In pictures: Las Vegas down on its luck
The New York-New York hotel-casino looms large on the Vegas Strip. Feeling the effects of the recession, the town is reassessing its habits of targeting the wealthiest and spendthrift customers. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
For 20 years, the town’s believed that glitzy resorts will generate the tourist traffic needed to fill them. Construction boomed, each hotel-casino getting grander and grander. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
But the recession -- and empty gambling tables, fewer tourists -- has put the “build more” philosophy in doubt. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The credit crunch took a toll on projects in mid-2008. New construction began shutting down in the gambling and entertainment mecca. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The Echelon, a $4.8-billion resort complex, is one of several suspended construction projects. In 2007, plans included four hotels, a convention center, two theaters and a luxury retail mall. A year later, it was shut down. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The unemployment rate for Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, topped 13% this summer. On the Strip, a man looks for bottles and cans to recycle for cash. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Visitor counts are down for the second year in a row. Las Vegas may barely break 35 million visitors this year, the lowest level since 1999. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A man offers discount cards to a gentlemen’s club. In a bid to survive, other businesses are also making deep price cuts for tourists on a budget -- who may become the Strip’s new marketing targets. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
