City Cast Las Vegas

Most of us know a bit about Las Vegas’ atomic history. We started as the original nuclear testing capital of the country in the 1950s, and an “atomic tourism” micro-industry cropped up. From secret societies holding viewing parties with celebrities like Zsa Zsa Gabor and a Miss Atomic Bomb pageant even crowning a winner wearing nothing but a tiny mushroom cloud — nuclear power and imagery was all...

As the City Cast team wraps up a wild year of covering the highs and lows in our city, we're all (yes, all five of us!) sitting down with our scissors and gluesticks to put together a vision board for Las Vegas in 2026. Our hopes and dreams for this city are both improbable and within reach, heartfelt and completely off the rails — in other words, entirely fitting for Las Vegas. Learn more about t...

On Wednesday, the Clark County Commission approved a plan for Chinatown that's been years in the making: A 10-year glow-up that will include wider sidewalks, safety infrastructure, more greenery and shade, and (yes!) better parking. Co-host Sarah Lohman talks with Commissioner Justin Jones, one of the architects of this plan, and professor Mark Padoongpatt, Director of Asian and Asian-American stu...

The op-eds are flying fast and furious this week. After the Nevada Independent's CEO published a blistering critique of the politicians who bowed out of an Indy event under pressure from Culinary 226, the union used the Indy's own op-ed page to fire back: Maybe you shouldn't have held your event at a union-busting property like Stations Casinos. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, along with...

Las Vegas's dining scene is constantly in flux, so we've gathered a brain trust of food experts to tell us about the best new restaurants to land in Las Vegas this year. Chef and food writer Lorraine Blanco Moss, Neon Feast founder Al Mancini, and City Cast co-host and culinary historian Sarah Lohman talk about kimchi butter oysters, butter chicken pizza, and sea urchin carrot cake — the most deli...

On Monday night, Arts District residents and small business owners gathered at Taverna Costera's rooftop bar to share their concerns about the latest issue plaguing the neighborhood: The city's sudden installation of ⁠paid parking⁠. Co-host Dayvid Figler and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess are joined by Jeff Hwang, owner of Taverna Costera, to hear about how paid parking is impacting the Arts Di...

The news came fast and furious this year so we're summing it all up for you: Co-host Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler, plus Nevada Current deputy editor April Corbin Girnus, round up the hottest headlines featuring a supervillain funeral home director, Spheres and swap meets, and the tigers and disgraced judges of Pahrump. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 16th episode: Opportunity Vill...

The inaugural City Cast 7 Awards recognize the unsung heroes — individuals and local organizations — that made life in Las Vegas better for everyone this year. By shining a spotlight on these seven standout community members, City Cast 7 aims to capture the true spirit of the city: generous, creative, resilient, and powered by people who care deeply about the place they call home. Co-hosts Sarah L...

Paid parking is at the heart of the second major showdown of the year between city officials and the Arts District, where small business owners are planning a "protest/rager" on Monday. So what's this fight really about? Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman chat with the Nevada Independent's Opinions Editor Andrew Kiraly about the brouhaha, plus how we really feel about the return of the Michel...

We might not get snow in Las Vegas, but we do know how to put on a good show. So today, YouTuber Lydia Penn joins producer Layla Muhammad and co-host Dayvid Figler to talk about the best holiday pop-ups in Las Vegas — from decked-out bars and light-filled wonderlands to train rides, ice skating, and hot cocoa galore. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 11th episode: Babbel - Get up to 5...

Despite the gaming's near-omnipresence in our city (airports, grocery stores, and every corner bar), surprisingly little is known about the gambling habits of locals. That's changed with the release of a landmark study just released at UNLV that looked into the rates of problem gambling in Nevada — spoiler: it's a lot higher here than it is nationwide. Co-host Dayvid Figler talks with the study's...

Sadly, Las Vegas is no stranger to seeing businesses close (RIP HUDL Brewing), but some spots just refuse to fade — especially our oldest, grittiest dive bars. Today, we’re revisiting an episode where co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler take us on a tour of five legendary watering holes, sharing the history, characters, and weird little quirks that make each one a true local treasure. Learn mo...

Right around 2012, tech mogul Tony Hsieh bought up over 100 properties downtown, including a roster of aging, classic drive-up motels on historic Fremont Street. But today, years after Tony's death, nothing has been done with the majority of these crumbling properties, which neighbors describe as a blight on the area. Is it time to demolish them once and for all? Who even owns them anymore, and wh...

