Iconic Sign Removed from New York-New York in Las Vegas
A part of one of the most recognizable hotels along the Las Vegas Strip is no more.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that earlier this week the sign that has graced the New York-New York Hotel and Casino for more than fifteen years was taken down on Tuesday, but fans of the sign need not despair.
While it might be gone, it won’t be forgotten. And it won’t really be gone, either, just moved a short distance.
Sign removed to accommodate new complex
The sign, which has stood out against the casino’s backdrop of an abbreviated New York skyline since 1997, was taken down as MGM works on its new dining and entertainment complex situated between the Monte Carlo and New York-New York.
The removal of the sign is just part of the massive undertaking, which will see the Brooklyn Bridge area in front of the property transformed into outdoor seating to go along with new restaurant offerings.
Overall, MGM is spending $100 million to develop the new space, which will also be linked to a sports complex that is set to cost an additional $350 million to construct, according to the Review-Journal’s article.
Carrying on the New York City theme, a Nevada outpost of the famed burger joint Shake Shack is slated to open at the property as part of the facelift, a fact that has had foodies salivating for months.
Neon Boneyard is the final destination
The sign may no longer be on the Strip, but it is by no means gone from Las Vegas.
The New York-New York sign is going to be put up for display at the Neon Boneyard, an open-air museum that is basically what it sounds like: a graveyard for classic Las Vegas signage, most of it neon in nature.
The Boneyard is located just a few miles from the Strip and is a great attraction for anyone who still yearns for a piece of “Old Vegas” charm and who wants to be – if only momentarily – transported to the early days of Sin City.
On its web site, the Neon Boneyard says that “Changes and trends in design and technology are also illustrated in the pieces that range from the 1930s to the present day. As part of our guided tours, the signs can be viewed at ground level and up close. Each has been donated or loaned by individuals, businesses or sign companies.”
“It’s a beautiful sign. We’re excited that it is part of the Boneyard,” the president of New York-New York, Cynthia Kiser Murphey, was quoted as saying.
