[melly27]

Hi all (this is long, sorry!),

I am originally from Chicago, but I've been living in Indianapolis for 7 years. Honestly, I do not like it. A while ago I was asking on another board advice for cities to live in. I considered Las Vegas because of:
*Cost of living
*Weather
*Good nightlife and lots of entertainment (so it seems...)

I work in health care/public health, and I noticed the jobs in those careers in Vegas pay WAY higher than other parts of the country, considering the COL. I've heard Las Vegas sucks to actually live in, and I can't help but wonder why these jobs pay so high. I know most Vegas residents work in the entertainment/casino industry. *Does Vegas have a hard time recruiting other professionals?

People said on the other thread Vegas is probably not a good match for me, but I still can't completely rule it out (maybe because I have some familial roots in Sparks ).
*Will you all please lay out the good and bad for me, and realistically tell me if I should rule Vegas in or out?

Some stats about me and things I'm looking for in a city:
*I'm a 29 y/o single female...ease of meeting new friends is important to me!
*Looking to probably rent, maybe a house. I'd be making 50-60k probably, based on what I have seen. I'd prefer rent below $1,000, but I'd be making more than I do now so over $1,000 would probably be possible.
*Museums and zoos are some of my favorite city destinations
*I'm liberal (Indiana is not really a good state for being liberal lol)
*Indy doesn't have a super educated/cultured/diverse population. I miss that about Chicago. I'd like a more well-rounded, diverse, and educated populace.
*Indy is pretty boring, and the main things I do are go to concerts, try new restaurants (not chains), see movies, go to random festivals downtown in Indy, and go to sports games. Obviously the Strip has a lot on it, but do locals go there a lot? Does it get boring or annoying (and expensive)? What does the rest of Vegas have to offer?

Thank you!

[LasVegasPlayer]

Las Vegas needs health care workers so you should have no problem finding work. Also note that there is no state income tax so your pay will be higher when compared to states with one.

I'm a 29 y/o single female...ease of meeting new friends is important to me!

It is difficult to meet quality people here but not impossible. I imagine your field will help with that. Be skeptical of who you meet here.

You should find a great apartment for $1,000. If you want a house in a great neighborhood you may need to go a little above that.

Museums and zoos are some of my favorite city destinations

We have no zoo. Our museums are not what you have in mind. (Erotic Heritage Museum, Mob Museum)

I'm liberal (Indiana is not really a good state for being liberal lol)

Our governor is GOP, as is our Assembly and Senate. Our U.S. Senators split while most of our state's U.S. House reps are GOP. With that said, there is a huge difference between most Nevada republicans and one from Indiana. Las Vegas is socially liberal but not fiscally. It has a serious libertarian lean.

Indy doesn't have a super educated/cultured/diverse population.

Yes on diverse, LOL on educated and cultured.

As for your last one, there is plenty to do away from the Strip. I only go there for work. If you want culture and activities you probably want to look towards Summerlin although that may also be too sleepy for a single woman in her late 20's.

[Katie the heartbreaker]

Originally Posted by melly27

*Museums and zoos are some of my favorite city destinations

*Indy doesn't have a super educated/cultured/diverse population. I miss that about Chicago. I'd like a more well-rounded, diverse, and educated populace.

If these are important, then Las Vegas is definitely not the place for you.

[Eva_B]

I agree with all of the above, and I've lived in Vegas for 40+ years. I also work in the healthcare field, and there's a good reason why the salaries tend to be higher than other cities. Education isn't a priority in a gambling tourist destination like Vegas where you often don't need more than a high school diploma and the right social connections to land a comfortably well-paying job at a pro-union casino.

I've only been able to meet interesting and compatible people here by accident, but they do exist! Vegas is relatively diverse with Hispanics as the population that has grown the most.

Locals tend to avoid the Strip unless they're showing it off to guests who happen to be in town.

The weather is mostly sunny and mild, but you also have to survive through the 100+ degree summer months.

[SF-LV-NY]

Health care workers are much welcomed, and have good prospects in the long term. Pay is higher simply due to the supply and demand factor.

In general, education here is a joke and ranked the worst in the country, but you won't have any problems to find smart people in your field. People in that sector here are really nice, too.

I'm a tech startup founder, and quite a few of remote workers like myself think the same way - if I can work from anywhere, why don't I move to a city with lower CoL, great weather and awesome food and other perks? It's no surprise I see more independent tech people here.

In Vegas, you'll come to enjoy more outdoor activities. Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Grand Canyon and all that. Drive from the center of city for 40 minutes and you'll be skiing at Mt Charleston. Don't expect museums or zoos, but you can enjoy all sorts of performing arts at The Smith Center. You'll probably find many more unexpected amenities here. It's a city with true diversity.

[Caltovegas]

Southwest fluid to California or about a 4hr drive. Come on down make your money, travel, and if you meet someone out of town then just leave. For culture you can always hop a flight to S.F. or L.A. or whatever Vegas has to offer.

If you don't like Vegas then just move. Give it a couple of years.

[AmericaWestCMH]

Cost of living realistically won't be any lower than Indy other than the income tax. Car insurance/registration will be significantly higher. Sales tax is steep. Rent will probably be more expensive. Utilities here are really cheap.

Culture and education... not here.

The weather is nice, but it's not for everyone. If your ideal weather isn't hot, dry and/or sunny you will be miserable.

