Viva, New York!

Author: By Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Staff

Date: SUNDAY, February 9, 1997

Page: M9

Section: Travel

Correct. The skyscraper-shaped New York-New York Hotel & Casino is the latest manifestation of the ``new'' Las Vegas -- a place where spectacular theme hotels and family fun seem every bit as important as slot machines and roulette wheels. The glittering, glitzy Las Vegas Strip has always been an attention- getter, but now more than ever, it is like no other spot in the world. Where else, for instance, would you find a pyramid-shaped hotel (Luxor) next to one shaped like a medieval castle (Excalibur) next to one resembling the heart of Manhattan?

New York-New York, which opened Jan. 3, offers a sweeter, softer New York. You don't have to worry about losing your money to a mugger here, although you may very well lose it to a blackjack dealer. And while the hotel's ``streets'' may not bristle with the raw energy of the real city's streets, they overflow with the cheerfulness and fun of a quality theme park.

The $460 million property is built so that its facades re-create the Manhattan skyline, with 12 skyscrapers that house 2,034 guest rooms and suites. The tallest building, at 529 feet, replicates the Empire State Building. Other icons include a 150-foot Statue of Liberty, a 300-foot-long replica of the Brooklyn Bridge and a copy of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Meanwhile, areas throughout the resort approximate Park Avenue, Central Park, Broadway, Times Square, the Financial District, Greenwich Village, and a Coney Island emporium filled with games and gadgets for youngsters. And there are a variety of New York-style restaurants.

But let's take it from the top, where a roller coaster called the Manhattan Express awaits. The ride twists, loops and dives around the property's perimeter and even through its center, reaching 67 miles per hour and allowing those who like that sort of thing to experience negative ``G's.'' One highlight (again, for those who like that sort of thing) is a heartline roll, similar to what a pilot feels while doing a barrel roll. During the twist-and-dive part of the ride, the train rolls 180 degrees, suspending riders at 86 feet above the casino roof before diving directly under itself. I have lately given up gravity-defying rides, but riders I spoke to said they enjoyed this coaster immensely. I'm not so sure, though, about a couple of clerks in the deli (and any New York clone worth its kosher salt has to have a deli), where the screams of the riders passing nearby can be distinctly heard. ``Hear that often?'' I asked. ```Allllll day-y-y-y-y,'' said one. ``Alllll n-i-i-i-ight,'' said the other.

Speaking of eateries, the variety ranges from Il Fornaio, an Italian restaurant and bakery where fine wines are also served, to Gallagher's Steak House to the Chin-Chin Chinese restaurant to a Nathan's hot dog stand. You'll also find a coffee bar and a pizzeria and, for those who like to sip in style, the Empire Bar, which offers the ambience of a 1930s Art Deco nightclub. And there is the Motown Cafe. Motown? Well, yes, but the real Manhattan has a Motown Cafe and, besides, the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood already exist elsewhere in Las Vegas.

And, of course, there is gambling, with 78 gaming tables and more than 2,400 slot machines in areas bearing names like Subway Slots. There is also a Race and Sports Book area, resembling a race track, and smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas. I won nothing at this casino, but then I've won nothing at any casino.

I enjoyed the little touches: the chairs at the gaming tables shaped like tuxedoed torsos; a dose of graffiti here and there; the New York Fire Department boats spouting water in a ``river'' outside the hotel; the yellow stretch limos with a Checker Cab pattern; and the recording of a man with a Noo Yawk accent when you call and are put on hold. My visit took place a couple of weeks after the opening, and I noticed an occasional glitch, such as delays in riding the coaster, and a couple of examples of poetic license, such as street signs that have Broadway and Greenwich intersecting. No matter: New York-New York, you're a heck of a town -- even when you're right smack on the Las Vegas Strip.

With the opening of New York-New York, Las Vegas became the first destination to pass the 100,000 mark for hotel and motel rooms, reaching 101,106. That figure was boosted by the opening in recent months of three other hotel-casinos:

-- New Orleans, a mile west of the Strip, which has a French Quarter theme.

-- Monte Carlo, on the site of the old Dunes Hotel, which re-creates the aura of Paris and Monaco before World War I.

-- And the Stratosphere, with a 1,149-foot tower and a catapult ride near the top that is for brave souls only.

Another opening, but hardly just another show: The Rio Suite Hotel and Casino, a little west of the Strip, has just opened Masquerade Village, a $200 million salute to the tradition of carnivale. The village combines food, entertainment, shopping, and gaming. But the highlight is ``Masquerade Show in the Sky,'' a $25 million interactive entertainment featuring music and elaborate costumes, with no charge for visitors to see the show. In fact, the visitors themselves may dress in themed outfits before boarding fantasy floats to glide above the crowd. Throughout the day, three parades are performed: ``Mardis Gras in New Orleans,'' ``Carnivale in Venice,'' and ``Carnivale in Rio.'' They don't do things in a small way in Vegas.

Much more is coming. Which is why the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says the number of hotel rooms should reach 120,000 by 1998 -- double what it was just 10 years ago. In the works:

-- Bellagio, a $1.2 billion, 3,000-room hotel overlooking an 11-acre lake is due to open on the Strip next year. Bellagio, which will cater to adults, is designed to resemble a waterfront village in Lake Como, Italy. Room rates will average $350 a night.

-- Hilton's Paris Casino Resort, a 33-story building, will feature emblems of Paris, including, of course, the Eiffel Tower. A 1998 completion is the goal.

-- A $900 million expansion of Caesars Palace is under way. Among the features will be more rooms, another casino, a new themed entrance, and more shops and restaurants.

-- Starship Orion, a $1.1 billion casino shaped like a spaceship, is scheduled to be built on the site of the old El Rancho hotel.

-- The recently imploded Sands hotel will be the site of a $1.5 billion, 6,000-room casino resort and shopping complex. By the current record at least, it will be the world's largest hotel.

-- The World of Coca-Cola Las Vegas -- inside a 100-foot Coca-Cola bottle that is already on the Strip as part of the Showcase retail-entertainment complex -- will open later this year. This will be an interactive attraction celebrating Coke's relationship with its consumers over the years, and there will be memorabilia and a place to buy stuff. Glass elevators inside the bottle will take visitors to the top, and they will work their way down. Like New York-New York, the giant bottle may not be the real thing, but it sounds like fun.

For more information on the The Rio Suite Hotel and Casino and its new Masquerade Village, call (800) PLAY-RIO (800-752-9746) or (702) 252-7777.

For general information and brochures, call the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority at (702) 892-0711.