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Las Vegas the city and Las Vegas the Strip are different places. The 660,000 residents of Las Vegas proper live in neighborhoods that have their own restaurants, bars, parks, and culture entirely separate from the tourist economy. Here's the guide to the real city.
The Arts District / Downtown
The oldest and most urban neighborhood — walkable, independent, with the highest concentration of galleries, craft bars, and independent restaurants. The area around Fremont East and the 18b Arts District is where the creative class lives.
Spring Valley / Chinatown
The most diverse neighborhood in Las Vegas — a dense mix of residential, commercial, and restaurant uses anchored by the Spring Mountain Road Chinatown strip. The best Asian food in the American West is here.
Summerlin
The master-planned community in the Spring Mountains foothills — Las Vegas's most affluent and fastest-growing area. Excellent schools, Red Rock Canyon access, Downtown Summerlin shopping and dining.
Henderson
Nevada's second-largest city and Las Vegas's most livable suburb — increasingly independent of the Las Vegas metropolitan identity, with its own dining, arts, and outdoor recreation scene.