[qingguy]

Originally Posted by LowTune

Why does Las Vegas receive so much negativity?

I visited Las Vegas for about 2 weeks earlier this year and I didn't find the people to be rude, the city to be ugly, the drivers to be bad, or for it to be an unpleasant place. I've also read that it's a violent city, I didn't feel that it was especially rough and I didn't feel unsafe.

Usually the CD community gets it right with places such as Dallas, Phoenix, Austin, etc... But this is one of the few times that I don't understand where all the hate is coming from.

Could anyone explain why Las Vegas has such a bad rap?

Please clarify, bad rap on CD or bad rap in the press?

[yellowsnow]

It all depends on your frame of reference. I moved here from an expensive area with Winters that lasted half the year. And whenever there wasn't snow on the ground the bugs and severe storms were just as bad as all the snow and ice. The yard work was never ending. If I wasn't mowing it, I was raking or shoveling. Nothing was convenient or close to me and I drove 100 miles a day just to work and back.

Fast forward to today and the yard pretty much takes care of itself. I spend my yard time BBQing or swimming in my pool. No shoveling, raking, or mowing. The weather is perfect 9 months of the year and it's too hot for 3 months. It's cheap to live here and the taxes are low. There is always something to do and my money goes a lot further here. Everything I could possibly want is close and convenient.

Las Vegas is not a perfect nirvana. But it beats the heck out of where I came from!

[Tek_Freek]

Same old, same old.

There are seemingly countless threads and posts about this. Nothing different in this one. Same people, same first world problems.

[UTES]

Like others here, I've participated in several of these discussions over time. My take on it remains the same - that most top tourist destinations seemingly have similar dual personalities. To some people they're the greatest thing on earth. To others they're the worst.

I think the issues are simply magnified by the popularity and notoriety Las Vegas has. Look at how busy the LV forum is compared to most other large cities. The number of threads and members who participate is significantly greater than average. The Las Vegas metro area has twice the population of Salt Lake City (my other home) yet the traffic on the LV forum is about 20 times greater. In fact, the LV forum has much more action than the whole state of Utah. It's hugely disproportionate.

Las Vegas is a famous and infamous lightning rod. It gets noticed. I travel a lot and, like most travelers, get asked where I'm from. I'll mention I've got a home in SLC and one in LV. Know what happens next? Yep, I might as well not have mentioned SLC - they want to talk about Las Vegas - either about the last time they've been here how they'd like to get here. EVERYONE knows about Las Vegas and EVERYONE has an opinion about it.

Add to all of the above the fact that people with negative experiences are more likely to express themselves than people with positive experiences. So, a displeased vocal minority often can make it appear things are worse than they actually are. The people who are O.K. with things simply don't have much of a reason (or drive) to talk about it.

Bill

[LowTune]

Originally Posted by macgeek

it's a city of extremes.

people expect to step in vegas, throw $3 in a slot machine and win 10 million dollars,
after they lose all there money, they say the place is a $--t hole.

people who come to live here think the streets are lined with gold,
when they find out its like everywhere else.. they say the place is a $--t hole.

People who understand the place, and is not tempted by easy money, or vice and sin LOVE THIS PLACE
and welcome others.


Jonathan

I'm not a gambler and I don't drink. But there are other aspects concerning the sinfulness of Las Vegas that grab my attention.

Originally Posted by qingguy

Please clarify, bad rap on CD or bad rap in the press?

Both.

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

It all depends on your frame of reference. I moved here from an expensive area with Winters that lasted half the year. And whenever there wasn't snow on the ground the bugs and severe storms were just as bad as all the snow and ice. The yard work was never ending. If I wasn't mowing it, I was raking or shoveling. Nothing was convenient or close to me and I drove 100 miles a day just to work and back.

Fast forward to today and the yard pretty much takes care of itself. I spend my yard time BBQing or swimming in my pool. No shoveling, raking, or mowing. The weather is perfect 9 months of the year and it's too hot for 3 months. It's cheap to live here and the taxes are low. There is always something to do and my money goes a lot further here. Everything I could possibly want is close and convenient.

Las Vegas is not a perfect nirvana. But it beats the heck out of where I came from!

The weather is probably my least favorite aspect of Las Vegas. Too hot for most of the year in my opinion.

Originally Posted by UTES

Like others here, I've participated in several of these discussions over time. My take on it remains the same - that most top tourist destinations seemingly have similar dual personalities. To some people they're the greatest thing on earth. To others they're the worst.

