Living in Vegas

I wanted to spin this off from another thread about first time in Vegas. I saw this post from Billy and thought it merited discussion:

Quote: billryan

and decided I would move here. Fifteen years, and countless detours and derailments later, I did.

Now, I LOVE Vegas. I only get to come once a year and would come more if I could. That said, I dont think I would want to live there. However, for those of you who were raised elsewhere and choose to move to Vegas. What was it specifically that lead you to move there, and are you still glad with your choice?

I thought I would like it here

Vegas is in a state of decline. Too many system players cleaning out casinos

Quote: TomG

I thought I would like it here

What specifically made you think you would like it? Job market, community, ect?

The weather and earning money playing casino games

If I didn’t have such deep roots on the east coast, I’m pretty sure I’d move to Vegas and AP full time. It’s too difficult to do full time nearly anywhere else.

At least that’s my plan once I self destruct my life here

According to the conventional wisdom, Aping has been an illusion for quite some time and is now a delusion shared by old has beens who assemble arsenals since VP offers zilch, BJ offers zilch but a view of the back room and comps for suspected APs have evaporated.

Now I guess retirees with nothing much else to do with their pension checks can sit there and do coin-in for ten hours a day and eke out a "living" of comped puddings in air conditioned comfort but people with mortgage payments, car payments, kids in school, air conditioning bills and bills from women who are not from an agency are too hard pressed even if playing Pai Gow Tiles wherein one pushes a third of the time anyway.

Quote: gamerfreak

If I didn’t have such deep roots on the east coast, I’m pretty sure I’d move to Vegas and AP full time. It’s too difficult to do full time nearly anywhere else.

At least that’s my plan once I self destruct my life here

IMHO your second sentence is false. I moved away from Vegas after I started AP’ing full time, for business reasons. I move an average of over once a year though so there’s that. FWIW if I had your educational background/skills I think I would part time. And then want to quit and go full time...Grass is always greener or whatever.

I'm reminded of Rick's response as to why he came to Casablanca: he said it was for the waters. The perplexed interrogator who pointed out that Casablanca is in the middle of a desert received the simple response: "I was misinformed".

Las Vegas ain't no oasis, its just Los Angeles street gangs ... with casinos.

Quote:

Las Vegas ain't no oasis, its just Los Angeles street gangs ... with casinos.

Yes, but the gang members and the residents don't have face tattoos.

Coming from NY, it was an easy decision. Housing prices had rebounded enough to make selling on Long Island a no-brainer.
Selling saved me $14,000 a year in property taxes. It's like living rent free. It's not that Vegas is all that cheap. It's more that NYC is very expensive.
I live in Henderson, which was selected #40 in the top 50 places to live by Money magazine. It was also the most populated city on the list.
I use my locals address to see two, sometimes three shows a week free.
My complex has two pools, a clubhouse, two dog parks and a 24 gym. Groceries are cheaper, you need less wardrobe, and it's much less stressful.
On the flip side, buying a house here is far from a surefire investment. Most houses in Las Vegas are worth less today than in 2008.
Somewhere around a quarter of all mortgages are underwater and the foreclosure rate is 50% higher than the national average.
Sub-standard schools and ravenous industries that hire at 18 with no HS diploma add up to a problem school system, the medical system is borderline and the cops are good for filling out reports.

Quote: billryan

Coming from NY, it was an easy decision. Housing prices had rebounded enough to make selling on Long Island a no-brainer.
Selling saved me $14,000 a year in property taxes. It's like living rent free. It's not that Vegas is all that cheap. It's more that NYC is very expensive.
I live in Henderson, which was selected #40 in the top 50 places to live by Money magazine. It was also the most populated city on the list.
I use my locals address to see two, sometimes three shows a week free.
My complex has two pools, a clubhouse, two dog parks and a 24 gym. Groceries are cheaper, you need less wardrobe, and it's much less stressful.
On the flip side, buying a house here is far from a surefire investment. Most houses in Las Vegas are worth less today than in 2008.
Somewhere around a quarter of all mortgages are underwater and the foreclosure rate is 50% higher than the national average.
Sub-standard schools and ravenous industries that hire at 18 with no HS diploma add up to a problem school system, the medical system is borderline and the cops are good for filling out reports.

