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While I certainly agree that exceptional people are here in Las Vegas, I look at it thusly. Back home, 9-out-of-10 people were really interesting, engaging, friendly, and a pleasure to know. The other 1-of-10? Miserable, ignorant SOBs.
My experience with Las Vegas is the opposite. 9-of-10 people simply aren't worth dealing with. Schemers, scammers, and addicts. My wife and I have what we call the "30-day test" -- we don't invite people over unless we've known them for a month. That way we can weed out the meth addicts, gambing addicts, and flat-out weirdos.
City-Data is different in that the people here give enough of a damn to discuss their community at length. And people here are intelligent enough to operate a computer. It's a better subset of Las Vegas, which is why I post here. I cannot say the same for many of my neighbors or my co-workers.
I understand your viewpoint, I just haven't experienced it myself. I have DEAR friends back East for whom I would lay down my life. But I found the majority of the people with whom I interacted to be the "liberal elite" for lack of a better term. Superficial was an understatement. It was all about what I could do for them. The people here who are in my circle of "friends" are real. They truly care about us, and we about them. Maybe I just got really lucky, but I'll take it
Scoop, I wasn't saying that's all I get here. But compared to the stuffy area from which I came, where people waved with one finger moreso than with 5, I feel it is refreshing out here to be around friendly people. I think you know me enough through my posts that I find good no matter where I am, so maybe it's that outlook that benefits me. People will take their impressions of what they see or hear about a place, especially a place like Las Vegas, and that becomes their "truth".
To say something such as "vegas is a clue collar low brow town..I dont say this as an insult but rather a fact. I was in Starbucks in NY a few days ago and I saw the New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly, and the economist all being read,,,in vegas the people read books about gambling. " is ridiculous, and certainly not a "fact". It's an over-generalization rife with pompousness. I am a white-collar professional making 6-figures. I don't read books about gambling. So the statement is a blatant lie. But then again, miserable people will view life from a differing perspective than positive people I suppose.
Forgive my spelling, but Vegas ranks among the lowest in the country in both education levels and IQ of the population. Do you dispute this. My statement is spot on and truthful. no offense, but I doubt you understand the difference between corporate finance, Ibanking, and commercial banking and selling mortgages. The same distinction with white shoe law vs slip and fall solo practitioners. The level of discourse in this town is borderline appalling.
I doubt you have ever picked up the Economist in your life. I do not doubt that you make six figures.
What exactly is your career? May I ask. Having a non-industry job and making six figures in this place is pretty good.
Please do not read my comments and say I am miserable or don't like the place. I love Vegas. I love the 24 hour vibe and know that all is on tap for the right price. I love the clubs, the restaurants, and the shows. I like the affordable living and I like the downtown vibe.
I love things for what they are, not what I want them to be.
And yes, there are a lot of hustlers in this town--it attracts an element that is entranced with fast, quick, and easy money.
Most of what you said is untrue and sounds as if you are rather bitter. Sorry that you had such a bad experience. UNLV has never claimed to be the Harvard of the west. It's a four year University, degrees from UNLV will do what degrees from most other Universities will do. Provide some proof of people being laughed at and sent packing for their worthless UNLV degrees, any evidence at all would be nice. It's an atrocious lie. There is nothing wrong with UNLV or it's accreditation.
Do you mean to tell me that there's a real university attached to the basketball team?
I understand your viewpoint, I just haven't experienced it myself. I have DEAR friends back East for whom I would lay down my life. But I found the majority of the people with whom I interacted to be the "liberal elite" for lack of a better term. Superficial was an understatement. It was all about what I could do for them. The people here who are in my circle of "friends" are real. They truly care about us, and we about them. Maybe I just got really lucky, but I'll take it
I think if you have a good circle of friends, a good woman, and a good attitude you can have a good time anywhere.
The best six months of my life was spent in the most violent place in the world living in a trailer. I was in Ramadi, Iraq in 2007 with my best friends, making crazy loot, drinking good beer, taking great vacations--which included sneaking off to Dubai on Friday night every other week--getting shot at... shooting back, playing xbox like a madman, and reading a book every six days, no hassles, no cleaning, no cooking, ....it was like being paid to go to summer camp.
