[Candy08]

Las Vegas Sucks! The people here are shady. There are bums all over the place. The health care is horrible, there is not much to do out here, the list goes on and on. Iv'e been living here for 2 going on 3 years now and Im doing everything I possibly can to move! Its almost impossible to find a decent date out here! My advice is to stay away from this place

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Candy08

Las Vegas Sucks! The people here are shady. There are bums all over the place. The health care is horrible, there is not much to do out here, the list goes on and on. Iv'e been living here for 2 going on 3 years now and Im doing everything I possibly can to move! Its almost impossible to find a decent date out here! My advice is to stay away from this place

Nonsense, Nonsense and more nonsense.

So you don't care for Las Vegas...that's OK. Just leave.

[RedWingsFan]

I just moved from Las Vegas about 2 months ago. I spent over 9 years living there. I can tell you that it's a place for single people to live or young married people. Don't move there if you have kids. It's not a place to raise kids...not "sin city."

What the one person said is partially true. There are tons of bums that walk the streets and if you go out of your house you are sure to be asked for money. Crime is high, nobody cares about education and the schools stink! There are plenty of jobs there but many are in low paying service areas. There are tons of illegal immigrants there. I disagree that the health care isnt' good. I had some great doctors for gynecology (delivered my two babies) and my pediatricians and dentist was great.

Stick to the good areas, like summerlin or green valley.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by RedWingsFan

I just moved from Las Vegas about 2 months ago. I spent over 9 years living there. I can tell you that it's a place for single people to live or young married people. Don't move there if you have kids. It's not a place to raise kids...not "sin city."

What the one person said is partially true. There are tons of bums that walk the streets and if you go out of your house you are sure to be asked for money. Crime is high, nobody cares about education and the schools stink! There are plenty of jobs there but many are in low paying service areas. There are tons of illegal immigrants there. I disagree that the health care isnt' good. I had some great doctors for gynecology (delivered my two babies) and my pediatricians and dentist was great.

Stick to the good areas, like summerlin or green valley.

There are areas in Las Vegas that have bums. There are slum areas. Don't live in them. They are not hard to determine. If you are very poor you may have to. But that is true anywhere.

In something over 10 years we have never had a single bum appear in our neighborhood. Not one. We have never had a shot fired. We have never had a kid mugged. Any of the above could happen...but it would be a very rare event. In that period of time we know of a burglarly and a couple of stolen cars abandoned. That is it.

The only bums we encouter are the ones soliciting money at major intersections or freeway exits. Generally vietnam vets looking for a meal...and no I don't believe either is likely true.

The schools are reasonable for a large metropolitan area. They are not in the top tier...more toward the middle. The good neighborhoods have schools interchangable with any nice suburb in the US.

Raising kids in Las Vegas is just the same as raising kids in Phoenix or Tucson or San Diego or San Jose. It is different than Salt Lake City but that is a different discussion.

Crime is actually low for a city of the size of Las Vegas. Better than most of the eastern cities for instance. Better than LA. Just about the same as Phoenix. (A little worse so I don't get caught misleading...but very close)

There is a significant population of hispanics...a part of which are illegal. Make much of the grunt work around town inexpensive.

It is quite allowable to dislike Las Vegas. Many do. Some feel much the same about Phoenix...and if you really want to hear venom flow start some Los Angeles knockers going.

But it is not better or worse than wherever if you are comparing equivalent neighborhoods. It simply has a different primary industry.

[johninvegas]

I would have to agree with Olecap about the bum situation. I have lived in three different neighborhoods within the last 8 years here in Vegas--when I moved here, I lived in an area next to green valley, then I moved to the silverado ranch area, now live in the northwest. I have never, I mean NEVER, walked out of my door and bumped into a bum. Nor have I seen one on my street or in my neighborhood. There are homeless (bums if you will) who stand silently at commerical street corners with signs asking for money. But I have never had one yell into my window cursing me when I didn't give as I did in Los Angeles (Hollywood area). If you want to see large numbers of bums/homeless people, go to Los Angeles. If you want to see bums/homeless people here in Vegas, I recommend D street and Bonanza, there's a Salvation Army mission near there and alot of homeless people hang out there. Would I live near there? You've got to be kidding!

As for health care, do your homework and find a good doctor, ask your neighbors and co-workers who've been in town long, they'll know the good doctors. Hospitals--St. Rose or Sunrise, stay away from Valley or UMC. UMC is a good hospital with a leval-1 trauma center and a neo-natal cardiology dept. (try to find THAT in many cities!) but it is also the county no-pay hospital for indigents. Usually very busy.

I've lived here for 8 years, never (knock on wood) had my car tampered with, in Los Angeles, I was there for 10 years and had my car broken into 3 times and once a window blown out due to a shotgun blast while driving down the 710 freeway (shot came from somewhere off the freeway and obviously wasn't aimed at me).

