What about Vega$?

[MartyNeilan]

My wife has recently got it in her head that she wants to move to Las Vegas within a year or so. Outside of the stereotypes, does anyone have any firsthand experience living near there?

[Uncle Buck]

My wife grew up there. When I was about to graduate law school, we passed up an opportunity to move there (she still had lots of family there at the time), accepted a lower-paying job in Utah. She decided she didn't want to live there again.

[Captain Sousie]

I second the pm Chuck idea. That will be the best way to get an honest assessment of the city.

If you want the jaded version, feel free to pm me and I would be glad to let you know everything that you don't want to know. Including the death threats against my wife by her students that were never addressed by the school where she worked.

Have fun,
Sou

[MartyNeilan]

What is funny, is that last night I asked my wife why she wanted to move to Lost Wages. Her response was that "Tennessee is just too hot!"

[windshieldbug]

But remember... "It's a DRY heat!"

[Rick F]

My wife and I were out there in 2005. Of course we had to pick one the hottest months to visit -- July. On July 19, 2005 it was a record 117F!! I do remember 114 being reported the day we were walking the strip. I swear the soles of our shoes started to melt. We gladly paid a guy with a rickshaw $10 to peddle us up the strip.

Yeah, it's a dry heat... like an oven.

[LoyalTubist]

In case you didn't know it, there are (at least) two cities in the United States named Las Vegas.

- The older city has a population of just under 20,000.

- It used to have legal prostitution. The other city had prostitution, but it was never legal there (the famous brothel known as the "Ranch" is several miles away, where it is legal).

- The older city was around for 70 years before anyone tried anything in the newer city.

-The bigger, newer Las Vegas is located in a county school district. The older, littler one has two school districts which each have their own high school.

- Billy and Captain America met their lawyer friend, George, in the County Jail of the older Las Vegas, in Easy Rider.

The other, older Las Vegas is in New Mexico!

[LoyalTubist]

Oh, I am a legal resident of Las Vegas, Nevada.

There is a lot about Vegas that is a lot like my native state of California. The weather. It is the desert. But forget what they told you in school about the desert being hot in the day and cold at night. It is hot in the day... during summer and comfortable at night... It is cold at night... and cold in the day (though not AS cold) during winter... Rains make it feel even colder, even if you come from a really cold state like Ohio or Minnesota. I know because they tell me they can't believe how cold it feels to them when it rains during the winter.

If you have children, the Clark County School District is excellent.

Living in the area, the best places for housing are Henderson (a large city unto itself), the west part of town, and any other place away from the Strip.

I am not a fan of the current mayor...

[poomshanka]

My wife has recently got it in her head that she wants to move to Las Vegas within a year or so. Outside of the stereotypes, does anyone have any firsthand experience living near there?

A good buddy of mine lives in Vegas. While I can't give you much in the way of first-hand "living there" experience, one thing he *has* mentioned to me is that the housing market in Vegas is topsy-turvy right now. Might be something to factor into the equation.

And yes - Chuck Jackson would be The Man to speak with on this subject...

...D

[MartyNeilan]

Thanks to all who have responded, especially some excellent private messages (including from Chuck.) Based on that information, I think I have been able to successfully persuade my wife that L.V. is not the place we want to be right now because of the:
Heat
Crime
High cost of living

Thanks again!