Downtown ZEN - April 2014 by DowntownZEN

APRIL 2014

ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE

Editor-in-Chief Loren Becker

Managing Editors

Michael Boley, Mandy Crispin

Contributing Writers

Brian Paco Alvarez, Loren Becker, Michael Boley, Temple Brathwaite, Mandy Crispin, Matthew Dunsmoor, Angelina Fadool, Karina Giraldo, Joanna Mueller

Serial Artist Evelyn Lee

Calendar & Events Mikela Lee-Manaois

Photography

Matt Wong, Karina Giraldo, Max Bangora Downtown ZEN Team, UNLV Special Collections, Las Vegas News Bureau

Art Director

Ryan Brekke (BullFish Media)

Graphic Designer

Crystal Torres (BullFish Media)

Web Design

Michael Boley Cover:

Concept

Mandy Crispin

Production and Direction

Max Bangora, Ryan Brekke, Mandy Crispin

Logo Design

Fernando Cabestany

*Special thanks to the El Cortez Hotel & Casino* Printer:

Jackpot Printing 702.873.1902 | www.jackpotprintinglv.com

Letter From the Editors In late 2010, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh announced he’d be moving company headquarters from Henderson to a dilapidated downtown Las Vegas. To begin familiarizing and aiding employees with this transition from suburbia, in April 2012, ZEN Editor-in-Chief Loren Becker jumped on the opportunity and fired up a Microsoft Publisher file, gathered content, and designed a 10-page Zappos Employee Newsletter featuring downtown businesses, upcoming events, a brief synopsis on the company’s impending relocation, and an exclusive sit-down interview with Mayor Carolyn Goodman. Over the next several months, Loren and Zappos’ Downtown Team would take on additional newsletter responsibilities, transforming this paper pamphlet into a full-color, copy and image-heavy booklet. Throughout 2013 and transitioning into 2014, the Zappos Employee Newsletter would turn over a new leaf by adding key contributors and making incredible strides in content, photography, and design while simultaneously building and rebranding the publication as the Downtown ZEN, Vegas’ only communityspecific downtown boutique magazine. It’s now been two years since we dropped onto the scene, so it’s only natural to dedicate this as our two-year anniversary issue! Whether you’ve been an avid reader since the beginning or this is your first flip-through, our managing editors are spoiling you with their handpicked best of the best feature and specialty articles and front covers. It’s been a whirlwind of a journey thus far, and we’re ecstatic to see what the future holds for us, and downtown Las Vegas. Thanks for your continued support!

Email: DowntownZEN@zappos.com

Like:

www.facebook.com/ZapposDowntownHappenings

Follow on Instagram: #dtzen

Read online:

www.dtZEN.com

- Downtown ZEN team

table of

CONTENTS

Features

Philosophy ‘N’ Phluff

Events & Entertainment

27 39 23

37 About the Cover This month’s cover was inspired by the artwork of Maurits Cornelis (M.C.) Escher. As a graphic artist, he is known the world over for his surreal drawings, such as “Hand with Reflecting Sphere” (1935) and “Relativity” (1953). We took a note from him and turned the Cabana Suites at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino twisted. Take a look, and you will be taking a trip down memory lane … and taking a trip into the minds of downtown’s artists of all kinds.

DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER

By: Loren Becker

APRIL 2012

ISSUE #1

Q&A

7 Questions with Mayor Carolyn Goodman

~ What will you miss the most at the "old City Hall"? A: The old City Hall was where all of the amazing projects that are now coming to fruition got their start. Many important decisions and discussions occurred in the council chambers at 400 Stewart Ave. For me personally it will always have a special place in my heart because that is where my husband went to work every day for 12 years, a place where all of his fascinating memorabilia came to rest and intrigue visitors, and of course a place I really enjoyed occupying for the brief first eight months of my tenure as mayor. ~ What are you happy to leave behind from the "old City Hall"? A: I certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the broken blinds or rattling air conditioning in my office. ~ What is the coolest thing about the "new city hall"? A: The new City Hall benefits all of our constituents by reducing the energy costs that the city pays thanks to the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustainable design. City Hall created more than 1,800 jobs during construction and is part of our overall economic development plan for the city. Convenience is another benefit that the new City Hall offers, as the building is located in close proximity to the courts and other government buildings. It really is a building that our residents can be proud of. The hand-inglove aspect about the building is that it clears the way for Zappos to move into the old City Hall. This is a perfect marriage that is just beginning, a real public-private partnership! ~ The "new city hall" is beautifully lit up at night. What is the story behind the amazing lights on the building? A: The LED lights on the outside of the building are quite spectacular and add to the overall uniqueness of it. We are the city of Las Vegas and we should have a City Hall that represents our great city and the people who live here. Around the world Las Vegas is known for being the Entertainment Capital of the World and for its neon lights. Thus I like to think of the lights on the outside of the building as a small ode to our fabulous city of Las Vegas. 03

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DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER

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Q&A ~ Be honest; is Oscar jealous he didn’t get to move into the "new City Hall"? A: I am the one who really felt sad for him. He’s been a brave old soul that he could not occupy the office he and Howard Elkus designed specifically for “the mayor.” The mayor’s area comes replete with a magnificent office, a pressconference room, a reception area and a balcony designed for an occasional cigar and celebrations with dignitaries who visit our fabulous city. The views are extraordinary and Symphony Park is the focal piece along with the Frank Gehry designed Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. Luckily for Oscar, he has a pretty good relationship with the current mayor so maybe he’ll get a chance to visit the balcony for a cigar now and then. ~ The Smith Center just opened; what show are you most looking forward to seeing? A: The Smith Center is a remarkable and grand structure easily comparable to the finest theaters and performing arts venues in the world. Growing up in Manhattan, I was immersed in culture as a necessary part of life, so I am extremely excited to be awaiting the debuts of Broadway shows, ballet, opera, orchestral groups, performers, jazz musicians, soloists and others as they visit our city to perform. ~ Any final words of advice for Zappos team members as we get closer to moving into our new home? A: My advice is to continue to build on the momentum and the great energy that has been started downtown. Use your ideas, imagination and creativity to help push this city to be all that it can and should be. You are part of today and all of the tomorrows doing just that, and I have all the confidence in the world that you will be an enormous driving force in the city of Las Vegas for years to come. Welcome to the city of Las Vegas! ISSUE 25

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Issue Date: August 2012

Issue Date: September 2012

From February 2013, take a trip down memory lane with us and the Spa at the Golden Nugget, one of our most treasured partners in crime. Get luxurized. Boom.

The Golden Nugget Has a Little Gem By Mandy Crispin Right upstairs from the hustle and bustle of the gambling floor at the Golden Nugget, the chatter of its visitors, and whizzing traffic of Fremont Street, is Courtney Taylor’s oasis-like play space. Referring to herself as “the spa girl,” Courtney hails from New Jersey via UNLV’s hospitality college, has opened several spas in Las Vegas, and is on the board of the Las Vegas Spa Association (LVSA). She’s been the spa director at the Golden Nugget for five years. Courtney and her team go through boxes of products and see what works. Each treatment on the menu is unique to the spa.

The reception desk is nicely decorated, but then I walked into the actual spa lobby. All mirrors and mirrored doors, this space operates as a central hub to different areas of service. Quiet workers swiftly going here and there and in and out from behind what seemed like the walls were like ghosts. There’s no need for a do not disturb sign here. All employees speak in hushed voices and pleasantly calm rhythms, and as I was guided from one therapist to another I felt a bit as though I had entered some kind of dreamland where my fuzzy-brained head had only to find the next warm place to lie down and relax again.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes: Organic Soothing Massage

The organic aromatherapy massage was a real treat. Attention to detail was what set the experience apart. Each massage room is equipped with a sink, and the therapist washed his hands before beginning. As an additional perk, this made his hands warm, and that made me happy.

The pedi: Red Velvet Pedicure

I’m the kind of girl who looks for a deal — the last time I had a pedicure at a real spa was for a special occasion in 2008. But the $20 joints have their drawbacks … like club toe. 07

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I like a French manicure not because it has “French” in the name, as if I would suddenly become très chic if I got one, but because it’s supposed to look clean, pretty, and elegant in an understated but touch-of-glimmer kind of way: i.e., the little white line is supposed to be little, not thick — thick results in an awkward set of huge-looking toes. Lisa, my pedicurist, finally got it. I think I’m sold on paying the extra little bit of money to get it right and get something that lasts.

Head and shoulders above the rest: Absolute Pearl Brightening Facial

Since, as I’ve pointed out, I’m usually not down to spend a lot, I’ve never tried a facial. It just seemed like too much hard-earned cash to pay someone to lather my face with cucumber cream (I can do that for ten bucks myself). After this spa treatment, I am a facial convert. First, Jessica, my spa artist as I’ve taken to calling her, blasted me with steam and removed my make-up as I lazily sat back on the heated massage table (talk about pampered). The whole time I wondered exactly what kind of vegetable was covering my eyes, but it turned out they were cotton rounds soaked in ice-cold water. Next was a lathering involving several steps followed by an exfoliation and then more slathering and lathering. A face massage (yes. a face massage), and neck, shoulders, arms, ISSUE 25

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hands, and scalp massages followed all as I basked in the moisturizer, warmth, and nearly fell away to sleep. Attention to detail, which is very nearly core value number 11 for me, is apparent throughout the spa. Here I was, standing near the shower after being massaged ten different ways, slathered, lathered, clipped, painted and lotioned some more, looking like medusa gone all wrong, standing there, wondering how I was going to put my clothes on without ruining them with all this (lovely) gunk on me. A hair tie so I could take a quick rinse would have done the trick, but I didn’t think to bring one. Alas, there was an assortment of baskets with courtesy items in them, including one with hair ties. The showers are stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash, fresh, soft towels and personal one-time-use bath mats. Everything was so very clean and professional, but the ambiance was that of a splendid home bathroom where everything you need is at your fingertips — no need to haul everything back and forth. And for shy ladies, there is even a changing room. I say, it’s super easy to get downtown and try out this experience for yourself, so what are you doing sitting here with me? Get on the phone and schedule yourself some spa time so you’re fresh on Valentine’s Day, or any day!

Downtown ZEN

Fully equipped cardiovascular and weight training room

Spa at the Golden Nugget Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino 129 E. Fremont St. Las Vegas, NV 89101 702.386.8186

10 Spa Treatment Rooms 3 Pedicure Spas

Spa and Gym Hours 6 amâ&#x2C6;&#x2019;8 pm (7 days a week)

2 Manicure Stations

Locals discount, 7 days a week, is 20% (All Products and Services); for special employee pricing see the Wiki. For additional information contact Courtney Taylor ctaylor@goldennugget.com

Whirlpool, Steam, Sauna, Locker Room Facilities

3 Hair Stations 2 Make-up Artists Spray Tanning

Product Lines:

Comfort Zone, Skinceuticals, Kevin Murphy, Enjoy, Moroccan Oil, Clairsonic, NuFACE, OPI, Primal Elements, Farmhouse Fresh, Sara Happ, Mud Pie and More!

