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I'm looking at places to live on the west coast as I think a change for a few years could do me some good. Real estate seems cheap in Las Vegas now, so thought I'd look at the place. To boot, I could see family and friends a lot more often. Some more sunlight than what we get in Seattle would be great as well.
What I'm looking for is something that is a neighborhood. As in, I can walk/bike to a local hardware store, corner store, pub, restaurant, coffee shop, etc, and not have to spend 15 minutes driving for everything. I'd also like an area with younger people. College aged or 20's/30's. I'd also like something safe. Housing cost would largely be secondary. I would also like a decent real grocery store around. I don't shop for anything at a WalMart ever.
I have no worries about a job as I work at home now and would just relocate. Is there anything remotely like this that fits the bill? Thanks.
Most of the Las Vegas metropolitan area has been built in the last 20 years. The town that we have now went up so fast and furiously that nobody planned on traditional neighborhoods. We have never had those here. I don't think you actually find too many of those in very many western cities. Albuquerque has one or two, and I guess Tucson, Seattle, and San Francisco, have them; even LA. But you can find nice areas of Las Vegas that have large strip malls that you could get to on a bike pretty easily. This is not a walking town though. You won't find many, if any, little mom and pop stores. There are some small specialty businesses, but not many, and most are in older, low rent areas where the owner probably wouldn't be found in after dark. Las Vegas was designed and built around the automobile, and in most families, everyone of driving age has their own car.
As far as finding a neighborhood with college aged people, the only one here is the area around UNLV, except when class is out they don't hang out there much. UNLV is an urban U and a lot of the students are working folks taking night classes. Not too many live on campus, and the area around the campus isn't a very good place to live. There are some exceptions, but not many.
Thinking about your post, if you aren't heart set on Las Vegas, take a look at Reno. I'm sure you're used to the outdoorsy aspects of Seattle. Reno is a lot like that too ...without the ocean and the rain. Housing has always been tight in Reno though. But my wife and I really enjoyed walking to places, or riding our bikes, when we lived there many moons ago. And the proximity to the mountains is what I like best about it. It's kind of Las Vegas in the 60's, but closer to the mountains and cooler.
I agree with Buzz, Las Vegas is a driving city. I would recommend the Centennial Hills area where they seem to be attempting to build more of what you are looking for. I have seen a lot of people on bikes riding around. In minutes you can get to a hospital, a huge shopping Strip, grocery store, numerous restaurants, stores, Library, YMCA, and plus you are near the freeway and can be downtown to the Strip in 20 minutes-35 minutes depending on rush hour traffic or if there are events going on downtown. It is pretty safe and a great place to live.
If you are from Seattle, Las Vegas will feel like a 180 culturally and weather.
If you are someone that has the disposition for seasonal depression you will LOVE the bright year around sun we get here. When I lived in Washington and would go months without seeing the sun I thought I was going to go crazy.
"Although Centennial Hills is "off the beaten path," it's conveniently located near shopping, dining and entertainment venues. Many retailers are located in or near the community, including the 900,000-square-foot Centennial Center. And local highways provide easy access to all areas of the Las Vegas valley."
Las Vegas -- Centennial Hills (http://www.homesparadise.com/homes/nevada/las-vegas/centennial-hills/ - broken link)
I thought I would add that Las Vegas does have a lot of young single people, and a lot of retired people. For example, although I live in a home only three homes on my entire street have kids. I think this city attracts people in their 20's and 30's.
I think vegas doesn't really offer what you described. It's pretty homogenized out here in the sense that it is fairly well dominated by big strip malls with chain restaurants, big box stores and sports bars with the same classic rock music format.
That's not to say Vegas doesn't have it's great spots, but if you did live/work in the same area you would bore quickly of it. We don't really have a good work/play/live area or an area undergoing any meaningful gentrification. A few areas near downtown would like to lay claim to an attempt at that, but it hasn't been successful at all.
There are a few places that come close. Never a hardware store though..for that you drive...
Green Valley Ranch south of the district. YOu can walk the trails to the district. Good municipal assets in the area. Some of the tracts to the east may also work.
Tracts around Buffalo and Lake Mead Blvd. You can walk to everything and the Summerlin trails system is accessible.
Centennial Hills west of Durango. Pretty good access to most stuff along Durango.
Centennial Town around Durango and Farm. Pretty good access to lots of stuff.
Boca Park Area...you can live in the townhouses behind 1 Queensridge or the ones on Charleston just east of Boca. Some of the Pecole Tracts may also work.
Location: central, between Pepe's Tacos and Roberto's
2,086 posts, read 6,845,674 times
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Originally Posted by olecapt
There are a few places that come close. Never a hardware store though..for that you drive...
Green Valley Ranch south of the district. YOu can walk the trails to the district. Good municipal assets in the area. Some of the tracts to the east may also work.
Tracts around Buffalo and Lake Mead Blvd. You can walk to everything and the Summerlin trails system is accessible.
Centennial Hills west of Durango. Pretty good access to most stuff along Durango.
Centennial Town around Durango and Farm. Pretty good access to lots of stuff.
