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I worked at a music venue that is most popular with jam bands, then funk, and other rock music. I know a lot of the musicians personally, even their wives if they're married, hippies, ragers, artists, bartenders- I've been to the after parties. I will miss that very, very much whereever I choose to move.
But that's OK, I didn't really fully fit in, being a bit more on the sexy side- I also worked at the club downtown that hosted college nights, foam/paint parties, more of a top 40 regular crowd.
I very much enjoy getting dolled up and going to the clubs, but deep down I really enjoy people and music with more substance.
I don't work in the nightlife anymore, I am into spa/beauty services now. I'm sure Vegas offers more work in that field but I have yet to visit Portland to know what the demand is like there.
One thing about Seattle and Portland area pertaining to Spa market is that both are areas with lots of large Casino resorts that are owned by Native american tribes and also there is mountain resorts and coastal resorts (Oregon coast is breathtakingly beautiful) that cater spas. True neither have the concentration as Vegas but I think they provide a solid amount in the area.
I do love you guys who know so little about Vegas but have such strong views. Fremont Street can top any of the cities listed for live music. That leaves the strip and rest of Vegas as a bonus. There simply is no comparable music, food, bar, entertainment town to Las Vegas. Yes LA and NY are as good or better. But they are vastly different sized cities.
OP did not appear to be ready to leave home. But if she wants the Bar and Spa scene there is Vegas and Vegas.
I love Freemont Street Experience, but it's cover bands. She's talking about a real music scene like Austin.
Based upon your skills and your interests, and limiting the competition to just Portland and Las Vegas, I would recommend Las Vegas wholeheartedly. (And yes, it's Las Vegas. Not Vegas. People who live in the LV valley refer to it as "Las Vegas.") But as someone who moved to Las Vegas two months ago (after visiting childhood friends here several times), let me give you a few things to think about before you pack your bags and set your GPS to "Las Vegas, NV."
1. It is very difficult to get a job in this city. I understand you have experience working in a bar and have spa experience, but understand this: for every job you'll apply to, you'll be up against a hundred other girls that are really hot. And job placement services geared toward the hospitality industry can be very superficial.
2. With regard to job hunting, understand that since you're new to the city, you're not going to be taken seriously right away. You're not going to get a lot of call backs. You'll send out one-hundred resumes. Two hundred. You'll have two or three interviews. A week later, maybe you'll get an email saying, "sorry, we went with the blonde." It's a transient population.
If you're new in town, what will give the potential employer any reason to think you're different than the last one hundred people that applied for the job? It can discourage you quickly. Back east, I was getting job offers on most of the applications that I've sent out. In Las Vegas, I sent out 150+, most with customized cover letters, and I had just two interviews. And one of them was an absolute joke. A safe bet would be that I'm not in town, not unqualified.
3. As a friend of mine who now lives and works up in Reno says it: "There isn't a lot going on for Nevada outside of Las Vegas and Reno. But these places operate like small towns. Unless you know someone, you're just another person with the glimmer of the casino lights in her eyes, and a beer in your hand." It can be that agitating. Unless of course you get in down the strip, in which case, you're a pair of breasts and a smile.
4. Despite the fact that the Las Vegas strip area operates at a bustling pace for most of the year, the rest of the valley is slow-paced. Little old ladies cross the street down in Henderson. Most of Summerlin is beautiful, and quiet. North Las Vegas is quiet unless you go to the east side of town, but you really don't want to spend too much time there. For a metropolitan area of millions, life here seems generally slow-paced.
5. You're basically a playground attendant for wealthy businessmen and California's upper-middle class. Seriously. They're all everywhere, and they're only interested in you until you get them their drink, or clean their room.
6. As a few others have said, there are a lot of areas around the valley (mostly Las Vegas and North Las Vegas) that are just gross. This is ironic for a city that only recently built a lot of these homes. 20-30 year homes in most of the rest of the country tend to be beautiful, and well-maintained. And also, the areas of the valley that you want to avoid can be both sprawling (Las Vegas itself) or a block-to-block type of thing (North Las Vegas, especially around 15).
7. As a last and final note related your interest in the bar scene, understand this: going to the strip to get drunk and laid isn't a hobby for most locals. Most locals, to the extent that they're worth talking to at all, are more interested in outdoor activities (e.g., hiking on Mt. Charleston when it's not on fire) or eating a whole lot than drinking $10 micro-shots in a club down the strip.
Last edited by innirski; 07-12-2013 at 08:10 PM..
Reason: Grammar
Based upon your skills and your interests, and limiting the competition to just Portland and Las Vegas, I would recommend Las Vegas wholeheartedly. (And yes, it's Las Vegas. Not Vegas. People who live in the LV valley refer to it as "Las Vegas.") But as someone who moved to Las Vegas two months ago (after visiting childhood friends here several times), let me give you a few things to think about before you pack your bags and set your GPS to "Las Vegas, NV."
