[Zohren]

Hi there, I'm a 22 year old student (Well, sorta. Long story.) currently living in London, England (Where I have lived most of my life.) and I'm wanting to leave this city as I'm sick of the rising street crime rates in the city (I believe that in London, there's something like 164 street muggings a day. I myself was mugged just a few weeks ago by a group of 4 teens.) as well as the ridiculous costs of living.

I'm currently wanting to move to Las Vegas, as I'm very much a city guy (I love neon lights, modern buildings, computers, all that sorta stuff.) and I enjoy staying up late (Too much!) and Las Vegas seems like it'd be a very good city for me. (I'm also a poker player, but please note: I do NOT expect to move to Vegas and play poker for a living, however I do believe I could as I managed to do so when I first moved to London, quite successfully.)

I am not trying to live the dream of moving to Vegas to be a professional gambler, I just think that the city would meet my needs/desires.

I will be moving there with my mother and we do want to be relatively close to the strip if possible, as neither me nor my mother drive (I've wanted to learn for a while, but it's unnecessary in London. If anything, it's a hassle!), but we don't have a lot of money right now. We're looking for a relatively inexpensive 2 bedroom apartment (Under $900 a month) in a decent part of town and I was wondering where the best areas would be for us? Obviously, I don't want to live near any drug/gang areas or high-crime areas, although I know that every area will have a certain degree of crime.

If anyone could help us out at all with figuring out where to look, we'd greatly appreciate it!

As far as moving there goes, my mother and I are both U.S Citizens and will have no trouble working or living in the country.

[Chest Rockwell]

Living in Las Vegas without a car is tough. I'd recommend you get into a driver's school pretty quickly and learn how to drive.

I think the best areas to live without a car in LV are near the University (89119) or near the Sahara/Decatur area (89102). These areas have high crime as well, but nothing like what you get in a big city like London.

Ideally, you'd probably want to live further away from the strip to find lower crime, but a car would be mandatory. You also are going to have to arrange for a Visa so that you can get work or study.

[Zohren]

I won't need a visa. I have dual nationality, and I'm a full American citizen, as is my mother. I lived in Atlanta, GA for 5 years. (Boring city, but I never experienced any crime!)

As far as learning to drive, I do intend to learn ASAP. So the crime in those areas is high, but not like London? Like, would I be able to walk around at 1am in those areas without fear of being mugged/stabbed/shot?

Quite simply, in London I don't have that feeling of safety when I walk around late, always having to be completely aware of my surroundings and feeling like I'm gonna be jumped and threatened with a knife at any time. It's horrible! And I live in a good part of town, too!

[Chest Rockwell]

I don't think you are going to find anywhere where you can walk around at 1am without worrying a little bit about mugging. Going away from the strip things will get quieter and safer, but also less convenient.

Check out the LVMPD's crime tracker for stats regarding crime in certain zip codes.

[Zohren]

Is the strip really that bad at 1am? I would've thought it would've been a little safer due to the sheer number of people you'd expect to see up and down the strip at all times of day!

[Zohren]

I checked the LVMPD's crime tracker for 89102 and it seemed OK! 57 reported incidents of narcotics/robberies in the past 60 days, which is lower than what I'm used to here in London!

I appreciate the help and recommendations - Anyone else with any further recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by Zohren

Is the strip really that bad at 1am? I would've thought it would've been a little safer due to the sheer number of people you'd expect to see up and down the strip at all times of day!

No, the Strip isn't that bad at any time of day. There are only a few places in town that aren't safe at night and a couple that are just questionable during the day. But you need a car in western cities. Las Vegas' metro area sprawls over 600 square miles and public transportation is nearly non-existent. Our cities aren't like yours. At least this one isn't. You're not walking through canyons of tall buildings on dark narrow streets. Most of our streets and neighborhoods are well lighted and relatively safe. You'll be able to spot the areas to avoid at night very easily. But it doesn't matter how close you live to the Strip, you won't want to walk there because of the distances and the heat. The Strip itself is over four miles long, and from the north end of the Strip to downtown is another four miles. Get a car.

[Zohren]

I do understand that a car is a near-requirement in Vegas, as it is in just about every city in the USA, except for a handful. As far as walking in the heat, I'm probably one of the only people on the planet who doesn't mind, and can bear it. As I mentioned, I spent 5 years in Atlanta, GA and used to walk 1.5 miles to work, 5 days a week during the summer, even when temperatures were as high as 95 degrees with 80% or more humidity.

I'm a pretty skinny guy, so I'm less affected by the heat than most people I guess. The cold on the other hand - No thank you! lol!

I fully intend to get a car as soon as I can though, and I appreciate the advice and response! Keep 'em coming people! It's much appreciated! ^_^

[Chest Rockwell]

Check out 89147 and 89117. These are both quieter safer neighborhoods west of the strip, that are along major buslines at Sahara and Flamingo.

[Zohren]

Thank you Chest, I'll keep that in mind and look around in the next few days and see what I find! ^_^