Where to Stay: Basic Choices<br > - The Las Vegas Strip and Downtown<br > From a visitor s perspective， Las Vegas is more or less a small<br > wn and fairly easy to get around in. Most of the major hotels and<br > lsinos are located in two areas: downtown and on Las Vegas<br > )ulevard， known as the Strip.<br >The downtown hotels and casinos are often characterized as older<br >Id smaller than those on the Strip. While this is true in a general<br >~se， there are both large and elegant hotels downtown. What really<br >fferentiates downtown is the incredible concentration of casinos and<br >.tels in a relatively small area. Along Fremont Street， downtown s<br >fin thoroughfare， the casinos present a continuous， dazzling galaxy<br >neon and twinkling lights for more than four city blocks. Known as<br >itter Gulch， these several dozen gambling emporiums are sand-<br >ched together in colorful profusion in an area barely larger than a<br >rung lot at a good-sized shopping mall.<br >Contrast in the size， style， elegance， and presentation of the down-<br >vn casinos provides a varied mix， combining extravagant luxury and<br >smopolitan sophistication with an old West boom-town decadence.<br >ough not directly comparable， downtown Las Vegas has the feel<br >New Orleans s Bourbon Street: alluring， exotic， wicked， sultry，<br >eign， and above all， diverse. It is a place where cowboy， business-<br >n， showgirl， and retiree mix easily. And like Bourbon Street， it is<br >accessible on foot.<br >f downtown is the French Quarter of Las Vegas， then the Strip is<br >ltation Row. Here， huge resort hotel/casinos sprawl like estates<br >g a four-mile section of Las Vegas Boulevard， South. Each hotel is<br >cation destination unto itself， with casino， hotel， restaurants， pools，<br >， landscaped grounds， and even golf courses. While the downtown<br >aos are fused into a vibrant， integrated whole， the huge hotels on<br >~trip stand aloof， each demanding individual recognition.<br >