job offer in Carson City (Reno: flat fee, apartment, rental)

[JackieLovesSun]

I currently live in southern Oregon (more sun than most of the state) but I haven't lived here long. I was looking for work up near Salem and not finding anything when I ran into a job in Carson City. OK, I can live there.

as soon as I say yes I find there is a job up in a suburb of Portland. very different area from the CC area. so, how to decide?

tell me what I need to know about the Carson City and Reno area. I only know what I read: pretty mountains and near to Lake Tahoe, can be windy/dusty, economy ...so-so?, cost of living is not too bad, and so on.

I am older, no family, will need a UU church (I see Reno has one) and left politics. I'm friendly, hope everyone else is.

what do I need to know about the area?

[braindead0]

You'll have much better luck asking specific questions or reviewing posts here. Asking something as open ended as 'what do I need to know' is going to result in a lot of noise and possibly a ton of misinformation.

You say "left politics", you may find this state a bit more free market and mind your own business than some other states. We have a lot of 'public' land so shooting, hunting, offroading, camping are popular pastimes. Don't be alarmed if you see people openly carrying firearms, it's 100% legal as long as it's legal for you to own it.

[NevadaRE]

Nevada does not have state income tax, so that is benefit here. In Carson City there are many areas that you can walk from your home to a restaurant and downtown, without actually living downtown. Carson City is one of the smallest capital cities in the US. The traffic is minimal in Carson City. Reno is a short drive away. The speed limit between Carson City and Reno is 70 mph. There are lots of beautiful places to visit nearby!

[braindead0]

Originally Posted by NevadaRE

Nevada does not have state income tax, so that is benefit here. In Carson City there are many areas that you can walk from your home to a restaurant and downtown, without actually living downtown. Carson City is one of the smallest capital cities in the US. The traffic is minimal in Carson City. Reno is a short drive away. The speed limit between Carson City and Reno is 70 mph. There are lots of beautiful places to visit nearby!

NV partly makes up for the lack of income tax with vehicle registration taxes based on the vehicle base MSRP, CA does the same.. but many other states have flat fees so that can be a shock to some.

[JackieLovesSun]

sorry I wasn't specific - I just know so little about it I could't think where to start: and yet I am moving there for sure by the end of ...OMG THIS month!!!

I expect to have a challenge renting since I have three dogs.

Carson City: any neighborhoods that aren't safe? commuting from the Reno area, OK except for winter? or mostly OK all the time?

anyone know of a doggie daycare they could recommend?

what are winters like? I know cold - is it frequently windy? snow tend to be icy or wet? are the roads in Carson City plowed quickly? I used to live in Minneapolis and when I moved to Colorado Springs I was appalled they just let the snow lay in the street, since it melted by noon. still made for horrible morning commutes some days!

[utsci]

You may have a rental challenge if you are looking for an apartment, with 3 dogs. But there are lots of nice, small houses around that would probably work both in Carson and Reno.

If you spend a lot of time with church activities then you may want to be in south Reno closer to the UU church. Nice group of people.

The commute from south Reno to Carson City can now be done on the new freeway connector. However in really bad weather you may want to stick to surface streets and that would entail a few small hills that can be a little slippery. On the freeway your commute would be about 20 minutes. Even on surface roads you are only looking at 30-35 minutes in good weather.

There are tons of doggy daycare places around, just depends on where you live. Neighbors have used the Dog Park for their larger dogs. We like A Doggies Dream for our little guys. I'm sure Carson has some too.

Winter can be very variable. The average year we will get snow overnight 6-8 times, a couple of inches that melts an hour after the sun is up. In addition we may get 1-2 "dumps" of snow, nore than a few inches, plows come out. They are pretty proactive here now about spraying a liquid brine on the roads in the hours before snow comes so the roads don't freeze up and get icy as much any more. Roads are pretty well plowed. Although there have been mornings when I go to work that I wonder who in the roads department hasn't been watching the weather reports, as there is sometimes a few inches of snow giving me a bit of indigestion on the way into work. But the rule here is to just slow down and let the gods/goddesses driving 4-wheel drive SUVs and trucks just blow by. You will see them in the ditch on your way. In general, the on/off ramps and one lane of the freeway will be in good shape (brined before and then sanded in the morning by 6am) even when the surface roads and residential streets are still a bit of a mess. Also, if you happen to live on a street that is a school bus route you will here the plows going by around 4-5am. I work in the medical field so I have to get to work and have never been late in 30 years. Sometimes I leave very early before my shift, 30 minutes or so early for a normally 10 minute drive. Honestly, coming from the Midwest winter is not a problem here. It can be windy, especially if a storm front is headed our way. Then the wind dies down and the rain or snow starts. We also have a few nights to a week or so of sub-zero nights each winter.

Just to let you know, like any area we can have really bad winters. I have always been able to get to work, but sometimes it takes more effort than others. There have been years where we have snow on the ground for more than a day because the temps dropped after the snow and it is not sunny for a few days. There are years when the plow drivers run out of places to put the snow. Most employers here are pretty good about having their employees get to work safely and some even send you home early if it snows during the day and predictions of bad roads once the sun goes down. Even the malls close if bad weather starts to happen, except Starbucks! And yes, we've had years where we actually have to shovel the driveway or it will have snow on it for weeks.

If you have all season tires on your car you will be legal to drive with road restrictions in the winter in most cases. Look on the tire to see if it is rated as "all season." We don't own tire chains because is the roads are that bad we are staying home. Employers don't expect people to drive in when the highway patrol closes main arterial roads and advises drivers to stay off the roads.

[JackieLovesSun]

thank you so much for your help!

I would prefer to rent a small house, my dogs are old but having a fenced yard is so much easier for everyone. Carson City would be best, that's for sure, I will be searching on Craig's List and Zillow.

if I do end up in Reno I will check out A Doggie's Dream. when they were all younger they used to go to daycare while I was working and despite the cost, everybody was so happy. they each had their own friends and got nice and tired. not sure how it would work out now.

I appreciate the weather and car advice, thank you.

can anyone think of a place in Carson City where rental ads might be posted, like a bulletin board at a grocery store? I got the place I am renting currently because I was driving down the street and found a for rent sign.

Jackie

[Sunshinem]

Carson is very quiet. There are really cute antique shops down the main road along with really yummy local dining. I mean, really really good. There is a sense of community because it's small. Overall, Carson actually has a lot to do if you put yourself out there. Classes, community activities, parades, and more.
Reno is about 35 mins away. Reno has nightlife, more churches (you found a UU one), university, and more cultural events.
Tahoe is about 30 mins and provides famous plays, markets, summer fun, and anything you'd ever want!
Just to let you know, people in Carson and minden are pretty much all christian and republican. Not all, though. And everyone is friendly anyway, it shouldn't get in the way of you getting along.

Not sure what else to say unless you have specific questions