Living in Vegas

Quote: kewlj

Once upon a time, I thought I would like to live in Vegas. After 5 year of doing so, I have realize that I LOVE living in Vegas. When I leave on one of my out of town trips, I just can't wait to get 'home' to Vegas.

Let me be the first to welcome you to your new home gts4ever. :)

This is how I feel too. We went out of town to the beach last weekend. I had fun and all, but I sure did miss my little home town here.

Welcome to Vegas. I am sure the locals on this message board will be able to help you with a lot of questions you have before you make the move. If you are not comfortable posting some of them feel free to PM me.

If I were single I would probably love to live in Vegas. There is tons of entertainment to see and do. A lot of it is even free or very cheap. I don't know how anyone could get bored.

I have been in Vegas since 1990 To be honest I don't like the desert at all. unfortunately Vegas Is in one and that's the only thing I didn't like. Every day I miss the trees, green grass, lakes, rivers, streams, snow, rain, fog, morning dew, wild animals and fishing. Now I enjoy "vacation" and other places 10x more even small boring towns.

But if like or you are going to live in a desert, Vegas Is second to none.

Quote: Ahigh

This is how I feel too. We went out of town to the beach last weekend. I had fun and all, but I sure did miss my little home town here.

What if they had a craps table on the beach?

Quote: AxelWolf

I have been in Vegas since 1990 To be honest I don't like the desert at all. unfortunately Vegas Is in one and that's the only thing I didn't like. Every day I miss the trees, green grass, lakes, rivers, streams, snow, rain, fog, morning dew, wild animals and fishing. Now I enjoy "vacation" and other places 10x more even small boring towns.

Wow, I moved to Vegas in 1990 also and feel the exact same way. My wife thinks the desert is beautiful but all I see is ugly brown dirt and sand.

Quote: AxelWolf

What if they had a craps table on the beach?

The wood would warp from the moisture and the felt would be corroded by the salt :)

Quote: EvenBob

I used to think I'd live in Vegas, but have
since realized it's not even a nice place to
visit. I go there out of necessity and leave
as soon as possible.

And yet you have 15426 posts on a Vegas-themed message board.

This post is all you need to know about EvenBob.

" This post is all you need to know about EvenBob. "

Gee, I wish that was all I knew about BOB. Do I ever !

Quote: AcesAndEights

And yet you have 15426 posts on a Vegas-themed message board.
.

Odd, we have people here from EU who have
never been to Vegas. We had a mod, who until
recently, had never been here either. Imagine
that..

Quote: AxelWolf

I have been in Vegas since 1990 To be honest I don't like the desert at all. unfortunately Vegas Is in one and that's the only thing I didn't like. Every day I miss the trees, green grass, lakes, rivers, streams, snow, rain, fog, morning dew, wild animals and fishing. Now I enjoy "vacation" and other places 10x more even small boring towns.

But if like or you are going to live in a desert, Vegas Is second to none.

Mt. Charleston is 20 minutes away (from anywhere in Vegas at 4am) (at rush hour it could be 2 hours away)

Quote: AcesAndEights

And yet you have 15426 posts on a Vegas-themed message board.

This post is all you need to know about EvenBob.

Green Vallely vs. Henderson vs. Summerlin...

Hmmmm....?!?!?!?!?!

Quote: DMSCR

Green Vallely vs. Henderson vs. Summerlin...

Hmmmm....?!?!?!?!?!

When evaluating Henderson you must realize there is the city of Henderson, and then the outlaying areas which include Green Valley, Anthem, Seven Hills, Galleria area, Silverado, etc.

Yeah I need a change in scenery this time around heading back.

I'm still looking for a hotel which offers weekly or better, monthly, rates. Cleaning perhaps twice a week okay. Don't care about a kitchen. Just a bed, TV, and bathroom with hot water and somewhat secure. (that means no vagrants or crack dealers in the parking lot)

Any suggestions most appreciated. (need to keep it through Christmas and New Years etc.)

Total tangent, but this place looks nice for someone like Mustang Sally.

