Vegas’ hipster-approved nightspots are cool ... I guess

Vegas may be famous for glitz and glam, but it’s also awash in authentically cool non-celebrity, non-tourist venues where ironic millennials (and maybe those who wish they were) sip cheap beer, kick back to local bands and play pinball. You too can hang with the hipsters in some of Sin City’s coolest local spots -- from dive bars to vintage hotels.

Put on those skinny jeans and Wayfarers and head to the El Cortez Hotel & Casino in the heart of downtown, where some of the rooms remain just as they were when Bugsy Siegel owned the joint in the 1940s. The El Cortez retains the most vintage feel of any place in Vegas -- you have to take the original creaky stairs to reach some rooms in the original wing. The outside features the same facade it had in 1952. Inside, patrons enjoy cheap gaming, retro games like Sigma Derby, and hashtag-approved “Throwback Thursdays,” with “Sinatra” (impersonated by Peter Pavone) and $5 champagne. www.elcortezcasino.com

The Griffin on Freemont Street is a hipster’s dream come true -- the dungeon-like interior is decked out in deep rich colors, leather booths and two giant fireplaces -- so it’s cozy and cool at the same time. And what bar would be complete without a cultivated jukebox filled with indie rock? 702.382.0577

Ellis Island Casino & Brewery, is a joint with just enough kitsch to make it perfectly cool. Belt out your favorite tunes at the karaoke lounge (which attracts a number of aspiring Elvis impersonators) and swig glasses of cheap house beer while playing the slots and the blackjack tables. www.ellisislandcasino.com

Take in the un-Vegasy “barcade” known as Insert Coins. Set in downtown’s Entertainment District, this club has video games of all kinds. But this new-school hangout isn’t just an arcade. Dance the night away (or don’t, if you’re feeling stoic), to some of the most diverse music you’ll find in the city, from the trendiest of deejays to live performances. www.insertcvoinslv.com

-By Andrea Kahn, Brand Publishing Writer