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Issue Date: October 2012

Selah: An Art Salon

Selah: An Art Salon was one of my favorite interviews ever. Daria and Sabrina’s brave and pioneering spirits inspired me, and I also truly believe in their mission. From exactly one year ago, the April 2013 issue, here is an excerpt from one of my most relaxed and heartening interviews so far.

Selah, Serendipity, and Our Dirty Little Secret

By Mandy Crispin Daria Riley and Sabrina Cofield: Daria was teaching for College of Southern Nevada (CSN) and trying to figure out how she could fit creativity into her life fulltime. She said that the gifts we have are “sometimes overlooked because they come so easy to us, so we take those for granted.” She said, “For years [art] was something I enjoyed doing, but I majored in English in college and rolled my eyes at the studio art majors because that’s what I really wanted to do, but I thought, ‘what are you going to do with that?’” She always painted and drew, but it was never anything that was considered something to make a living at. When her husband got relocated to Flagstaff, Ariz. for a job, she resigned from her teaching position and took up doing art in their home, but a chain of events is never complete without the kicker. Her husband’s job didn’t work out. They came back to Vegas just four months after having left, Daria with a concept for a whole new lifestyle and a set of ideas about what life could be (for everyone). A chain of events is never complete without a blessing in disguise. “I don’t know where Tony Hsieh and all the cowork space happened while I was gone,” she laughed as she noted she was only gone a short time. She started sharing her ideas with friends, and the idea fit right in with the coworking concept for downtown. Sabrina agreed right away and happened to be in a position to make a career transition, so as part of Daria’s vision, she decided she had to save Sabrina from a life of scraping plaque and pulling teeth. Now what they are doing is healing and energizing the creative cavity of people around her and helping to build a happier and healthier community. 11

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Sabrina added another facet to the concept of Selah with her contribution to the conversation after the bewildered exclamation, “I don’t draw!”. Sabrina was a television reporter and producer in high-intensity, rapid turnaround programming: the news. As we all know, the news can be depressing, so she began doing acting, hosting, and spokesperson (on-camera) work, and then some theater type things. She admitted, also, that she’s “kind of a closet interior designer.” Amongst more laughter (these two are so fun), Sabrina pointed out that “again, it’s one of those things where you don’t realize the importance of your creativity until you try to start stifling it, and then you just realize how important it is to your happiness and to having peace. It balances everything else out in your life if you have a creative outlet. And that’s what Daria has helped to teach me. I was on my way to apply to dental school. I thought I’d go to dental school, and it’ll be a good living and the safe route. It’s so interesting because a lot of people think ‘oh my gosh dental school — it’s so hard,’ but that, to me, is my easy route. It’s a written route. It has a plan. This is the scary route. Even though it’s what I love, and we’re having a great time, we’re terrified!” Go forth and be brave, people. Who is an artistic person? What about people who say they aren’t “creative”? Daria: We believe everybody is born creative, and people say that all the time, and it’s like, didn’t you color in kindergarten? You were pretty proud of your drawings in kindergarten. Hugh MacLeod wrote ‘Ignore Everybody,’ and one thing he says is that we are all born creative, and at some point in our adulthood we look for avenues for someone to give us our crayons back, dtZEN.com

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and that’s basically what Selah is here to do: give people their crayons back.” What does a creative person look like and act like? Daria: It manifests itself in so many ways, but we have to recognize that there’s a reason why you dress yourself a certain way every day; there’s a reason why the food you serve to your [family] is displayed on the plate a certain way — all of those are manifestations of creativity.” Sabrina: I think we tend to downplay. A lot of times a lot of us are creative at whatever it is that comes easy to us, so we downplay the significance of it. Even with producing TV news: it came very easy to me to create the look of the show, and to do the opening, and make sure the graphics all got done right. It all came very easy, and I would have never considered it creative; it was just my job. It was just what I did, so I tended to downplay it. Everything that we do, anything that helps you to express yourself, those inner ideas, that is all creative.” Sabrina said the portal for Selah is to, “Tap into what they enjoy. Say they enjoy cooking. Then you’ll discover that this person is an amazing painter, or she is an amazing illustrator, so sometimes it’s just a matter of tapping in: ‘Ok, what do you love? You love fashion, let’s figure out something with that,’ or ‘you’re obsessed with magazines, fine. Let’s start with that and see where it takes us,’ and you might be really surprised that you are a poet, or you are a yoga instructor. It’s just interesting to see what they’re interested in, and it might take them to a whole new place.”

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This is another facet that makes Selah and these ladies’ philosophy on the art experience: it’s not about “artists” — it’s about all people and all art forms. Sabrina learned that she has been doing art all along. The trick was to realize it. And how Daria recalls her pathway into art exemplifies this overall principle and makes the atmosphere so nonthreatening. She said so simply, “I learned how to take a good picture.” At Selah, “art” is not something only “artists” do.

Daria “It’s just doing things to focus on what your passion is. If we don’t know what it is, uncovering it; if we know what it is, remembering it. […] So it’s bigger than doing ‘art.’” Selah defines itself by a few choice words. One is Selah, which means to stop and listen. Another is salon: a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host. Retreat: a place affording peace, quiet or privacy. The last is spa: a place providing therapeutic healing; a place providing relaxation or invigoration. The last word is the probably the most telling. We all know when we need a massage, but what about when we need some inspiration? For more information, go to www.selahlv.com. Selah is located in the BLVDS house at 509 S. Seventh Street Las Vegas, NV 89101

Downtown ZEN

Champagne isn’t just for special occasions. But, if you really need something to toast, here are a few thought-starters. Happy Hour · Betting on Black · Betting on Red · Betting on Anything High Heels · Learning to Tango · Neon · Dressing Up · Dressing Down Front Row · Making An Entrance · Not Needing A Reason

CHEERS.

FOR MORE INFO, CHECK OUT ELCORTEZHOTELCASINO.COM/ZAPPOS 600 E. Fremont St. Las Vegas, NV 89101 | 800.634.6703 | 702.385.5200

This was my very first article for the ZEN. Charles Best had just spoke at the Zappos All Hands about this important initiative to help teachers get the supplies they need to meet their goals. The way he presented his company to listeners was as innovative as his approach to financial charitable donations, and hysterically entertaining.

Donors Choose

By Mandy Crispin

Who says that no good ever comes out of a little bribery and white liery with a creamy rumory center? At the last All Hands, Charles Best gave a talk about DonorsChoose.org. Act 1, Scene 1 took place in April of 2000 at a Bronx high school where this crafty history teacher (Mr. Best) was spending his own money on school supplies. So were his colleagues. So the forward-thinking rascal sketched out a website where teachers could post classroom project requests â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and where anyone with $5 could be a philanthropist. Everybody loves a win/win, right? Then, in a stroke of mad genius, he bribed his colleagues with baked goods (sound familiar?). He got his colleagues to post 10 projects, but Best didn't know many donors, so he then proceeded to lie to his colleagues. He anonymously funded those projects himself. I know. *Gasp!* Because their projects were funded, his colleagues thought that the website actually worked, and the rumor spread: more teachers started posting more projects. Flash forward to the Pearl at the Palms, 2012, Q4 All Hands meeting when Best asked who in the room could remember having their lives touched by a special 15

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teacher. There was an audible chuckle from the crowd in response to the observation that all of us had raised our hands. Who hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t? Teachers take care of us six hours a day, every day, through 12 formative years. They are the surrogate parents of every generation. Every child will be inspired by at least one teacher who takes the project of learning to the next level by responding seriously (and sometimes goofily) to what kids need and making the job personal. Think about it. Which interaction with a teacher put the wind in your sails that gave impetus to pursuing your passions? This is the beauty of the project. No matter what you like, what you support, what you think is an important influence on the future leaders of this world, DonorsChoose.org pairs up your support with a teacher who needs supplies for a project that relates to these interests. DonorsChoose.org by the numbers today:

Dollars raised: $158,071,265 Projects funded: 318,368 Students helped: 7,975,457 Schools participating: 46,097 Teachers with projects funded: 132,822 dtZEN.com

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In March 2011, Fast Company published its annual ranking of the “50 Most Innovative Companies in the World.” Among the ranks were Apple, Facebook, Google, Nike, General Electric … and DonorsChoose. org! It’s the first time a charity made that list. With street cred like this you can say they are keeping some pretty impressive company, and you will be too when you choose a project to support. Let’s aim for 100 percent participation with our gift cards as an outlet to express ourselves and shape the future! (Besides, we don’t want to be outdone by Google’s participation percentage — even though we heart them.) Some projects Zapponians have already funded with their $10 gift cards are: Is That Magic? Nope, Even Better! It's Science!; No Stands? … Just Hold the Music with your Hands; Sound It Out!; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens; Reading in Style; and Dictionaries for Discovery. You can read more about how it works by visiting www. donorschoose.org/about

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In case you need help deciding, here is a map of the area schools in downtown Las Vegas that have projects posted to the site.

Update as of March 2014: Dollars raised: $231.5 million Projects funded: 439,000 Students helped: 11.1 million Schools participating: 54,600 Teachers with projects funded: 180,900 DonorsChoose.org has made Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in the World” list before, and they just made it again last month — this time they were #9 and also made the cover!

Downtown ZEN

Bolt Barbers:

Life’s journey is far from coasting worry-free on the PCH. Instead, it’s a tangled mess of on-ramps and exits, dead-ends and U-turns, but in the end the road inevitably leads you to where you are destined to be. The same can be said for “Mohawk” Matt Berman, owner of Bolt Barbers and featured in the July 2013 edition of the Downtown ZEN.

A guy’s "third" place

itting and spinning alongside the entrance of every quaint, eclectic barber shop of times past and present is a revolving pole rich in meaning. Its motioning, uneven waves of red, white, and blue signify a tried and true brotherhood that permeates the soul of any bloke willing to experience it. Inside this cauldron of testosterone is the galvanizing familiarity of musky products, humming trimmers, and the collaborative conversations between barber and patron. Emulating this modern sanctuary is the unique, and not to be outdone, Bolt Barbers. Although fairly new to the scene, Bolt Barbers’ hybrid business model emanates the old-fashioned past with the new-school cool of men’s hair trimming, styling, and shaving. What started in 2009 in Southern California will soon open inside downtown Vegas’ Container Park.

