[A Nonny Mouse]

Raiderman, thanks for your posts in this thread. They're very helpful. I've read a bunch of your other posts on the Vegas forum but didn't realize you were from New England. That makes your opinions even more valuable to me as another New Englander considering the move.

[ScoopLV]

Time to chime in again and be the lone voice of "I can't stand it here."

I love the fact that every band who ever had a hit performs here regularly if even one original member still draws breath. (And sometimes not -- The Kingston Trio, for instance.) We have more great restaurants packed into a 1/4 mile by four mile area than anywhere in the world. Anywhere. There are better restaurants out there, yes. But we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to fine dining. This is also one of the least-expensive cities in America. Food prices (and quality) cannot be beat, if the shopper takes the time to shop around. And some of the most wonderful natural beauty America has to offer is within a three-hour drive from my front door.

And I still can't stand it here.

Why? The cheapness. We're a cheap city. And a lot of people read that and say, "Hey, great! Things are cheap." And I write that sentence with the mindset that I want to live in a cheap city about as much as I want to be with a cheap woman, drive a cheap car, eat cheap food, and own a cheap house full of cheap furniture. Cheap is just about the worst insult I can come up with. Don't believe me? Walk up to any woman and call her "cheap." I'll be amazed if there isn't a face-slap in the near future.

And although the Smith Center is a giant leap in the right direction, Las Vegas is still a cultural wasteland. Our symphony season has the lifespan of a mayfly. Museums? What museums. I go to every single exhibit at the Bellagio because that's all we have. We have no major sports. None. A city of almost two million and no sports. The Green Bay metro area has what -- 300K people? And they've got the freakin' Packers. We have nothing.

Furthermore, I have a lot of New England years under my belt (although I have spent most of my life in Florida). I lived more than a decade in New England. When I was there, every other house had a workshop in the garage or the basement. People built things, did things, made things. There was a sense of community. We have NONE of that here. I only know one other person who does that sort of thing. (He posts here regularly.) And I'm the only person I know in Las Vegas who builds his own furniture. Back home in Florida, nearly everyone had some sort of "making" hobby -- boat builders, luthiers, and even just run of the mill weekend warriors.

Here, it's "Where can I find a reliable handyman?" People simply don't do things like they did in other places I have lived. (The people who care enough to hang out at City-Data are above average. They do not represent the average Las Vegan. If you want a good mental image of the average Las Vegan, it's a retired woman sitting in a Rascal, breathing oxygen and smoking a Winston in front of a video poker machine while power-drinking gin and juice.) Every local knows exactly what I'm talking about, although most of them are willing to overlook that. I'm not.

But I'm not going back to either place I've lived (FL or New England). I hate cold/snow more than I hate Las Vegas. And Florida will be scoured off the face of the earth by Hurricane Zelda sometime in my life. So I'll move to someplace warm, next to the ocean, with a small-town, tight-community vibe -- Hawaii, Santa Barbara, somewhere on the Oregon coast. Something like that. Las Vegas simply is not home for me. And it never will be. I'd never tell anyone I'm FROM Las Vegas. This is just someplace I happen to live. (And cannot wait to leave.)

[Tornado Baby]

Am a North Dakota native and have lived here 20 years after interim stops in London and Seattle. You don't have to shovel heat and the color blue is so beautiful. Forget green, gray, depressing, wet, flat existence with Big Brother forbidding you from drinking on Sunday. My previous homes are wonderful to visit!

[Punxsyboy]

Moved from PA 18 years ago... It took me a year to get used to no real seasons & the lack of green. Very happy since that first year. I had terrible allergies back East. The first 5 years out here were like heaven to me....no allergies what-so-ever. Since then, my allergies have gradually worsened but still nowhere near like they were in PA.

Happy to be almost a Vegas native :0)

[vtvette]

With modern technology (internet, cell phones, texting) it's easier than ever to keep in touch with friends and loved ones back east.

Moving West will be an adventure. Boston will always be there if you decide to return but unlike so many other you'll never have to ask "what if"...

I had a fantastic job back east and many friends (primarily the people I worked with) but, it was time to move on. Wife and I don't regret it for a minute.

