Can Niagara Falls Pull Off A Vegas?

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Razor

So what are your thoughts?..Can it be done, or is the climate just too cold for this kind of vision?.How about on a seasonal basis?. Am I crazy for even thinking this ?

There's no reason why NF couldn't become something like LV although it wouldn't have the 12 month of the year outdoor component. There's certainly the population base to support a major gambling/entertainment city in the NF area.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by softee

I've always thought of it that way, just like Wasaga Beach is Toronto's Jersey Shore.

Good analogies.

[JManc]

New York State is the reason why the American side won't be like Vegas. They're still fighting with Indian reservations over gambling. New York State is the reason why New York State sucks ass.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by isaidso

There's no reason why NF couldn't become something like LV although it wouldn't have the 12 month of the year outdoor component. There's certainly the population base to support a major gambling/entertainment city in the NF area.

The U.S. (and probably Canada) is massively over-saturated with gambling facilities. NF is well located by Canadian standards, but pretty isolated in the U.S. context. The closest really large metro (Detroit) is 4-5 hours away, and that's assuming you have a passport. The NE corridor is too far. NYC is 7-8 hours away.

Also, nearby cities have gambling. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Cleveland, Erie all have facilities. There are gambling venues all over Ontario too.

And NF has terrible weather, especially for attraction based around water. It's maybe consistently pleasant five months a year.

[JManc]

Turning Stone is by far the biggest casino Upstate and that's between Utica and Syracuse. The other ones are pretty tiny. TS is almost Vegas scale.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Crawford

The U.S. (and probably Canada) is massively over-saturated with gambling facilities. NF is well located by Canadian standards, but pretty isolated in the U.S. context. The closest really large metro (Detroit) is 4-5 hours away, and that's assuming you have a passport. The NE corridor is too far. NYC is 7-8 hours away.

Also, nearby cities have gambling. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Cleveland, Erie all have facilities. There are gambling venues all over Ontario too.

And NF has terrible weather, especially for attraction based around water. It's maybe consistently pleasant five months a year.

Detroit and Windsor also already have four major casinos and casino hotels.

[Razor]

For some reason, I can envision a high profile MMA or boxing card being held at a modern complex in NF and drawing real well during the peak season.This is an example of what I feel NF could be. Which side can be debated. The market is large when you factor in both the GTA/Hamilton-Niagara as well as Western NY.

[badrunner]

Why would anybody want to turn Niagara Falls into Vegas? It's supposed to be a natural attraction. What's there is bad enough.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by badrunner

Why would anybody want to turn Niagara Falls into Vegas? It's supposed to be a natural attraction. What's there is bad enough.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by theshark

Funny I found this thread, I was in Las Vegas 2 weeks ago, and asked myself the very same question. The closest thing we have to Vegas is Niagara Falls but it will never be Vegas.

One of the few reasons I find is the cold weather and the snow, you would have to design a pedestrian friendly area that would be nice in the summer and shelter you in the winter, something like Freemont street maybe to start. Hell if the two Casino’s where closer, you could start with a promenade full of restaurants, bars and shops like the one between the Flamingo and the Linq.

Now-a-days, that is the sole reason I go to Vegas. Go to Vegas in the winter and you'll freeze your cojones off -- cold, dry, windy -- miserable. Don't get me wrong, it's not as cold as Canada, but what's the point if you're still bundled up.

In recent years I go to Vegas in June. Hot, dry, windy -- great pool weather -- so great that you're chilled when you get out of the pool.


Years ago, I would go to Vegas in March, for March Madness. Weather is perfecto, chilly at night, 70s during the day, but the big drawback is it's just too cold for the pools and most are closed.

Contrary to Vegas, Niagara has a greater surrounding population so transportation by car will be primary, until the demand is there for more flights at the airport or additional transportation methods to the region.

I'm not following this. Vegas is a short drive from all of 20 million SoCal and 5 million Phoenix. I've done it from both and a very short flight from The Bay and many other cities and McCarran Airport is just off the strip. It's very convenient to fly in and settle in.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by badrunner

Why would anybody want to turn Niagara Falls into Vegas? It's supposed to be a natural attraction. What's there is bad enough.