IF only people in this country followed my economic model, then MAYBE, just maybe we would once again be the world's biggest creditor(GOOD in this context) instead of the world's biggest DEBTOR(BAD) as we were before the Federal Reserve Act was passed in 1913 and inevitably destroyed this country by moving to a system of CREDIT(BAD in this context, you see how they change the 'words' around as time goes by to keep you confused?).

Not only is everyone suffering with their erroneous economic knowledge of how to grow wealth and have a strong economy, but they're also ruining it for everyone like me(there aren't many of me by the way) where every dollar in my wallet is being depreciated every day because of this inflationary credit system in place where everyone wants a shortcut and instant money out of thin air at the press of a finger. How are those mortgages again bill? A quarter of them under water? 50% foreclosure rate? That's just in vegas, I would love to know the national average. LOL. Also, I would love to know how many people in this country from a middle class family are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. Then I would love to see the correlation of these middle class folks who are struggling, to then see how many 'handouts' they have taken from the government and how many credit cards they have as well as mortgages etc. Of course if you're born into poverty that's different, that would skew the statistics. My point here is to find just how much people don't know how to manage their money and also how much the middle class has disappeared with this destructive economic system in place.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The real problem are these banks such as the Federal Reserve, which I already hinted at above that are creating massive amounts of 'money' out of thin air. They are the ones funding these massive loans to people and businesses at the press of a fingertip as long as you have a good credit score LOL. Then these small as well as huge million dollar or even billion dollar business fail miserably and use the bankruptcy laws as a loophole to not pay anything back. Even if a business is successful and pays everything back, you are still destroying the economy by simply printing a ridiculous amount of paper and injecting a huge sum of cash from thin air and then only paying it back many decades after. Not only is this society brain dead by not understanding anything about their Constitution, but they also have no understanding of the true value of money and that's why everyone is broke in this country living paycheck to paycheck without having one brain cell of how to grow their wealth unless they were luckily born from wealth. A good example of this is the vast amount of professional athletes who made tens of millions in their careers only to be broke shortly after their careers are over LOL.

This country has been destroyed over this past century and it's only going to get WORSE. There WILL be another great depression, the question is not IF, but WHEN. No one knows when it will exactly occur, not even me, because everyone just keeps kicking the can down the road hoping it will go away, BUT it never will at this point. America is now in over 20 trillion dollars in debt, but that's not even the true debt. Most of the debt is kept off the books such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The real debt is easily over 50 trillion. The last time we had a debt to GDP ratio like this in this country was right before the Great Depression in 1929 LOL. It's only a matter of time until these foreign millionaire and billionaire investors lose faith in the American economy once again and the stock market crashes and the banks get wiped out, but this time there won't be a bailout. It will go on for several decades. As other countries around the world including China and Germany keep getting stronger with a more stable economy than America, the time bomb is ticking.

This is what happens when everyone is a drone. I feel enormous pity for generations to come LOL. People think slavery ended in 1865 with the passing of the 13th amendment, but little do they know; slaves today are not in chains, they are in DEBT with a falling economy that will inevitably put your illusions of wealth back into poverty for decades to come.

BUT WHO CARES, did you see what Kanye West did last night? What about Kim Kardashians fat ass? What about the feud between Eminem and MGK. That was dope right? My twitter is off da hook right now broo. Check out how many likes and retweets I got homie.

You actually make some very good valid points Zen. However, I still think you confuse using credit for good with terrible credit usage. For example, in my area buying a house is a good investment, and 99% of the population does not have the money to plunk down for a house, ergo a mortgage is needed. You may not like the industry (I happen to work in mortgage), but it is a needed industry. It is just like anything, you need to put in the research to see if it make sense for you. For me, it is. Also, that credit also me to make over a thousand dollars a year in cashback rewards from credit cards. I pay them off monthly and pay zero interest.

