No fear of stepping on toes here, Mike, as long as the feedback is reasoned and civil, as yours was. Very much appreciate your taking the time to post your thoughts. I can assure you I have no agenda in relation to Downtown Grand. I view my personal blog distinct from my job at FSE, although the business and culture of downtown helps inform my opinions as any life or professional experience would. I have no vested interest in DG joining FSE or not. As you say, management of the casino is a factor, of course, but location plays a huge part–I trust the folks at Lady Luck would’ve agreed. (I should also say many of those in DG management are casino vets, so they’re not entirely incompetent.) To the vast majority of people who visit FSE, DG doesn’t exist. (DG recently confirmed that assertion—it upgraded its “Casino” sign. The one facing FSE.) The problematic location observation isn’t just mine, of course. That walk between FSE and DG may as well be a mile. I don’t know what the audience of El Cortez is, but I don’t think it’s the general tourist population. I also don’t claim to understand why DG has done so badly. I’m not really convinced membership in FSE would help DG all that much, truth be told. We promote Main Street and The Cal, but I doubt we send many people over that way. You’re either on Fremont Street or you’re not. Awareness is an issue for DG, but if it weren’t for Pizza Rock, I know I wouldn’t play at DG nearly as much. There’s a lot of what I like in the casinos on Fremont (including Plaza, not a member of the chamber). If somebody thinks they know the reason DG is floundering, I’m happy to hear it! I don’t disagree about the management issues. Smarter people than me at DG have grappled with all this, and haven’t really gotten anything to click. Let’s hope someone will buy the place and shakes things up. Thanks again for the feedback. It’s hard to know how one’s writing comes across. I’d like to think I’m open to being a better writer and a better communicator. Although I’m not sure how that would even be possible.

Some blogs might develop a chip on their shoulder about another blog, and take any opportunity to point and laugh at what they do.
Some blogs might consider themselves above the mere title of ‘blogger’ but as actual journalists (in spite of their lack of attendance at journalism college).
This blog has never really done that. But there is a persistent assumption of tone in it’s articles approaching the Downtown Grand. That hotel is the focus of a similarly passive-aggressive agenda.

This blog frequently cites Downtown Grand’s proximity (or lack thereof) to Fremont is always labelled as it’s death sentence. Apparently that wide pedestrian avenue from the gift shops across from The D to the Grand’s entrance is just too rough, too far, too dark, too dungeon-y, for your average Las Vegas goer.

Problem with that is, the El Cortez is even further from ‘the action’ (largely defined by the canopy, we’ll get to that in a moment) than the DTG is. Admittedly, the stretch between ‘where the action is’ and ElCo is a lot nicer than it used to be, but things are so dire at the DTG that the ElCo was busier before Metro flushed the seediest elements out.

Does the path to Downtown Grand need more police coverage? Does it need a bunch of neo-retro light displays akin to the Fremont East renovation, the new martini glass, showgirl, etc that City Hall (LV taxes) paid for? Do we need public action to “save” a block of 3rd Street?

Of course not, silly. The truth is that the DTG is simply run poorly. It’s mismanaged. It needs to be something different than it is, needs to take some bold moves, and that usually involves somebody taking a financial bath (see also: The Cosmopolitan and Deutche Bank).

So why does this article say the insurmountable challenge is “location”?

It’s because a consistent, if not always spoken, belief of the author is that the saving grace is the owners of Downtown Grand paying membership dues to the Fremont Street Experience. A sort of chamber of commerce meets downtown lobbying group of casino memberships that, as the About page does mention, is the primary occupation of our humble blogger’s time.

Don’t get me wrong; I do enjoy reading this blog. But some of what’s written about DTG here reminds me of the Culinary Union’s protest over a water feature outside of a random office building that just happens to be owned by Station Casinos. It just doesn’t feel genuine.

Glad you’ve had a good experience!

It’s still kicking, and we hear the rooms are great. So, that’s something.

We have no idea what it means overall. Might be meeting with their PR folks, so we’ll try to get a better idea of the big picture.

Agree with your thoughts! Hearing they are going for the “Wynn of downtown” seems a huge misreading of just about everything. They do listen to feedback, but they’re sputtering along like they have all the time in the world. Maybe they do if the pockets are as deep as you say.

Stewart + Ogden’s food has gotten much better, but have also heard complaints about the service (including from members of Downtown Grand staff, which is probably not good). Agree about Derek. Why don’t they just steal all The D’s good ideas?