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/apa/4608227642.html

Quote: NokTang

I'm still looking for a hotel which offers weekly or better, monthly, rates. Cleaning perhaps twice a week okay. Don't care about a kitchen. Just a bed, TV, and bathroom with hot water and somewhat secure. (that means no vagrants or crack dealers in the parking lot)

Any suggestions most appreciated. (need to keep it through Christmas and New Years etc.)

There is a place on Trop right across from the Orleans http://hotels.hotelguides.com/nevada/las-vegas/135744-photos.html

Quote: EvenBob

I used to think I'd live in Vegas, but have
since realized it's not even a nice place to
visit. I go there out of necessity and leave
as soon as possible.

grump of the year

Emerald Suites Cameron
has been described as old, dilapidated and over run by feral cats, hookers, pimps and customers. One person complained of 2 living and 3 dead roaches in the room which might indicate that attempts were being made to control them. Some reviews to say the location and rest was good.

Quote: Ahigh

Total tangent, but this place looks nice for someone like Mustang Sally.

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/apa/4608227642.html

just an FYI about craigslist. Renting places is currently the largest scam on there. People will post houses for rent that they do not own. You meet them or do it all over the phone. You give them the first/last/security and they give you a fake set of keys and they disappear.

Yea, but this one has private armed guards. What could go wrong there? :-)

Quote: GWAE

just an FYI about craigslist. Renting places is currently the largest scam on there. People will post houses for rent that they do not own. You meet them or do it all over the phone. You give them the first/last/security and they give you a fake set of keys and they disappear.

Thanks. That might make me more money than panhandling.

Quote: FleaStiff

Thanks. That might make me more money than panhandling.

quite possibly. My boss almost got taken for one a few weeks ago. It was a great log house with 5 acres. He was all ready to do it until the guy emails him and says that he will be out of business for a few weeks and that they can do the paper work over the internet.

He decided to go look at the house and the owner was outside in the yard working. He stopped and started asking questions. Imagine the owners surprise when he said he was moving in next weekend.

Quote:

Thanks. That might make me more money than panhandling.

You can do both.

Hold a sign: "Will work for fraud"

Quote: gts4ever

After several of the most tumultuous weeks of my life, I've accepted an offer and will be moving to Las Vegas in September.

I also intend to move to the Vegas area next year. I've decided to rent a 2 BR apt. in Henderson. You might access this website & others like it: ApartmentGuide.com. AG has properties w/ photos, floor plans, and rent amounts. I also checked for crime in the area, as this turned out to be a deciding factor, all other things being equal. I found this website: http://www.crimemapping.com/map/nv/lasvegas

If you want to rent a house, Summerlin is fine, but for good, clean, safe apts., I like Henderson. I find that the area south of Sunset Rd., east of Eastern Ave., east of St. Rose Pkwy, west of Gibson Rd., and north of Horizon Ridge Pkwy has the most attractive properties. There is no crime in this area. South of HRP are expensive properties.

First, shop AG, etc. Copy the addr., paste it into crimemapping.com & you get the crime in a mile radius of the addr. I have looked at rental properties in both Summerlin and prefer Henderson. Henderson also offers some nice casinos: Sunset Station, Green Valley Ranch, Fiesta Henderson, and some others I haven't visited. I've made two trips to the LV area to visit prospective apts & will probably make a third this spring to make a final selection. You may already have made your choice, but thought I'd get this in, however late. Good luck!

BTW, you're a young, single guy & this may not be your cup of tea.

Quote: AxelWolf

I have been in Vegas since 1990 To be honest I don't like the desert at all. unfortunately Vegas Is in one and that's the only thing I didn't like. Every day I miss the trees, green grass, lakes, rivers, streams, snow, rain, fog, morning dew, wild animals and fishing. Now I enjoy "vacation" and other places 10x more even small boring towns.

But if like or you are going to live in a desert, Vegas Is second to none.

Tend to agree, though I'm starting to appreciate some of the beauty. The dryness bothers me. Highly recommend getting a humidifier.

Other than that, my favorite place I've ever lived. Cheap, an abundance of great food, little traffic, easy to get around. Oh, also they let you bet money on stuff!

