[fishnoise7]

I am going to be moving to Las Vegas in August to go to UNLV. I'm trying to figure our where to live, but I'm having trouble getting a feel for what the various neighborhoods might be like.

I would prefer to live somewhere safe enough to go for walks in the evening, but not super far away from UNLV. Is there a public transportation system that is reliable/safe? I've read that Summerlin and Henderson are nice areas. Google maps says that Henderson is about 15 minutes away from UNLV, is that an accurate estimate if you take traffic into consideration?

Is it better to rent an apartment or a house in LV?

[lvkewlkid]

if you take a bus from deep in Henderson to UNLV, it can take up to an hour and a half and that's with 3 routes, i believe...maybe you can time the buses correctly, but they usually end up missing each other, and don't go too often...so as you can see public trans isnt reliable, unless you just need to take one bus somewhere and that bus actually shows up...

[08grad]

I'm not a LV expert, just someone looking at relocating there. Something to look at, there's brand new apartments coming up right near campus called Rebel Place. They look really nice in the photos, lots of amenities, and you could walk to campus (less than 5 minutes to northern edge, 25 minutes to southern edge). There's lots of complexes near campus and I would assume quality would vary greatly. There's lots of shops/stores on the southeast edge of campus, that would be the preferred area I believe.

Summerlin and Henderson are nice. However, that's a 15-20 minute drive everyday. You aren't going to be able to find reliable public transportation. Also, you'll be living in family neighborhoods with a very suburban atmosphere. The one gripe I have about Vegas is there isn't really an area for 18-30 year olds like other major cities have. The nightlife is the strip, and that's not a place you want to live. Same with Downtown/Main Street. I would suggest living with other students near campus, getting to know one's you'd want to live with, and in a year rent a house. With the foreclosures happening, you could be able to take over someone's mortgage payment and get a sweet deal.

[radraja]

If you're not familiar with the city, I'd recommend living on campus.

Especially if you're relying on public transportation.

[dr.gomonas]

Originally Posted by radraja

If you're not familiar with the city, I'd recommend living on campus.

Especially if you're relying on public transportation.

Great suggestion -- especially for your first semester here. That will give you time to figure out what the city is like and really check out different parts of town. Plus you'll meet a lot more people that way!

[fishnoise7]

Thanks for the responses everybody. From what I've read, the Henderson area seems to be the safest, nicest area to look at for somebody going to UNLV.

I've also heard that the area directly surrounding UNLV is good, but someone said it's like a community within a community and the outer community is a ghetto.

I'll be moving with my boyfriend, so I won't need another roommate. We kind of prefer a quieter area. Should we look into renting a house? Are there websites other than craigslist to check for that?

I'd be interested in learning more about the foreclosure situation if anybody has information about it.

[radraja]

Parts of Henderson can be up to a 20 minute commute...which is more like 30 if you take into consideration the ridiculous amount of time it takes to find parking at UNLV.

For a decent commute, I'd suggest the northern part of Henderson or the southern parts of Las Vegas that immediately border Henderson. Sunset, Warm Springs, and Windmill are good streets to look near. Any further south than that, and you might be facing a pretty long drive (mostly due to traffic).

[Tiger Beer]

I always found it strange there wasn't more of a college feel in the area around such a large university as UNLV...it is there a little bit, but completely lacking frat houses or sorority houses and just that college feel.