Vegas suburbia from the ’60s gets a revival

By Kristen Peterson

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

When developer Irwin Molasky built the Paradise Palms neighborhood along with the adjacent Boulevard mall in the 1960s, the question was “Who’s going to go way out there?” There wasn’t much happening beyond Eastern Avenue.

But residents filled the stylish neighborhood’s low-slung modern homes designed by Southern California architects Dan Palmer and William Krisel, and the mall became a popular hangout, drawing shoppers away from downtown.

An exhibit at the Boulevard mall, 3528 S. Maryland Parkway, shows the neighborhood and mall when both were new to a mostly empty valley.

A Place in Paradise ... The Quintessential Las Vegas Neighborhood, curated by Brian “Paco” Alvarez, features large-scale black-and-white aerial photographs that show the expanse of the neighborhood surrounding Stardust Golf Course (now National Golf Course) where residents lived alongside celebrities who were performing on the Strip.

Interior shots of Las Vegas’ first mall accompany images of its lengthy construction. Other images feature the celebrities who lived or stayed in the area.

The valley grew, extending newer housing outward. Some of the Paradise Palms homes fell victim to shoddy renovations or neglect. But in recent years, residents have reclaimed the midcentury homes and bonded over the neighborhood’s history, establishing a social club for residents and pushing for historic designation of the area.

Paradise Palms resident Clay Heximer, who has been leading the neighborhood’s organizing efforts and created a Paradise Palms website, says the exhibit is a good educational tool for new residents to the area and a way to connect them to the history.