Boca Park Area...you can live in the townhouses behind 1 Queensridge or the ones on Charleston just east of Boca. Some of the Pecole Tracts may also work.
I would like to second the bolded. Hospital, real grocery store, some decent dining options, coffee, an ice cream shop, cupcake shop, sporting goods store, etc. all within 1.5 miles or so. Also, not exactly a hardware store but Lowe's is right over the freeway now as well. Not sure if you are looking to buy or rent. Perhaps you should rent for 6 months or a year to see if you like the area first. Check out Alta Montecito
Nice apartments with a modern feel directly behind the grocery store. Seems to be a younger demographic residing there. Lots of healthcare workers due to the hospital as well as Air Force due to Creech AFB about 30 mins north.
There are a few places that come close. Never a hardware store though..for that you drive...
Green Valley Ranch south of the district. YOu can walk the trails to the district. Good municipal assets in the area. Some of the tracts to the east may also work.
Tracts around Buffalo and Lake Mead Blvd. You can walk to everything and the Summerlin trails system is accessible.
Centennial Hills west of Durango. Pretty good access to most stuff along Durango.
Centennial Town around Durango and Farm. Pretty good access to lots of stuff.
Boca Park Area...you can live in the townhouses behind 1 Queensridge or the ones on Charleston just east of Boca. Some of the Pecole Tracts may also work.
Doesn't Boca Park and The District cater to high end shopping more than the basic need? To my knowledge, there is not a corner store, drug store, dry cleaner or liquor store located in or near the district or Boca Park. I wish these amenities were available. Boca Park and the district are a bit high brow and the cost of admission to live and buy all the daily goods (in the district: williams sonoma for basic kitchen gadgetry? Whole Paycheck as the grocery store. REI for sportswear? Cheesecake Factory or Waffle House at nearby GVR as the greasy spoon?) would necessitate a very high salary in addition to a car to get around. Public Transportation from any of these places to the airport or resort corridor more than once and a while would be a burden.
I wonder if any of the above examples would fit the OP's idea as reasonable facimile of a true urban core in San Francisco, New York or Seattle. I think the OP is looking for a cultural center punctuated by a hip, youthful demographic. In Boca Park and The District, a greater percentage of people who live there are more worried about breaking their hips (okay, I kid!). There is no area in town dominated by a youthful demographic that provides all the amenities within a comfortable walking/biking distance that I can think of.
I love some neighborhoods in SF and Seattle for those exact reasons. Vegas just doesn't offer it beyond a utilitarian level. You might be able to satisfy the basic needs, but it just doesn't have that vibe.
Last edited by Spraynard Kruger; 06-28-2010 at 07:01 PM..
Location: central, between Pepe's Tacos and Roberto's
2,086 posts, read 6,845,674 times
Reputation: 958
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spraynard Kruger
Doesn't Boca Park and The District cater to high end shopping more than the basic need? To my knowledge, there is not a corner store, drug store, dry cleaner or liquor store located in or near the district or Boca Park. I wish these amenities were available. Boca Park and the district are a bit high brow and the cost of admission to live and buy all the daily goods (in the district: williams sonoma for basic kitchen gadgetry? Whole Paycheck as the grocery store. REI for sportswear? Cheesecake Factory or Waffle House at nearby GVR as the greasy spoon?) would necessitate a very high salary in addition to a car to get around. Public Transportation from any of these places to the airport or resort corridor more than once and a while would be a burden.
I wonder if any of the above examples would fit the OP's idea as reasonable facimile of a true urban core in San Francisco, New York or Seattle. I think the OP is looking for a cultural center punctuated by a hip, youthful demographic. In Boca Park and The District, a greater percentage of people who live there are more worried about breaking their hips (okay, I kid!). There is no area in town dominated by a youthful demographic that provides all the amenities within a comfortable walking/biking distance that I can think of.
I love some neighborhoods in SF and Seattle for those exact reasons. Vegas just doesn't offer it beyond a utilitarian level. You might be able to satisfy the basic needs, but it just doesn't have that vibe.
Although not on the level of downtown Seattle which is actually quite expensive (the same item at a McDonald's downtown costs quite a bit more than a McD's in a King County suburb, I know from experience), research my suggestion above. Might have to drive a short distance for a true liquor store ala Lee's but there is a specialty wine shop a couple of miles away. Not to mention the dry cleaners, the pharmacy, the 7-11, the Chicago style pizza joint (or Little Caesars if you want cheaper, less tasty pizza), a couple of fast food joints, sushi, a Chili's, etc. Not to mention the Centennial Hills library and YMCA. And of course the new bus that goes directly from CH (the station is actually across the street from the apartments I posted a link to) to the strip corridor including downtown and UNLV. http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/transit/route/acecline/ACECline(3-28-10).pdf (broken link)
Is it a hipster's paradise? Not even close (thank God). If you're looking for something like that you need to stay to the Bay Area, NYC, Pac NW (Seattle or Portland), or perhaps venture to Austin, TX. This is NV and we aren't trying to be some mecca for artists and hippies. However, the demographic is young, the amenities are plenty and relatively convenient, and in my opinion is just about exactly what the OP is asking for.
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