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| - It's hard to miss the Container Park when it's been headlining practically all the main Vegas magazines the past week.
Yesterday, I finally got to taste the magic. Just like Disneyland, once you step inside, you are propelled into a completely different world - one that faces inward, shut away from the sketchy looking surroundings. Don't think Town Square. Don't start comparing. Just immerse yourself in what this place has to offer. It is what it is, a park, and people are expected to enjoy this place for its laid-back atmosphere, not exactly shop - although that is an option too!
The first thing you'll notice are the stacked shipping containers shelled with glass, revealing an artsy cluster of cafes, boutiques and galleries. Small local businesses line the first, second and third floors connected by stairs and continuous blocks of containers that would eventually lead you to a nice comfy sofa or table to sit on. Overlooking the balconies is the cute tree house which I was so tempted to go on and try the slides but I was too stoked with the galleries to even go for it.
As you approach the back of the park, you will see a luscious green playground for kids to enjoy. With all the security they had there, I may trust the place enough to leave kids there (one day) while I go sit in one of the sofas by the cafe patio, overlooking them of course! Maybe. Still, I could not fully judge until I get to play in the playground myself! That's on my next to-do when I visit again soon.
There's the industrial vibe it gives, urban mixed in with a Europhean flair of sophistication and great attention to detail. That mantis up front immediately caught my eye because of its appearance at First Friday the two times I went. There's music as you walk and when the sun goes down, strings of lights leave a dreamy glow to the park.
The Downtown project is reforming Vegas into a family-friendly cultural city, showing off its capacity to be more than a gambling hall. Win-win? I think so. Now we have our little piece of San Francisco. Environmentally friendly (separate waste disposals for different products), classy with emphasis on creating a vibe through art and music, hip people, unique concept. This place is my new heaven.
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