It ain't the same. Just a different intellectual vibe... I need my intellectual high brow culture fill too but don't seek to find it in Vegas...it's like when you talk about lawyers out here....they are slip and fall shysters as opposed to corporate, finance, ip, trade, etc....most civilians think all lawyers are the same; they are not, there is a definite hierarchy among the legal profession..white collar law and blue collar law.
vegas is a clue collar low brow town..I dont say this as an insult but rather a fact. I was in Starbucks in NY a few days ago and I saw the New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly, and the economist all being read,,,in vegas the people read books about gambling.
It is what it is.
.........and it will never be the same vibe compared to where you came from. Whether it's culture, education, people, way of life...... Vegas is Vegas and Clark County will be Clark County. As you've mentioned, it is what it is but it is definitely changing and for most part, better. You have to make the best of the situation and if it really does not suit you, then time to move on!!
As a UNLV student who commutes from Summerlin, let me just say this: the traffic/parking SUCKS. Having to commute to school for about an hour (I have 8:30am classes, so I leave around the rush) suckssssssSsSssssSss, parking SUCKSSSSSS and it's like a war in the parking lot any time after 8:30 (even at 8:30).
Around UNLV is not a good area but unless you have the patience to commute for a long time until you graduate, I would recommend finding something kind of closer. I looked at areas around the Southwest near the 215 (thinking Tropicana through Rainbow would be decent) so it's easy access to drive to school/work and relatively safe/developed. The Southwest also has a lot of offices you can work at if you choose to do so.
PS, I moved from the East Coast as well and I like it here. People here are generally quite friendly from my experience. But unlike other posters, I am still relatively young and haven't really explored the "real world" of the scammers and schemers of Vegas. My friends are from high school and college and most are very real and down-to-earth.
However, the area nearest to UNLV is a dump and has been for many years. There is no real campus culture. UNLV is largely a joke with a graduation rate hovering around 40 percent or so. The college accepts anyone and everyone. I sincerely doubt there is even any sort of actual review process. I was just out on campus last week and was struck by the strange sort of culture. Most colleges have students bustling about looking as though they have important things to do. Most of the UNLV students don't even carry a notebook or bag of any kind. That says a lot. However, I will say that you will get out of UNLV what you put into it just like any other school. So if you're there to study and work hard then you'll be fine. But bear in mind that a degree from UNLV doesn't mean much outside of Nevada.
The biggest hurdle you'll have coming from Washington to Vegas is the stark lack of culture. There's no Smithsonian to pop into whenever you want. We have no art museum and the zoo is rather sad and practically non-existent. Since there's no real student culture here anywhere you'll have a hard time finding people your own age that aren't interested in the bar/club scene. Almost all of the students work in retail or a casino so you can judge for yourself what kind of conversation level you'll be dealing with.
Vegas people are extremely withdrawn and self-centered. They will behave as if they're your best friend five minutes after you meet them and you will learn more about their lives in the following ten minutes than you'd care to think about and then you'll most likely never see them again. Apartment living is extremely isolated here. Neighbors do not communicate or socialize and noise is a constant problem even in the "best" apartments.
The bottom line is simply that Vegas is not very kind to Easterners. Most of the people who live here are rejects and escapees from Southern California who came here for a lower cost of living and brought with them their ridiculous way of life. Vegas tops the Nation's worst lists consistently and you're more likely to die here crossing the street or in a car accident than you are if you're a member of the armed forces stationed in Afghanistan. If you have another option for school I'd follow up on it.
I have to kindly disagree with this.
I've lived between New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania for about 14 years before moving to Las Vegas and have currently been here for about 8 or so years. I've even lived out of the country. I also attend UNLV.
So, let me clear this up:
1. There will be withdrawn and self-centered people everywhere in the world. Vegas isn't the only place -- get a grip on reality.
2. Neighbors don't communicate or socialize? Depends on the neighborhood. My neighborhood is quite friendly, the kids play with each other, and no noise at all (except for the pesky teenage kids who like to run around being pesky). I can understand why they don't socialize though... Vegas has so many people moving in and out, from all over the world, it's so hard to keep one stable neighbor. One house in my neighborhood has had probably about 3-4 different people in it since I've moved in.
3. We have a unique Vegas culture, IMHO, something you only come to appreciate if you try to. Honestly, I've hated Vegas since I moved here and only recently began priding myself as a Las Vegas resident, a Nevadan. It's hard to create a set culture when we have people from everywhere. We're a unique city with different religions, ethnicity, cultures, backgrounds, etc. and that's what I love. UNLV was named as one of the most diverse colleges in the US.
