Handyman in Downtown Las Vegas

Las Vegas began in 1905, when 110 acres beside the Union Pacific tracks were auctioned off in what is now downtown. The city defines Downtown Las Vegas as the area between Interstate 15, Washington Avenue, Maryland Parkway and Sahara Avenue. A handyman in Downtown Las Vegas works across a wide age range, from houses of the 1930s to converted industrial lofts and newer condo towers.

Inside those lines sit the Fremont Street casinos, the Arts District, Symphony Park with the Smith Center, and several older residential neighborhoods. The Mob Museum shows how far back the building stock goes, since it occupies the former post office and courthouse built in 1933.

At least two residential areas downtown carry formal historic status. The John S. Park Neighborhood Historic District, roughly between Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard, Franklin Avenue and Ninth Street, joined the city's Historic Property Register in March 2003 and the National Register that May. The Las Vegas High School Neighborhood Historic District, between Bridger and Gass avenues and Sixth and Ninth streets, was listed on the National Register in 1991.

In a listed house, call the city's historic preservation staff before changing anything visible from the street, such as windows, doors, porches or roofing. Inside, the list may include two-prong outlets with no ground, kitchen circuits never sized for modern appliances and old metal pipes that narrow with scale. Electrical repair and plumbing repair in these homes start with finding out what is actually behind the walls.

The Arts District, known as 18b for the 18 blocks it first covered, grew out of warehouses. The Arts Factory took over a former office supply warehouse, and the old Holsum bread factory became Holsum Lofts in 2005. Newer high-rise condos such as Newport Lofts came later.

Work in a condo or loft runs on the building's rules as much as the owner's. Before the day of the job, ask management about elevator reservations, allowed work hours and where a crew can park and unload. Concrete and brick walls change how a TV mount or shelf is anchored, and in a converted building we confirm what runs behind a wall before drilling.