Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Finally, Elvis honored with a street name

Elvis Presley

AP Photo

This 1972 file photo shows Elvis Presley, the King of Rock “n” Roll, during a performance.

Elvis Presley Boulevard

The street sign for Elvis Presley Boulevard is shown at Paradise Road Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. Elvis Presley Boulevard, formerly Riviera Boulevard, is four-tenths of a mile and runs from the Las Vegas Strip to Paradise Road. Launch slideshow »

Dean Martin’s is the longest, then Roy Horn’s. Next is Sammy Davis Jr.’s followed by Jimmy Durante’s and then Jerry Tarkanian’s. What about Elvis’? Well, his is not very long at all.

Keep your mind in the gutter but forget about the sexual comparisons. Each of those celebrities — as well as many more — have Clark County streets named after them. And apparently, the importance of a celebrity can’t be judged by how long their street is or how long signs have featured the star’s name.

Elvis Presley Boulevard is a good example. It was only late last month that Clark County named a street, and a very short one at that, after him.

Elvis Presley Boulevard, formerly Riviera Boulevard, is four-tenths of a mile and runs from the Strip to Paradise Road near the Convention Center and the Westgate. The request to change the name came from the Westgate, home of Elvis’ famous Las Vegas residency in the late 1960s and early 1970s when it was called the International.

The county approved the name change in May 2015 and installed an incorrect version of the four street signs indicating “Way” on Dec. 21. They were replaced with correct ones marked “Blvd” seven days later.

Click to enlarge photo

Clark County installed Elvis Presley Boulevard signs on Dec. 28, 2016, a change from Riviera Boulevard after a request was submitted by the Westgate (formerly the International), the venue where The King was best known for performing.

The popularity of Presley, who would have turned 82 on Jan. 8, has not waned. A video of the signs being installed posted to the county’s Facebook page has become the county’s most popular, reaching almost 1.5 million people.

Elvis Presley Boulevard serves as a key access point for the new Diamond Lot, a parking and outdoor exhibition space at the Las Vegas Convention Center on the former site of the Riviera. A celebration of the Diamond Lot, which concluded Phase I of the Las Vegas Convention Center District (LVCCD) project, was held Jan. 4, just in time for the Consumer Electronics Show. The old Riviera Boulevard signs are set to be displayed at the Clark County Museum this spring, a county spokesman said.

Las Vegas Convention Center Diamond Lot Unveiling

Terry Jicinsky, LVCVA senior vice president of operations, speaks during the Jan. 4, 2017 ribbon-cutting of the Diamond Lot, a new parking and outdoor exhibition space, which finalizes Phase I of the Las Vegas Convention Center District (LVCCD) project. Launch slideshow »

Other streets named after celebrities include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. drives, all of which meet behind the Mirage.

Jerry Lewis Way can be found south of that intersection, also intersecting Dean Martin Drive. Not far from there is Mel Torme Way, off of Spring Mountain Road near Fashion Show. Tony Bennett Way runs east of Paradise in between Twain and Flamingo.

Farther to the south, drivers can use Roy Horn Way, although there is not a street named for Siegfried Fischbacher.

Debbie Reynolds Drive is near Convention Center Drive, and Hugh Hefner Drive is just off of Flamingo Road. UNLV’s most famous basketball coach has Jerry Tarkanian Way in the southwest along the 215 Beltway. Wayne Newton Boulevard is near McCarran International Airport.

Also, just north of Flamingo Road off Paradise Road is Tony Bennett Way, and it’s also possible to drive on Durante Street, Jimmy Buffett Street, John Wayne Street and Tupac Lane.

Here are some streets named after celebrities with their lengths in miles, from longest to shortest:

• Dean Martin Drive, 11 miles.

• Roy Horn Way, 5.

• Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, 1.78.

• (Jimmy) Durante Street, 1.55.

• Wayne Newton Boulevard, 1.5.

• Jerry Tarkanian Way, 1.08.

• Frank Sinatra Drive, 0.55.

• Elvis Presley Boulevard, 0.4.

• Tony Bennett Way, 0.24.

• Mel Torme Way, 0.22.

• Debbie Reynolds Drive, 0.177.

• Jimmy Buffett Street, 0.15.

• Hugh Hefner Drive, 0.126.

• Jerry Lewis Way, 0.124.

• John Wayne Street, 0.03.

• Tupac Lane, 0.001.

Other streets named after celebrities (not counting politicians, military personnel or astronauts) include Annie Oakley Way, Arnold Palmer Way, Asimov Place, Calamity Jane Lane, (Georgia) O’Keefe Court, Poe Drive, Steinbeck Drive, (Steve) Wynn Avenue, Tolkien Avenue and Vince Lombardi Street.

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