Tuesday, April 7, 1998 | 12:50 p.m.
We wanted to bring you the "Top 10 Websites of Las Vegas." At least, that was the plan. Problem is, we underestimated the market.
There were just too many sites that we couldn't ignore: The earnestly informative. The overwhelmingly comprehensive. The just plain wacky good fun.
And that didn't even include websites we grudgingly have to mention, like lasvegas.com, not to mention the one for which we'd be derelict in our duty if we neglected -- the oh-so snazzy vegasdeluxe.com, where, in addition to the musings of the local afternoon paper (that's us), you can also peruse Scope, Showbiz and Las Vegas Life magazines.
Our criteria was this: The site had to either focus on Las Vegas, be run by a Las Vegan, or have info of use to a Las Vegan. Other than that, the race was wide open to any site that could peak -- and maintain -- our interest.
So we expanded the list, and the result is the admittedly subjective -- and hardly definitive -- Top 15, er, make that, Top 20 Websites of Las Vegas.
A FEAST FOR THE EYES:
Live From Las Vegas -- Want to get a peek of the Strip without leaving the comfort of your bedroom? Polo towers provides a continuously updated panoramic image of the Strip from the top of its hotel. http://www.polotowers.com/webcam.htm.
Nevada Camera Club -- If still images are more your thing, the club's virtual gallery includes artsy shots ranging from desert scenery to neon sculpture. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Images/gallery.htm.
Vintage Vegas -- If really old still images are your thing, check out this collection of casino postcards dating back to the '50s. Watch Fremont Street transform before your eyes. The year-old old site also includes casino matchbooks and replica chips, and plans to expand with playing cards and ashtrays. Wish you were here! www.crecon.com/vintagevegas.
Las Vegas Strip Club Review -- More practical than naughty, this 19-month-old site contains no nudity, but impartially reviews Las Vegas' topless bars, spreads industry gossip, advises real-life Elizabeth Berkeleys ("Showgirls," of course) how to break into the biz, and explains how cabbies get kickbacks from recommending certain clubs. Most graphic is the spot where club-goers swap experiences -- in detail. www.stripclubreview.com.
Nevada Mining Association -- After you learn all about minerals and the state's mining industry, you can take a quiz to win a silver coin, then watch a Quick-Time movie of liquid gold being poured into bars. Illuminating, revealing and profitable. www.nevadamining.org.
ONLY IN LAS VEGAS:
Las Vegas Hack Attack -- "Who knows more about a city than its local cab drivers? Nobody!" argues this year-old underground guide, created by a former Desert Cab driver, who took a programming class, and his cabbie buddies. The site gives the lowdown, including their nominees for "Worst of Las Vegas." Up next? A newsletter and a polling of "escorts" on the best hotel rooms in Las Vegas. As the site operator points out, they should know. www.lasvegastaxi.com.
Professional Poker Player Aptitude Test -- Here's an aptitude test your high school guidance counselor never offered. "Do you have what it takes to play this game for a living?" That's the question asked and answered on a new site offering a 63-question quiz to assess your check-and-raise skills. www.vegasnet.net/dalex/.
Cybercity Cafe -- The very real-life cafe on Maryland Parkway that serves coffee and computers for the local digeratti also operates this virtual reality site that gets 250,000 hits a day, featuring its own soap opera, chat room, listings of local raves and "orientation" sessions for the monthly dominatrix club. www.cybercitycafe.com.
Ken Johnson and Jim Tofte -- These two local loudmouths were recently slapped with an FCC notice of "indecent" on-air conduct. Are the lewd and crude morning DJs guilty as charged? Judge for yourself -- this 7-month old site features their "classic" bits and their definition of "fun sounds," including Jim's big belch and the infamous "duckjob" (a duck making some rather obscene noises) circulating the net. Bonus: a chance to annihilate "Ally McBeal's" Dancing Baby. www.kklz.com.
Yolana -- Lost your Magic 8 Ball and misplaced your Tarot cards? Yolanda, the virtual psychic, will summon up your lucky numbers and cards for the day, and offer a more in-depth yearlong reading for a token fee. www.chartsncards.com.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
State of Nevada -- Bureaucracy gone cyberspace! This website offers driver's license info to keep you on the good side of the DMV, state job listings and a guide to area historical markers. Make sure you stop by the governor's office to read "eNVy in the Desert," a serial "novel" being co-authored by the gov and Nevada students. And while you're there, take a virtual tour of the mansion and its animal inhabitants. www.state.nv.us.
Clark County -- This no-nonsense site includes searchable listings of county records, marriage licenses, electronic filing of maintenance requests, proposed road projects, voting info and Metro's Crime Prevention "Tip of the Week." www.co.clark.nv.us.
University of Nevada Las Vegas -- Everything you need to matriculate -- without even having to leave the dorm room. This site lets you download an application, peruse course listings and class schedules, get oriented with a virtual map and plan your whole year on the university's calendar of events. More importantly, it offers an explanation from the campus bookstore about why textbooks are so darn expensive. www.unlv.edu.
Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority -- Want to check out when COMDEX is due back to town -- and subsequently plan your getaway? The official source for upcoming conventions. www.lasvegas24hours.com.
Las Vegas Golfer -- This work-in-progress site offers a rundown of 40 local greens, from the accessible Craig Ranch to the clandestine Shadow Creek. www.vegasgolfer.com.
EVERYTHING ELSE:
Gay Vegas -- This site offers resources for both the local gay community and visitors, from local gay-friendly health clubs to support groups. www.gayvegas.com.
Las Vegas Leisure Guide -- This site claims to be the "oldest Nevada tourism site still in existence." Sure, it's only 3 years old, but in Internet years, that's practically ancient. The site draws 3,000 readers a day with its readers poll, the snappy feature "Heard Around Town" condensing the latest Las Vegas news, and 500 pages of text and 700 links geared mainly to the out-of-towner. www.pcap.com/lasvegas.htm.
Las Vegas Insider Magazine -- An eclectic site connected to the free publication, which includes 250 pages of information and receives 10,000 hits a day. Highlights include its own "Good and Bad LV Experience" listings, discounts on flying Elvi merchandise, and a psychic guide advising the "best days" to schedule plastic surgery or go fishing. www.insidervlv.com.
Vegaspages -- An overwhelming yet searchable list of links, organized alphabetically from academic institutions to wedding services. www.vegaspages.com.
The Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide -- This site, which gets 51,000 hits a day, features 650 links and 1,000 pages. It includes some handy info for locals, such as an update of the current progressive jackpot totals, an underused message board, listing of jobs hotlines, bookstores and events off the Strip. www.lvol.com.
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