<<Obviously the Strip has a lot on it, but do locals go there a lot?>>

Read the parking thread, lol. Most don't, and the rest swear up and down they won't once there's paid parking.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by melly27

Hi all (this is long, sorry!),

I am originally from Chicago, but I've been living in Indianapolis for 7 years. Honestly, I do not like it. A while ago I was asking on another board advice for cities to live in. I considered Las Vegas because of:
*Cost of living
*Weather
*Good nightlife and lots of entertainment (so it seems...) So it seems? Why do you think they call this the Entertainment Capital of the World?

I work in health care/public health, and I noticed the jobs in those careers in Vegas pay WAY higher than other parts of the country, considering the COL. I've heard Las Vegas sucks to actually live in, Thanks for the left handed compliment. Las Vegas hardly sucks to live in. That's why it went from 400,000 to 2 million people in less than 20 years, and they're still coming. and I can't help but wonder why these jobs pay so high. I know most Vegas residents work in the entertainment/casino industry. Sort of true - it's really known as the service industry because we are the #1 destination in the world with over 42 million visitors a year. But there is a huge variety of jobs in the service industry. You might not believe all the things that people do in that business from extremely high tech to keeping the floors very clean. *Does Vegas have a hard time recruiting other professionals? Yes, a little bit. Probably because of the Hollywood mentality of what it's really like here. But when they get here and find out that it's one of the best places to live in the country (regardless of what some of these negative people on internet sites tell you) we can't seem to get rid of them.

People said on the other thread Vegas is probably not a good match for me, but I still can't completely rule it out (maybe because I have some familial roots in Sparks ). [color="red"]Sparks is over 400 miles north of here BTW./COLOR]

*Will you all please lay out the good and bad for me, and realistically tell me if I should rule Vegas in or out? The good is beyond good, especially if you love the outdoors. Being from Chicago maybe you don't, but I bet you you'd get interested if you only new. People here are overall pretty friendly, but we have folks from every different walk of life, and in a survey done years ago, we found that everyone here was more or less a pioneer spirit type. They left behind their families and friends from traditional neighborhoods to come here to seek their fortunes. Most of our homes are surrounded by block walls. Those are the forts they build to keep out the "Indians", but if anyone is "attacked" they will all come out to help fend off the "attacker". And by attacker I mean cancer, fire, mean people, etc. Then they disappear behind the walls until needed again. Most people in my neighborhood wave as they drive by, but pull into the garage and shut the door, and that's about all you know about them. So traditional neighbors and neighborhoods are a little hard to find here. Of course, that all depends on you and your ability to be a pain in the bu** neighbor in a good way.

Some stats about me and things I'm looking for in a city:
*I'm a 29 y/o single female...ease of meeting new friends is important to me!
*Looking to probably rent, maybe a house. I'd be making 50-60k probably, based on what I have seen. I'd prefer rent below $1,000, but I'd be making more than I do now so over $1,000 would probably be possible. Probably all pretty feasible.
*Museums and zoos are some of my favorite city destinations We do not have a zoo thank goodness for the animals sake, but we have several museums that it appears people on City Data aren't familiar with. Such at The Atomic Museum, the Clark County Museum, The Nevada State Museum, etc. And don't sell the Mob Museum short. It's actually a great museum. There is also a small art musem in the Bellagio that's pretty nice. And you might enjoy "First Friday" in the downtown Art District. You'd probably also get off on the Smith Center. It's a beautiful replication of an old theater where much of our cultural events take place. Also UNLV is a bit of a center for art and culture.
*I'm liberal (Indiana is not really a good state for being liberal lol) Too Bad. Most of us are conservative whether Democrats or Republicans. Our thinking in Nevada is libertarian. That's why you people really want to come here - because we have these libertarian values of live and let live instead of wanting to government to be our keepers. Keep that in mind and you'll soon be one of us. Because it's what makes Nevada Nevada. The same can be said in many ways about a few other western states.
*Indy doesn't have a super educated/cultured/diverse population. I miss that about Chicago. I'd like a more well-rounded, diverse, and educated populace. Have you thought about New York?
*Indy is pretty boring, and the main things I do are go to concerts, try new restaurants (not chains), see movies, go to random festivals downtown in Indy, and go to sports games. Obviously the Strip has a lot on it, but do locals go there a lot? Does it get boring or annoying (and expensive)? What does the rest of Vegas have to offer?There is so much more here than the Strip I'd have to start a new thread. Probably because all the other entertainment is such a distraction, we do not have a major league sports team, but we do have major league games now and then, and boxing is big here. Once a year we hold the superbowl of rodeo too. UNLV is trying to regain it's fame and fortune of being our "pro" basketball team, but they screwed that up when some know it all a**hole fired Jerry Tarkanian. UNLV football is nearly non-existent, causing generations of Nevadans to ask "WTF, this is Vegas Baby, Vegas!."

Thank you!

Don't mention it.

[WestieJeff]

I pretty much echo the sentiments of the other posters.

You'll likely get a good job.

Male/female balance favors you (lots of men on the west coast).

Definitely not an arts/culture/museums/zoos type town. Overall not an educated populace. If you were into outdoor activites, we have a lot of options there, but overall I'd say there are probably cities better suited to your requirements.

If you can handle the cost of living, CA would likely be better. Portland might be a better middle ground in terms of COL.

[BibleBurner]

^How is Vegas better for women than men?

You've got strippers galore, and a service industry dominated by young attractive women.

I'd say the sexual marketplace favors men by a landslide---unless you're a deadbeat.