Quote: Sonny44

I also intend to move to the Vegas area next year. I've decided to rent a 2 BR apt. in Henderson. You might access this website & others like it: ApartmentGuide.com. AG has properties w/ photos, floor plans, and rent amounts. I also checked for crime in the area, as this turned out to be a deciding factor, all other things being equal. I found this website: http://www.crimemapping.com/map/nv/lasvegas.

If you want to rent a house, Summerlin is fine, but for good, clean, safe apts., I like Henderson. I find that the area south of Sunset Rd., east of Eastern Ave., east of St. Rose Pkwy, west of Gibson Rd., and north of Horizon Ridge Pkwy has the most attractive properties. There is no crime in this area. South of HRP are expensive properties.

First, shop AG, etc. Copy the addr., paste it into crimemapping.com & you get the crime in a mile radius of the addr. I have looked at rental properties in both Summerlin and prefer Henderson. Henderson also offers some nice casinos: Sunset Station, Green Valley Ranch, Fiesta Henderson, and some others I haven't visited. I've made two trips to the LV area to visit prospective apts & will probably make a third this spring to make a final selection. You may already have made your choice, but thought I'd get this in, however late. Good luck!

BTW, you're a young, single guy & this may not be your cup of tea.

Sonny, was this a joke? I clicked and got a "404" error not found? Either way thanks, good post.

I copied it wrong. This should do it: http://www.crimemapping.com/map/nv/lasvegas I use the mini icons, btw.

Quote: petroglyph

Sonny, was this a joke? I clicked and got a "404" error not found? Either way thanks, good post.

After you click it, remove the period from the end and hit enter.

Quote: Sonny44

I copied it wrong. This should do it: http://www.crimemapping.com/map/nv/lasvegas I use the mini icons, btw.

if you edit your post you can remove the period from the end of the hyperlink.

Quote: wudged

After you click it, remove the period from the end and hit enter.

Yeah, that was the problem.

Quote: Sonny44

Yeah, that was the problem.

Thanks again this is way more better.

I was sort of following along the context of the thread where it was posted about fradulent landlords and wasn't 100% sure it wasn't humorous but I mostly believed you were posting what is the final version here. I will save this crime finder page as we too are looking to move in the Henderson area. Good tips looking for a rental in that area.

I think that "CrimeMapping" site is a useful tool, and though I'm not moving anywhere I've found it interesting for years. But the reason you don't see crime mapped on it in a large swath of the SE part of the Las Vegas Valley is not due to lack of crime. It is because "Metro" (the common term for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. which is actually the County Sheriff's office) participates in it while the City of Henderson does not. Metro is the law enforcement agency for all the areas of Clark County, Nevada that don't operate their own local police, which includes both the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated areas of the County all the way up to Utah and down to Laughlin &. Stateline/Primm & the Arizona & California borders, including the area known as "The Las Vegas Strip" which is NOT actually in Las Vegas. But Henderson, unlike Las Vegas, chooses to have their own City police.

Henderson covers a huge amount of land all the way from the outskirts of Boulder City at the extreme eastern edge of the valley down to the south as far as the "M-Resort" and has over 265,000 residents. Some areas of Henderson that appear crime free on the map are actually rather scruffy and have been for many years, such as some well known hooker & druggie hangouts out off some stretches of Boulder Hwy, and some largely industrial "old smokestack" areas in the oldest part of Henderson, along with some very expensive exclusive areas and lots of everything in between.

The City of North Las Vegas also has their own police, and like Henderson shows no crime on the map. North Las Vegas happens to include some of the oldest areas from Las Vegas' original "railroad town" roots which are among the roughest gang infested ghettos in the entire western U.S. and are indistinguishable from some especially tough parts of south-central Los Angeles around Compton and Watts, with some streets and public housing projects that are controlled by warring factions of local affiliates of the Bloods and Crips and some entire blocks that are literally burned out save for some shacks that have been crack houses for decades, and some others that are largely controlled by Mexican and Central American immigrant street gangs. But they are utterly free of crime on the map, because they are not in Metro P.D. jurisdiction. The City of North Las Vegas also includes large areas that are brand new upper middle income suburban developments that didn't even exist about six or seven years ago, with residents that are probably not even aware of the existence of the much older parts of that City. All show up on the map as being apparently equally crime free, because the North Las Vegas Police Dept. doesn't report their data to this.

