Yesterday, construction began on a brand new piece of art.
Clik here to view.
Paintbrushes by Dennis Oppenheim
This is a display which will adorn my own neighborhood, and it is expected to be completed in three months.
A short, mainstream explanation of the work-in-progress follows:
We already have the Bow and Arrow Motel, the Horseshoe, and the Silver Slipper along Las Vegas Boulevard North, as well as the Vegas Sign, Martini Glass, and more along East Fremont Street.
Now, another set of street installations is coming to the downtown area.
Las Vegas has commissioned artist Dennis Oppenheim to create a gateway to the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas.
His previous work consists of other outdoor installations around the world in locations including Lithuania; Kansas City, Missouri; Ventura, California; and Seattle’s Olympic Park.
The local project will display a pair of 45-foot-tall paint brushes angled in over the street. Each will be topped by a set of lights that will shine a rainbow of colors up to 1,600 vertical feet into the sky.
Oppenheim refers to the beams as paintbrush strokes “echoing an artist’s excursion into the unknown.”
Work on the foundation and infrastructure beings Monday. The $95,000 installations are set for completion in August.
After reading around, what I have learned is that there will be two paintbrushes … one at Charleston and Las Vegas Boulevard and the other at Charleston and Main Street. Frankly, I’ve never heard of the Dennis Oppenheim guy who was commissioned to make the display, but supposedly one of his other famous works is entitled “Village Around Piss Lake”, so you know he’s good. Face it, you’ve got to have mad skills to put excrement in the titles of your signature pieces.
Clik here to view.
Charleston and Las Vegas Boulevard
Clik here to view.
Charleston and Main Street
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Orange Cones at Charleston and Las Vegas Boulevard
I dropped by the locations today to see if there was any hint of the brushes to be seen, but the closest thing I could find to progress was a cluster of orange traffic cones.
In any event, I am glad to see some more attention being given to Rexville. It is (arguably) the only “urban” neighborhood in Las Vegas which wasn’t built around intentionally misnamed stores such as “Anthropologie”. My home and most of those around me were built in the 1950′s, and anyone caught measuring the grass in our front yards would probably be summarily decapitated with an African circumcision sword (we all keep one under our pillow). Henderson and Summerlin can take that “HOA” shit and shove it in their orifice of least comfort. Of course I take 100% of the credit for all of the new attention that the neighborhood is getting, but this is because I am a self-centered prick.
Seriously, I am not sure what to make of this artwork. I’m glad to see more development hitting the area, but the giant paintbrushes sound kind of goofy. Then again, so did “The Summer of ’69″ on Fremont last year. Because of this, I have learned my lesson, and I will withhold my opinion until I actually see the things in action.
While I am on the subject of Rexville, I would like to note a few things that effect the immediate neighborhood.
Last week, a reader wrote to the RTC with the following message:
So VegasRex the most famous Las Vegas Blogger on the net is once again unhappy with the ACE service. Check out the website: http://www.casinoguide.com/blogs/transportation/aces-cracked/ Bottom line is we want to know if the 3 dollar one way ACE pass has been removed and if so why would such a stupid decision be made? Thanks
He received the following response:
Hi Sam,
Thank you for your time and information. The RTC’s appreciates and welcomes the feedback of the customers, regarding their experiences using our transit system.
In an effort to accommodate the availability to purchase different fare media from the Ticket Vending Machines, The RTC temporary removed the $3 one way pass. Due to our concern for meeting the needs of the customers, on May 23rd the RTC will be restoring the $3 one way pass for sale through the TVMs.
Thank you.
On May 23rd, I walked over to the Stratosphere ACE Station, but there still was no $3 option.
Clik here to view.
Stratosphere ACE Station on May 23, 2010
Today, however, I stopped by both the Strat Station and the Arts District Station, and I am happy to report that the $3 2-hour pass is once again available for purchase. This means that I will again start leaving my car parked and will resume utilizing the ACE for all of my Vegas Strip, Rexville, and Downtown transit needs. Since I’ve no idea when the RTC will pull these shenanigans again, I’ll keep the gas tank in my car filled just in case … but if all goes according to plan, I won’t be a contributor to the layer of smog that shall lay over the entire Valley from June through October.
Clik here to view.
Arts District Station on May 25, 2010
Also, I bear arguably the greatest news to ever hit my neighborhood.
You see, for the last few months, I have been splitting my pizza ordering between Metro and Albo. Albo has always been good, but Metro has always satisfied my East Coast craving a little better, even though it incurred a 10 minute drive each way (up to 20 minutes in heavy traffic).
Today, all of that changed.
I ordered a large pepperoni from Albo, and when I got it home, I noticed that the pie looked different. Somewhat confused, I picked up a slice, took a bite, and I swear that my dick moved.
Apparently, not only does Albo’s pizza have a new look, but the recipe has also been significantly upped in quality. It was like there was a party in my mouth and everyone was invited. The Albo pie is now thinner, the sauce tastes better, the crust tastes better, and the toppings taste better. If I had to describe it with words, I would say that Albo is now Metro Pizza with a little less grease. It reminds me of my old favorite … Villa Pizza on Durango.
Clik here to view.
Albo's 18" Pepperoni Pizza
As of today, Albo is officially my current favorite pizza in all of Las Vegas. I may be slightly biased because it is the official pizza joint of Rexville, but I fed some of the pie to two guests who dropped by, and they both agreed with my assessment. I no longer have any reason to drive to Metro, and I can actually walk to my favorite pizza joint in the city. I’m sure those of you reading this could not care less, but to me, this is a huge development. Imagine your favorite food on the planet; now imagine the best place of that cuisine type opening adjacent to your home. Hell, I may never go grocery shopping again.
In my opinion, the Albo situation is also very good news for tourists. Instead of casino food court pizza, you can now take the ACE or Deuce Bus to Albo and get an 18″ single-topping pie for about $11. Since an 18″ will feed 3-4 people, I would consider Albo a great hangover alternative to places like the Hash House, Peppermill, or In-N-Out. Also, since your bus tickets are good for two hours, you can get off, eat, and continue on to Downtown or return to The Strip for three bucks per-person in transit costs. In Las Vegas, this combo is one hell of a deal.
In more local food news, the Naked City Sandwich shop seems to have taken things up a notch as well, delivering a much meatier signature sandwich to me on Saturday. Naked City and Albo are adjacent to each other, so if you are a budget-conscious tourist, the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Oakey should be at the top of your list on your next trip. I’m not just saying this because they are local joints. I’m shooting you completely straight. They’ve both stepped up their game to the point where they are now worthy urban alt-indie-eateries, and the price/quality factor is superior to anything you can get on the Boulevard south of Sahara.
If you happen to go to either one, be sure to tell them that Rex sent you. Since they have no idea what my name is, the quizzical look on their faces should be an extra source of juvenile entertainment.
Christ, I sound like an advertisement, but you have to understand how rare it is to find something in Las Vegas that doesn’t completely suck. It’s like finding the Holy Grail with a metal detector in the sand next to the Coney Island boardwalk.
Anyway, while I tend to be a “glass half empty” kind of guy, sometimes I have to sit back and acknowledge the positive developments that happen in this town every now and then. With the new transit, new lighting, and new restaurants, it’s an interesting time to be a resident of Rexville. Don’t get me wrong, the place is still an armpit, but we’re moving in the right direction.
All things considered, it looks like Mick was right.
It’s true that you can’t always get what you want.
But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get a great f**king slice of pizza.