By Michael Boley

“

To understand a man, you must know his memories. –Sir Anthony Quayle

”

Founder Matt Berman self-identifies himself as “Mohawk Matt” and has done so since procuring his first professional haircut nearly four years ago. At 15, Matt always dreamed of opening his own barbershop. Just as well, he had envisioned the reinvention of the entire experience of men’s hairstyling by adding bowling, shuffleboard, and root beer within his workspace. But Matt’s family expected more of him. Barbering was frowned upon and considered blue-collar work that held little value, and Matt was destined for success and greatness. As the years faded and the innocence of youth fleeted, Matt set his dream aside and, like all teens must do, he grew up. Following life’s path, Matt studied liberal arts, journalism, and advanced business management in New York and Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, Matt accepted a job and travelled far and wide as an international marketer for consumer products juggernaut Procter & Gamble. He quickly climbed the ranks of several prominent businesses marketing varied products from fragrances and eye contacts to eventually becoming the vice president and managing director of Danone baby products. Tiring of the

corporate scene, Matt moved from Europe to Los Angeles and invested in an organic baby formula business, choosing, instead, a more entrepreneurial lifestyle. However, with a sluggish economy and a weakened interest in the company, Matt struggled to keep his failing investment afloat. And with that, Matt’s personal life took a hit and a midlife crisis ensued. “The reality is, the higher I rose and the longer I stayed, the less happy I became. It really took the trigger of the separation and filing for divorce with my ex that I really decided to reassess what my life was really about and what were the drivers going forward that were going to provide happiness. It wasn’t just, in my case, the marriage that was unsuccessful — it was my whole life that was kind of unhappy, and I really felt I was very much just on the wrong career track.” With his back against the wall and needing something to do with his time, Matt reevaluated owning a barbershop and decided it was either now or never to chase down his elusive dream.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” –Henry Ford In 2008, Matt attended the Real Barbers College in Anaheim, Calif. Juxtaposed in a highly urbanized and widely diversified area surrounded by senior homes, a youth military academy, a private pre-K learning center, and ethnically enriched Anaheim High School, the Real Barbers College had an expansive range of Latino, African-American, and Caucasian clientele and was the central reason for Matt’s enrollment. With different races come different hair types: fine, coarse, straight, curly, thick, and thin. And with different types of hair comes different hairstyles: military, crew, fade, high top, Mohawk, and brush cut. As Matt continued to get the training he needed and his broadening knowledge of hair trimming and fading continued, he envisioned his own barbershop to be similarly represented. “I really liked the diversity that was being offered and the function of [Real Barbers College’s] location, and I always felt Bolt would

be based on strong diversity: a real cultural and ethnic melting pot of dudes coming in to get their hair cut.” Matt received his barber’s license in July 2009 and opened Bolt Barbers four months later in November. From its inception, this wasn’t going to be any run-of-the-mill haircutter, and it started with a name. According to Matt, many barbershops are either named after the owner or types of haircuts, but he believes they are overly simplistic for branding. Bolt is memorable and captures the essence of the attraction and amenities offered, said Matt.

“At Bolt, everyone is on the same level. It really doesn’t matter who you are or what you do.”

As his shop gained traction and appeal, Matt opened two more locations and dubbed it as a “third place” for boys and men: a place where guys can go to chill out, relax, and get away from the constraining everyday hassles and stresses of work and school. Getting a quality haircut, according to Matt, was no longer going to be an errand, but, instead, an experience. In addition to shearing heads, Bolt offers its L.A. clientele facial shaves as well as belt, equipment, and shoe shines. Aiming to trail blaze yet traditionalize barbering, in August 2012 Matt and his crew launched the world’s first vintage mobile barbershop aboard an all-aluminum 1954 Spartan travel trailer. As a special promotion to students, on Thursdays, the trailer travels to the University of Southern California (USC) campus for “Trojan Thursday” and cruises SoCal to attend corporate and community events. With the catching of fire of an organic, wordof-mouth marketing campaign and loyal customer base, Matt and Bolt Barbers seized the opportunity to open its fourth location centralized in the budding scene of downtown Las Vegas. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” –Peter Drucker In October, Bolt Barbers will set up shop at the southern end of the Container Park, anchoring 19

as a picturesque backdrop to Carson Avenue and Seventh Street in the form of a restored box car and caboose. The two structures will sit adjacent to each other and will portray different eras of barbering nostalgia.

At its core, Bolt Barbers doesn’t align with nationwide hair salons … and it doesn’t pretend to. The prices will be slightly higher, but the experience will be richer with handcrafted, authentic hair products, such as beer shampoo and conditioner, cock grease pomade, and shaving soap not found at local retailers. In addition, men will receive cuts from their male counterparts. “If you’re a guy and you want a haircut that accentuates your guyness, a barber is almost always going to be better equipped, particularly with shorter hair, to perform that task than a cosmetologist. A barber is more familiar with clippers, more familiar with creating angularity — which is what defines a man’s physique — than a cosmetologist who’s not as familiar with skills such as tapering and razoring.”

The caboose, according to Matt, will replicate an old-fashioned, turn of the 19th century look but of a modern feel with solid hickory flooring, copper sinks, antique 1890s brass and wood chairs, and a waiting area featuring refurbished, fold-down art deco seats. The box car will characterize the era of the 1950s with a black and grey interior design, diamond plated flooring and backbar, and upholstered Chevy Bel Air chairs reminiscent of the time period. To appease the 21st century clientele with modern technology, each structure will be fixed with large plasma television screens and a built-in music system. Downtown ZEN

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Bolt’s successes have catapulted them onto the national stage, and it has been featured on “America Now,” “Razor Tales,” and Ashton Kutcher’s Thrash Lab segment “The New Wave of Barbershops.” To say the least, Matt and his followers are ecstatic about the business and its future. “It’s not just us who are excited and looking to be a part of Las Vegas, our customers in L.A. are freakin’ thrilled about what’s happening in Las Vegas […] and they very much want to be a part of that.”

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Issue Date: November 2012

Issue Date: December 2012

In March 2013, I had the pleasure of meeting and writing about Anthony Alegrete, founder of the heartwarming and inspirational nonprofit organization, the Jump for Joy Foundation (J4JF). With childhood obesity on the rise, Alegrete is on the move to get kids active by combining healthy eating and team sports with guest speaking professional athletes.

Jump for Joy Foundation

Implements Services for Success By Michael Boley

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welve-year-old Jeremiah Johnson hasn’t had it easy. It seems at such a young age everything has gone against him as he faces a multitude of challenges in a seemingly neglectful world. Jeremiah grows up in a low-income single-family home on the north side of town with his mother and younger brother. His father has been incarcerated since he was three.

Jeremiah is a completely fictional character, and this storyline was grossly exaggerated. However, the examples above are all-too familiar for hundreds of kids across the Las Vegas valley. Whether it’s family instability or financial difficulties, many Las Vegas parents don’t have the resources or outreach to allow their children to participate in a fully functional, healthy lifestyle.

Each morning, as Jeremiah saunters from his school’s front entrance to the nurse’s station, he is greeted by fellow classmates and teachers smiling “good morning.” Today, the main nurse is out sick, but nonetheless he allows the backup to administer his daily insulin. Jeremiah is a type two diabetic and nearly 25 pounds obese; he has been overweight since he was two.

However, one man and his team of volunteers and ambassadors downtown are in the process of making a significant change.

At lunch, he eats government subsidized school meals. French fries and pizza are on the menu today — any young boy’s dream, but his plate must be carefully balanced with the right amount fruits and vegetables. Upon feverishly eating with friends, Jeremiah and classmates maximize their allotted 15 minutes of recess: barely enough time to start a game of tag, but enough to where he gets winded. After the final bell and the school day ends, Jeremiah walks a few blocks home past a chain link fence as other similarly aged children field grounders in one of the after-school programs — something Jeremiah has always wanted to do, but he knows his mother can’t afford. Instead, upon return to his room, he drops his book bag and secludes himself with video games until his mother returns with a fast-food dinner.

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Located at 1201 S. Commerce Street inside the rugged exterior of Real Results Fitness, you will find Anthony Alegrete confined between file cabinets and computer monitors besieged by paperwork. Alegrete is the founder and executive director of the Jump for Joy Foundation (J4JF) — a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting free active and healthy lifestyles to southern Nevada’s youth with three areas of service: Activity Based Hobbies or Interests (ABHI), Camp J.U.M.P., and T.E.A.M. research. Upon meeting, the passion and determination to build J4JF can be seen in Alegrete’s eyes and heard in his up-tempo voice. It’s obvious this man cares about what he is doing. Rooted from the inner-city of Los Angeles, Alegrete grew up in a less than desirable situation. After occasional run-ins with the judicial system in his youth and twenties, Alegrete reformed his life and way of thinking, prompting his move to Las Vegas in 2008. Downtown ZEN

In 2011, upon winning the Governor’s Cup — a panel-judged, high-prize award given to select UNLV business students who demonstrate a high-level entrepreneurial spirit — Alegrete and esteemed fitness trainer Branden Collinsworth, who he met two years prior through numerous workout sessions intermingled collaboration efforts, wanted to build a dream centered on fitness; thus the J4JF was created. “We did this straight for the community. Branden had a passion for fitness, and I had a passion to help underserved kids,” said Alegrete. “I personally came from the underserved community … where there were never any of these great programs.” J4JF was first implemented in May 2010 when Alegrete and Collinsworth partnered with a North Las Vegas school’s gym class. In order to keep an interest in exercise to more than 700 kindergarten through eighth grade children, the two implemented circuit stations based on the concepts of mind, body, and soul. Within each 12-minute circuit, children became masters of breathing techniques, created makeshift stress balls, rolled tires, and danced to hip-hop music. Following the successful event, Alegrete and school administrators planned on regularly scheduled Camp J.U.M.P weekends. However, due to miscommunication between both parties, Alegrate’s team had only two days to scramble and assemble at a new location. In what was supposed to be a grand event, the first official Camp J.U.M.P. was displaced 15 miles away at Willows Park; only three children showed. “It didn’t put our spirits down … As long as we’re helping one kid, that’s all that really matters,” said Alegrete. “It was probably one of the best camps we’ve had because it was so intimate. We even got the parents involved.”

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Showing resilience and ability to innovate, Alegrete printed more flyers for upcoming camps while further branding its core mission through ABHI . “The Jump for Joy Foundation believes that if a child gets exposed to a hobby, such as dance, baseball football, basketball, soccer, yoga, and they like it and becomes an interest for them, they’re going to do it for life,” said Alegrete. According to the J4JF’s press kit, the ABHI strategy “successfully changes obesity norms with children by exposing them to physical fitness, nutrition, and positive psychology through influential role models” while also fitting within the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) MAPPS model. With the majority of J4JF’s children being underserved and coming from low-income families, the foundation exposes them to Camp J.U.M.P. where teachers and athletes, known as ambassadors, volunteer to participate and speak to children ages 6-17, encouraging them to remain active and curate a healthy lifestyle. Such notable ambassadors have included UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar, pro BMX rider Ricardo Laguna, retired NFL player Gerard Lawson, professional boxer Lonnie Smith, and hiphop legend Steffan Clemente. “That’s our whole niche — raw and edgy. We’re not a corporate nonprofit,” said Alegrete. “We make it fun and cool for kids to be active, healthy, and fit. That’s what the whole Jump for Joy foundation is about.”