A friend of mine came to visit last September and fell in love with the city. He gave his notice at work and was back a month later. Stayed with us for a few months while he got on his feet now has a great job he really enjoys and a very nice place of his own.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by winter-rabbit

Awesome insight into your experience in the LV are!. My mind has already moved even though I am physically here packing, giving away stuff, and selling on Craigslist. I hate rain myself. I do tons of running and bicycling. That is the first draw for me to move here! THe roads are smooth and the trails throughout Summerlin is fantastic.

How did you transporting your car as well as household stuff?

I'm looking at moving pods and thinking about driving my minivan down. Overall, it's look like $3500 minimum to cover gas/hotel and pay for moving pod.

We combined moving with a mini-vacation. We opted for ABF U-Pack after comparing all of the options, including PODS. We have 2 small dogs, so decided that a Ryder/Uhaul was not for us. As I work from home here, we only need 1 car, so I sold my car before we left. We packed the house, ABF dropped off a 28' trailer (we rented 13 linear feet of it), loaded the trailer, hopped in our little Nissan Rogue with the 2 chihuahuas and hit the road. We stopped to have lunch or dinner with friends in Ohio, Tennessee, and New Mexico along the way, and made it here in 4 days. ABF dropped the trailer in our driveway 2 days after we got here, we unloaded, they came that afternoon and took it away. SUPER easy. I just tallied up the moving expenses the other day. ABF cost $2553. Hotels en route $309. Gas en route $394. Food en route $188. $3444 total (plus about $15K in furniture and decorations once we got here, but that's another story)

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by A Nonny Mouse

Raiderman, thanks for your posts in this thread. They're very helpful. I've read a bunch of your other posts on the Vegas forum but didn't realize you were from New England. That makes your opinions even more valuable to me as another New Englander considering the move.

Yes, I'm one of the "Las Vegas Cheerleaders" LOL.. my experience has been nothing but perfect here. Granted, my situation is different in that I didn't move here needing a job, which seems to be a big reason why people are so down on the city, but I enjoy every single day here. Then again, I enjoyed much of my time in Western Mass and Rhode Island. If it wasn't dark, wet, and cold, I think New England would be a viable place to live

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by vtvette

With modern technology (internet, cell phones, texting) it's easier than ever to keep in touch with friends and loved ones back east.

Moving West will be an adventure. Boston will always be there if you decide to return but unlike so many other you'll never have to ask "what if"...

I had a fantastic job back east and many friends (primarily the people I worked with) but, it was time to move on. Wife and I don't regret it for a minute.

A friend of mine came to visit last September and fell in love with the city. He gave his notice at work and was back a month later. Stayed with us for a few months while he got on his feet now has a great job he really enjoys and a very nice place of his own.

That was our story. Stayed with friends in Anthem for a week in January '13. By day 2, we were looking at properties. I went back to work when I got home, told my boss I was moving here, and he let me stay on as a remote office. We got here last June and fall in love with the city all over again every day.

[winter-rabbit]

This is so true. We can easily video conference!!!

I'm leaving behind my parents and siblings (all married with kids). I feel guilty because my kids don't have any cousins to play with.

Who doesn't come to Vegas once in awhile right? All my friends/family eventually will visit Vegas!!

Originally Posted by vtvette

With modern technology (internet, cell phones, texting) it's easier than ever to keep in touch with friends and loved ones back east.

Moving West will be an adventure. Boston will always be there if you decide to return but unlike so many other you'll never have to ask "what if"...

I had a fantastic job back east and many friends (primarily the people I worked with) but, it was time to move on. Wife and I don't regret it for a minute.

A friend of mine came to visit last September and fell in love with the city. He gave his notice at work and was back a month later. Stayed with us for a few months while he got on his feet now has a great job he really enjoys and a very nice place of his own.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by winter-rabbit

This is so true. We can easily video conference!!!

I've leaving behind my parents and siblings (all married with kids). I feel guilty because my kids don't have any cousins to play with.

Who doesn't come to Vegas once in awhile right? All my friends/family eventually will visit Vegas!!

100% true. You're not moving to Iowa, you're moving to Las Vegas! We are averaging 1-2 sets of visitors per month. Keep that in mind when buying a house. You'll want a guest room or two.