Fremont East

Fremont East Description

If the nightlife scene on the Las Vegas Strip just doesn't cut it, Downtown's Fremont East District offers a different kind of party. 

Fremont East District offers the glamour of vintage Las Vegas, but with a modern twist. At Fremont East, you'll find a handful of bars, lounges and other one-of-a-kind spots you wouldn't typically find on the Strip. Trade in your fancy club gear for a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and get comfy. 

Where else in Vegas can you find a video game bar featuring the latest games and old-school favorites (Insert Coin(s)), a dueling piano/karaoke bar (Don't Tell Mama) and a bar with seating surrounding fireplaces  (The Griffin) -- all steps away from each other? Located in between Don't Tell Mama and The Griffin, Beauty Bar plays everything from electro to new wave, classic hip-hop and rock. Every first Friday of the month, Beauty Bar's outdoor patio area hosts "The Get Back." See B-Boys and B-Girls dance battling in circles as well as enjoy a live DJ spinning nothing but old-school hip-hop, funk and soul. 

The Vanguard Lounge may be small, but it features plenty of creative cocktail concoctions sure to keep you entertained. The huge windows in front of the lounge make it fun to people-watch from both sides. If you worked up an appetite, Le Thai is open until 2 a.m. on weekends. Outdoor seating is available so like Vanguard, you can people-watch here too. 

Located inside the Emergency Arts building, The Beat Coffeehouse & Records serves specialty coffee and creative sandwiches like the Slap & Tickle, an organic peanut butter and homemade jam sandwich with smoked bacon (veggie heads can eat without), jalapeño and honey. Other menu items include wine, soups, pizza, salads, as well as the coffee shop's signature macaroni and cheese and baguette pizzas. You can also flip through record crates. All albums are available for sale. The Beat hosts spoken word poetry sessions on Monday nights. 

If you have time to spare, check out the fun and quirky two-floor Emergency Arts gallery. In addition to its eclectic collection from local talent, there are spots to sit and read material ranging from poetry and comics to music and art. The second floor features more art collections, a yoga studio, library and even a hair salon -- talk about a one-stop shop. 

On the opposite side of the street, Commonwealth offers up punch bowl cocktails and a menu of creations by mixologist Juyoung Kang. DJs from L.A. and New York City play to rooftop parties on a deck overlooking the city.

Just around the corner from Beauty Bar is the intimate setting of Downtown Cocktail Room, which features dim lighting, comfortable booths and a mellow atmosphere. Fremont East also includes a hookah cafe, a tattoo shop and a pizza joint. 

Located between Las Vegas Boulevard and Eighth Street (just across from Fremont Street Experience) Fremont East expands one block north of Fremont Street to Ogden Avenue and one block south to Carson Avenue. The best place to park is at El Cortez hotel on 6^th Street and Ogden Avenue. There is also free parking on 7th Street and Ogden Avenue. If you don't mind paying for parking, the Fremont Street Experience parking garage is located on Carson Avenue and 4th Street. 

-- Review by Jeannie Garcia