So to summarize, smart credit choices good, government pissing away money they dont have bad.

Maybe Greece and Turkey will force us on to an austerity budget.

I am sure that most Americans thought to themselves when they saw Greece going down, "Pfft, what a shame, good thing that cant happen here". Zen is right for sure about that point. Spending is out of control here, our economy will crash, it is just a matter of time.

Quote: mcallister3200

IMHO your second sentence is false. I moved away from Vegas after I started AP’ing full time, for business reasons. I move an average of over once a year though so there’s that. FWIW if I had your educational background/skills I think I would part time. And then want to quit and go full time...Grass is always greener or whatever.

I realize it’s possible to AP full time in other areas, but I don’t think it would be a lifestyle I’d want for myself. At least on the East Coast, a huge % of your time would be travel. And half the casino’s are owned by CET.

Quote: gamerfreak

I realize it’s possible to AP full time in other areas, but I don’t think it would be a lifestyle I’d want for myself. At least on the East Coast, a huge % of your time would be travel. And half the casino’s are owned by CET.

I think it's more of -- you don't necessarily have to move to Vegas to AP. Although, at the same time, probably going to find more things here in Vegas, but it's quantity and not quality. I don't know how much you already know about AP'ing (although apparently, you're an expert Superb Owl bettor =[ ), so if you already know what to do, look for, how to do this and that....then you can probably make more money out of Vegas. There's also going to be different opportunities in different areas of the country and it's going to also partly depend on bankroll that someone has.

But if you move out here, there's a shiny $20 here for you.



And like mcallister alluded to....As the Ancient Hawaiians used to say, "Don't covet your neighbor's goat, as you may have plenty of sheeps in your own pasture."

Vegas has an abundance of low lying fruit.

Working in the casino business for 34 years, it was inevitable that I would end up here eventually.

Coming from California and realizing how much more money I was netting with no state tax was just icing on the cake.

I have been in Vegas for the last 28 years but I am thinking it might be time to move on.

I've had surprisingly few conflicts with street gangs.

I moved here from LA for the cheap rent and better quality of life for the non-rich. It was either here or Boise, but there is no poker in Boise, even though they have far better weather.

I like the lack of traffic, though this is offset by the endless roadwork. Everything is pretty close too.

Your day to day life around the home is like a smaller city but then most of the dining and entertainment of a major metropolis is available in concentrated areas.

It's not perfect but it's good. Especially if you like high quality food.

Quote: billryan

the cops are good for filling out reports.

The police here seem ubiquitous and heavy handed.

What is your gripe with them? What do they do in NYC that they don't here?

Why are all you guys constantly involved with cops and gangs?

Quote: RS

I think it's more of -- you don't necessarily have to move to Vegas to AP. Although, at the same time, probably going to find more things here in Vegas, but it's quantity and not quality. I don't know how much you already know about AP'ing (although apparently, you're an expert Superb Owl bettor =[ ), so if you already know what to do, look for, how to do this and that....then you can probably make more money out of Vegas. There's also going to be different opportunities in different areas of the country and it's going to also partly depend on bankroll that someone has.

But if you move out here, there's a shiny $20 here for you.

And like mcallister alluded to....As the Ancient Hawaiians used to say, "Don't covet your neighbor's goat, as you may have plenty of sheeps in your own pasture."

Well I’m obviously not the most feared AP on the east coast, we all know who that is. But I’m pretty familiar with most methodologies for gaining a player edge.

I’m sure there are quality plays on the east coast. But the issue is that there is a 2hr drive between most casinos. Even in AC there’s only 8 casinos. You have 150+ in the same 2hr radius.

Making a full time living on Quality > Quantity would require a pretty huge bankroll. Not that it’s impossible.

Lowering expenses equals more profit.
My two bedroom "luxury" apartment runs about $1200, all in. The equivalent on Long Island would be $2500 or more.
Using my convoluted book keeping, living here saved me two grand a month the first year or so that I lived here.
It made the transition pretty easy.

