[kimba01]

Originally Posted by ArthursChoice

LOL! UR sick and tired of the snow....have you see what is going on here today? We have been in the house all day becuase of the snow! I really wish you could see it here. Snow or no snow I personally believe you've got to be out of your mind to want to come and live here. But I understand I did six years ago and like MOST who have this imaginary idea about "VEGAS" they soooonnnnnnn discover, it ain't all that by a long shot. There are a hundred places better than Vegas to go to that does not have snow. But you will see...they always do.

Shame that you or anyone has an imaginary idea of what ANY place is. Let's face it, whereever you land you have to live. Just like anywhere else. Just know what you like or don't like and head in that direction.

If you head in a direction that you like and still manage to hate it, then you would most likely hate it anywhere. Thus, not the place but the person.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by vegasNut

Thanks everyone. I have a lot of other skills to fall back on such as over 20 years as a professional musician / guitar instructor, extensive computer / I.T. experience including a Microsoft Certification and a B.S. in Computer Science

I lived in SoCal many years ago and was a regular visitor to Las Vegas. There is just something about that town that is exciting to me. The only other place that comes close is in Manhattan (where I also used to live)

I spent the summer of 2005 in Henderson, teaching at a local music store, where I made lots of connections - among my students were a Director of Human Resources for Station Casions, a Pit Boss at MGM Grand, and a Casino Manager at one of the other Strip resorts. I moved back to New York for personal reasons but am now ready to make the move permanently and will take any job I can find, with the exception of working at In-n-Out burger (where i supposedly have only a 5% percent chance of being hired anyway), while I look for that dream job

I have also considered moving Phoenix, which is very nice but exceedingly dull. I just don't know what it is about Sin City but to me it is home

Thanks again for all your input. Look forward to hearing more replies

Dan

I am from Phoenix originally. You are correct in that it is a very boring town. Vegas is awesome but the job market is extremely tough. I would recommend renting a room for a while until you can get a steady job. It is WAY cheaper than an apartment or weekly motel. Here is a link to many rooms for rent....

las vegas rooms & shares classifieds - craigslist

You can even find rooms for $350 a month including all utilities like I did. I moved here in at the end of March in 2006. I brought $5,600 with me. Unfortunately I did not find a job until 8 months later. In Phoenix I had no problems getting a job but Vegas is much harder even when the economy was good. Now with the economy where it is now... I can just imagine. I only made it 8 months without a job because of renting a cheap room. By December, I was dead broke but luckily I go a job before I ended up on the streets. $7,000 will not last you long at all unless you can be extremely frugal like I have done. I wish you the best of luck my friend .

[vegasNut]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

I am from Phoenix originally. You are correct in that it is a very boring town. Vegas is awesome but the job market is extremely tough. I would recommend renting a room for a while until you can get a steady job. It is WAY cheaper than an apartment or weekly motel. Here is a link to many rooms for rent....

las vegas rooms & shares classifieds - craigslist

You can even find rooms for $350 a month including all utilities like I did. I moved here in at the end of March in 2006. I brought $5,600 with me. Unfortunately I did not find a job until 8 months later. In Phoenix I had no problems getting a job but Vegas is much harder even when the economy was good. Now with the economy where it is now... I can just imagine. I only made it 8 months without a job because of renting a cheap room. By December, I was dead broke but luckily I go a job before I ended up on the streets. $7,000 will not last you long at all unless you can be extremely frugal like I have done. I wish you the best of luck my friend .

Thanks for the reply. What kind of work do you do that it took 8 months to find a job?

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by vegasNut

Thanks for the reply. What kind of work do you do that it took 8 months to find a job?

I took quite a pay cut from what I used to make in Phoenix. I was a courier in Phoenix and made decent money over there. The courier market is much weaker here so I could not find any worth while courier jobs in Vegas. I ended up taking a security guard job that basically pays the bills.

[orca17]

believe it or not, the thing i miss is the jingling of coins out of the slot machines, i hate this paper exchange

I've had the same thought. I miss the days when I actually handled coins, and had more of a concept of the numbers on the counter representing money, not just "credits". You could get a really good feel of the action on the slot floor of a casino (i. e., whether people were winning or not) by just listening for the coins hitting the trays. Not anymore.

I agree with those who say that it is best to have a job lined up before you make the move - if at all possible. In this economy that might be a bit tricky, getting an employer to commit to you before you even live here, but depending upon what you do, it might be possible.

I work for the state, and while wages may be lower in many cases than the private sector, it is stable and thus far there have been few layoffs.

[delgadobb]

Originally Posted by GoreeGal

If I were Young and able to relocate, I would look long and hard at where I went. Vegas is nifty but not if you are flat broke after the move and can't get a job. I noticed on the Internet that Lafayette Louisiana was highly rated to live, close to New Orleans and has an unemployment rate of 2.5% It seems everyone there can find work. You are close to Houston, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and typically a nice climate vs the overbearing heat we have here.

Just do not pick a place and think you are going to find a job. Do some additional research. Lots of great cities to move to. How about Charlotte or the Carolinas. Nice area plus Atlanta is doing well.

The DFW area is a good place and if you are in your 20's or 30;s Austin is a great place to live. Wages there though are lower due to college kids working cheap.

To each his own - all depends on the person. Sometimes the grass is greener elsewhere no matter where you are - personally, I want to enjoy what Vegas has to offer & have prepared myself for the potentially negative aspects. It sounds like the OP has as well, unlike some others who have wanted to coast into town on fumes & hope for the best.

What criteria were used to rate Lafayette, LA highly? My girlfriend's from near there & went to school there. We visited last summer & there's NO WAY you could talk me into living there. It was a small town by city standards, not much to do & the humidity was UNBEARABLE. Nice climate? Maybe if you like overbearing heat & humidity as well as frequent rain. I did appreciate some things about the area (food was good) & I'll visit again since my girlfriend has family there, but that's it. It might be great for someone else - maybe for the demographic that wants a small-town mentality in the traditional south, not minding the heat, humidity & hurricanes - but I have a hard time seeing it appealing to the masses.

The other cities you mentioned have some positive aspects, but I doubt finding a job will be easy in any of them. Las Vegas is simply reflective of the current economy in a magnified sense. When economic times improve, Las Vegas will improve along with them as consumers have more discretionary dollars & come back to visit.

GoreeGal, sounds like you have your sights set elsewhere. If you do, then I wish you nothing but the best.