Viva Las Vegas!

9. New York-New York Casino

Las Vegas, NV

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Sid Rogich was born in Iceland but his family came to Las Vegas in 1954 so his father could work in a titanium factory. As an adult Rogich built the largest advertising agency in Nevada before he was tabbed by George W. Bush to become United States Ambassador to his native Iceland. When the Bush administration ended Rogich went to work developing an idea for a casino based on America's greatest city. More than $450 million later the world's most identifiable skyline rose on one of the choicest intersections on The Strip. There is the Art Deco masterpiece, the Chrysler building, and its Fifth Avenue neighbor, the Empire State Building. In addition to the 150-foot high replica of the Statue of Liberty there are renditions of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Grand Central Terminal and the Whitney Museum of Art. The main casino floor is crafted like Central Park and the interior shops are meant to evoke Greenwich Village. The Roller Coaster out front that zips over a pond emblematic of New York harbor is themed to resemble New York City taxicabs. The 203-foot high coaster goes through two inversions and features a 144-foot drop as speeds reach 67 miles per hour. New York-New York is home to one of the many Cirque du Soleil troupes and the only one to restrict admission only to those 18 years or older.