Las Vegas is a city of close to two-million people, and has the same kind of issues as any other urban area of similar size, and those parts of the local urban geography that show up as icon-free blotches on that map are definitely not magic islands of immunity from everything that goes with city life.

You can use the drop down menu to see a list of which agencies nationwide provide data for this tool. Most don't. LVMPD is part of the minority who do. I think Henderson is just fine, as suburbs go, and if you like it I wouldn't talk you out of living in it, but I wouldn't use that tool for parts of the valley that aren't in Metro's jurisdiction. Personally, I prefer to spend time in either more urban areas or else to be out of the city entirely rather than a suburban atmosphere, but if you want suburban then Henderson is probably a good choice, with the understanding that it includes a wide range of different facets that are not reflected on that map and can only really be known after spending some time in a particular nieghborhood.

@ Drawing Dead

Great input.

I partially hate to admit my naivete about some subjects.

I had a federal fish and game officer stop me a few days ago on my walk and let me know I was heading into a pick-up area for undesirables. I guess I have lived a lot more sheltered existence than I was aware. I hadn't a clue. Made me feel like "one bullet Barney" from Andy of Mayberry.

Quote: DrawingDead

I think that "CrimeMapping" site is a useful tool, and though I'm not moving anywhere I've found it interesting for years. But the reason you don't see crime mapped on it in a large swath of the SE part of the Las Vegas Valley is not due to lack of crime. It is because "Metro" (the common term for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. which is actually the County Sheriff's office) participates in it while the City of Henderson does not.

Thanks for this. I used it to search my current city for crime & found nothing, so have been wondering about this. I know there is crime in my neighborhood. So, I guess look at the figures instead of graphics re: crime occurrences. The problem is, Henderson also includes the Boulder Hwy corridor, so those stats could be skewed, as well re: Henderson crime rate. But, thanks. It's helpful.

Anyone planning to move to the LV area needs to scope out areas for crime, because there's a lot of it in some areas. Even in the Spring Valley area, where the OP works, there was a house invasion involving the death of a homeowner. So, anyone moving to the LV area, check out crime rates as accurately as you can. There's too much of it in LV, far as I'm concerned. I'll check out crime rates for Henderson area.

How poor is the available medical care in Las Vegas?

I recall reading there are not enough doctors available, especially to treat aging baby boomers who retire in Las Vegas.

Seems to me that reasonable access to quality medical care would be a requirement when deciding where to live.

Warning about North Las Vegas. For so long the city government, fire department and police department were in cahoots and now some pension obligations are in the million per year range. NLV is trying to get an industrial base and commercial base but it doesn't seem to be working well. Some construction of commercial properties have never been used.

I see a property tax crisis if you buy there.

Quote: MrV

How poor is the available medical care in Las Vegas?

I recall reading there are not enough doctors available, especially to treat aging baby boomers who retire in Las Vegas.

Seems to me that reasonable access to quality medical care would be a requirement when deciding where to live.

Like everything else in America: fine if you have the money for it, not so great if you don't.

Quote: DrawingDead

I think that "CrimeMapping" site is a useful tool, and though I'm not moving anywhere I've found it interesting for years. But the reason you don't see crime mapped on it in a large swath of the SE part of the Las Vegas Valley is not due to lack of crime. It is because "Metro" (the common term for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. which is actually the County Sheriff's office) participates in it while the City of Henderson does not.

Thanks, DD. I go brain-dead more often than I'd like. You are right, so I'm accessing a Henderson police dept.'s site for this info & they do have a graphic presentation, rather than just numbers, to show where most crimes occur. There's really no such thing as a crime-free neighborhood, I suspect, unless you live in a high-priced, gated community. Maybe crime amount and frequency are the only measures.

Even in my apt. building in this city in MT, there was a break-in a few years ago & up until a year or so ago, the local paper detailed a previous week's crime report, with map. All kinds of things going on within a mile of my current apt. For some reason, the paper stopped carrying it.

As to Henderson, I think most crime is committed along the Boulder Highway corridor.

