Where to stay in Lake Tahoe (ski resort, condos, motels)

[tx2ky]

Hi, my boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Lake Tahoe for January. We are planning on skiing/snowboarding and also want to experience Tahoe in other ways....Hikes, the lake, the little shops, good restaraunts, bars, etc. Where is the best place to stay? Which part of the lake, or area? We aren't very into gambling, so it doesn't need to be close to hood casino's neccesarily. Just close to a good ski resort, and close to other things to do. We'd like to find a condo....any suggestions on specific condos, or even just what part of town that seems to be best to stay would be very helpful!
THANKS

[Shapoo]

South Lake: Heavenly Ski Resort and Heavenly village for shopping/restaurants, casinos, a couple of bars and a brewery, a few chain restaurants and the busiest part of Lake Tahoe. From South Lake it's only a 20-30min. drive to West Lake where Emerald Bay is and many great hiking trails.

North Lake: There's Tahoe City and Incline Village. Both have many motels but no casinos. I would recommend Tahoe City over Incline because it has more restaurants and a cute "downtown" area with shops. North Lake is a lot less crowded than South Lake. There are also many great hiking trails around North Lake.
Hope this helps!