Exactly! You answered your own question.."What's there is bad enough".
Why not a reinvention to lose the tackiness?.The natural attraction is great, and is what made it the tourist destination as it is.Agreed.The Falls could be a back drop to soo much more is what I'm saying. A "one two punch" so to speak. I've been there three times because of friends in the area, and TBH actually seeing the Falls just once is good enough..Having more would bring back more repeat visitors, plus bring in tourists who were on the fence about visiting the Falls for their first time.

[Northern Light]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

I'm not following this. Vegas is a short drive from all of 20 million SoCal and 5 million Phoenix. I've done it from both and a very short flight from The Bay and many other cities and McCarran Airport is just off the strip. It's very convenient to fly in and settle in.

Uhhh, the distance to L.A. and Phoenix is 400 miles, give or take.

The distance between Niagara and Toronto is 70 miles.

That's the point being made.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I'm actually at Niagara Falls right now on the American side. Been here twice before. It's just as much of a Dump as I remember it being. And like before it's 70% Indian tourists. Never quite been able to figure out why so many Indians come here. I've been to most tourist sites in America. This is the only one that always is predominately Indian. There must be an answer somehow to why this is.

I didn't scroll ahead so maybe its answered. I would say Bollywood movies they film a lot in Canada and Niagra Falls pops in random movies.

[ssiguy]

Could NF become a new Las Vegas?..........I sure hope not. Yes, the US side is a true dump and the Canadian side could use some help but the reason for going to NF is, unlike LV, to see one of the truly greatest natural wonders of the world.

The entire Niagara Ontario area is also lovely with nice beach towns, stunningly beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Shaw theatre festival, pretty country with the lush vineyards and wine estates, the Niagara Escarpment, the incredible man-made St.Lawrence Seaway, and bountiful orchards. It's a real gem.

One also has to remember that LV is in the middle of absolutely no where while Niagara is an outer suburb of Greater Toronto and yet still has a substantial population of 450,000 by itself. The Niagara region has much history {a major depot of the Underground Railway and several battles in the War of 1812} and beautiful architecture. LV is nothing more than a McCity..........just add money while NF has grown organically over the last 200 years.

NF Canada {as the US side is a write off} could use some sprucing up but the area is a real gem to both visit and live in and the last thing it needs is more casinos and land speculation to ruin it.

[SpongeG]

they do have this

• Video Link

[Razor]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Could NF become a new Las Vegas?..........I sure hope not.

I guess, I was using Las Vegas as a bit of a metaphor or analogy.
NF doesn't have to become a gambling mecca, but I honestly think that NF could enhance what it has with becoming more of an adult getaway..What do you do after you see the Falls, and get your coffee mug and T-shirt?..What keeps you there?..Sure you have the wine tours, etc., but what about the night time?.Shows and a few more casinos would enhance it..Even a small theatre district with world class comedy and magic acts, and like I mentioned in a past post,major sporting events like some MMA cards..That would Spruce the place up I feel. There is some missed opportunity in that area. I doubt that people in Toronto or the extended GTA say "Hey,lets go to the Falls this weekend!" too often, but they potentially could more, if there was more adult entertainment.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

One also has to remember that LV is in the middle of absolutely no where while Niagara is an outer suburb of Greater Toronto and yet still has a substantial population of 450,000 by itself.

LV is a few hours from a metro of 19 million. And LOL at "Niagara is an outer suburb of Greater Toronto". Maybe Toronto is just an outer-outer suburb of NYC?

Niagara is located smack-dab in the slowest growth region of the U.S., with flat population and weak income growth, for 50 years. It isn't a good location, from a U.S. perspective. The weather is as bad as it gets for any inhabited corner of the U.S., a major factor given the primary attraction is outdoors, on swiftly moving water. And given that 90% of the population is in the U.S., it's fair to say its location, based on future growth prospects, stinks.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Crawford

LV is a few hours from a metro of 19 million. And LOL at "Niagara is an outer suburb of Greater Toronto". Maybe Toronto is just an outer-outer suburb of NYC?

"Outer suburb" was the wasn't quite the right terminology, but Niagara Falls is still pretty obviously within the GTA's outer orbit.

[mrnyc]

^ agreed, might as well say suburban buffalo too then.

part of the buff-ham-tor metroplex?

[dc_denizen]

by that standard vegas is a suburb of LA