I do see a lot of hispanic day workers, but how many of them are illegal I don't know. I do know that near a star nursery, the usual bunch of guys weren't there one day when a cop was sitting in his car at the corner. I would assume that meant that pretty much all of them were illegal. The illegal problem does impact on the social services of the city. Vegas is hard pressed to provide school and health services for people who don't pay for them, but then again, since I don't have any children, I have a little problem with my taxes paying for school systems that I don't use. Should I stop paying taxes? That's just the price of living in this country. I might add that I have never been approached by an "illegal" seeking money except when I turn into a gas station where they are congretated (I drive a pickup so they assume I am looking for day labor) but as soon as I say no, they turn away. I have never felt threatened by day laborers.

You know, the way some people talk about Vegas here, you would think that the city is populated by nothing but criminals, people dying left and right in the hospitals, and about ready to be turned into salt by God (read about soddam and gomorrah in the bible if you don't know what I'm talking about). If that were really the case, I'm sure that the area wouldn't be gaining population at an average of 4,000 per month for 15 years (and that includes the people who hate the city and leave--about 1,000 a month)

henkelphoto

[HappyJana]

When my husband and I moved here we narrowed it down as the perfect place to live. I hate the cold so that limited us to the bottom half of the United States. I hate humidity so that limited us to Arizona, California, and Nevada. California was too expensive, Arizona was kind of boring so that left Las Vegas. We really love it here, there is really something for everyone. I know you might not be a touristy person and a lot of people aren't but sometimes it is good to have something to do or at least to know that that option is available. Locals get discounts and it seems that everything is pretty inexpensive anyways because casino owners want you in their casino to gamble. Avoid the gambling (not to say I always follow my own advice) and take the cheap meal/show and you'll always come out ahead. Culturally, we love the diversity. The people are great and that is what makes Vegas' culture, the melting pot that it is. The market out here is great still because even when the rest of the country is in a lull, Vegas still has people moving here everyday so if you're planning on buying a house the turnover rate will be a plus. There's a competive job market for employers so you should be able to balance out pretty well what you make and the cost of living and there is hiking and lakes close by if you're in to that.
So may reply isn't totally bias, Vegas is terrible when it comes to mental health. The "bums" as the term that has been used for our mentally ill homeless have never bothered me as I am a social worker but the problem is that unlike L.A. and similar places casinos pay a lot of money to keep homeless people off the strip and away from their patrons and cops just take them somewhere else or sometimes to jail temporarily but just as has been mentioned, nearly all the homeless in Vegas stay near their resources and our non-profit organizations do a good job at getting people off the streets as quickly as they can with job programs, etc. I too have had more problems in other areas of the country as far as crime goes than I have in Vegas and believe me I don't live in the "safest" neighborhood. I grew up in Southern California so for me the traffic is great and the fact that there are illegal immigrants my goodness, they're people! People who are just trying to give the best for their families so hopefully that doesn't bother you. My ideas are liberal I'm sure. Okay, that's my schpiel. -Jana Roberts

[HappyJana]

*Candy08* What are you comparing Vegas too?! Where are you going to move to where you have more things to do and more opportunities to meet people to date?! Healthcare in this country is terrible and you are going to find a lot of the same problems in other places. Good luck!

[GoWest]

Originally Posted by Candy08

Las Vegas Sucks! The people here are shady. There are bums all over the place. The health care is horrible, there is not much to do out here, the list goes on and on. Iv'e been living here for 2 going on 3 years now and Im doing everything I possibly can to move! Its almost impossible to find a decent date out here! My advice is to stay away from this place

i hear you. the place is insane. if you want to stay close to Vegas for work, try St. George, UT. .................

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by GoWest

i hear you. the place is insane. if you want to stay close to Vegas for work, try St. George, UT. .................

While I like St. George I would point out that three post in a few minutes advocating St. George while knocking Vegas might tend to indicate you have some interest in St. George.

Please find another hobby. We have more than enough Vegas knockers who do it because they don't like the town.

[yellowsnow]

Lots of people have told you they either love or hate Vegas. I love it. I say take a chance. If you hate it, the road also leaves Las Vegas.

Sounds like you have a good job possibility. Why not give it a try? I feel sorry for people who never leave home. It's a great experience to try something different. I've lived all over the world and I've never regretted it for a minute. It sounds like you are young and relatively unencumbered so now is the time to do it. Relatives are great but that's what planes are for. You only see them when you want to. You probably don't understand this if you've always lived close to your family but it's liberating. You don't have to be involved in their day to day squabbles. Also, people in Vegas always get company. They will come see you too.

Real people in Vegas do all the same things you do. They rarely go to the strip. If they go to a casino, it's usually to eat. Locals get quite a few discounts too. People in Vegas probably cook less than those in other areas of the country because food is so cheap there. It's almost always sunny in Vegas. No gloom! The mountains are pretty and if you want to, you can ski, swim, and hike all on the same day. The weather is pretty great. You can grow palm trees in your yard. No oppressive humidity all summer long either.

Change can be good. Your attitude will determine your success. Good luck!