A cool aspect to the Las Vegas casinos is the themes that each hotel has. New York New York is one of my favorites. From the outside it has the look of the Manhattan skyline. Those building are actually the hotel rooms. I like to try to figure out which “building” I am staying in when I am a guest there. There is a small scale of the Brooklyn Bridge as a sidewalk, the Statue of Liberty, and even a small NYFD tugboat fountain. Inside, its high roller gaming area is a play on the Tavern on the Green ritzy restaurant in the real New York City. The dealers even wear jerseys from New York Sports teams. There is a pizzeria, an Irish Pub (Nine Fine Irishmen), Gallagher’s Steakhouse, and an ESPN zone restaurant. On the second floor of the ESPN Zone, there is a cool little arcade. They have air hockey, ski ball, video games, small ball bowling, a basketball game, and various other amusements.

If you’ve got a crink to work out of your neck, you could ride the roller coaster that weaves around the buildings outside. It is painted like a checkered cab, and is a good way to waste a few bucks and 20 minutes of your life. It’s not a bad coaster, but a little pricey. There is also another arcade up there near where you get your coaster tickets. This one is bigger than the ESPN Zone one.

As you find yourself wandering through the casino floor, you will see a big red apple, a bridge over a stream just like the one in Central Park, city building facades, and even a steaming manhole cover near the box office window. If there were bums and trash, I’d think I was in Manhattan.

Another nice thing about the NY NY is its proximity to the MGM Grand. There is a bridge that crosses Las Vegas Boulevard, connecting the two, door to door. This bridge is also one of the best spots in Vegas for a photo facing north. NY NY also has a bridge / walkway to the Excalibur, which is just to the south.