National parks across the country, including the Grand Canyon and Death Valley, right in Las Vegas's backyard, will soon be charging international visitors an additional $100 per person entry fee. So how does this impact tourism-dependent Las Vegas? Co-host Dayvid Figler, along with Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus, and Battle Born Progress press secretary Jacob Solis, discuss. Plus, a pr...

Nevada may love the newly anointed state cocktail, the Picon Punch, but good luck finding it south of Reno. So co-host Dayvid Figler and newsletter editor Rob Kachelreiss asked two top local bartenders: What should be the official cocktail of Las Vegas? Jonah Gibbs from Petite Boheme and Jennifer Yim from the Cosmopolitan, along with the City Cast Las Vegas team, create five drink contenders blend...

As Las Vegas continues to grow, locals are continuing to struggle to buy homes in our city. Are Wall Street hedge funds to blame? Review-Journal reporter Patrick Blennerhassett is here to help us answer that question. Co-host Dayvid Figler is digging into the reality of personal home ownership in a time of corporate buy-ups. Plus, they talk about whether a failed effort to limit corporate ownershi...

There are only a few weeks left in the year, so we’re chatting about the biggest clashes and the juiciest beefs that defined Vegas in 2025. Co-host Sarah Lohman is joined by Patricia Haddad Bennett and co-host Dayvid Figler to get into all the drama, from noise ordinance battles to secret recordings. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 2nd episode: Opportunity Village Want to get in tou...

In this December guide, we’re sharing insider tips to bring extra cheer this holiday month — even for the Grinchiest Las Vegans. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are swapping ideas with artist Justin Favela for all the best things to see, do, and eat all month long. From hot takes on Mt. Charleston, to even hotter takes on seasonal drinks, and a starry tour of the night sky — we have your D...

Join City Cast Las Vegas co-host Sarah Lohman alongside fellow hosts from Austin, Chicago, DC, Denver, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake, Seattle, and the Twin Cities for a special episode that’ll help you knock out your holiday shopping early and support small businesses around the country. From a handlebar mount (and app!) that’ll turn your phone into a bike cam, to a m...

The rain may have stopped, but that’s not keeping Nate Tannenbaum from schooling co-host Dayvid Figler on our desert weather patterns. The current traffic anchor at 8NewsNow and longtime TV weather reporter is here to answer your questions about everything from haboobs, to heat waves, and floods. Plus, how is climate change affecting his job?  Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Inst...

The seven-day special session at the Nevada Legislature wrapped with historic procedural chaos, surprise alliances, and a marquee film tax credit bill dying by a single vote. Nevada Independent Capital Bureau Chief Tabitha Mueller joins co-host Dayvid Figler to break down how Governor Lombardo’s ambitious agenda collided with Democratic resistance and unusual GOP crossovers, reshaping the politica...

Caesars was just fined $7.8 million by the Gaming Control Board for turning a blind to an illegal bookie laundering money at their property — for years. Why did it take so long? Plus, why the County renewed a gas tax and the curious case of the sole opposing vote, and with SantaCon on the horizon — is it time to put holiday festivities back on the other side of Thanksgiving where they belong? Co-h...

Long gone are the days when you could have dinner at 2 a.m., buy Girl Scout cookies at 3 a.m., and go grocery shopping at 4 a.m. Despite our reputation for all-hours fun, our days as a true 24/7 town are behind us. So as the winter nights get longer and we lean into our nocturnal habits, where can Las Vegans still find all-hours amenities and fun? To answer that question, we're bringing back a con...

Now that the shutdown is over (for now), what is our Congressional delegation in Washington getting done for Southern Nevadans — and as Democrats, what can they actually do? Today, Congresswoman Dina Titus sits down with co-host Dayvid Figler to discuss what happens to Nevadans' healthcare, whether the Epstein files are all political theater, and her callout to local leaders to actually have a pub...

Last week, the seven Colorado Rivers basin states, including Nevada, blew through yet another federally-imposed deadline to basically figure our shit out and allocate our dwindling water supply. So what happens now? And does this stalemate mean that Las Vegas is going to run out of water? UNR professor Elizabeth Koebele, who studies the messy politics of the river, tells co-host Dayvid Figler why...