Zappo's Tony Hsieh Has Created A Shopping And Dining Experience In Las Vegas That Makes The Strip Look Dumb

Las Vegas is a lot of fun. But every part of the Vegas Strip is designed to confuse tourists into parting with their cash. The casinos have no windows or clocks, they're designed like mazes so you can't find the exits, and it's difficult to get from one venue to the next without taking a taxi. Even crossing the street sometimes requires a half-mile walk to and from a pedestrian bridge.

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In short, The Strip can make you feel stupid for being there, like you're a sheep getting shorn by the casino resorts.

Zappos' CEO Tony Hsieh has created an inspiring shopping and dining experience in Downtown Las Vegas - X miles form The Strip that most tourists stay on - and it's the complete opposite of The Strip. It's small-scale, walkable, neighborhood-y and centered around small business and startups.

Called Downtown Container Park, all the businesses inside it occupy 30 reconstructed shipping containers and 41 modular metal cubes. The center courtyard is dominated by a giant treehouse playground.

We visited it recently and liked it a lot. Take a look.