1. It is very difficult to get a job in this city. I understand you have experience working in a bar and have spa experience, but understand this: for every job you'll apply to, you'll be up against a hundred other girls that are really hot. And job placement services geared toward the hospitality industry can be very superficial.
2. With regard to job hunting, understand that since you're new to the city, you're not going to be taken seriously right away. You're not going to get a lot of call backs. You'll send out one-hundred resumes. Two hundred. You'll have two or three interviews. A week later, maybe you'll get an email saying, "sorry, we went with the blonde." It's a transient population.
If you're new in town, what will give the potential employer any reason to think you're different than the last one hundred people that applied for the job? It can discourage you quickly. Back east, I was getting job offers on most of the applications that I've sent out. In Las Vegas, I sent out 150+, most with customized cover letters, and I had just two interviews. And one of them was an absolute joke. A safe bet would be that I'm not in town, not unqualified.
3. As a friend of mine who now lives and works up in Reno says it: "There isn't a lot going on for Nevada outside of Las Vegas and Reno. But these places operate like small towns. Unless you know someone, you're just another person with the glimmer of the casino lights in her eyes, and a beer in your hand." It can be that agitating. Unless of course you get in down the strip, in which case, you're a pair of breasts and a smile.
4. Despite the fact that the Las Vegas strip area operates at a bustling pace for most of the year, the rest of the valley is slow-paced. Little old ladies cross the street down in Henderson. Most of Summerlin is beautiful, and quiet. North Las Vegas is quiet unless you go to the east side of town, but you really don't want to spend too much time there. For a metropolitan area of millions, life here seems generally slow-paced.
5. You're basically a playground attendant for wealthy businessmen and California's upper-middle class. Seriously. They're all everywhere, and they're only interested in you until you get them their drink, or clean their room.
6. As a few others have said, there are a lot of areas around the valley (mostly Las Vegas and North Las Vegas) that are just gross. This is ironic for a city that only recently built a lot of these homes. 20-30 year homes in most of the rest of the country tend to be beautiful, and well-maintained. And also, the areas of the valley that you want to avoid can be both sprawling (Las Vegas itself) or a block-to-block type of thing (North Las Vegas, especially around 15).
7. As a last and final note related your interest in the bar scene, understand this: going to the strip to get drunk and laid isn't a hobby for most locals. Most locals, to the extent that they're worth talking to at all, are more interested in outdoor activities (e.g., hiking on Mt. Charleston when it's not on fire) or eating a whole lot than drinking $10 micro-shots in a club down the strip.
This response has a little bit of truth and an immense amount of nonsense. I don't think this is the proper place to point out how dull this view is in detail . Let us just say the poster would appear to be unable to find his backside in a Las Vegas phone booth.
If you wish to get down to the details of employment and how it works and the local customs start a thread in the Las Vegas forum. Not here among the unknowing LV haters.
This response has a little bit of truth and an immense amount of nonsense. I don't think this is the proper place to point out how dull this view is in detail. Let us just say the poster would appear to be unable to find his backside in a Las Vegas phone booth.
If you wish to get down to the details of employment and how it works and the local customs start a thread in the Las Vegas forum. Not here among the unknowing LV haters.
You can't even make a comparison between these two cities they are so different. Vegas is a artificial, soulless, cheesy, fake, cookie cutter touristy place. Portland is a hip, walkable, cool, green city in the Pac Northwest right next to some of the most beautiful outdoor recreation in the U.S. Snow capped peaks, old growth forests, beautiful rivers, gorgeous coastline. Vegas would be very low on my list as city to live. Portland would be very high.
You can't even make a comparison between these two cities they are so different. Vegas is a artificial, soulless, cheesy, fake, cookie cutter touristy place. Portland is a hip, walkable, cool, green city in the Pac Northwest right next to some of the most beautiful outdoor recreation in the U.S. Snow capped peaks, old growth forests, beautiful rivers, gorgeous coastline. Vegas would be very low on my list as city to live. Portland would be very high.
Here come yet another post displaying an appalling lack of judgement and wisdom.
For instance Vegas offers "some of the most beautiful outdoor recreation in the U.S. Snow capped peaks, old growth forests, beautiful rivers, gorgeous coastline" and vast, vast vistas of harsh desert.
So if you think that living with mold growing in your arm pits...with sunshine a rumor spread by ex Californians...with the great government moderator helping you understand your shortcomings you will love it in Portland.
I can't tell you what I really think as I have a daughter who lives in Portland...then again she was born in Rochester NY...one of the few places that makes the Portland climate look good.
And did I point out the resemblance of Portland dwellers to old hippie zombies? Looked around downtown recently?
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