It is hard to find a city that went so spectacularly from boom to bust than Las Vegas. Just look at how the Case-Shiller Index has dropped for Vegas over the last two years: Joel Stein went to Las Vegas to see how it has changed since the crisis hit, and to take advantage of expected deals. His article about the trip is the cover story in this week's Time , and Stein says he felt "guiltless about taking advantage" of Vegas while it is down: This has been the first major recession Vegas has experienced since it became a real city. After two decades as one of the fastest-growing metropolises in the U.S., Las Vegas has seen its population growth flatten. It's got the highest foreclosure rate of any major metro area, and the unemployment rate jumped from 3.8% to 12.3% in just three years. Even if you have a job, it's not a good time to have your wage be dependent on lavish tips. The No. 1 convention city has also had a wave of cancellations from the AIG effect — companies don't want the bad publicity of being seen in Sin City. Just as Las Vegas was the epicenter of the extravagant consumption of the past 20 years, now it's the deepest crater of the recession over the last year. And while I do want to get my money back, I'm a little worried about seeing the dream sucked out of our most American city, the one with the optimism and possibility of New York City in 1900. The one I've, embarrassingly, come to love. You can read Less Vegas: The Casino Town Bets on a Comeback here . Also, take a listen to Stein's interview with Marketplace's Tess Vigeland .