I think the issues are simply magnified by the popularity and notoriety Las Vegas has. Look at how busy the LV forum is compared to most other large cities. The number of threads and members who participate is significantly greater than average. The Las Vegas metro area has twice the population of Salt Lake City (my other home) yet the traffic on the LV forum is about 20 times greater. In fact, the LV forum has much more action than the whole state of Utah. It's hugely disproportionate.

Las Vegas is a famous and infamous lightning rod. It gets noticed. I travel a lot and, like most travelers, get asked where I'm from. I'll mention I've got a home in SLC and one in LV. Know what happens next? Yep, I might as well not have mentioned SLC - they want to talk about Las Vegas - either about the last time they've been here how they'd like to get here. EVERYONE knows about Las Vegas and EVERYONE has an opinion about it.

Add to all of the above the fact that people with negative experiences are more likely to express themselves than people with positive experiences. So, a displeased vocal minority often can make it appear things are worse than they actually are. The people who are O.K. with things simply don't have much of a reason (or drive) to talk about it.

Bill

Makes sense.

[Raiderman]

Las Vegas is VERY polarizing. Similar to NYC in that regard. If I don't feel like getting into "that conversation" when traveling, I tell people I'm from Nevada

[fvansan]

Getting back to the negative talk about LV, I think some is true and much is not. LV does have a high neighborhood crime rate. Look at the crime maps and one can see all the robberies, home break-ins and assaults throughout most of LV. Also, the perception of most people are mostly generated from action on the strip or downtown. Most people have not had the opportunity to visit the many great neighborhoods to see it is just another big city. Complaints of "Missing green areas or lots of trees" come from most people who have not walked the local golf courses or drove to the mountain areas for green land and trees. It does get hot here in the summer, but it does so anywhere that is in the south. If you want snow, go drive to it. LV is what ever you make of it and the same can be said for other cities, it is just cheaper here to make it. The people who complain about LV also complain about NYC, Chicago, Miami, LA and most of Europe. If you want life down on the farm, go live in Kansas.

[lvoc]

Nevada has one property that few people are aware of. It is the second most urban state in the US trailing only CA. That causes it to behave like a big city rather than the normal distrubution of rural, suburban and urban. So often when you look at statistics about states you see NV with numbers more like a city than a standard state.

Las Vegas does not have a high crime rate and its suburban neighborhoods are actually very good. Henderson for instance is generally in the lowest 5% for cities above 200K. Summerlin and Southern Highlands are similar though the data is difficult to extract. Overall in Metro crime is above the US average but a long way from the levels of the eastern and mid-western rust belt.

The school system is not great but there are fine schools. It behaves in a manner similar to every large school system. And it is, for instance, better than NYC or LA.

The education level of the citizenry varies. It has a higher percentage of high school graduates and a lower percentage of college graduates than many similar cities. There are however many areas in Las Vegas where the percentage of college graduates meets the level of the good suburbs of LA or Chicago. If you want to live among smart people pick where you live carefully.

There are bad statistics. Suicide rate is high in Clark County...though actually less than the rest of the state...so it is not an evil city gambling issue. It also trails places like Wyoming and Alaska.

And LV still has not fully recovered from the recession. Got hit harder and sank deeper than anywhere else. But it is climbing and may soon shake off the coattails of that disaster.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by lvoc

Nevada has one property that few people are aware of. It is the second most urban state in the US trailing only CA. That causes it to behave like a big city rather than the normal distrubution of rural, suburban and urban. So often when you look at statistics about states you see NV with numbers more like a city than a standard state.

Las Vegas does not have a high crime rate and its suburban neighborhoods are actually very good. Henderson for instance is generally in the lowest 5% for cities above 200K. Summerlin and Southern Highlands are similar though the data is difficult to extract. Overall in Metro crime is above the US average but a long way from the levels of the eastern and mid-western rust belt.

The school system is not great but there are fine schools. It behaves in a manner similar to every large school system. And it is, for instance, better than NYC or LA.

The education level of the citizenry varies. It has a higher percentage of high school graduates and a lower percentage of college graduates than many similar cities. There are however many areas in Las Vegas where the percentage of college graduates meets the level of the good suburbs of LA or Chicago. If you want to live among smart people pick where you live carefully.

There are bad statistics. Suicide rate is high in Clark County...though actually less than the rest of the state...so it is not an evil city gambling issue. It also trails places like Wyoming and Alaska.

And LV still has not fully recovered from the recession. Got hit harder and sank deeper than anywhere else. But it is climbing and may soon shake off the coattails of that disaster.

Plus, it's sunny almost ALL the time!

[BWNLV]

It's the internet age...everybody hates everybody and everything. Have you read the comments on most internet and media message board and forums? Their full of ignorance, hate, racism, and ugliness.

I love this forum because it is monitored, and trolls are reported by many readers.