City Cast Las Vegas

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 the sponsors of this December 23rd episode: Nevada Health Link Simply Eloped Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 studies at UNLV, about what's in store for Spring Mountain Road, why our Chinatown is unique, and how they're hoping to avoid gentrification. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 22nd episode: Simply Eloped Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson, discuss. Plus, what happens when a gambler who says he was drugged loses big at a casino? And lastly, Oprah's endorsement is life-changing for this small business in Las Vegas. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 19th episode: Opportunity Village Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 delicious bites from the hottest newcomers of 2025. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 18th episode: Opportunity Village Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 District, why small business owners will be attending this morning's City Council Meeting, and how they think the city could do better. If you enjoyed this interview with Janessa White, the Director & General Manager of Simply Eloped,⁠ learn more here.⁠  Learn more about the sponsors of this December 17th episode: ⁠Opportunity Village⁠ ⁠Aura Frames⁠ - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠lasvegas@citycast.fm⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠ Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

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 Village Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by producer Layla Muhammad to introduce our Class of 2025 honorees — and celebrate their superlatives as the most inspiring, impactful, and community-defining voices in Las Vegas. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 15th episode: Opportunity Village Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 Michelin Guide after a 15-year hiatus, and Las Vegas's first ever Taco Bell Ultra Marathon (yes, they award bonus points for Diablo Sauce). Learn more about the sponsors of this December 12th episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Get more from City Cast Las Vegas when you become a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm  Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 author, Andrea Dassopoulos, about the study's surprising findings, who is at highest risk (it's not who you think), and what can be done. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 10th episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 more about the sponsors of this December 9th episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 what do they say about Tony's legacy in Las Vegas? Co-host Dayvid Figler talks with Review-Journal reporter Eli Segall, who's been following the Tony Hsieh saga, with all its twists and turns. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 8th episode: Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 price surge for those on ACA healthcare plans is on the way, so what's the political fallout for purple Nevada? And to round things out, we celebrate the triumphant return of Bingo to the Strip! Learn more about the sponsors of this December 5th episode: Opportunity Village Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 blending history, nostalgia, and pure Vegas spectacle. Now it’s your turn to weigh in — and maybe even order one off a secret menu yourself. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 4th episode: ⁠Opportunity Village⁠ Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠lasvegas@citycast.fm⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠ Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

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 ownership of homes in the recent special legislative session would have even worked.  Learn more about the sponsors of this December 3rd episode: Opportunity Village Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 December on lock. Plus, how to rein in your holiday consumerism by thrifting. If Mt. Charleston is also a part of your Las Vegas holiday tradition, check out our guide to Lee Canyon. If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a ⁠starter pack for you⁠ with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Las Vegas community.  For even more tips on how to make the most of December in Las Vegas, check out ⁠Hey Las Vegas⁠’ take on what to do this month. Learn more about the sponsors of this December 1st episode: Opportunity Village Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 mustard-of-the-month subscription box, our hosts are here to tell the stories of local businesses in their cities making cool stuff that you can order online right now.  Visit our website to find the full list of recommendations with links for holiday shopping! Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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 political landscape heading into 2026. Winners, losers, and looming election-year repercussions all come into focus as the dust settles on an unprecedented special session. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠lasvegas@citycast.fm⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠ Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.