Parkway of Broken Dreams

Beyond The Strip. Behind the neon. A Las Vegas story like no other.

More than 20 years ago, the cultural center of Las Vegas could be found all along Maryland Parkway, the north-south thoroughfare that is home to the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Independently owned coffee shops filled up with academics and intellectuals. A top-grade record store served as the premier destination for local musicologists. Bars and clubs buzzed with live music, flowing taps and warm bodies. And then, almost seemingly overnight, it all just - disappeared. By the turn of the century, the coffeehouses and record stores had shuttered, the art galleries moved downtown, and the street scene became a distant memory. Through archival footage and interviews with business owners, journalists, musicians, artists and scenesters from that era, Parkway of Broken Dreams tells the story of how alternative culture on Maryland Parkway was born, thrived, and, eventually, faded away.