New York-New York Hotel and Casino, Hotel and casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, Paradise, Nevada, US
New York-New York Hotel and Casino is a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, with a facade modeled on the New York City skyline. Its tallest element is a replica of the Empire State Building rising 47 stories to 529 feet (161 m). The complex includes a 51,765 sq ft casino, 2,024 rooms, and the Big Apple Coaster, which loops around the hotel tower.
The idea of a casino modelled on the New York skyline came from Sig Rogich and Mark Advent; Rogich brought it to Gary Primm of Primadonna Resorts, who formed a joint venture with MGM in 1994. Construction began on March 30, 1995 on an 18-acre site previously partly occupied by the Lone Palm Motel and a Rodeway Inn. The resort opened on January 3, 1997 at 12:30 a.m., built at a cost of $460 million. MGM bought Primadonna outright in 1999, gaining full control.
The skyline represents New York City in the 1940s, so the World Trade Center towers were never included; they were also judged too tall. The replica Statue of Liberty became a gathering point after the September 11 attacks, when visitors left flowers, candles and thousands of T-shirts along the fence. The items, nearly 6,000 in all, are archived at UNLV's Lied Library.
Visitors will find signs in English throughout the interior, including directions to restaurants, the casino, and elevators. The roller coaster that winds around the exterior facade operates during the day and evening, offering glimpses of the Strip and surrounding hotels.
The exterior roller coaster was originally designed with trains resembling yellow New York cabs before being replaced with a more modern design in later years. This ride performs a twist that briefly inverts passengers as they pass the cityscape replicas.
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