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Every city has bleak areas. I can tell you right now LV's worst neighborhoods are far nicer than Atlanta's. Plus the air is far less hazy. I cant possibly see why you'd call palm tree-lined streets, mountain views, deep blue skies, and mostly-new construction "bleak" and "depressing".
The pics are smoggy and bleak. And that was my point. No offense, but the shots that you posted make Vegas look like a shantytown on the outskirts of Mexico City or Lima.
Now, to Vegas itself.... I'm not arguing whose "worst neighborhoods" are the worst, I'm sure Atlanta takes the prize. But LV is a dystopian nightmare of epic proportions. It lacks a normal city setup, and is filled with what appears to be "walking dead"- dregs of society addicted to or peddling vices 24 hours a day. No "normal" established neighborhoods, no quaint historic district, nowhere that many people in the country would ever want to live, especially those of us who value walkability, transit, sanity, parks and greenspace within the city (seriously, where's LV's equivalent to Piedmont Park?), etc, etc. etc..... Now, notice I didn't say "all". Some people obviously want to be there, for whatever reason. And there is new construction, but also plenty of rundown areas, both commercially and residentially. Every time I find myself there, I want to visit the outlying areas or parks in the region, rather than wanting to kill myself after maneuvering around the "city".
Back to the weather-as I've stated earlier, I actually prefer dry heat, but it only has advantages up to a point. If this thread were to compare places with reasonably close average summer high temps, I'd feel differently. For example, I'd take a 95 degree, low-humidity day in Albuquerque or Denver (or Las Vegas, for that matter) over an 88 degree day in Atlanta. But there are plenty of 110+ stretches in Las Vegas, and it doesn't compare. It's in literally the hottest, most unprotected desert region in the continent. At those temps, it's not more comfortable- it's life-threatening to be outside for more than a few minutes.
Again, there's a reason why there were no permanent settlements in Vegas before the financiers and mobsters saw potential for a gambling mecca in the early 1900's. Prior to that, the heat, lack of shade, and lack of water made human habitation utterly impossible year-round.
Last edited by bartonizer; 04-27-2016 at 11:33 AM..
It gets 115 maybe once or twice a year. Summer nights in Vegas are epic. One of the reasons why it's the nightlife capital of the country.
Summer nights in the desert really are awesome. As someone who is usually up late at night, it's extremely peaceful and serene. It feels like a slice of Heaven.
New Orleans had awesome summer nights too, but they don't compare to our desert nights!
In your pictures, is the snow-capped mountain Charleston? Great pictures by the way.
I'll take my dry heat over a wet heat any day of the week.
The pics are smoggy and bleak. And that was my point. No offense, but the shots that you posted make Vegas look like a shantytown on the outskirts of Mexico City or Lima.
Now, to Vegas itself.... I'm not arguing whose "worst neighborhoods" are the worst, I'm sure Atlanta takes the prize. But LV is a dystopian nightmare of epic proportions. It lacks a normal city setup, and is filled with what appears to be "walking dead"- dregs of society addicted to or peddling vices 24 hours a day. No "normal" established neighborhoods, no quaint historic district, nowhere that many people in the country would ever want to live, especially those of us who value walkability, transit, sanity, parks and greenspace within the city (seriously, where's LV's equivalent to Piedmont Park?), etc, etc. etc..... Now, notice I didn't say "all". Some people obviously want to be there, for whatever reason. And there is new construction, but also plenty of rundown areas, both commercially and residentially. Every time I find myself there, I want to visit the outlying areas or parks in the region, rather than wanting to kill myself after maneuvering around the "city".
Back to the weather-as I've stated earlier, I actually prefer dry heat, but it only has advantages up to a point. If this thread were to compare places with reasonably close average summer high temps, I'd feel differently. For example, I'd take a 95 degree, low-humidity day in Albuquerque or Denver (or Las Vegas, for that matter) over an 88 degree day in Atlanta. But there are plenty of 110+ stretches in Las Vegas, and it doesn't compare. It's in literally the hottest, most unprotected desert region in the continent. At those temps, it's not more comfortable- it's life-threatening to be outside for more than a few minutes.
Again, there's a reason why there were no permanent settlements in Vegas before the financiers and mobsters saw potential for a gambling mecca in the early 1900's. Prior to that, the heat, lack of shade, and lack of water made human habitation utterly impossible year-round.
Hmm, life threatening to be outside for more than a few minutes?
How did I manage to live through my outside job? How is anything ever built in these wastelands? We are constantly hiring people because all the HVAC technicians, construction workers, die on a daily basis in the summer...
In a first world country, which we are one, these dangers are almost moot unless you have no common sense. A Swiss couple was on the news in Arizona a while ago in the summer for hiking Camelback with one 12 oz water bottle at high noon because it didn't occur to them Arizona is a lot hotter than Switzerland and died. Survival of the fittest at work I suppose...
All the Native tribes who have lived in this region for centuries before us didn't think it was so life-threatening. No one would have inhabited Europe or Asia if the first humans couldn't cross the Sahara from Ethiopia. People have lived here and in even worse deserts (Empty Quarter, Sahara, Gobi) for hundreds of years without air conditioning, without modern day plumbing and instant clean water straight from a tap, for centuries. How did they ever manage?
If it is life threatening for YOU to be in the desert, don't come here or the survival of the fittest will play out on you too. But all the Arabs, the Southwest Natives, have desert living down to an art and so do the people who have lived here for a long time. Watch some TV shows on survival in the desert I think you'll be interested. If you're smart, you can live here and everywhere else.
Hmm, life threatening to be outside for more than a few minutes?
How did I manage to live through my outside job? How is anything ever built in these wastelands? We are constantly hiring people because all the HVAC technicians, construction workers, die on a daily basis in the summer...