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Due to its unorthodox nature and countless public exposure and support, within its first four months Camp J.U.M.P. exponentially grew in participants, and by the end of summer 2010 the J4JF implemented a board of directors, created its bylaws, and officially became a registered nonprofit organization. Since J4JF’s inception two and a half years ago, Alegrete and his team of volunteers have held over 100 sport-themed Camp J.U.M.P. events, such as “Tackling Obesity,” “Dunk on Obesity,” and “Dance against Obesity,” while helping more than 4,000 children create a healthier lifestyle. The facts regarding obesity need to be taken seriously as many social scientists, doctors, and fitness professionals agree with the poverty to obesity correlation. In 2007, a national survey of 400,000 children showed obesity rates increased by 10 percent for all U.S. children aged 10-17, but increased 23 percent for low-income children during the same time period, according to the Food Research and Action Center. Furthermore, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Las Vegas ranked first among the 50 largest U.S. cities with the biggest increase in child poverty rate between 2005 and 2011 at 81 percent. Jacksonville, Fla. was a distant second with a 63 percent increase. Through the use of positive psychology, Alegrete and Collinsworth came up with the concept of T.E.A.M. (Train, Enhance and Motivate) to target this segment of adolescents due to its unfortunate national and local statistics. T.E.A.M. is a research and development program backed by scientific data to prevent childhood obesity based on fitness, ISSUE 25

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nutrition, and positive psychology. Throughout this free 12week program, youth ages 10-17 are given the opportunity to build relationships with brand ambassadors as they participate in 36 fitness sessions, 12 nutrition classes, and 12 positive psychology workshops. “Our program isn’t just about fitness … It’s about a complete transformation where we incorporate anti-bullying, going to college, mentorship, eating right, working out, playing sports, and just being an overall better child to your parent.” In combination with T.E.A.M., the J4JF has made it their responsibility to donate financial aid and grants to families of the underserved in Las Vegas that live below the poverty line, are non-English speakers, and don’t have readily available access to fitness facilities and nutritional programs to be able to participate in ABHI like sports and dance programs. With continued success of community outreach and a growing number of participants, Alegrete said he’s pleased with where his nonprofit has developed and doesn’t see a limit to its success. “We’ve been fortunate to take it to the level that it’s at. We’ve had tons of great community partners and people that just believe in us, and we’re looking to take it to the next level,” said Alegrete. Although there have been several contributions that have helped the J4JF with community support, Alegrete says his nonprofit has laid the foundation to scale large, but he’s hoping to garner more attention and secure a few larger donations to propel it to the national stage. “It’s time to take it big where we can be on Susan G. Komen status, be on the 50-yard line … I want to have it be this big explosion of value,” Alegrete said. To learn more information about the Jump for Joy Foundation, its brand ambassadors and involvement within the Las Vegas community, or to sign your child up for J.U.M.P. camp events, visit its Facebook and YouTube pages or follow their updates on Twitter @J4Jfoundation.

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BLACKBIRD STUDIOS Gina Quaranto Bridges the Gap by Bringing Blackbird Studios Extension Gallery to Downtown Container Park By Mandy Crispin

“We’re never more than one or

two degrees apart here in our arts scene. It’s small. It’s small but mighty.” – Gina Quaranto 27

Through all my travels downtown for the magazine, I get to meet some amazing people. I have to say, though, that Gina Quaranto completely blew me away. It’s fairly recent, from January 2014, but it deserves a recap. Appropriately, it is one of my favorite visually executed pieces in the history of the ZEN.

ome people complain and leave, and some people stay and do. Gina Quaranto made the choice to stay and do. The arts scene in Las Vegas is still in its infancy, Gina says. But why? Where there are people, isn’t there art?

Gina explained, with the excitement and rapidity of her native New York City accent (she came here with her family in the 1980s), and with a passion that flowed like bubbly hot lava, the deficit of a real art scene in Las Vegas in terms of a “kingdom.”

“It’s a very transient city. If you go back even one generation people have just moved here.

This city for so many years had the mindset that we were built for taking care of other people: that this was a hospitality place. All we did was we worked. It’s like clockwork. It’s all mechanics. Sort of like a kingdom. The Strip is the castle, and everybody all around is working to keep the kingdom happy. It doesn’t matter whether or not the peasants are eating well, or taking good care of themselves, or their kids are in good schools. It’s the fact that they show up to work. And they clean the rooms. And they bus the tables. And they are taking care and being hospitable to the people who are keeping us going. Which, why bother keeping us going if we’re not going to have a standard of living like other people who are coming here to visit. I’m so happy that people get to come here from all over the country and all over the world and have a vacation and be happy and do crazy things for a week or two in their entire lives. I think that’s awesome. But I also think that the butlers, and the chauffeurs, and the taxi cab drivers, and the people who hold the doors for people, and the waiters and the waitresses should have a fulfilling and sustainable life here in Las Vegas so that they can have a life in Las Vegas and want to stay for their entire lives and have kids here. And with that comes art. Art is very, very important. Music is important, theater is important: that’s culture. That is something that transcends generations. That is something that we all have in common in every single country in all of our lives. As different as we are, we all have art. I don’t think it was important in Las Vegas until people said, ‘Hey you know, we’re gonna stay here. So let’s make this the way we want it to be instead of complaining that there’s nothing here. Let’s just figure it out, and do it.” Her last statement fell with the conviction of her fist pounding the table. When Gina saw her generation of friends seek out arts scenes in cities more established, she began to argue vehemently that the people in this city were entitled to enrichment in the arts; in fact, she conveys the notion with such vehemence that living richly begins to look like a basic human right. She was ready to starve to make it happen. In 2011 she opened Blackbird Studios, a cooperative art studio and exhibition space located on South Commerce Street, with two partners and a meager $14 in the bank. Oftentimes there was literally under a dollar left, but she continued to persevere for the firm belief she started out with.

“There are good reasons why we never had an artist community here, but now there aren’t.” Downtown ZEN dtZEN.com APRIL 2014 ISSUE 25

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ocal artist Stacy Rink opened her first solo show entitled Shadow on the Gallows at the Downtown Container Park Blackbird satellite Gallery Dec. 5, 2013.

“It’s all deliberate. Every single thing she does is deliberate. I like her in particular because it’s not just cool contemporary images put together because she thinks people our age would like that kind of thing and it’ll look cool in their [high-rise] apartments. She does all of these things that symbolize something to her or to other people, and everything is purposeful. Just like in the old, old paintings, like the paintings depicting Catholicism, where every single thing was meant to be a symbol. It’s not just cool-looking pictures: I think she needs to do these things.”

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Switzerland

park. It’s beautiful.”

“We chose five or six years ago to move downtown and open businesses. In a recession. We were crazy people because we thought it was important.”

There is no argument about the fact that downtown was seriously blighted at one point, so I wondered why Gina and her partners would have even chose downtown in the first place. What her answer revealed was even more illustrative of her above point. With little to no resources, Gina and her close friends experienced something of a religion through a self-sacrifice and noseto-the-grind-stone, hang-on-to-the-seat-ofyour-pants dedication to their mission of making Las Vegas a sustainable community. It was never safe. They never “made it.” They never kicked back and relaxed. They just kept plugging away. And then they lost something that was so dear to them.

Gina has been called a “Switzerland” of the arts in downtown Las Vegas, so if you are curious as to why there would be a Switzerland when you weren’t aware that there was a war, there have been undercurrents of tension among previously long-established arts venues and recently rearticulated ones. Again passionate in her delivery, Gina helped me to understand, for the first time, why some community members may be shaken up by changes happening in downtown LV. “Here’s the thing. We’ve been down here for years. We were on the cusp of this very amazing, not just art scene but, culture

scene, in general, in Las Vegas. And we’ve been working on it for years because 10-12 years ago we had nothing down here. And I don’t mean just artwork. We had nothing here. And I don’t believe that just because this is a city where other people go for their entertainment, that our own people who are used for the entertainment, who are basically like the servants in the kingdom shouldn’t have a full, purposeful life. That involves creative things where you can bring your kids or you can go and see artwork … go to museums. Everybody should live that way. We’ve been working really hard to put in these mainstays with no money. Nothing. No help, and no money. We’ve been doing it on our own. […] I know that I am being used as a bridge builder between here [read: Downtown Project] and 18b. I think that arguing and negativity never help anyone. I’m happy to be here. I think is a great place, and I hope it works out for everyone involved. It’s a beautiful container ISSUE 25

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“The Arts Factory and The Funk House were already here 12 years ago. At the very first First Friday is when I started showing artwork. That was 2002. It changed a lot

of people. It changed a lot of people’s lives and attitudes. So we thought, ‘we all have to be in the same area.’ We should all be in one artist community. In other cities the artists clump together because it makes it easy for them and easy for people who want to patronize art. What better place than downtown? It’s inspirational. You have the most highs and lows, there was affordable housing, there were empty buildings that needed to be filled. It just seemed right: First Friday being our beacon of light to celebrate every single month that we made it one more month. [We said,] ‘Guess what? In the hardest of times in the hardest of businesses, guess what? We made it. Let’s celebrate. Let’s have Frist Friday and invite the rest of Las Vegas to support us and maybe spend $10 on something to help us make it.” First Friday as it used to be was put on hold in November of 2011 due to funding dtZEN.com

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issues. First Friday was brought back by different organizers in 2012. Under its new ownership, it has changed in meaning for some who held it as their sacred rite of passage every month. Although the face of First Friday has changed, it seems the years of hard work in developing the overall venue for art in Las Vegas warrants not only celebration but respect and reverence for both the efforts and the heart our people have for the art of living richly. When I spoke with her, she had opened five shows and the gallery space in the Downtown Container Park within the past month (as of the date of interview), but it is also her jovial, welcoming and nurturing nature that make her an inspiration. Gina has been in the Las Vegas arts for about 15 years. Her last show was almost three years ago and was a sellout. Throughout

her time as a working artist and curator, her charity work has been extensive. She said, “You know what it’s like to be poor and not have anything.” Something she’s learned through experience she says is “to be careful with my work and careful with my artists’ work, and to be careful with my time. A few years ago, when her power was shut off and she realized she had just donated in the tens of thousands of dollars in artwork, she decided to do three a year and “scrape it off” when it’s a massively scaled institution. She said, “If it is an artist in need, I will give whatever is on my back, and I always donate if it’s an independent charity. Like Studio 8 Ten. […] I see those people in my life because they’re on Las Vegas Boulevard.” Gina’s animation wound her up into hot lava of mannerisms and LOUD verbal expression. “I could never say no because I was like, [banging her fists on the table she reeled into a fever pitch]: 30

‘‘It’s for the kids! It’s for the kids!” In the trenches and still going strong, harboring a sense of humor as big as her undying energy, she’s the kind of person who one looks right in the eye and says, “Thank you.” Gina will be changing out the Downtown Container Park space every four to five weeks with a new featured artist, and the gift area will offer items from a range of other artists at lower prices. She will also be working cooperatively with other container park businesses. Currently, the studio location at 1551 S. Commerce Street is showing Dr. Seuss, A Tribute, which includes local, interstate and international artists’ interpretations of Dr. Seuss artwork. The show will run through Jan. 24, 2014. It’s bound to be an experiential wonder. “When we do group shows we install sculptures, we change the gallery around, we paint things, and we make things to coincide with the theme of whatever it is that we’re doing for all the senses. I don’t want people to just walk in and look at artwork. I want people to be able to feel it and to smell it. To listen to it. To feel it. So we transform the gallery.”

