The New York-New York Casino may not be the swankiest, but it has an old New York City theme that I really love. Next to the casino on the first floor is this neighborhood with restaurants and bars within mini-buildings that look like Lower Manhattan many years ago.

I like the architectural elements and the touches of neon. And because I have a pre-disposition to urban landscapes, this area immediately draws my attention.

Photography in dark places like this has gotten easier with image stabilization. I shot these at 1/5 of a second and underexposed -1.3 stops, not to blow out the bright details. Then, I lightened the shadows to taste in post-processing.

I’m guessing the restaurant signs just mimic the look of non-existent places. However, I remember seeing a Panasonic neon in Times Square years ago.

The slice of pizza at Sirrico’s was even decent and had the New York City taste. I give the casino a thumbs up for inexpensive, tasty food set in a playful and non-pretentious setting.

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