On the topic of "Living in Vegas," a friend who does posted this on Facebook the other day:

It gave me a chuckle.

Quote: AcesAndEights

On the topic of "Living in Vegas," a friend who does posted this on Facebook the other day:

It gave me a chuckle.

Wait a minute. The second picture is your 'unflattering' picture of living in Vegas? Ouch. I live in a neighborhood very much like that. I can think of a lot worse unflattering pictures of life in Vegas than this.

Quote: kewlj

Wait a minute. The second picture is your 'unflattering' picture of living in Vegas? Ouch. I live in a neighborhood very much like that. I can think of a lot worse unflattering pictures of live in Vegas than this.

I don't think it's meant to be unflattering, just boring suburbia. The point is that it's not all glitz and glamor.

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

I don't think it's meant to be unflattering, just boring suburbia. The point is that it's not all glitz and glamor.

Oh, ok. What's wrong with a little boring suburbia? Lol. I lived in a highrise condo a block off the strip for two and a half years. THAT is not all glitz and glamor either. Drunken tourists staggering around, throwing up and making all kinds of noise at all hours of the day.

If you see your house here, maybe.

Quote: AcesAndEights

.

I live close enough to the strip right now that the beaming laser of death from Luxor can be seen behind a building next to mine. Luckily it is just far enough away I can't hear any dumb drunks throwing up or alley rapes.

The suburban area seems to look like some houses I've passed by in Henderson. It's pretty funny how we can go from the strip, with tons of casinos and high rise buildings for investors and rich retirees, to the suburbs of Henderson, Summerlin, to the cracked out areas north of Downtown, and North Las Vegas.

Quote: djatc

the beaming laser of death from Luxor

Has the Death Star been getting much of a visiting moth swarm this year?

Quote: LVRJ

When the light was first turned on in 1993, no one imagined it would become the world's largest bug attractor. But it did. Soon after it debuted, moths flocked to the Luxor Sky Beam like, well, moths to a flame. You can see them on almost any night, flitting around in the beam.

The light technicians soon learned that, where there are moths, there are bats. They came to feast on the moths. Then the owls showed up. Apparently, bats make for a nice meal, too.

"It's a whole circle of life thing going on in there," Hayes says.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/luxor-light-serves-beacon-millions-las-vegas-strip-visitors]

9 year-old Channel 8 story: Luxor Light Attracts Moth Phenomenon *

Seems like this summer has had enough seasonal monsoon moisture that this probably would be one of the thicker ones of the annual "Luxor Plague of Locusts."

*No weeping stringed instruments in link.

Quote: AcesAndEights

On the topic of "Living in Vegas," a friend who does posted this on Facebook the other day:

It gave me a chuckle.

Beats the hell out of Columbus, Ohio. Honestly, it makes me want to move there even more.

I don't think I'll ever understand the American penchant for wooden houses with slanted, tiled roofs.

But at least in Vegas you don't have hurricanes to rip the tiles off the roof...

Quote: Nareed

I don't think I'll ever understand the American penchant for wooden houses with slanted, tiled roofs.

But at least in Vegas you don't have hurricanes to rip the tiles off the roof...

A lot of the older houses in Las Vegas actually have flat roofs, and I think they may still be close to a majority of existing homes. Which is unusual compared to a lot of other areas where they have this peculiar and really disturbing phenomenon that involves frozen water falling out of the sky half the year, instead of staying in a glass on a tray delivered by a smiling server, where it belongs. It is the newer suburbs that tend to have the same copycat designs the builders use in other places, where pitched roofs actually have a function. But pitched roofs aren't a particularly American thing. I've been horrified to discover, and am deeply saddened to have to tell you, that the frozen water out of the sky problem is an unfortunate plague upon much of the world. Mostly the northern parts. And tile is a fashion statement copied from other countries. I'm sure you've noticed that there are Americans who think that anything not American must be sophisticated, an especially common delusion afflicting the portion of Americans who don't actually go anywhere outside of a tour group, if at all.

Another difference in Las Vegas from most of the country is that most houses and many other buildings are on flat concrete slabs without a basement or a crawl space. It is expensive to try to dig big holes in the hard desert soil.