The second part of my personal and biased guide to Las Vegas, working northward on the LV Strip. I will give random thoughts on the hotels/casinos, accompanied by a crappy map I made on Google docs, five places at a time, posted on no set schedule whatsoever. I'll also note what players' club the property uses.
1. New York New York - (MLife) - I like this place a lot, and considered staying here, but since my MLife account has apparently been cancelled, it (and all the MGM properties) were crossed off of my list. I would not have booked here in the end anyway, as the pool is currently closed for construction, and I can't be bothered crossing the street to go for a dip.There is a lot to like at NYNY, they have a great food court with many non-standard options. Nine Fine Irishmen is a pretty good fake Irish pub, the can draw a decent Guinness, which is surprisingly hard to find in LV. Coyote Ugly is a good time, despite also being completely fake. It's Vegas, everything is fake, just go with and have a good time. I like the decor too, it's fun. Good active vibe.
The casino is big and kind of confusing, more than once I've had a hard time finding my way back to LV Blvd. Might be related to the above mentioned well-drawn Guinness, but not entirely. The place is just big and confusing. I haven't dropped too much in the casino here and probably won't in the future, as I once found a semi-rude craps dealer. It's funny how one guy at a craps table can spoil my view of a giant casino, but there it is.
The round bar in the middle is a fun spot to play a little video poker and watch the crowd. The hooker count there, however, is a bit high.
In addition to the regular forms of Vegas-related vice, I'm also a bit of a roller coaster nerd, and the one at NYNY is pretty good. Not the greatest ever, and it has long lines, but it is a good time.
In a town that is almost completely fake, there are two real retired NYFD fire boats in front of the NYNY. For a good while after 9-11, the fence in front of the boats was covered with T-shirts from fire departs from all over the U.S. It was beautiful and I still get choked up thinking about it. 
2. MGM Grand - (MLife) - It's very big and very green. Those are the first thoughts that pop into my head when thinking about the MGM Grand, the flagship property of the company. There is nothing particularly wrong with this place, but it doesn't really do much for me. I wouldn't stay here because the place is just too damn big. Yes, I know, when you are in Vegas it's a long walk anywhere, but just getting around this place is a chore.They have very good restaurants here, but I've never actually eaten at any of them. People love the pool, it has a party vibe and is often recommended as a good pool for kids, both of which mean that it's not a place for me. The beautiful people are all over the place too, club girls, maybe a minor celebrity, and, as the night goes on, the working girls, who often smile at me while I'm sitting at the bar. All are fun to watch for a little while, and over the years I've had a few good bartenders here. I once sat at the small bar right off of the pedestrian bridge, the barman was from Boston too, I was the only one there, we talked about the Red Sox and he told me which girls walking by were club girls, which were cougars on the prowl, and which ones were hookers. I can't tell the difference myself.
I also like the sportsbook here. Nice enough place to watch a game for a while.
Outside of video poker and the sports book, I don't think I've ever gambled here.
The monorail also starts here. The usefulness of the monorail is debatable, bu that's a topic for another day.
3. Monte Carlo - (Mlife) - Another MGM property I might have stayed at if not for my problems with MLife. I actually really like this place, it hits the sweet spot between being pretty nice and unpretentious. I have found five dollar craps tables here in the afternoon before, which is mostly what I play. The buffet is very good and not too pricey, the Pub (it's just called Pub) is good too and has a "non-Vegas" vibe to it. It's nice to sit at a bar once in a while and not have a VP machine in front of you, decent beer selection too. I've been meaning to get to Diablo's Cantina for a while now, as it looks like a fun spot, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe this time.
I guess I just like the layout of the place, it's comfortable for some reason. I wouldn't describe it as downscale, but I never feel like I'm the skunk at the picnic because I'm wearing running shoes. Oh, and I think they go-go dancers are the best looking around. Yes, while in Vegas, I like to oogle go-go dancers. It doesn't make me a bad person.
I have a general plan of walking over here from the PH on my first night in Vegas and sitting at the front bar for a cold beer, some VP, and some people watching before the lack of sleep kicks in.
There is a free tram that runs from the Monte Carlo, through Aria and up to the Bellagio. Great views of the area from the tram.
4. Aria - (MLife) - Boy, this one will be easy, as I've barely spent any time here at all.
It's amazing that this big, new, beautiful place right on the Las Vegas strip is so hard to get to. There is simply no easy way to walk in. It seems that they built it to be driven to rather than walked to from the strip. The logic of that thinking escapes me. If they are trying to keep me and the rest of the hoi-polloi out, they damn sure succeeded. I've walked through the place once, the casino is nice and fancy. Being one of the common people, I had no desire to play a slot machine, have a drink, or do anything else at the Aria. As Judge Smails used to say, "Some people just don't belong." I guess that's me at the Aria.
Having said that, there are a few things that interest me. Todd English's Pub looks very promising, and there is a lot of public art there, and I know there is a self-guided walking tour that I will take one of these days. The buffet consistently gets good reviews, so I might hit it up for breakfast.
I'm afraid the Aria just isn't the place for me.
5. Planet Hollywood (Total Rewards) -
I'm not a shopper, but the Miracle Mile shopping mall attached to PH has some good food and drink options as well. I'll check out Blondies, which gets good reviews as a sports bar. I'm not a cowboy by any stretch, but have sat at PBR Rock Bar before. When I first saw the sign for the place, I thought PBR stood for Pabst Blue Ribbon - like I said, I'm not a cowboy. Good service and you can sit outside and peoplewatch on the strip. Cabo Wabo is there too, but that's not so much my scene.
I know that the crowd at Planet Hollywood might be a bit too hip for me, but, like the hipsters in my neighborhood here in Boston, they will just have to deal with it. I just hope I can get a chair by the pool.
So there are my five for now. Stay tuned, if I live long enough the list will get finished. Eventually.