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Issue Date: January 2013

INSIDE:

LOCAL ARTIST

James Henninger Is a man on a mission

BIG ERN

Serves Passion Style BBQ Downtown

Town Villas Life is Beautiful Downtown 3RD Farmers Market 33

Sizzling Summer Cocktails GET THE RECIPES OF YOUR FAVORITE DTLV DRINKS

Will

Bolt Barbers rival your ‘man cave’

Philosophy ‘N’ Phluff

The Letter • Health & Wellness • History

For you fiction lovers out there, here is the very first chapter of our serial story “The Letter” from October 2013. We are now heading into chapter 7 for May, so if you happened to miss the in-between episodes, please go to DTZEN.COM and click the link to The Letter.

A serial story by Matthew Dunsmoor Illustrations by Evelyn Lee

Chapter 1: Discovery It felt as if I had just closed my eyes when they were pried open unexpectedly. Grudgingly, I squinted at the clock on the nightstand: 3:48 AM. I couldn't tell if it was something from my own dream or the sound of the thud against the wall behind my headboard that woke me from my much-needed sleep. Either way, I was tired, grumpy, and sweaty. I rolled off the bed and walked to the sink. Finding work had been difficult enough, especially trying to work away from the unions and large corporate entities, but now that I'd finally found some jobs with a little consistency, rest was proving even more elusive. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet above the sink and lowered it to the faucet. The alarm would be going off in less than an hour and a half, and I knew the adrenaline jolt that woke me would likely keep me that way for an hour of it. Might as well get rid of this cottonmouth before I had to wake up again. I walked back to the edge of the bed and sat, rubbing my tired eyes with one hand and holding my glass in the other. I could hear them getting into it again, through the wall. Their voices reminded me of ISSUE 25

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growing up, when my friend Tommy and I would go to the neighborhood pool. We would dive under the water and try to yell loud enough at each other to have conversations. Most of the time we couldn't tell what the other was saying, but every once in a while we could pull out one or two words, allowing us to try and piece together the rest of the sentence. Though I had never heard a wordfor-word conversation between the two, that skill allowed me to get pretty acquainted with my unseen neighbors over the past three months. I assume the sound that woke me was a shoe or a remote that one of them had thrown and the other had narrowly escaped. Why was it that every time they came home it had to be a production? I've never understood why someone would want to stay with a person who made them feel completely awful for the majority of their time together. I took one last gulp of water and set my empty glass on the nightstand next to the envelope. As I lay back down and lowered my eyelids once again, I became very attuned to the sounds around me. I heard sirens and a fire truck horn in the distance. Downtown ZEN

A car alarm. Every couple of minutes, the roar of a car which had a tailpipe masked to make the engine sound more impressive than it truly was. A trunk rattling from excessive subwoofering. And above it all, I could still hear them. But none of it was truly jarring. That is to say, none of it was enough to keep me awake. Over these past few months I'd grown to embrace the sounds. They had become my lullaby, because though they may be harsh upon a new ear, to me they signaled that I was home. I was in a safe place. I was coming close to the end of my journey. I reached over and grabbed the envelope, pulling it tight to my chest. It and its contents would stay there until my alarm screeched me awake again.

"One moment!" I hustled to my dresser and grabbed the envelope, folded it, and stuffed it into my right rear pocket. I opened the door to a professionally dressed blonde woman, average height, slender build, with a pair of the most piercing green eyes I'd ever seen. "Is your name Hollace Dean?" she asked, checking the notepad in her hand. "Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?" "It appears that there was a domestic disturbance last night that took place next door. Did you hear anything?" I couldn't help but let out a cynical scoff. "Yeah, I heard some yelling after a thud of some sort. Like someone threw something. Around … 3:45 this morning, if memory serves." She scribbled a moment and then looked up at me. "Aside from the person who reported the incident, it seems that you were the only person that actually heard anything. I'll need to record your account of the events in an official capacity. I'm going to need you to come with me to the station to make a statement." Great. I had to be at work in just over an hour. "Can I come in after work? I really need to get — " "It won't take more than 15 minutes, Mr. Dean," she interrupted. "We'll get you in, recorded, and out. Just needs to be on record with your signature, that's all," she smiled assuredly. "Besides, if it's as short as what you told me, you might even be early."

The sunlight always hurt in the mornings, no matter how well I slept. This morning was no exception. I groggily moved through my bathroom routine, hoping the shower would bring me some energy. It didn't. As I dried off, I slipped into my cleanest jeans and a fresh tee shirt. Still needing some energy, I wandered to the coffee pot to see if I still had any leftover from yesterday morning. I poured the sludgy remnants of the pot into my mug and set it in the microwave. I poked my head into the hallway to see if apartment 714 had come for their paper yet. As usual, there it sat. I happily snatched it up and set it on the table for some morning reading while I ate. I dumped some Wheat Squares from the box into my bowl and heard the microwave beep, just as I added the milk. While I chewed and swallowed the crunchy cubes my eyes poured over today's headlines, looking for a clue — anything that might be able to help me. The headlines all seemed the same lately with the same buzzwords, the same debates over what people wanted, and the same pictures of different buildings. Then, it caught my eye: "New Statue to Join Container Park." Could this be it? And if so, where would the numbers lead me? I was so lost in thought that the sudden pounding at my door made me drop my spoon to the floor. "W-who is it?" I asked, praying it wasn't the tenant from 714 with the landlord in tow. "This is Detective Van Horn from the Las Vegas police," answered a woman's voice through the cheap laminate. The police?? Did they know about my employers? No, it couldn't be. I may have ducked a little paperwork, but I hardly think that's relevant until tax season. "Open the door, please sir."

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"Well, alright then … let me put my shoes on." "Of course." I walked to my room and grabbed some socks and my boots. I returned to the kitchen, to see her inspecting the room from where she stood. I sat in my chair and pulled on my socks as she stood in silence, making the air even more tense. She finally spoke as I pushed my feet down into the boots. "So, how long have you lived here, Mr. Dean?"

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I raised my head as I began tying. "A little over three months," I said, "I don't have a lot of decorations up, that's not really my style." She let out a forced chuckle. "No, I would guess not ... " she replied quietly.

"Buckle up!" she said with another forced laugh. I laughed nervously. "Not to sound like a jerk or anything, I just realized that I never actually checked â&#x20AC;Ś Do you mind if I see your badge?" I asked. She smiled, genuinely this time.

Pulling the laces tight, I grabbed my wallet and keys from the table.

"Very good, Mr. Dean."

"Ready to go!" I said, with a tone of thinly veiled sarcasm.

The locks of the doors slammed down.

"Please follow me."

I was not in a police car.

She led me out front of the complex towards a car parked across the street, against a vacant lot. It was a navy Crown Victoria with no hubcaps and an extra mirror on the driver's side door. I think she could sense my unease. "Don't worry," she smiled, "I won't make you sit in the back." As I rounded the front of the car I noticed something odd. The plates weren't government plates. I looked at the grill â&#x20AC;&#x201D; no hidden lights. I opened the passenger door and sat inside. There was no laptop area in the mid-console, and the place where there looked to have been a CB radio at one time, now was a mere FM radio with a cassette deck.

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Health & Wellness Ready.Set.RESET June 2013 Pencils come with erasers, ink is partnered with whiteout and every piece of keyboard technology has a backspace or delete button. Yet life as we know it goes on. Day in-and-out, no take-backs or oopsies, life is an ever constant flow moving us forward. But wouldn’t it be nice if life had a reset button? All the stress and worries of your everyday melted away with the chance for a fresh start. Lucky for us, James Wong, owner of the Reset Project, has found a way. The first Sunday of every month, locals gather at the Amanda Harris Art Gallery in an effort to hit the “reset button” and head into the month with a new perspective and focus on their individual lives.

Freestyle CrossFit August 2013 As I walked into the open space, similar to a best friend’s home gym, but on a much grander scale, I had entered the Freestyle CrossFit arena. Surprisingly welcomed by the songs of Frank Sinatra and acrobatic moves, I said to myself, “I must have stumbled into the wrong place.” Members hung from bars and back-flipped on solid cement flooring. This left me thinking I had walked onto the final auditions for Cirque du Soleil. Yet, I was there, and with working out, the hardest part is showing up! Everyone within the gritty gym was smiling and very welcoming to the new face in the crowd. With extended arms and introductions going full circle, I immediately felt a sense of camaraderie and community. […] With a whiteboard at the front of the room and various workout equipment scattered throughout the gym, Jake laid out the day’s itinerary. Titled “Filthy Fifty or Dirty Thirty,” this series of circuit exercises ranged from kettlebell swings and box jumps to pull-ups and burpees. Jake spent the first 15 minutes of class demonstrating each exercise so everyone knew what they were in for.

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William Londen once said, “To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life. Throughout the past year, Temple Brathwaite has taken you on a whirlwind Health & Wellness tour , informing you of workout facilities and presenting simple ways to energize and reinvigorate the mind, body, and soul. Here’s a snippet from her best of the best to enhance your overall well-being and the community in which you live. ‘Giving’ a Boost to Your Health November 2013 Within my 20-mile drive home from work I am almost guaranteed to see a homeless veteran stationed by a freeway exit, with a sign in hand that reads “in need of help.” Every so often, my cup holder accumulates enough change where I can extend a few dollars and spontaneously reap the benefits of feeling like I helped. In that moment my mind is left to ponder life and things to be thankful for when faced with the realization that everyone may not be as blessed. Without even being aware of it, my emotional and spiritual state has been lifted through my random acts of kindness. That weird ray of sunshine that seems to radiate through our bodies when we give selflessly of ourselves is just another important part of our overall health and wellness. […] The Las Vegas Rescue Mission offers programs with a host of different activities to fit every individual. While it may be easier to reach into your pocket and hand the handicapped veteran at the light a few coins, it is more emotionally and spiritually satisfying to invest time in changing someone’s life. So my fitness challenge to you is this: while you spend the weeks after Thanksgiving trying to work off the extra servings you ate, also up the weight on your giving-gluteus and take the TIME to help someone in need.

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Engine #4442 December 2012 May 16, 1960 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photographed on the corner of Fremont Street and Main Street, locomotive engine #4442 was donated by the Union Pacific Railroad to the Service League Fantasy Park in celebration of the 55th anniversary of Las Vegas.

The Historic Fifth Street School January 2013 The Historic Las Vegas Grammar School, built in 1936, was designed by architects by Orville L. Clark and George K. Thompson. The school remained in operation until the 1960s when it was turned over to the municipal government for other purposes. In 1988, the school was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2005, the City of Las Vegas began the process of rehabilitating the building back to its original splendor. The school reopened in September 2008.

Las Vegas Baseball March 2013 In this pre-1910 image, the New York Store baseball team, possibly the earliest image of a sports team in Las Vegas, poses underneath a mesquite tree. On the lower left hand corner of the image one of the players is sporting a shirt that says the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Salt Lake Route" with an arrowhead logo. This logo appeared on shirts, hats, letterheads, signs and even fine china that were used on the old steam locomotives that came through Las Vegas.

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An oldie is always a goodie, especially when it comes to DTLV photographs. Since the ZEN magazine’s inception, historian and human encyclopedia Brian “Paco” Alvarez has brought the past to the present through a wide array of spectacular snapshots, generously provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau and UNLV Special Collections.

