[DougAderyn]

Planning on moving to Vegas next year with my SO and 10 mo old. I'm a southwestern hippy through and through. Raised in LA and lived in Tucson most of my adult life. SO is born and raised in DC metro.
We're here in DC now and want to bring our little family back west. Las Vegas is central to all of my friends and family in CA, NV and AZ. I love the desert. LV is so affordable with such a great job market.
But, I'm concerned about culture. We're very crunchy, young professional, eco-hippy types. We met and work at an environmental nonprofit. Eat organic. Had a homebirth, cloth diaper, make our own baby foods, etc. We're very involved with civil rights/LGBT movements. Very environmentally conscious. And do a lot of activist work. We shop consciously and "vote" with our dollars by using fair trade and local stores as much as possible. In other words, we put our money where our mouth is (literally since nonprofit pays much less than corporate).
Is there really a place in the Las Vegas area for a family like ours? I know it's a big city and there are variations in culture from one place to another. I'm used to big city living like that. But, what are the neighborhoods or suburbs that would best fit?
*PS- Please don't post any of these "Don't Move Here Hippy!" responses. I've been reading through these threads and I've seen some nasty posters. I genuinely want honest responses from folks who know the area. I'm not trying to start a debate about politics or ethics - to each their own.

[EA]

There's a lot of crunchy people here, mostly because they don't have houses and thus can't shower.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by DougAderyn

Planning on moving to Vegas next year with my SO and 10 mo old. I'm a southwestern hippy through and through. Raised in LA and lived in Tucson most of my adult life. SO is born and raised in DC metro.
We're here in DC now and want to bring our little family back west. Las Vegas is central to all of my friends and family in CA, NV and AZ. I love the desert. LV is so affordable with such a great job market.
But, I'm concerned about culture. We're very crunchy, young professional, eco-hippy types. We met and work at an environmental nonprofit. Eat organic. Had a homebirth, cloth diaper, make our own baby foods, etc. We're very involved with civil rights/LGBT movements. Very environmentally conscious. And do a lot of activist work. We shop consciously and "vote" with our dollars by using fair trade and local stores as much as possible. In other words, we put our money where our mouth is (literally since nonprofit pays much less than corporate).
Is there really a place in the Las Vegas area for a family like ours? I know it's a big city and there are variations in culture from one place to another. I'm used to big city living like that. But, what are the neighborhoods or suburbs that would best fit?
*PS- Please don't post any of these "Don't Move Here Hippy!" responses. I've been reading through these threads and I've seen some nasty posters. I genuinely want honest responses from folks who know the area. I'm not trying to start a debate about politics or ethics - to each their own.

Yes, yes you are.

[DougAderyn]

No. No. I'm not.
I have no issue with the way anyone else chooses to spend their time or money.
I'm just interested in finding a place with some like-minded folks and shopping/entertainment options that I'll enjoy. Why is that a problem?
If you're a conservative person that believes in consumer-culture, why would you want someone like me as your neighbor? Why not just nicely point me to the hippy district and keep your neighborhood clear of crunchyness?
I have no beef with you. I just want a few artsy shops and local produce once in a while.

[EA]

It's the same everywhere. Downtown.

[SportyandMisty]

I think you'd enjoy living in Summerlin near Red Rocks Casino.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by DougAderyn

No. No. I'm not.
I have no issue with the way anyone else chooses to spend their time or money.
I'm just interested in finding a place with some like-minded folks and shopping/entertainment options that I'll enjoy. Why is that a problem?
If you're a conservative person that believes in consumer-culture, why would you want someone like me as your neighbor? Why not just nicely point me to the hippy district and keep your neighborhood clear of crunchyness?
I have no beef with you. I just want a few artsy shops and local produce once in a while.

Let me be as blunt as I am able. Las Vegas does not want you. You will always be a boat-rocker. And residents will never accept a boat rocker.

For all it's supposed "sin," Las Vegas is a very conservative city -- full of fundamentalist religious types, hard-core Ayn Rand libertarians, and baked-in-the-sun whackjobs. People here are in love with their consumer culture. They love the homogenous nature of the city. And that's the people who actually care about politics and social issues. Most people don't care at all. As long as they make enough to pay the bills and there's a nearby WalMart, all is good.

Drive around -- it's nothing but an endless parade of chain stores, fast food, pawn shops, title loan companies and locals' casinos. And that's exactly how people here like it.

I could throw a dart at a map of the world and hit a better place for you than Las Vegas. While there are "like-minded folks" who live here, they are so few and far between and work crazy hours. So you may never run into them.

Portland is a two-day drive north-northwest of here.

[DougAderyn]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

For all it's supposed "sin," Las Vegas is a very conservative city -- full of fundamentalist religious types, hard-core Ayn Rand libertarians, and baked-in-the-sun whackjobs. People here are in love with their consumer culture. They love the homogenous nature of the city. And that's the people who actually care about politics and social issues. Most people don't care at all. As long as they make enough to pay the bills and there's a nearby WalMart, all is good.

That's too bad. I got the impression it was fairly consumer driven, with the casinos and all. But they also have a lot of benefits set up for small/personal businesses and the voting history leans very strongly left. And the median age is mid-30s. I assumed there was some more liberal areas away from The Strip and downtown areas.

Thanks for the suggestion. But Portland is WAY too far from any of my family. Everyone's in the Southwest and one of our main reasons for moving is to be closer to my family again (and get back to beautiful desert life! I'm so sick of the seasons out here in the east!)

[ScoopLV]

Then move to Sedona or Jerome, Arizona. (Or the nearby towns of Cottonwood, Camp Verde, etc.) That's as hippie as you're going to get in the southwest.

Las Vegas is the anti-Sedona.

If you don't believe me about Las Vegas being a conservative bastion, read the editorial page of the Las Vegas Review Journal. Nothing but Ann Coulter and Charles Krauthammer and Bill O'Reilly. This town is so conservative that Steve Sebelius is considered a communist.

[anna shun]

Doug--

I have transplanted here from NYC, and so far my take on Las Vegas is that you will find your tribe here. The city is very diverse, and tolerant from what I have experienced, and I have had positive interactions because of the very friendly and open attitudes of the people here while my husband and I are finding our place in the community. I still feel a little bit of lack for some things culturally, but I think I would feel that way in any city bc no place is like NYC.

There is an arts district downtown, a strong new age culture and many Burning Man types -- you'll find left of center, alternative types a plenty here, but I also find that it is very worthwhile here to expand your culture to those that are not of that description, as that is the true definition of diversity to me.

If you have children, however, it may be more than worth your while to look at the education standards of the schools here... even from this message board discussions alone, I would say that could be the true red flag you should be concerned most about.