New York New York

If you’ve been to the Vegas Strip over the past year you probably noticed the construction at New York New York and Monte Carlo. The overall vision is to update each hotel and create a park-like environment in between the two which leads to an arena that will be built behind the two. MGM Resorts, which owns both properties has updated the plans for The Park (below). Highlight: there is outdoor drinking for every palate (wine, rum, beer, coffee)

The concept is very similar to The Linq without the cheap airport kiosk type shops selling sunglasses and hats. When complete this should be a really nice addition to the Vegas Strip and just like The Linq it’s a great use of what used to be dead space.

Details, pictures and video below.

Press release highlights:

A Glimpse into The Park:

Experience: The Park re-envisions the traditional pedestrian experience in Las Vegas. It will draw passersby from the hustle and bustle of The Strip into an oasis offering unique opportunities to experience Las Vegas outdoors and at one’s leisure, only steps from one of the largest urban boulevards in the world. Inspired by the iconic plazas, promenades and squares that have served as important public gathering destinations within the world’s great cities throughout history, The Park will offer an array of common spaces for socializing, relaxing, exploring and sampling the surrounding tastes, sights and sounds.

By day, visitors will be able to bask in pockets of sun or enjoy shade beneath mature trees or one of the stunning, tulip-like shade structures towering more than 50 feet above. Patio-style seating will encourage an interactive social environment, while seating alcoves tucked into large planters will provide areas for respite.

Unique water features, including water walls stretching more than 100 feet in length along the entrance will add unexpected visuals, as will dramatic plantings incorporating a variety of beautiful desert blooms. Exploring The Park, guests will encounter spontaneous live entertainers, such as acoustic guitarists and street performers.

As the sun sets, illuminated elements of The Park’s landscaping will create a dramatic setting. The shade structures, a work of art in and of themselves, will emit marvelous LED sequences from high above, captivating guests below. Sounds of live music, clinking glasses and laughter from bordering open-air venues will saturate The Park with energy, giving guests an entirely new way to experience Las Vegas beneath the stars.

Dining Under the Sun and Stars: Not unlike the small cafes and bistros that spill onto iconic promenades, clusters of casual restaurants and bars with outdoor seating will open each resort to The Park creating a colorful patio ambiance. Ranging from fast-casual to mid-level, each offering will be a unique-to-market, up-and-coming brand. Below is a first peek, with additional partners to be announced in the coming months:

· Shake Shack – Boasting patios overlooking The Park and New York-New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, the much-beloved Shake Shack will introduce its first West Coast location when it opens in December 2014. Established in 2004 in NYC’s Madison Square Park, Shake Shack® is a modern day “roadside” burger stand known for its all-natural burgers, flat-top dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more. With its fresh, simple, high-quality food at a great value, Shake Shack is a fun and lively community gathering place with widespread appeal.

· Bruxie – The fast-casual, gourmet waffle restaurant born out of Orange County will serve up its signature takes on The Sandwich. Bruxie’s next-generation sandwiches use a light, airy authentic Brussels Waffle as the “Bold Fold”. The Waffle is crisp, lightly yeasty and not sweet – reminiscent of freshly baked bread. Bruxie Waffles are paired with quality seasonal ingredients, offering both savory choices like Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Chili Honey and Cider Slaw as well as a variety of sweet options such as Strawberry Crème Brûlée.

· Sake Rok – This theatrical hotspot open for lunch, dinner and a late-night bar/lounge, will thrill guests with more than just its array of delicious sushi, Japanese cuisine and private sake label. By night, Sake Rok will transform into a high-profile social dining extravaganza, immersing guests in an experience part culinary, part performance and completely unexpected. Inspired by Japan’s vibrant pop culture and fashion movements, interactive servers will invite guests to partake in restaurant-wide sake bombs while doubling as entertainers, spontaneously breaking into dance and lip-sync serenades. The emcee – a six-foot man dressed in traditional Geisha attire – will keep the energy and the sake flowing late into the night as Sake Rok transitions into a chic bar and lounge.

· Beer Garden – This fun and approachable beer garden will be highlighted by its outdoor spaces and vantage points of all The Park’s activity. Guests will be able to indulge in sustainably raised farm-to-table meats, an impressive craft beer list, live music and, of course, games to get any social gathering started – bocce ball, darts and outdoor ping pong. Central to the design will be the restaurant’s signature open roasting area.

· A Robert Mondavi Jr. Wine Experience – Robert Mondavi Jr.’s restaurant, lounge and wine bar concept will transport guests to Napa Valley, infusing each element of the experience with the signature warmth and inviting essence of the famous sun-soaked rolling vineyards where Mondavi Family wine production originated. Anchored by an extensive wine program, the venue will boast 100+ wines by the glass and a variety of formats including flights, quartinos, carafes, large formats and more, accompanied by gourmet wine country cuisine. Inside, guests will savor the sights and sounds from the partially open-format kitchen, while an open-air patio will evoke the feeling of a festive outdoor dinner party.

· Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row – Country star Dierks Bentley will introduce his contemporary country bar and restaurant concept offering American gastropub fare, plenty of brews on tap, a specialty menu of “Boilermakers” – a shot of whiskey (from a menu featuring more than 40 options) dropped into a glass of beer – and live music by night. The cuisine will feature organic meats, locally farmed produce and a dessert menu to satisfy any sweet tooth.

· Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar – Two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef Guillermo Pernot will heat up Las Vegas with his East Coast sensation Cuba Libre and its Havana-style restaurant, bar and high-energy Latin night spot. The restaurant’s atmosphere will offer a unique combination of Latin flavor, warmth and splendor. Specializing in rum, Cuba Libre will offer more than 100 premium and flavored varieties and specialty cocktails crafted from the freshest ingredients.

Design: The design for The Park is a collaborative effort led by MGM Resorts International with master planner Cooper, Robertson & Partners, leading landscape architecture and urban design firm !melk, and Marnell Architecture. Envisioned as the connective tissue between New York-New York and Monte Carlo, The Park’s unique design elements include:

· Natural landscaping: Landscape design will utilize native and desert-adaptive species of plants, which are able to thrive in hot and dry environments with minimal water. Large planters with inset seating will feature dramatic plant life displays created by the juxtaposition of cloud-like plants (santolina, apache plum, mormon fir, etc.) alongside vibrant shoots (red yucca, torch lily, desert bear grass, etc.), lush grasses (Mexican feather grass, fountain grass, orange sedge, etc.) and spikes (blue agave, golf tooth aloe, horsetail, etc.)