Prohibition’s Demise April 2013 Only in Vegas would you find an ice cream and candy shop that would happen to sell beer, too! By the time this image was taken the prohibition of alcohol in the United States was over and Nevada would also end their prohibition against gambling. This photo was taken on Fremont Street scene facing east towards Second Street (Casino Center Boulevard).

Helldorado Days Are Here Again! May 2013 May 1, 1965 –The Mint Hotel & Casino float rolls right in front of the casino that sponsored it. Decked out in the hotel’s colors and bedazzled with attractive women, this float spectacularly demonstrates the beauty of the floats that were part of Helldorado Days.

Hey Mom! The Sun is Rising From the North!? December 2013 May 28, 1957 – The spectacle of the atomic blast and its ensuing mushroom cloud would become quite the tourist attraction in southern Nevada. This specific test was named Boltzmann, and the bomb’s yield was the equivalent to 12 kilotons of TNT. Photo taken by Don English via Fremont Street.

ISSUE 25

APRIL 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

BANG! BANG! How to Get Shot (like in a fun way)

A GRAND AFFAIR What to expect at the new

DOWNTOWN GRAND

+ SPOOKTACULAR EVENTS Oktoberfest Haunted Harvest Monster Mash Prom Halloween Parade

New on

PG. 26! Mystery unfolds in the opening of ‘The Letter’ 41

DOWNTOWN

CONTAINER PARK

A carnival for the senses

EVENTS &

ENTERTAINMENT

If you don’t love food, you don’t love me. Here are some highlights from foodie heaven that have excited our pallets over the past year. By Joanna Mueller Restaurant Review • Bar Review • Smith Center • Calendar

D O W N T O W N

restaurant If you don’t love food, you don’t love me. Here are some highlights from foodie heaven that have excited our pallets over the past year. By Joanna Mueller

R E V I E W

Oscar’s

April 2013 "My expectations aren't that high for my place ... just the best food, the best service, the best ambiance and the best broads!" - Oscar B. Goodman Oscar’s claims to be the happiest steakhouse on the planet; I haven’t been to every steakhouse on the planet, but I have been to plenty steakhouses and none are quite as happy as Oscar’s is! Oscar’s represents everything I LOVE about Las Vegas. It’s an old-school place in an old-school casino that is smack dab in the middle of a new age in downtown Las Vegas. Oscar’s is located in the world-famous Plaza Hotel & Casino in what’s known as “The Dome.” The Dome used to house a pretty nifty sports bar and another restaurant. The Dome is unique because it’s, well … it’s, a dome with lots of windows that overlook the Fremont Street Experience. If you’re looking for atmosphere, Oscar’s has it by the boatload!

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

APRIL 2014

ISSUE 25

Stewart+Ogden

December 2013 One of the cool things about Stewart + Ogden is that the menu changes with the time of day (dinner starts at 4); they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, each with a different menu. We started with shrimp cocktail. I'm still in search of the best shrimp cocktail. The shrimp tasted super fresh, and the cocktail sauce had just the right amount of spice. Dinner for me was a chicken Caesar salad and a cup of tomato bisque soup. The soup came garnished with goldfish crackers! It was the cutest touch!! The salad was great, and the dressing not too fishy. The hubs ordered the Ogden burger and fries. He was finished with his burger before I could get a bite! However, I did nosh on some of his fries. They were perfectly salted and quite yummy. The prices were fair, and we left full and happy. Our service was impeccable, and a couple different managers stopped by to see how we were. It was a great experience.

The Flame

August 2013 Our server Linda was awesome. I spent 15 years waiting tables, and good service is key for me when we go out to eat anywhere. Linda was attentive, and funny, and sweet. I recommend going there just to see her; we weren't disappointed, and you won't be either! The Flame has an excellent selection of seafood as well as steak. Specifically, they offer walleye, which neither myself nor my fiancĂŠ have seen on a menu here in V-town. But, since we're both carnivores, we stuck with what we knew. We started with shrimp cocktail, and it was AMAZING!!! I'm still on the hunt for the best shrimp cocktail in DTLV. Then I ordered the eightounce filet, and my fiancĂŠ got the porterhouse. My steak was served with roasted potatoes that were brushed with a hint of rosemary. His porterhouse was served with green onions on top, which really brought out the flavor of the meat. We ordered macaroni and cheese and asparagus as our sides. The mac and cheese was baked to perfection! Creamy, and gooey, and filling. The sides were big enough for us to share, and we really could have gotten away with just ordering one. Dessert was a hefty slice of New York-style cheesecake drizzled with chocolate sauce and adorned with slivers of strawberries. The cheesecake and our coffees were the perfect complement to the excellent meal that we had.

ISSUE 25

APRIL 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

D O W N T O W N

bar

This past couple years has been a wild ride. Join us in revisiting some of our featured bars from the previously named “What’s On Tap” by Angelina Fadool.

R E V I E W

March 2013 The Lady Silvia Ambiance: Eclectic Elegance Dramatic floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, sparkling chandeliers, and a checkerboard floor give the place an old-world charm that is unlike most places in Vegas. Couches and chairs are arranged in small seating areas just right for four to six, so a large group would probably need to split up. Although a nonsmoking bar won’t appeal to everyone, I found the lack of cigarette smoke to be a breath of fresh air.

July 2013 The Gold Spike Entertainment: Game On! It’s great that coworking is an option, but who can work when there are so many games to be played? On a single visit my friends and I played pool, Connect Four, foosball, and a couple of rounds of darts — while watching an entire NBA game. Sadly, the table shuffleboard is too slanted to play on, but everything else is in working order. Just bring some cash for the jukebox and quarters for the pool table.

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

APRIL 2014

ISSUE 25

October 2013 Atomic Liquors Menu: Keep it Classic Atomic Liquors has great beer selection, a couple of house wines, and a full bar. Cocktails are priced $8-10, and the small specialty menu includes beer cocktails like the Rose Busch and Spice n’ Stormy alongside renamed classics like the extremely strong Manhattan Project. Beer drinkers don’t have to settle for cans and bottles — the Atomic has about 20 microbrews on tap (including local beers like Tenaya Creek Pilsner) that are priced $6-7.

Photo Cred: Curtis Walker

May 2013 Park Ambiance: Ultrahip If you can’t tell from the cheeky artwork, trippy wallpaper, and sparkling chandeliers Park on Fremont is Commonwealth’s little sister. There are too many great design details and playful art pieces to detail them all here, but suffice it to say these owners excel at creating creative yet comfortable environments that make you want to order another round.

ISSUE 25

APRIL 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

JAN 2014

MERRYMAKING MOONSHINE Popping the bubbly at the Grand’s all new Mob Bar

GINA QUARANTO: Human bridge, human being FLOWER POWER:

VEGAN DELIGHT

Gone Wild

Gaia flowers, gifts, and art

The Vapor Loft

sets e-cigarette trend ablaze

Thrilling Serial Story

‘THE LETTER’ Continues in Chapter 4

REYNOLDS HALL

CABARET JAZZ

DIANA KRALL - GLAD RAG DOLL WORLD TOUR

CLINT HOLMES "NEW YORK OLD FRIEND"

April 9, 7:30 p.m. With the introduction of a solo guitar, a drum set, and a keyboard, Diana Krall’s piano and vocal talents shine brighter than ever before.

April 4 & 5, 8:30 p.m.; April 6, 2 p.m. Award-winning singer and Smith Center resident performer, Clint Holmes, returns to Cabaret Jazz, featuring special guests Kristen Hertzenberg and Fifth Avenue.

WOMEN FULLY CLOTHED

April 11, 7:30 p.m. “Women Fully Clothed, Older and Hotter” adds hilarity to everyday life for an unparalleled evening of laughter. THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS

April 15-20 Winner of the 2012 Tony Award® for Best Revival of a Musical, “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” is hitting the road with an award-winning Broadway cast. LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC: MASTERWORKS V “LOVE AROUND THE WORLD”

April 26, 7:30 p.m. A vibrant concert that demonstrates that love means the same in any language, featuring music from Ricardo Castro’s 1900 Mexican opera, Joaquín Rodrigo, and classical guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas. LAS VEGAS YOUTH ORCHESTRA & SYMPHONIC BAND PRESENT "MUSICAL MONTAGE"

April 30, 6:30 p.m.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

April 11 & 12, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. Now celebrating their 50th Anniversary, the band has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. THE COMPOSERS SHOWCASE OF LAS VEGAS

April 16, 10:30 p.m. Jersey Boys conductor Keith Thompson hosts this monthly musical showcase that features original music from some of Las Vegas’ best composers and songwriters. STORM LARGE - TAKEN BY STORM

April 18, 7 p.m. Storm and her band will bring a program of American Songbook classics, Broadway tearjerkers and rock anthems with a fierce emotional commitment and a wicked sense of humor. LAURA TAYLOR "IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING"

April 24, 7 p.m.

SPECIALIZING IN PIECES MADE IN AMERICA

Store hours are Mon-Sat 9-5 Sun 10-5 and private viewing by appointment We buy and sell Retro, Vintage, Antique and anything old and funky! 630 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89101 (702) 464-3299

Singer, recording artist and award-winning songwriter Laura Taylor and her talented group of musicians perform a mixture of favorite spring songs, originals and songs from her CDs. SOUL MEN: A TRIBUTE TO SOUL, R&B AND MOTOWN STARRING SPECTRUM

April 26, 7 p.m. The group boasts four incredible singers, each with the voice of a solo artist, who combines their voices and dexterity to create the angelic harmonies and deft choreography.

SYMPHONY PARK WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S THE TEMPEST

April 1-27, 2014 Enter an untamed world of phantoms, monsters, madmen and lovers with this wild adaptation of Shakespeare’s final play.

