9

Turnberry Towers does not rank as highly as it's older brother, Turnberry Place, or even the its cousin, the joint venture with MGM Mirage Corp, Signature at MGM Grand. Why? In a word, location. It is across the street from Turnberry Place so it is another block farther from the Strip and the only hotel/resort complex nearby is the Hilton which is nice but not in the 5-star territory. Turnberry Place makes up for its so-so location with the fabulous Stirling Club on its property but here, Turnberry Towers skimps a bit and offers residents a 2 year membership to the Stirling Club but that requires hopping on a shuttle or a walk down the street. Turnberry Towers does offer its own pool, spa, fitness facilities on site as well as the usual level of concierge services and security, etc. Turnberry Towers departs from the familiar architecture design (the 7 towers making up Turnberry Place and The Residences at MGM are nearly identical) with a two-tower curving design similar to Allure which is a mile west. Turnberry is a real marketing machine with all of its Turnberry Place and most of Signature at MGM sold out and units here at Turnberry Towers are selling well, too. There is value in that the sales prices are at the lower end of the luxury high-rise market for new construction. Views from the towers should be quite good although Turnberry Place towers and the Hilton buildings blocking some of the views to the west and south (i.e., toward the heart of the Strip). In just about any other major city in the world, Turnberry Towers would likely rank very high. Unfortunately, the exceptional competition in today's Las Vegas market means that there are even better properties under way. Still, the Turnberry name should guarantee a certain panache and quality which means that at their current sales prices, units here could be one of the best values in the new high-rise luxury market for those willing to overlook a few minor drawbacks.

10

Allure is an eye catching tower near the corner of the Strip and West Sahara. The property rates high in number of floor plans. Although near the Stratosphere Tower, there are few other tall buildings nearby guaranteeing that (for now) even the lower floors have good views of the distant strip skyline (south facing units) or downtown (north facing). Allure rates lower due to its location. It is at the far north end of the Strip in an area that is not an upscale community. Allure may be an impetus for better development in time but the first owners will be neighbors to low-end housing apartments, light industrial, and vacant lots. However, it is in good proximity to I-15 making it easy to avoid gridlock on the Strip.

10

The first of a planned 5 towers at One Las Vegas are available now. However, given the state of the economy, future tower construction is in doubt. One Las Vegas is located at the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard in the neighborhood referred to as the South Strip. It's a rapidly growing neighborhood with other new condo developments nearby including Loft 5, Boca Las Vegas, Manhattan, several low rise apartment communities, M Resort and the South Point casino (formerly South Coast).  In addition to the 5 towers planned, the developer announced that a boutique hotel would be built on the property as well although the condos will not be part of a condo hotel program. This development is quite dense with multiple towers located close together. This will reduce views for most units facing toward the center of the property but units on the outside will have great views of the Strip (north) or mountains. One Las Vegas includes the obligatory club and pool areas and lushly landscaped grounds. It's location is on the Strip but this area is not built up so there's plenty of open acreage which will likely develop over time (so be prepared for lots of construction activity for a while). The overall design of the 5 towers is unimaginative and has been likened to a beige version of housing projects built along the East Coast in the 1950's. Generally, the units offer a bit more square footage than other new condos so, for the money, this could be a good mid-range choice.    

10

One of several new downtown high-rises, Streamline Tower offers traditional (if somewhat unimaginative) condo units. Streamline is the closest you can get to the Fremont Street Experience (the 6 block stretch where most of the downtown casinos are located). In fact, it is just a block away so residents will have a variety of gaming, entertainment, and dining opportunities. Views from units on the south and west sides will be of the downtown while north and easterly facing units will be looking out across the vast northern suburbs and out toward the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Nellis Air Force Base (about 10 miles away). This building is about a mile away from several other condo developments (e.g., Newport Lofts and SoHo Lofts which are south of Fremont St.) so you won't run into many other permanent residents in the neighborhood but would be a good choice for those wanting to be near Fremont Street.   

11

H.U.E Lofts (which stands for High-rise Urban Environment) promises to bring a stylish and contemporary flair to downtown Las Vegas a few blocks to the south of the Fremont Street Experience where most downtown casinos are located. At 38 stories, this development would be one of the tallest of the new downtown condos. It's nearby neighbors would include Newport Lofts and SoHo Lofts. The rest of the area is mostly low rise small office buildings, older residences, and apartment buildings.  Although they have not yet released floor plans or firm pricing, expect a slightly more upscale environment in this building along with the highest prices per square foot in the downtown area. The architectural design is distinctive and would likely prove a landmark for the area for quite some time. Ground floor retail and a rooftop pool and spa are amenities that residents will appreciate. Given that they have yet to commence construction, prospective buyers have a few years to wait before taking possession but for those in no hurry, this could be an attractive option to get into a neighborhood which is transforming into a busier and more upscale vertical community.

11

Developer Sam Cherry took a gamble on downtown Las Vegas betting that he could build an upscale high rise condo that would be successful. The result was SoHo Lofts. This building, Newport Lofts, is his follow up to that first building. However, it is a few blocks away and not connected either architecturally or in terms of services offered. This building includes ground floor retail, several floors of parking, and a rec deck on the top floor including pool, spa, club, etc. All units are lofts, meaning few walls, open air ducts, high ceilings, etc. Some plans, however, would allow owners to erect walls around the bedroom alcove areas. Even the smallest units are just under 1,000 square feet so owners will have a lot of space to decorate in more traditional design or leave in an open industrial look.  All the units have good views. North-facing residents look out toward the downtown casinos a few blocks away while southern views will be of the Stratosphere a few blocks away and the northern portions of Strip. There are few other tall buildings in this are of town so most views are unobstructed at this time.  The fitness facilities, running track, and pool are on the 17th floor and the distinctive roof of this building is eye catching while giving residents access to these amenities year round. This building is designed for full time permanent residents and so there is no hotel affiliation or condo hotel program. For those looking for a sleek loft design but in a new high rise building downtown, this could be your best choice.