Flush with cash from his sale of Zappos to Amazon, Tony Hsieh is writing big checks. He has some 350 million dollars to invest — and just a year into this bold experiment in social engineering, his efforts to transform downtown Vegas into the happiest place on earth seem to be well underway. Did his vision for a tech utopia really work wonders on this city? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's 2013, and the downtown project is in full swing in this once desolate patch of the city, just 5 miles from the world famous Las Vegas Strip, exciting new businesses are throwing open their doors.
Fading retro buildings have turned into swanky cocktail bars and bustling restaurants.
Colourful murals decorate the streets.
There's a hip record store, the kind that sells obscure vinyl.
A couple who ran a famous bookshop in New York have moved all the way to downtown Vegas to open a new venture.
A 711 has been transformed into a chic theatre, and on its beautiful art deco facade, neon lettering spells out its name.
Inspire.
Inside, the building hosts talks on the latest ideas and tech.
And the centerpiece of the downtown project is the famous container park.
You cannot miss it.
The entrance has a big geodesic dome, the type popularized by the pioneering american architect and futurist buckminster Fuller.
If you walk past at night, you can see the dome glowing in different colors.
Next to the dome, there's an enormous 50 foot tall metal sculpture of a praying mantis.
At night, it shoots flames out of its antennae, making a spectacular noise and beaming out streaks of bright light.
And if you're nearby, you can feel the heat.
The praying mantis rests on top of a car, which is a clue to its origins.
The sculpture started its life at Burning man, which Tony Hsieh was a big fan of.
More on that later.
Container park is made up of 56 multicolored shipping containers, housing businesses and eating establishments.
Today, lots of cities have fashionable areas like this, with restaurants and retail inside of shipping containers.