Show your Zappos ID or Local ID and receive a discount

SwagAntique.com facebook.com/SwagAntiques

events calendar april 1 Tuesday

•Downtown Lowdown | 4:15pm Want the inside scoop on all of the good things happening with Downtown Project? Then you won’t want to miss the Downtown Lowdown, a monthly event that brings the community together for updates from members of Downtown Project to update their team members and the community on their efforts. location: The Learning Village more info: DowntownProject.com

april 8 Tuesday

totally FREE. Blinking bikes, a photo ID, costumers and all your friends are heavily encouraged. Stay vertical!

april 23 Wednesday

•Catalyst Week | 23rd-29th Catalyst Week is produced and curated by CatalystCreativ, a small business funded by the Downtown Project the fourth week of every month. Catalyst Week profiles thought-leaders from fields ranging from filmmaking to social entrepreneurship, and corporate brand management to nonprofits. location: The Learning Village more info: Catalystcreativ.com

•Creativ Week | 2PM-6PM Creativ Week is produced and curated by CatalystCreativ, a small business funded by the Downtown Project the first week of every month. Creativ Week is a monthly celebration in Downtown Vegas that showcases the most exciting arts, culture and entertainment in Downtown. more info: CatalystCreativ.com

•9th Bridge Open House | 6pm We’re on a journey to redefine the experience of school. Now enrolling students 6 weeks old-2nd grade. location: 310 Ninth Street •Downtown Trivia at the Beat | 7:30pm Come with a team or find one at The Beat. Every second Tuesday you can test your knowledge and flex your brain in a cerebral competition. There will be prizes and beer specials, and most likely a little more beer than brains. location: The Beat

april 3 Thursday

april 11 Friday

•Catalyst Week •Vagina Monologues | 7:30PM 24th-26th This award-winning play is based on V-Day Founder/ playwright Eve Ensler's interviews with more than 200 women. With humor and grace, the piece celebrates women’s sexuality and strength. For more than a decade, the Vagina Monologues has given voice to experiences and feelings not previously exposed in public and brought a deeper consciousness to the conversation around ending violence against women and girls.

april 12 Saturday

Proceeds from the three-night run will benefit The Shade Tree, the largest shelter of its kind in the state, and the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in southern Nevada. With 364 permanent beds, The Shade Tree provides over 100,000 nights of shelter each year. location: Inspire Theatre tickets: TicketCake.com

april 2 Wednesday

•Creativ Week

april 4 Friday

•Creativ Week •Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm •The Dark Forest by Emily Nickel at Clay Arts Vegas | 4th-30th Kentucky-based ceramic artist Emily Nickel brings The Dark Forest to Clay Arts Vegas. Nickel: There’s something really satisfying about spending your day-to-day mealtimes and rituals with your artwork (and the work of others, too). I also love functional work because it’s easier to give as a gift, and fundamentally, I believe that art is the artist’s gift to the world. location: Clay Arts Vegas more info: ClayArtsVegas.com •First Friday | 6pm-11pm First Friday is celebrated in the Arts District of downtown Las Vegas and celebrates young and established local artists. location: The Art’s District more info: FirstFridayLasVegas.com

april 5 Saturday

•Creativ Week •Las Vegas Mini Maker Faire | 10am-7pm Maker Faire is the World’s Largest Show (and Tell) festival—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning. location: The Learning Village more info: MakerFaireVegas.com

april 6 Sunday

•Creativ Week •Sunday Reset Project | 8am Dedicated to creating a healthier community in Las Vegas by resetting the mind, body and spirit. Join our signature event the Sunday Reset Project. location: Amanda Harris Gallery more info: TheResetProjectlv.com •Ward 5 Bluegrass in the Park | 1pm-3pm Councilman Barlow invites you to bring the entire

family to this free event to enjoy the music of local bluegrass and acoustic bands playing traditional American music with banjos, fiddles, guitars and mandolins. For more information call (702) 2295443. location: Lorenzi Park

•Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm •Tech Cocktail Week: Mixer & Startup Showcase | 6pm-8:30pm Tech Cocktail Mixers are like networking events except fun, like a party, except business-oriented, and like a startup pitch series, except informal and face-paced. location: Gold Spike more info: Tech.co •Run or Dye | 9am-12pm Run or Dye is an untimed 5K fun run where colored corn starch is thrown on participants every kilometer. Proceeds benefit local charity. location: Downtown Las Vegas more info: RunOrDye.com

april 15 Tuesday

•Karaoke at the Kitchen | 5pm-7pm Every third Tuesday, Rachel’s Kitchen will be holding a Karaoke contest. The winner will receive a prize and entered to win a Grand Prize on Sept. 16. location: Rachel’s Kitchen in the Ogden •Stitch Factory Speaker Series | 5:30pm Stitch Factory, in partnership with Downtown Project, presents Behind the Seams, a monthly speaker series designed to bring together passionate individuals to share ideas, network, and inspire. location: The Learning Village

april 16 Wednesday

•Stitch Factory Speaker Series

april 17 Thursday

•Stitch Factory Speaker Series

april 18 Friday

•Stitch Factory Speaker Series •Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm

april 19 Saturday

•Blinking Man: Cycledelic Circus | 7pm It's that time again. Blinking Man is rolling out on April 19 which happens to be BICYCLE DAY! This ride's theme is Cycledelic Circus. We start at the Huntridge Tavern and a map will be available soon. This ride is

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

april 24 Thursday

april 25 Friday

•Catalyst Week •Vagina Monologues •Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm •Pirate Fest Las Vegas | 25th-27th Pirate Fest is a family-oriented sponsored by Councilman Ricki Barlow and the City of Las Vegas at Lorenzi Park. location: Lorenzi Park more info: PirateFestLV.com

april 26 Saturday

•Catalyst Week •Vagina Monologues •Pirate Fest •Cardboard Regatta The Zappos Cardboard Regatta is an event for Pirate Fest where people can build and race their cardboard regatta. location: Lorenzi Park more info: PirateFestLV.com •DT LV Dynamos Day Clean- Up | 9am-12pm On 4/26, heroes like you will unite together for another downtown clean-up. location: Downtown in the Cultural Corridor •Dia del Nino | 12pm-5pm Celebrated worldwide at various times throughout the year, notably in countries such as Mexico, Dia del

APRIL 2014

ISSUE 25

Nino is all about the little ones. location: Springs Preserve more info: SpringsPreserve.org •GREAT FESTIVAL OF BEER | 4PM-8PM One day event with 100 local, regional and international brewers present. Features well-known musical acts and numerous local culinary activations. location: 601 Fremont St. more info: MotleyBrews.com

APRIL 27 SUNDAY •CATALYST WEEK •PIRATE FEST

APRIL 28 MONDAY •CATALYST WEEK

•3-D PRINTING 101 | 7PM-9PM 3-D printing Guru Andrew Morrow is teaching a class on 3-D printing basics. location: SYN Shop

APRIL 29 TUESDAY •CATALYST WEEK

MAY MAY 2 FRIDAY

•DOWNTOWN3RD FARMERS MARKET | 9AM-2PM •FIRST FRIDAY | 6PM-11PM First Friday is celebrated in the Arts District of downtown Las Vegas and celebrates young and established local artists. location: The Art’s District more info: FirstFridayLasVegas.com

MAY 3 SATURDAY

•SUSAN G. KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE | 7AM-12PM Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure charity run/ walk to raise funds for breast cancer. location: Downtown Las Vegas more info: KomenSouthernNevada.org

MAY 6 TUESDAY

•DOWNTOWN LOWDOWN | 4:15PM Want the inside scoop on all of the good things happening with Downtown Project? Then you won’t want to miss the Downtown Lowdown, a monthly event that brings the community together for updates from members of Downtown Project to update their team members and the community on their efforts. location: The Learning Village more info: DowntownProject.com

MAY 9 FRIDAY

•DOWNTOWN3RD FARMERS MARKET | 9AM-2PM

APRIL

DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS 100 The Beat Coﬀeehouse G5 520 Fremont St. 702.385.2328 101 Le Thai G5 523 Fremont St. 702.778.0888 102 Triple George Grill F4 201 N. Third St. 702.384.2761

103 Tacos El Gordo J8 1724 E. Charleston Blvd. 702.251.8226

104 Chicago Joe’s E7 820 S. Fourth St.

702.382.5637 www.chicagojoesrestaurant.com

105 Bar+Bistro D8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #155 702.202.6060

106 Mundo – A Culinary Haute Spot C5 495 S. Grand Central Pkwy. 702.270-4400

107 Courthouse Bar & Grill E5 330 S. Third St. 702.388-8222

108 City Centre Café F6 375 Lewis Ave. 702.383.4055

109 El Gaucho Luca’s Café & Deli F5 231 S. Third St., Suite #110 702.384.3115 www.elgaucholucascafe.com 110 Viva Las Arepas D10 1616 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite #120 702.336.9696

111 Subway G5 600 Fremont St. 702.302.5020 113 Jason’s Deli D3 100 City Pkwy. 702.366.0130

114 The Verdicts Inn E7 801 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.837.3428

127 Rachel’s Kitchen G5 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

211 Backstage Bar & Billiards G5 601 Fremont St.

414 Hillary Salon C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #250

128 Radio City Pizza G5 508 Fremont St.

212 H6

415 Inside Style C8 1119 S. Main St.

129 Park on Fremont G5 506 Fremont St.

213 G5

(Inside Retail Space at Ogden) www.rachelskitchen.com

702.982.5055 www.radiocitypizza.com

702.798.7000 www.parkonfremont.com

130 Anthony’s Pizza & Deli E5 321 S. Casino Center Blvd., Suite #125 702.896.0353

131 La Comida G5 100 Sixth St.

702.463.9900 www.facebook.com/LaComidaLV

132 Doña Maria's Tamales D8 910 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 133 Mingo Kitchen and Lounge C8 1017 First St., Suite #180 134 F6

702.685.0328 City Center Quiznos 365 Lewis Ave. 702.380.0900 www.quiznos.com

119 Du-Par’s F5 Restaurant & Bakery 1 Fremont St. (Inside Golden Gate) 702.385.1906

120 Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop E5 Regional Justice Center 200 Lewis Ave. 702.631.1112 www.capriottis.com

121 El Sombrero Café D7 807 S. Main St. 702.382.9234

122 Kabob Corner G5 507 Fremont St. 702.384.7722

123 Uncle Joe’s Pizza G5 505 Fremont St. 702.385.2162

124 Big Ern’s BBQ G5 707 Fremont St. (Container Park) 702.834.7845 www.bigernsbbq.com

125 Pop Up Pizza E4 1 Main St. 126 F4

702.366.0049 www.popuppizzalv.com Denny’s 450 Fremont St. (Inside Neonopolis) 702.471.0056 www.dennys.com

216 G5

ZAPPOS CAMPUSES 301 G4 302 G4

135 Pura Vida B9 1236 Western Ave.

702.722.0108 www.puravidavegas.com 136 Tiﬀany'sCafé C10 1700 S. Las Vegas Blvd 702.444.4459 www.tiﬀanyscafelv.com

137 Bronze Café inside The Center H7 401 S Maryland Pkwy 138 Wild G4 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Suite 120 702.527.7717 www.eatdrinkwild.com

304 Carson Oﬃce G6 Parking Garage

304 E. Carson Ave. Enter via Fourth Street

RETAIL SHOPS, BOUTIQUES & SALONS 400 Coterie G5 515 Fremont St.

702.685.7741 www.facebook.com Search “Coterie Downtown”

401 Globe Salon E7 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite #130

BARS, LOUNGES & NIGHTCLUBS 200 Downtown Cocktail Room (DCR) G5 111 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 201 E8 202 D8 105 D8 203 G5 204 D10 205 F4 206 G5 207 F4 208 G5 209 G5 210 G5

702.880.3696 Lady Silvia 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd. www.theladysilvia.com Artiﬁce 1025 S. First St. 702.489.6339 Bar+Bistro 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #155 702.202.6060 Beauty Bar 517 Fremont St., Suite #A 702.598.1965 www.thebeautybar.com/las_vegas Dino’s Lounge 1516 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.382.3894 Drink & Drag 450 Fremont St., Suite #250 702.522.8488 www.drinkanddrag.com The Griﬃn 511 Fremont St. 702.382.0577 Hogs & Heifers Saloon 201 N. 3rd St., Suite #130 702.676.1457 www.hogsandheifers.com Insert Coin(s) 512 Fremont St. 702.447.2525 www.insertcoinslv.com Vanguard Lounge 516 Fremont St. 702.868.7800 www.vanguardlv.com Commonwealth 525 Fremont St. 702.798.7000 www.commonwealthlv.com

Zappos Stewart Campus Parking 260 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Located directly south of 400 Stewart Building Enter via Fourth Street.

