People who spend time downtown aren't just looking for $1 daiquiris and two-for-a-buck hot dogs. Plenty of locals have discovered cool hideaways that are warm, friendly and less glitzy than the hangouts on the Strip, which has cornered the market on $400 steaks and bachelorettes selling kisses.

Seven downtown places in particular could have been considered upscale yuppie hot spots if they had located in normal cities, such as Akron, Ohio, or Raleigh, N.C. But in Vegas, they are almost quaint.

• Jillian's Hi-Life Lanes in Neonopolis, 450 Fremont Street -- The new chain outlet has a bar-restaurant and an arcade downstairs, where tourists happen in and out. But upstairs, Hi-Life Lanes is quieter. It seems sort of secret, but it's big and airy, and more lustrous than other bowling alleys and pool places in town.

Each lane offers long, comfy couches on one end. On the other end are glow-in-the-dark pins and giant video screens. At night, when DJs spin music by the dance floor, the screens flash music videos.

And lanes are easy to come by, being first-come, first-serve. Most other bowling alleys are stacked with bowling league reservations.

Hi-Life's nine pool tables lead back to an intimate semiprivate room that, like the rest of Hi-Life, is inviting with leather and backside-friendly seats, a dark-wood atmosphere, soft lighting, and framed photos of Cary Grant, Paul Newman and dozens of other famous pool shooters.

• The Saloon Bar & Grill in Neonopolis -- Mayor Oscar Goodman has headlined parties here. The Saloon opened before Jillian's did, so maybe it has dibs on the yuppie atmosphere: comfy seats, dark wood, soft lighting, a big bar and a real kitchen.

Both the Saloon and Jillian's are in Neonopolis, which appears clean, nice and safe. But the parking garage just began charging a fee, a city decision that qualifies as the most trivial, penny-wise, pound-foolish move of 2003 so far.

There are some fee validations at Neonopolis. But the validation in the movie theater is for three hours, which rushes people out. The parking fee discourages people from going to Neonopolis and dawdling. (People who dawdle spend money and have fun.) So why pay to park downtown when you can park for free on the Strip? Jillian's and the Saloon are trying to answer that question.

• Triple 7 Restaurant and Brewery at Main Street Station, 200 N. Main St. -- The atmosphere at Triple 7 also is inviting, with soft lighting, brass, dark wood and comfy seats. TVs often show sports, but quietly. However, the place is fairly loud when it is crowded.

The bonus with Triple 7 is the microbrewery beer, which is good and affordable at $5 for a 25-ouncer. Happy hour, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m., offers $1 well drinks and $2 16-ouncers. And the kitchen cooks up tasty portions of desirable food: sirloin quesadillas and calamari, Philly cheese sandwiches, portabella burgers, great pizza, ribs, rib-eye steak, sushi, hot fudge sundaes and old-fashioned root beers.

• Center Stage restaurant and lounge in the Plaza, 1 S. Main St. -- Prices here aren't much higher than at Triple 7, but the fare is fancier: shrimp scampi, filet mignon, tiramisu. The major attraction is a great view down the Fremont Street Experience.

The storied atmosphere is old-Vegas low lighting, but it's sleek and not dusty. Illustrations on the walls are of Jimmy Stewart, Desi Arnaz and other celebrities. A part of the film ³Casino² was shot here.

• Starbucks at the Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St. -- You can't spend a long day here, but it serves as a quick fill-¹er-up in the middle of the Fremont Street Experience, with a patio no less, for people who must feed their need for the familiarity of a corporate chain.

• Lucky's Lookout Balcony in Fitzgeralds, 301 Fremont St. -- This second-story balcony supplies a widescreen viewpoint, bolted-down chairs and tables. It's near a bar and two full-body massage chairs.

And people-watchers who aren't interested in the canopy light show above can look down on amused tourists.