The Arts District
I like the Arts District. It’s an 18-block area representing a simpler and calmer side of Las Vegas. It has a small-town feel where the traffic is slower (except when crossing E. Charleston Ave), people are less tense, and there’s a bunch of little things to discover as you walk around. There are 72 businesses listed on the Arts District website as being active in the neighborhood and they range from little boutique shops, restaurants, galleries, antiques, and more. In addition to Friday First Festival, the Arts District is home to a number of other festivals occurring again as we work our way out of the pandemic (hopefully).
The Arts District is an 18-block area presenting a simpler and calmer side of Las Vegas. It has a small-town feel where the traffic is slower (except when crossing E. Charleston Ave), people are less tense, and there’s a bunch of little things to discover as you walk around. There are 72 businesses listed on the Arts District website as being active in the neighborhood and they range from little boutique shops, restaurants, galleries, antiques, and more. In addition to Friday First Festival, the Arts District is home to a number of other festivals (all currently suspended due to pandemic) occurring throughout the year.
Getting to Arts District
The easiest way to get to the Arts District from the hostels without spending time walking along heavily-trafficked streets is to walk up Las Vegas Blvd to 3rd Street. The Traveler Motel is on the corner. Turn down 3rd Street and walk down to W. Colorado Avenue. Here is where the magic of Las Vegas’ Arts District begins.
Follow the gallery to the right to get from the hostels to the Arts District area. You’ll be glad you did!
N. Main Street
N. Main Street
N. Main Street is the commercial strip of the Arts District running. Here you’ll find plenty of eats from pizza to authentic Mexican foods, funky little shops selling everything from trinkets to leather lingerie, music venues, and drinking establishments.
The Neighborhood
As I’ve said before, this is a very quiet area of Las Vegas and it’s very nice to walk around. The traffic is a lot slower as long as you stay off of E. Charleston and S. Las Vegas Blvd. There’s little shops intermingled among a couple of craft brewers and cafes. There’s also nice views of the Strat as you look toward the Strip. If you want quiet and calm, it’s best to avoid the area during the First Friday Festival held on the first Friday of every month.
The Neighborhood
As I’ve said before, this is a very quiet area of Las Vegas and it’s very nice to walk around. The traffic is a lot slower as long as you stay off of E. Charleston and S. Las Vegas Blvd. There’s little shops intermingled among a couple of craft brewers and cafes. There’s also nice views of the Strat as you look toward the Strip. If you want quiet and calm, it’s best to avoid the area during the First Friday Festival held on the first Friday of every month.
The Arts Factory
The Arts Factory houses artists studios and 18bin, a bar & restaurant. You can slowly walk the hallways and browse the offerings of the artists hanging on the walls or stop in one of the galleries. And in the area behind the Arts Factory, is Arts Square. The Artifice, another bar and restaurant, is located inside as well as the Vegas Theatre Company. and the chic LGBTQ bar The Garden. You’ll also find additional galleries and studios inside.
Las Vegas Community Healing Garden
The Las Vegas Community Healing Garden is the most poignant place in all of Vegas and can be hard to walk through. It was built after the deaths of 58 people who were gathered for an outdoor country music festival on October 1, 2017. The deaths were the result of a lone gunman shooting from a room overlooking the crowd of people. An estimated 867 people were also injured and thousands were traumatized.
The garden was meant to honor the victims and provide a place for those impacted by the tragedy and their families and friends to come to reflect and mourn what was lost on that day.
The garden is located at 3rd and S. Casino Center Blvd across from the big parking lot First Friday Festival uses for food trucks, artist renderings, and entertainment during the first Friday of the month festival.