6th Floor 702.943.7777 #8530

139 Nacho Daddy G5 113 N. 4th St.

702.778.7800 www.nachodaddy.com

Zappos Stewart Campus 400 Stewart Ave.

303 Zappos Carson Oﬃce G5 302 E. Carson Ave.

702.202.3100

702.384.6452

241 W. Charleston Blvd. #101 702.227.5652 117 Casa Don Juan Restaurant C8 1204 S. Main St. 702.384.8070 www.casadonjuanlv.com 118 eat. 707 Carson Ave. G5 702.534.1515 www.eatdowntownlv.com

215 C9

702.382.6538

115 Luv It Frozen Custard D10 505 E. Oakey Blvd. 116 Lola’s: B8 A Louisiana Kitchen

214 H5

702.382.2223 www.backstagebarandbilliards.com Bunkhouse 124 S. 11th St. 702.384.4536 www.bunkhouselv.com Don’t Tell Mama 517 Fremont St. 702.207.0788 Atomic Liquors 917 Fremont St. 702.349.2283 www.atomiclasvegas.com Velveteen Rabbit 1218 S. Main St. (702) 685-9645 Gold Spike 217 N. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.384.8444 www.goldspike.com

502 D9 403 C9 404 C8 405 E7 406 D8

702.938.4247 www.globesalon.com Patina Décor 1211 S. Main St. 702.776.6222 www.patindecorlv.com Vintage Vegas Antiques 1411 S. Main St. 702.539.0799 Vexed By Design 1017 First St., Suite #185 702.275.7141 www.vexedlv.com Sweet Spot Candy Shop 616 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.815.1277 www.facebook.com/SweetSpotCandyShop Josephine Skaught Hairdressing 1025 S. First St. Suite 165 702.431.8071 josephineskaught@yahoo.com

407 Cowtown Guitars D7 1009 S. Main St.

702.525.1053

702.399.1100 416 Nature’s Element D7 817 S. Main St. 702.521.0725

417 Photo Bang Bang C10 224 E. Imperial Ave.

702.518.7427 418 Skin City Body Painting C8 1209 S. Main St. 702.431.7546

419 Williams Costume Co. D9 1226 S. Third St. 702.384.1384

420 The Town Bike E6 353 East Bonneville Ave. Suite 179

702.471.6236

409 Creative Space C10 1421 S. Commerce St. 702.439.3923

702.998.9490

422 Rogue Toys E7 616 Las Vegas Blvd S.

702.330.3945 www.roguetoys.com 423 Don Vicente Cigars Intl. E7 624 Las Vegas Blvd S. 702.526.3922

424 Downtown Tattoo E7 1106 Fremont St.

702.541.8282 www.Downtowntattoolasvegas.com

1201 S. Commerce St. 702.331.3172 www.realresultsﬁtness.com

701 24hr Fitness E3

100 City Pkwy., Suite #160 702.824.9614 727 S. Main St. 702.685.5070 www.freestylecrossﬁt.com

1 2

1505

702.468.3232

113

701 1301 1501

804

125

102

119

303 304

1400

130 900

400

209 206

203

101

127 1000

111

208 100 213

210 131 211

800

200

124

500

107

214

118

108 132

120

702.516.3432

702.269.6036 Amanda.nelle@gmail.com

600 Fremont St. 800.634.6703

1203 Art Square C7 1025 S. First St.

301 Fremont St. 702.388.2400 www.thed.com

Las Vegas, NV 89101 www.artsquarelv.com 1204 Gainsburg Studio, Inc. C7 1039 S. Main St. 702.249.3200 www.gainsburgstudio.com

803 Golden Nugget F4

129 Fremont St. 702.385.7111 www.goldennugget.com

1205 Open Air Printers C7 1039 S. Main St., Suite #150

212

423

134 1100

420

702

422

518

1002

405

121

104 407

413

500 1212 1216

7 103

132

600

700 117

501 418

502

135

1300

503

504 505

512

601

509 510

1001

511

506

507

409

514 417

401

1202

HUMAN SERVICES 495 S. Main St. 702.229.6011 901 Veteran’s Village D5 1150 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.624.5792 www.vvlv.org1 D5

136

110 204

603

115

11 C

702.592.2164

1214 Ryan Williams Art Gallery C8 1025 S. First St.

321.258.9032

1003 Newport Lofts D7 200 Hoover Ave.

1215 Sin City Gallery C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #100

702.387.0093

702.608.2461

1216 Trifecta C8 135 E. Charleston Blvd.

1100 Las Vegas Academy G6 315 S. 7th St.

702.366.7001

800.585.3737

1101 9th Bridge Early Development I5 310 S. Ninth St.

RE-OCURRING EVENTS

702.724.1436 www.9thbridgeschool.com

1300 First Friday Main Hub C9 Casino Center Boulevard

Between Colorado Street & California Street

1301 Downtown 3rd Farmers Market 300 Block of North Main Street F4

520 Fremont St. 702.385.2328

Directly Next To The Mob Museum

101 Work In Progress G6

6th Street Workspace 317 S. Sixth St. 702.534.3804 www.workinprogress.lv

ENTERTAINMENT 1400 The Smith Center 361 Symphony Park Ave. C5

The Las Vegas HackerSpace 117 N. Fourth St. www.synshop.org

103 Fremont East Studios G4

221 N. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.463.9029 www.fremonteaststudios.com

300 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Suite 120 702.476.5552 www.stitchfactory.com

ART STUDIOS 100 Emergency Arts

11 B

1213 RTZ Vegas C8 1017 S. First St., Suite #195

702.754.6300 www.juhlst.com

520 Fremont St. 702.385.328 1201 Arts Factory C7 107 E. Charleston Blvd. 702.383.3133

702.302.7878

1002 Juhl Lofts E7 353 E. Bonneville Ave.

509 Glam Factory Vintage D9 211 E. Colorado Ave. 702.443.0131

1212 Pinup Pointe Art Gallery C8 4 E. Charleston Blvd.

702.685.0300

506 One Man’s Trash C9 1300 S. Main St., Suite #140 702.7778.7988

1211 Downtown Contemporary Gallery C8 at artSquare

1025 First St., Suite #145 702.358.7022

1001 Soho Lofts E7 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

505 Desert Buddha C9 1300 S. Main St., Suite #120 702.383.1008

1210 Contemporary Art Center (CAC) C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #120

702.382.3886

HIGH-RISE LIVING

ANTIQUE ALLEY 500 Retro Vegas C8 1131 S. Main St. 702.384.2700 501 Corner Store Furniture Company C8 1201 S. Main St. 702.331.6009 502 Patina Decor C8 1211 S. Main St. 702.776.6222 503 Armstrong’s Emporium C9 1228 S. Main St. 702.366.1995 504 Medusa’s Antiques C9 1300 S. Main St., Suite #110 702.331.4660

507 JJC Clocks & Antiques C9 1310 S. Main St. 702.384.8463 508 The Funk House D9 1228 S. Casino Center Blvd. 702.678.6278

702.409.7549

1000 The Ogden G4 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

104 Stitch Factory

1206

702.433.4433

1209 City of the World C9 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd.

900 Las Vegas City Hall

1402

403 411

1208 Brett Wesley Gallery C8 1112 S. Casino Center Blvd.

102 SYN SHOP

201

516 515

519

419

1209

508 402

206 N. Third St. 855.384.7263 www.downtowngrand.com

100 /usr/lib (Tech Library)

000

901

702.782.0319 www.blackbirdstudioslv.com

COMMUNITY SPACES

112

412 133 404

1206 Blackbird Studios C10 1551 S. Commerce St., Suite #A

805 Downtown Grand Las Vegas

114

410

415 1208

408

1600

201

1204 1213 1205 1214 202 1211 1203 406 1210 414 12151401 1201105

513

1207

1001

1003

116

421

702.870.9946 www.goldwellmuseum.org

1 S. Main St. 800.634.6575 www.plazahotelcasino.com

SCHOOLS

137

416

517

702.383.0979

602 101

122

129

216

126 205

127

109

128 424

104 104 138

301 302 103

803 802

106

123

139 207 102 805

702.997.0222

413 Happy Panda Toys C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #105A

1202 Amanda Harris Gallery 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite #150 E7

804 Plaza Hotel & Casino

702.776.7766

412 Gaia Flowers C8 6 E. Charleston Blvd.

HOTEL & CASINOS 800 El Cortez

802 The D Las Vegas

1504

410 Electric Lemonade D8 220 E. Charleston Blvd. 411 Freddie Ramon C10 1411 S. Main St.

LAS VEGAS, NV

J G5

702 FreeStyle CrossFit D6

1503

FITNESS 700 Real Results Gym

H 1502

702.600.4850 www.thetownbike.com

421 Let Me Nail You F7 514 Bonneville Ave.

702.866.2600 www.cowtownguitars.com

408 Better Than New C8 1216 S. Main St.

510 Gypsy Den D9 213 E. Colorado Ave. 702.684.1628 511 Western Gypsy in the Kangaroo Court D9 1306 S. Third St. 702.868.3302 512 Gypsy Caravan D8 1214 S. Third St. 702.868.3302 513 Rick’s Restorations C8 1112 S. Commerce St. 702.366.7030 514 Sin City Pickers C10 10 W. Wyoming Ave. 702.366.9166 515 Vintage Vegas Antiques C9 1411 S. Main St. 702.539.0799 516 Alex Presley’s Unique Boutique D9 1304 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.300.2476 517 Lost Vegas Antiques F7 625 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.382-1882 518 Swag Antiques F7 630 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.464.3299 519 Not Just Antiques B9 1422 Western Ave. 702.384.4922

LEGAL SERVICES

702.749.2000 1401 Art Square Theater 1025 S. First St. C8 702.308.8087 info@artsquarelv.com

1600 Craig P. Kenny & Associates G7 501 S. Eight St.

1402 Theater 7 D9 1406 S. Third St.

1700 Dr. Azimi DDS E8 820 S. Seventh St.

702.380.2800 www.cpklaw.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS 702.759.0005

702.568.9663

MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS 1501 The Mob Museum 300 Stewart Ave. F4

702.229.2732

1502 Old Las Vegas Fort H1 500 E. Washington Ave.

702.486.3511

1503 Lied Discovery Children’s B7 Museum

833 N. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.382.3445

1504 Natural History Museum H2 900 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

702.384.3466

1505 The Neon Museum H2 770 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

702.387.6366 www.neonmuseum.org

COFFEE SPOTS 100 The Beat Coﬀeehouse 520 Fremont St. G5 702.385.2328 500 Starbucks F5

300 S. Fourth St. #7 702.759.3426

GROCERY 600 Albertsons Grocery

1760 E. Charleston Blvd. 702.366.1550 601 Resnick’s Grocery 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.982.2999 602 Cake World Bakery 220 N. Maryland Pkwy. I5 702.471.7111 603 White Cross Market C10 1700 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (702) 382.3382 J8