How big of a whale/high roller do I have to be to have a suite permanently on tap at a Vegas casino? That's the only way I'm moving there....

Quote: Rigondeaux

I've had surprisingly few conflicts with street gangs.
Why are all you guys constantly involved with cops and gangs?

Cops are a street gang.

Surprisingly perhaps but I've had very few bad incidents in my life that actually involved a potential for serious trouble.

Once nearly knocked out of the sky by a 707 that passed 'close enough to count rivets' but my pilot dove, girl in back seat floated to cabin ceiling. We were each VFR so each pilot was legal.

Once subject to a ground search and an air search was just going to get underway by the Civil Air Patrol when my pilot radios in.... was a transcription error, no real danger.

Got a few traffic tickets. Got bonked on the head in Rochester, NY once. A few close calls on the highway but the quick reflexes of youth saved me. A few bar room errors in judgment in my salad days. A few close calls while paling around with the Irish in Los Angeles. An involuntary drug cocktail and magnetic device in Seattle. A systemic poisoning in Florida. An encounter with two intruders in Florida, one had a pistol the other had a length of lead pipe and was demonstrating his batting style to me from a few feet away. A second systemic poisoning incident in Florida. And a lengthy and severe but unrecognized, adverse reaction to Rx'd drugs in Florida. Two cardiac events and one diabetic crisis the quack told me was an oral thrush three days after I told them I was drinking every beverage in sight.

I don't think that is all that bad, but I still don't like seeing cop cars when I'm driving. Las Vegas police are often moderated by the touristy atmosphere but not always.

Quote: FleaStiff

Cops are a street gang.

Surprisingly perhaps but I've had very few bad incidents in my life that actually involved a potential for serious trouble.

Once nearly knocked out of the sky by a 707 that passed 'close enough to count rivets' but my pilot dove, girl in back seat floated to cabin ceiling. We were each VFR so each pilot was legal.

Once subject to a ground search and an air search was just going to get underway by the Civil Air Patrol when my pilot radios in.... was a transcription error, no real danger.

Got a few traffic tickets. Got bonked on the head in Rochester, NY once. A few close calls on the highway but the quick reflexes of youth saved me. A few bar room errors in judgment in my salad days. A few close calls while paling around with the Irish in Los Angeles. An involuntary drug cocktail and magnetic device in Seattle. A systemic poisoning in Florida. An encounter with two intruders in Florida, one had a pistol the other had a length of lead pipe and was demonstrating his batting style to me from a few feet away. A second systemic poisoning incident in Florida. And a lengthy and severe but unrecognized, adverse reaction to Rx'd drugs in Florida.

You say this as though these are a bad thing. Sounds like an exceptional weekend in South Beach, 1999.

Quote: billryan

You say this as though these are a bad thing. Sounds like an exceptional weekend in South Beach, 1999.

That is funny that you bring up South Beach as that is where I am considering moving to,

For your information.my moped just got stolen tonight. Waiting for metro.

Quote: speedycrap

For your information.my moped just got stolen tonight. Waiting for metro.

If you live in Henderson, it is probably somewhere in that neighborhood behind Fiesta.

Quote: speedycrap

For your information.my moped just got stolen tonight. Waiting for metro.

Don't you got one of them gps chips in it that telephones your cell phone automatically? What you need Metro for? You only got a .32 or something puny like that?

Quote: speedycrap

For your information.my moped just got stolen tonight. Waiting for metro.

Didn't you allready crash it once and get hurt? Could be a blessing in disguise.

I did not have GPS on moped. Moped is the cheapest way transportation.

I've got a nice Roadmaster bicycle for sale. Figuring in both the WOV and crime victims discount, it will run you $40.
It's a smaller frame.

Quote: billryan

I've got a nice Roadmaster bicycle for sale. Figuring in both the WOV and crime victims discount, it will run you $40.
It's a smaller frame.

I like to BORROW it for a few weeks.

Lived in Vegas 6 weeks & counting. I like it more everyday.

Quote: speedycrap

I like to BORROW it for a few weeks.

