[RobertoRivas1986]

Hello, everyone!

I am a 22-years-old hispanic male (born and grew up in Argentina, but came to the US when I was 15), and I am planning to go to UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) to study and get my Master's Degree in the Hotel Management major. I am considering renting a studio apartment somewhere around Paradise/UNLV/Maryland_Pkwy area priced around $400-$500. Where do most UNLV students usually live?

I actually visited Vegas on my vacation couple months ago and stayed for almost a week near the abovementioned area (it was "Motel 6" at the intersection of Tropicana Ave & Koval Ln, to be exact), and, of course, I visited and walked/drove around UNLV and the surrounding neighbourhoods and shopping centers many times and personally liked the area very much. Of course, it's not The Strip, but still very decent area, in my opinion. But then I came to this message board and saw several posts with very mixed messages, some saying it's absolutely normal and conveniently located neighbourhood, but others describing the area around UNLV as kinda ghetto, and now I'm a little bit confused and nervous. Did I completely miss something?

I guess I have to mention that for the last 6 years I have lived in the Baltimore/DC area, and it's definitely very run-down and crime-filled around here. We don't have a single day without dozen of shootings, murders, robberies, muggings, etc., hehe. Basically, the only relatively safe part around here is the North West (where, among others, the Congress, Capitol Hill, and the Mall are located). Since D.C. is predominantly young African American city, me and many others here often get confronted/targeted for being non-black. And, you know, being an immigrant and a minority member myself, I obviously don't have anything against black community at all, and totally respect their culture and history, but somehow I don't feel very safe in this city, and, again, not because of some prejudice, but because of my actual experience. For example, several times I have been bullied on the streets by random groups of young african-americans because of my non-black appearance and even heard some offensive racial remarks yelled at me. Also, last year, my apartment was broken into by the same "gangsta" types. So, as you can see, it's those immature bad apples that actually make Washington, D.C. so miserable and perhaps give the mostly good black community here a bad reputation. And unfortunately, there are crowds and crowds of those young "gangstaz" around here. Even while waiting at the bus stop you constantly get bothered by random drug dealers and beggars. After all this experience, the last place I wanna move to is another hood where I will feel unappreciated or discriminated against.

So, when I read here that Paradise/UNLV area of Las Vegas is "kinda ghetto", I was a bit shocked and thought it was a joke. During my visit there, I haven't seen anything or anyone that would make me feel unsafe. From what I saw, there almost aren't even any black people there, let alone "gangsta" types, unless I accidentally missed them all during my trip. So please tell me how exactly is UNLV area ghetto?

[MR77]

I guess it depends on where you are coming from. I wouldnt want to live there, but Im havent lived in the same places you have. I guess there are worse parts of the city. At least you would have plenty of places to eat and shop within walking distance if you live near UNLV

[Buzz123]

The area around there isn't good by Las Vegas standards, and a lot of crime occurs in the area. But my wife who came from Houston says that Houston has GHETTOS!!, and what passes as a ghetto in Las Vegas would be a nice part of town in Houston. In other words we don't have any real ghettos.

[lvkewlkid]

i like that area too, everything is convenient, if you had no problems there when you were walking around and you thought it was fine, then go for it...anyway the more safer areas near UNLV are east of Maryland Parkway, the apartments west of Maryland aren't the greatest...i doubt you would find any safe apts for 400 a month...although remember anything can happen anywhere...

[bosozoku]

Originally Posted by MR77

I guess it depends on where you are coming from. I wouldnt want to live there, but Im havent lived in the same places you have. I guess there are worse parts of the city. At least you would have plenty of places to eat and shop within walking distance if you live near UNLV

i Agree with this part. from what you are saying you have lived in a much worst area and you might be ok with the UNLV area..but pls do,always watch your back. Anything can happen.

Originally Posted by Buzz123

The area around there isn't good by Las Vegas standards, and a lot of crime occurs in the area. But my wife who came from Houston says that Houston has GHETTOS!!, and what passes as a ghetto in Las Vegas would be a nice part of town in Houston. In other words we don't have any real ghettos.

this i how i felt when i looked around North Las Vegas and the other surroundings of the Valley. Coming from Los Angeles we have our share of bad parts and i have to say the so called "ghetto" areas in Vegas, well is NOT if you were in other parts of the country.

Again no matter where you end up in..keep your guard up for anything.

good luck to you.

hi pink

[uncle_el]

you sound like you had the real dc experience!!

i'm not from the hood, but have been to and through plenty. outside of new orleans (pre-katrina), dc is right up there in terms of how bad it can be.

with that said, the area around unlv is not considered to be a good area. as was mentioned earlier in this thread, this is by las vegas standards. i have one friend who told me "the area just east of the strip is what you would call 'economically depressed'."

suffice it say, you're now seasoned, and know what to look out for, and really should be fine around that area.

Originally Posted by bosozoku

i Agree with this part. from what you are saying you have lived in a much worst area and you might be ok with the UNLV area..but pls do,always watch your back. Anything can happen.





this i how i felt when i looked around North Las Vegas and the other surroundings of the Valley. Coming from Los Angeles we have our share of bad parts and i have to say the so called "ghetto" areas in Vegas, well is NOT if you were in other parts of the country.

Again no matter where you end up in..keep your guard up for anything.

good luck to you.

hi pink

the "ghetto" areas of vegas remind me of maybe gardena, montebello, or south gate. not the best of la, but by no means the worst either.

[bosozoku]

Originally Posted by uncle_el

you sound like you had the real dc experience!!

i'm not from the hood, but have been to and through plenty. outside of new orleans (pre-katrina), dc is right up there in terms of how bad it can be.

with that said, the area around unlv is not considered to be a good area. as was mentioned earlier in this thread, this is by las vegas standards. i have one friend who told me "the area just east of the strip is what you would call 'economically depressed'."

suffice it say, you're now seasoned, and know what to look out for, and really should be fine around that area.




the "ghetto" areas of vegas remind me of maybe gardena, montebello, or south gate. not the best of la, but by no means the worst either.

agreed

but the those areas are mostly just old and maybe slightly run down due to age,but not even ghetto ghetto. But yes you are right not the worst either.

[wildmaven]

The area of Desert Inn and Maryland Parkway is a huge drug area with prostitutes, vagrants, and drug dealers walking up and down the streets at all hours and a lot of this is spilling down Maryland Parkway to the UNLV area. I used to live within walking distance of the university in the 80's. It was a beautiful area. Now, there is no way I'd allow my children to live in that area. Not safe, shootings, knife attacks, etc. But if that's the kind of thing you're used to, feel free to move in. For me, I wouldn't want to be panhandled/solicited every day on the way to school.

[unlvstudent]

Ok I lived on campus at UNLV for 2 years (2004-2006) and graduated from UNLV in 08. Honestly, the area isn't as horrible as people on here say. Over 20,000 students go to UNLV so the area is full of young people. When I lived on campus my friends and I used to always walk to the Albertson's, In and Out Burger, to all the little plazas right off campus, even Target a little further down and nothing ever happened and we were all young white females. As long as you mind your own business and try not to get into trouble nothing will happen to you.

[lvkewlkid]

some of the little plazas nearby UNLV have some great ethnic food and interesting stores as well...