas metro area has higher rates of property crime and very reckless driving than most similar sized cities. Car insurance is very expensive there for those reasons. But I believe homicide rates and personal attacks like rapes and muggings are no more common than in other cities, and much less common in the parts of the cities frequented by tourists.
There are definitely some parts of town where I would not want to live, but I never felt unsafe walking around even the seedier parts of town.

just out of curiosity, what areas of the city that tourists dont go to are more dangerous?

this area is all pretty ghetto.
the areas around Arizona Charlies are also pretty sketchy