Just long enough for it to get stolen (-;

$40 sounds like a bargain. Then again, I have no idea what that brand goes for new.

Quote: AxelWolf

Just long enough for it to get stolen (-;

$40 sounds like a bargain. Then again, I have no idea what that brand goes for new.

Me neither, but it's not new so it's moot. I bought it off the internet not realizing the frame was so short.

Police came and said I got a fair chance to get it back. AHHHH.....

I’ve experienced a benefit of metro not giving a crap for better or worse.

So I had an unpaid traffic ticket in Henderson that I forgot to pay by the court date partially because they didn’t have my correct address. Wouldn’t allow me to pay online after the court date.

So last time in LV my rental had no real license plate just temporary papers/license they taped on. Of course I got pulled over for it the night before my flight out. Officer informed me that I have a warrant for failure to appear/unpaid ticket and that I could go to jail for that. And then proceeds to tell me to have a nice night and drives off. WTF?

Quote: mcallister3200

I’ve experienced a benefit of metro not giving a crap for better or worse.

So I had an unpaid traffic ticket in Henderson that I forgot to pay by the court date partially because they didn’t have my correct address. Wouldn’t allow me to pay online after the court date.

So last time in LV my rental had no real license plate just temporary papers/license they taped on. Of course I got pulled over for it the night before my flight out. Officer informed me that I have a warrant for failure to appear/unpaid ticket and that I could go to jail for that. And then proceeds to tell me to have a nice night and drives off. WTF?

Thats actually hilarious, thats called not giving a sh*t about your job.

There are a fair number of cops who don't want to spend their days trashing people's lives over nothing.

I'd guess that to them, that is doing their job as a a servant of the community properly. I agree.

Quote: mcallister3200

I’ve experienced a benefit of metro not giving a crap for better or worse.

So I had an unpaid traffic ticket in Henderson that I forgot to pay by the court date partially because they didn’t have my correct address. Wouldn’t allow me to pay online after the court date.

So last time in LV my rental had no real license plate just temporary papers/license they taped on. Of course I got pulled over for it the night before my flight out. Officer informed me that I have a warrant for failure to appear/unpaid ticket and that I could go to jail for that. And then proceeds to tell me to have a nice night and drives off. WTF?

That's not all that unusual. It's not cost effective to arrest you, jail you, transport you to another jurisdiction in order to get you to pay a fine they don't get a piece of. It's a judgment call, one of dozens an Officer makes on a daily basis. Being a semi-responsible adult citizen without an extensive criminal or motor vehicle record often gives you an advantage that some don't get.
When pulled over, shut the car off, turn the interior lights on and keep your hands on the wheel where they are visible.
Put the Officer at ease from the start and the chances of a favorable result increase dramatically.
Be a tough guy or try the sovereign citizen routine and don't be surprised when your encounter goes south.

But laws don't apply to me, I never signed a contract with the government giving them authority over me. But I have rights tho!

Quote: RS

But laws don't apply to me, I never signed a contract with the government giving them authority over me. But I have rights tho!

Are you a man and not a person. Do you often find yourself traveling? The articles of confederation give you that right.

Quote: billryan

That's not all that unusual. It's not cost effective to arrest you, jail you, transport you to another jurisdiction in order to get you to pay a fine they don't get a piece of. It's a judgment call, one of dozens an Officer makes on a daily basis. Being a semi-responsible adult citizen without an extensive criminal or motor vehicle record often gives you an advantage that some don't get.
When pulled over, shut the car off, turn the interior lights on and keep your hands on the wheel where they are visible.
Put the Officer at ease from the start and the chances of a favorable result increase dramatically.
Be a tough guy or try the sovereign citizen routine and don't be surprised when your encounter goes south.

The could very well get to steal your car though.

I've been broke with outstanding fines and stuff and know first hand, some officers will just flat out cut you a break, even when the city could make a juicy profit.

They are human and many of them don't want to go home at night having been a menace to the general population. Others are OK with that.

Following the advice you gave does seem to help. Also, don't lie.