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We might move to LV! Do you like living there?
Greetings from a DC Nestie!
My husband is interviewing for a job in Las Vegas, and we're seriously considering moving if he gets an offer. I've lived in the DC area for the last 12 years and have no associations with Vegas beyond the strip. I think of Vegas as pretty artificial and commercial, but I know there's much more to it than that
Has anyone on this board moved to Vegas from the East Coast/Mid-Atlantic region? Do you like it? Are there any serious cons about the city that I should be considering as we make this decision? I think I"m most concerned about the topography and weather (I'm used to lush green areas and rain) and the fact that I don't think of it as a "real" city, if you know what I mean. I also know that the housing market is rough, but I have to think the sinking market is going to benefit us if we move from a high cost-of-living area like DC.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have!
Re: We might move to LV! Do you like living there?
I lived in Vegas for 12 years, moved to NYC, froze my hiney off, moved back to Vegas to thaw out, and now DH and I live in L.A.
Living in Vegas definitely didn't give me that "city living" feeling. And although it gets pretty hot out there, you don't have to deal with the humidity except for maybe mid-July to mid-August when it is monsoon season.
My DH is originally from Richmond and lived there for 18 years before leaving for school. I also was born in Virginia (Fairfax) but only lived there for 6 years. He has never once regretted the move to Vegas. Friends he has in NOVA make less than he does and pay more to live (cost of living is insane there!). I've lived here for 11 years and absolutely love it. Now is the perfect time to get a house. Plus, if you are used to the traffic in DC, you will love Las Vegas. There's no public transportation aside from the city bus system, but you can make your commute minimal by picking which area you live in. There's a post a few down that gives recommendations for area of town to purchase homes. You may want to check that out. Like I said, now is the time to buy!
Unlike the other ladies, I've made a lot of girl friends, but I also went to college here and lived on campus, which I think helped. Also, I worked for several years with several women the same age as me, which also helped. I can see how it would be difficult though. DH has made many friends since moving here and his best friend from VA just came out as well. I think guys just have it easier than girls though--if you like sports, you've automatically got a male bond, LOL!
I am a lurker on this board, but I thought I would answer your question. DH and I moved to Vegas from Southern CA almost 4 years ago. I HATE living here. I have tried really hard to like it here, but I just don't. I don't consider this a "real city" either, I find it boring, catered to tourists, I miss greenery, and most people here are not very friendly.
Whether you will like it here or not, really depends on what you like to do in your spare time. DH and I love pro sports, especially hockey and baseball, and we thought we would be okay living here with occassional trips back to CA or Phoenix to catch a game, but we realized we really need to be in a place that has an MLB and NHL team. We are not into going to bars/clubs, so we get bored here very often. Since our DD was born, it's been a little better, but I also find that there is very little to do here with kids.
I live in Summerlin, and they have some fun things to do around here, but just not enough for me. They have things like a farmer's market, but it's like 4-5 booths and that is it. I am used to things being done on a grander scale being from Southern CA.
It also took me a long time to make friends here. It was much easier after DD was born. Like a pp mentioned, it's a very transient town, and I think a lot of people just don't feel like putting in the effort.
We actually just went out to the DC area in March to visit some friends, and to be honest, there is no way in heck I would leave that area for Vegas. Again, it depends what you are into, but you might find yourself really bored really quick here.
Those are all really interesting perspectives! That's exactly what I'm afraid of. ?It seems like the weather and scenery are very monolithic, and all the housing seems to be in planned communities. ?I really like being able to walk around in a city center and go to coffee shops and bookstores, and I don't see that in Vegas. ?I'm not really into clubbing and am not super-outdoorsy (I'm a very occasional hiker, camper and biker but nothing intense), and it seems like those are the two main recreational options. ?
Which area of Summerlin do you live in, Paulina? ?I know there are several different villages and I'm curious if they have different "characters." ?I'm also curious what elementary schools are good, as I have a five-month-old and want to factor all that in (not that he'll be in school for a while). ?
I am in The Vistas. It's a newer village, with not as much mature greenery as some of the others. There are 4 parks around here that I can walk to, which is nice. There is also a new shopping center with a grocery store, a couple of restaurants, dry cleaners, nail salon, etc. I can walk to it if I am just picking up a few things at the market, which is nice.
There is an increase here in building high and mid rise buildings, if that is something that would interest you. There is also a new outdoor shopping center, Town Square, that is near the strip, but not on it. It's really nice, with lots of stores, restaurants and a park area in the middle, great for little ones. They are also building two that are supposed to be similar in the Summerlin area. Currently they are scheduled to open in 2009, but the dates always change.
As for schools, there are quite a few new ones up where I live. I haven't looked into them, because I really hope that we are long gone from here before DD goes to kindergarden.
If you have anymore questions, I would be happy to answer them for you. Just email me: paulinap at embarqmail dot com
hey deployedbride, sorry to hear you are leaving. Were you able to sell your house? Which part of SC are you moving? I lived in Charleston for about 9 years. Good luck and please stop in to let us know how it goes!
I lived in Vegas off & on for 10yrs & I liked it overall. It is sort of hard to meet people but working at a University you should do fine. I am not into planned communities & tan stucco boxes for houses so I do not like the vast majority of the housing stock nor all "suburbs"--but obviously I was the minority there since that is where most people live. I did find an awesome house that I loved in an old neighborhood right in the middle of the city--my neighbors were awesome..a mix of artists, professors, lawyers, writers, etc--It leaned to the artsy fartsy types. I had a baby (then toddler) there & I met some awesome Moms in my neighborhood, I miss them a lot. I could walk to the Arts District, Downtown, restaurants, etc but the sidewalks & lack of shade makes walkability limited (at least pleasant walkability).
Here is a link to some blog talk on my old neighborhood:
http://veryvintagevegas.com/category/john-s-park-historic-neighborhood/
Most of my family is still in Vegas & they still like it a lot. I HATE hot weather, so I knew it's not the place for me in the long run but I think there is a lot of good things/people/places if you take the time to find them (just like anywhere else). For schools, I would only send my kids to private (no matter where I live)...so I don't know much about public...I do know they have some good private schools but they are in the burbs & pricey...but they do exist. My sister & bro went to HS there at the Catholic School & got into top Universities & did great. I guess I think it's like anywhere else, it has good points & bad--if you like HOT weather, sunshine, shopping then I think you'd like it--if you like snow--yeah, not so much--LOL! My bio that is in my siggie has pics of my old house (the white one) in the old neighborhood. The website I linked to above I really enjoy to get a different perspective of Vegas (beyond the tourist, gambling, nightlife, stuff) that you usually get. Oh & my DH liked it in Vegas & he's from Virginia...but we didn't plan to stay there long term--it was fun for the 5yrs he lived there with me (we met in school in Michigan & he moved to Vegas so we could stay together). I don't regret moving there for a minute--it also helped that we made almost 200% profit on our house in 3yrs--we took a gamble there & it paid off more than I would have dreamed--LOL! Good luck no matter where you end up!