4. UNLV has a low acceptance rate, I can't deny that, but it doesn't mean it isn't a good school. We have faculty who care and love students, and faculty who are teaching because they need money -- just like other large public universities. We have students who care and students who don't... again, just like any other large uni. I agree -- with UNLV (and any other school), it is about what you put in and not what you get out. UNLV is a great school full of great people if you want it to be. Many students here are from Las Vegas, and chose to stay because UNLV is cheap compared to out-of-state schools. I was accepted into great schools like USC and UCLA, but do you know how much I'd be in debt if I chose to go? I'm debt-free by going to UNLV, and so are half the students here. There are really dumb students here lol, but you can easily find the right intellectual crowd by exploring. Our campus culture sucks compared to other schools, but we are a commuter school.
5. It's not about the degree or the institution name either, so your comment about a UNLV degree being useless outside of Nevada is inaccurate. After getting your real-world experience in jobs, your alma mater barely matters. What matters is your experience and expertise in your chosen field. I know this how? I know parents and students from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, USC, UCBerkley, UMich, Standford.
OP, declare residency before attending. I promise you the tuition and the scholarships they offer, especially to non-traditional students, will be worthwhile as a resident.
Forgive my spelling, but Vegas ranks among the lowest in the country in both education levels and IQ of the population. Do you dispute this. My statement is spot on and truthful. no offense, but I doubt you understand the difference between corporate finance, Ibanking, and commercial banking and selling mortgages. The same distinction with white shoe law vs slip and fall solo practitioners. The level of discourse in this town is borderline appalling.
I doubt you have ever picked up the Economist in your life. I do not doubt that you make six figures.
What exactly is your career? May I ask. Having a non-industry job and making six figures in this place is pretty good.
Please do not read my comments and say I am miserable or don't like the place. I love Vegas. I love the 24 hour vibe and know that all is on tap for the right price. I love the clubs, the restaurants, and the shows. I like the affordable living and I like the downtown vibe.
I love things for what they are, not what I want them to be.
And yes, there are a lot of hustlers in this town--it attracts an element that is entranced with fast, quick, and easy money.
I didn't mean to lash out, I apologize. It just struck a nerve being lumped in with whom you obviously believe to be the dregs of society.
Although I have, in fact, read The Economist, I choose to get my information elsewhere, as the tone and slant of the articles are obviously biased.
I have a non-industry job. I am a salesman, and have been since I managed my first store at 17. I have worked in a variety of industries, and currently work for a New England-based A/V company specializing in corporate events. I have also owned 2 companies, 1 I still own brokering antiques.
My point is that you can't lump 2 million people together and put them in one demographic. There are extremely intelligent people here, and there are those who are not. Yes, this city is known as an adult Disneyland and it attracts a certain amount of people who only come here because of that fact. But I submit to you that there are tens or hundreds of thousands of professionals who are drawn here for other reasons.
The education level and IQ of the population are like any statistic. They can reflect whatever someone wants. Perhaps it speaks to the country as a whole, as this is a transient city, and people are here from every corner of the US. But I don't think it's just the "dumb" ones who move here.
I didn't mean to lash out, I apologize. It just struck a nerve being lumped in with whom you obviously believe to be the dregs of society.
Although I have, in fact, read The Economist, I choose to get my information elsewhere, as the tone and slant of the articles are obviously biased.
I have a non-industry job. I am a salesman, and have been since I managed my first store at 17. I have worked in a variety of industries, and currently work for a New England-based A/V company specializing in corporate events. I have also owned 2 companies, 1 I still own brokering antiques.
My point is that you can't lump 2 million people together and put them in one demographic. There are extremely intelligent people here, and there are those who are not. Yes, this city is known as an adult Disneyland and it attracts a certain amount of people who only come here because of that fact. But I submit to you that there are tens or hundreds of thousands of professionals who are drawn here for other reasons.
The education level and IQ of the population are like any statistic. They can reflect whatever someone wants. Perhaps it speaks to the country as a whole, as this is a transient city, and people are here from every corner of the US. But I don't think it's just the "dumb" ones who move here.
Just my 2 cents.
No worries mate. I apologize if I came off as snarly. You seem like a self-made man, congrats.
You are right, you can't accurately stereotype 2 mil people.
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first I heard of it...
