[sg8910]

Hi

I am active single female professional 40, no kids looking to move from east coast. I love the dry heat, lived in it before and looking to live out west for a few years. I love hiking and this is major motivation for move, as well as being outside, golf tennis etc. I have family in both cities. I dont like driving alot and i know phoenix is very car dependent and has lots of traffic with sprawl. I like vegas subrubs like summerlin and henderson with access to golf and hiking plys the city is easy to get around. I am not into the strip but would go once in a while for dinner or show. I am looking to meet other people through sports or hiking and hope that residents are friendly and educated for the most part. I am working remote but would also pick part time work in restaurant to make money and meet people but not necessary

I hear so much about scottsdale and how nice it is. I am very very into being able to feel safe at night and looking for a gated community if possible. I would rent an apartment or condo and hoping to be near park or find something on a golf course.
I am moving from DC suburbs and I love the walkabilty i have here, but its getting too built up with Amazon, too much increase in rent for qulaty of life plus life is very stressful and people not happy . The only ohter city i lived in is Austin which i loved loved for active lifestyle and people but it was also getting very much built up and found the car dependnce and traffic way too much .


So looking for more peaceful life, hopefully less expensive than DC and active lifestyle, I am between Phoenix area or Las vegas area, any advice appreciated from people who have experienced both cultures.
thank you

[lbc1998]

I have lived in both Las Vegas and Scottsdale. I much prefer Las Vegas. I love where I live in Summerlin and I’m able to easily have access to Red Rock Canyon, The Strip, Mt. Charleston and tons of other unique amenities that only our city possesses.

[moguldreamer]

• In general, Phoenix is ~ 5 degrees hotter than Las Vegas during the summer.
• Gated communities provide more of an illusion of safety than safety itself. Nevertheless, given the choice, I definitely prefer gated.
• Re-think living actually ON a golf course. Bad guys have been known to use the golf course, hop the fence, and enter a house from the rear. This doesn't happen often enough to make it a major consideration - but since safety & security are substantive concerns, I thought I'd mention it.
• For outdoor hiking and the like, you might consider a location not on your list - in Southern Utah (hot, dry) but closer to the National Parks including Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, etc. See https://www.nps.gov/state/ut/index.htm.

You'll definitely need a car. Neither Las Vegas (Summerlin/Henderson) nor Scottsdale have the "walkability" of Washington DC.

What is your price range?

[hikernut]

I've lived in the Phoenix metro for the past 15 years, so I can give some perspective on that side. There's quite a lot of hiking in the metro area itself. I'm guessing you've looked at maps so you are aware of this? Parking at some trailheads can be a challenge, so it helps if you are close enough to walk or bike to at least one trailhead (some trailheads have bike racks for locking up a bicycle). To get to a forested area for hiking you need to drive roughly two hours... depends exactly where you live in the metro.

Living here without a car would be challenging, although you can probably find some places in Scottsdale or Phoenix where you can walk to most of your routine needs. I like the Kierland area of Scottsdale, for example. The freeway system is pretty good here, and outside of rush hour or special events (e.g., football games) the traffic moves fine.

Now, have you ever visited in the summer? Yes, some people do like the heat, but honestly it's on a different level than any other sizable U.S. city. Normally I strongly recommend people visit in the summer before relocating, but in your situation (remote work, renting) I guess this advice is not as important, as you could just move again if you find the summer too oppressive.

Good luck with your move.

[Willy702]

Scottsdale is probably your best choice but you'll still need a car. Golf and tennis are a way of life there at a level higher than Vegas. The 5 degrees warmer weather applies year round so while it's worse in summer, the weather for outdoor activity is a little better in winter. Plus it's windy often in Las Vegas, little less so in Phoenix.

A few areas in Las Vegas are in theory walkable but go see them for yourself, everyone is using a car. If the weather is nice outside people go for a walk but thats not to accomplish anything else. Summerlin feels more walkable with "trails" that are glorified sidewalks, you might be disappointedby them. There is some real hiking not too far away but it's a drive to it.

I don't think you could make a bad choice between the two, both probably are good fits. Your happiness in either just will come down to the luck of the draw on your social circle. Both are very similar in having quite a few closed off people who mind their own business but also there are others like you wanting to meet people.

[Packrat1]

Arizona has State income tax, Nevada does not.

[JayDaBee]

We've lived in both cities for many years and Vegas, Summerlin in particular, is a no brainer. There are so many reasons but the main reasons are lack of state taxes and access to world class dining, shopping and entertainment. Both cities otherwise offer many of the same advantages to living on the east coast (I grew up in NYC).

We've found healthcare in Vegas to be much better, Summerlin is more aesthetically pleasing and we absolutely love the Vegas weather - except for the wind (worst part about LV). Since you're an outdoors person, you'll find the hiking, skiing, camping and biking to be far superior in Las Vegas. We're typically in Red Rock at least once/month and in Utah all the time for hiking, camping and skiing. Golf & tennis are similar in both places although the wind often makes it difficult to play tennis in Summerlin.

We love the dry heat so it does get a little depressing once the temps drop this time of year. But if you're not a huge fan of the heat, it's always an easy escape to Mt Charleston. It's also great that the beaches are an easy weekend getaway and you're typically driving against traffic. We absolutely love to spend time in dog friendly Santa Barbara and Newport Beach. LA & SD, not so much.

I'm not sure about how the job market compares and I've heard that being single in Las Vegas can be difficult. I'm sure that crime is pretty similar in both places but it's been on the rise in Las Vegas recently. You will definitely need a car in either city as public transportation is almost non-existent.

You really can't make a wrong choice.

[longviewJoe]

We have lived in Vegas (Summerlin adjacent) for 18 months and love it! Truly amazing how much there is to here. The activities like shows, concerts, incredible restaurants is well known but the hiking and biking is really very good here. Our final choice was Phx v. LV and we picked LV but it was close. We do love it here so far.

Having said that, from a safety perspective I feel like crime in Scottsdale (North Scottsdale in particular) is a lot less. I love Vegas but it's pretty crime ridden here. Just keeping it real.

Summers are worse in Phoenix but their winters are far superior from what I have experienced. December and January in Phx are darn nice! It's cold in Vegas! Phx does get a lot more rain but still dry compared to most places in the country.

State income taxes are a real thing. I used to discount it but it's really pretty significant for people who make decent incomes.

You mentioned gated communities. There are MANY guard gated or "staff monitored" communities. However, most are really just gated as they have second gates which are not monitored. Also, as someone else mentioned living on a golf course is not ideal as it is a known place for bad guys to come in from AND golf balls do fly! Not very relaxing to me!

Cars mandatory in both locations.

Good luck. You have two great choices. Pick one and then go all in and make the most of it!

[movin1]

I have a friend in Scottsdale and have spent some time there. I chose Vegas as the place to live. I lived in Central IL most of my life and Southwest FL for five years before I moved here. I love Vegas weather, both hot and "cold" (a relative term compared to IL). If I were you, I'd take a 2 week vacation and spend a week in both locations with a realtor helping you get the lay of the land.

[sg8910]

thank you. utah on my list, for sure this summer