In a first world country, which we are one, these dangers are almost moot unless you have no common sense. A Swiss couple was on the news in Arizona a while ago in the summer for hiking Camelback with one 12 oz water bottle at high noon because it didn't occur to them Arizona is a lot hotter than Switzerland and died. Survival of the fittest at work I suppose...
All the Native tribes who have lived in this region for centuries before us didn't think it was so life-threatening. No one would have inhabited Europe or Asia if the first humans couldn't cross the Sahara from Ethiopia. People have lived here and in even worse deserts (Empty Quarter, Sahara, Gobi) for hundreds of years without air conditioning, without modern day plumbing and instant clean water straight from a tap, for centuries. How did they ever manage?
If it is life threatening for YOU to be in the desert, don't come here or the survival of the fittest will play out on you too. But all the Arabs, the Southwest Natives, have desert living down to an art and so do the people who have lived here for a long time. Watch some TV shows on survival in the desert I think you'll be interested. If you're smart, you can live here and everywhere else.
Oh snap, you got me. The Mojave Desert isn't hot. Thanks for clearing that up!
People lived in all the places that you mentioned by staying under shelter and minimizing all their movements during the daytime. Of course, in the case of Las Vegas, they didn't actually live there in the summer. Generally speaking, true deserts are usually some of the least populated places on earth, for a reason. Nowadays, most of the places that you're referencing are simply huge drains on resources in faraway places. Anyway, most people know better to exert themselves in ridiculous heat, but some people do have to work in it, so you do have my sympathy.
But I digress. Everyone has their preferences. Again, I don't hate the desert at all- I even like dry heat when given the choice- but only up to a point. To your credit, many people do like to visit Vegas in the summer, but most people aren't going outside anyways, unless it's to walk the strip at night or hang out in a pool.
But I'm smart and experienced, and couldn't care less about gambling or glitz, so I choose not to live there (or visit low elevation spots in the Desert Southwest) for much of the hottest part of the year. I've spent plenty of time in both types of climates and would prefer something a little cooler.
Last edited by bartonizer; 04-27-2016 at 10:54 PM..
Oh snap, you got me. The Mojave Desert isn't hot. Thanks for clearing that up!
People lived in all the places that you mentioned by staying under shelter and minimizing all their movements during the daytime. Of course, in the case of Las Vegas, they didn't actually live there in the summer. Generally speaking, true deserts are usually some of the least populated places on earth, for a reason. Nowadays, most of the places that you're referencing are simply huge drains on resources in faraway places. Anyway, most people know better to exert themselves in ridiculous heat, but some people do have to work in it, so you do have my sympathy.
But I digress. Everyone has their preferences. Again, I don't hate the desert at all- I even like dry heat when given the choice- but only up to a point. To your credit, many people do like to visit Vegas in the summer, but most people aren't going outside anyways, unless it's to walk the strip at night or hang out in a pool.
But I'm smart and experienced, and couldn't care less about gambling or glitz, so I choose not to live there (or visit low elevation spots in the Desert Southwest) for much of the hottest part of the year. I've spent plenty of time in both types of climates and would prefer something a little cooler.
Could you point out where I said the Mojave wasn't hot? You'd have to be from Venus or the sunny side of Mercury to think Las Vegas or Phoenix is cold.
By the way for them it's not a drain on resources if they know what they're doing. Don't fix something that isn't broken...
You know Vegas is more than the Strip right? Many people in Vegas live normal lives despite what the entertainment industry likes to say. I know people there who almost never go to the Strip. But if Vegas is not for you, fine, this is an argument about their weather anyway, not the cities themselves. I personally would never live in Vegas either, for different reasons though. Some people chose to address that for reasons I don't understand but I strictly have argued about climate and weather here and that's what I think the other posters should be doing too. If the title just said "Atlanta vs. Las Vegas" then I would feel differently, but it doesn't.
I have to call you on that comment in case you are making the false claim that one is not likely to be "sweaty & sticky" in Las Vegas's summer heat. Come on now..
It's sweaty & sticky in both types of heat, i.e. dry heat & moist heat, when experienced at their extremes.
You aren't likely to be sweaty in Las Vegas because perspiration evaporates almost instantly.
You aren't likely to be sweaty in Las Vegas because perspiration evaporates almost instantly.
My summer desert experiences have proven otherwise for me personally. I can't speak to your experiences with drying out in the full sun or heat of the desert. But, it just doesn't work for me.
My first desert experience was in Phoenix many years ago at the height of summer. I sat & slept in sweat around the clock & within a few days had the worst raging sinus flare-up I'd had in years. Subsequent visits during the high heat season fared little better & I learned my lesson & adapted my visit times.
As such, I no longer ever visit the desert southwest in the summer.
Both pictures are bad for starters. Then you pick a night picture versus as a day picture for Atlanta.Lights at night are more attractive in any city but as I said before these are not majestic in anyway.
If I had to choose out of the one you posted for LV versus this one of Atlanta,I'd easily say Atlanta takes this one by a mile.
Could you point out where I said the Mojave wasn't hot? You'd have to be from Venus or the sunny side of Mercury to think Las Vegas or Phoenix is cold.
By the way for them it's not a drain on resources if they know what they're doing. Don't fix something that isn't broken...
You know Vegas is more than the Strip right? Many people in Vegas live normal lives despite what the entertainment industry likes to say. I know people there who almost never go to the Strip. But if Vegas is not for you, fine, this is an argument about their weather anyway, not the cities themselves. I personally would never live in Vegas either, for different reasons though. Some people chose to address that for reasons I don't understand but I strictly have argued about climate and weather here and that's what I think the other posters should be doing too. If the title just said "Atlanta vs. Las Vegas" then I would feel differently, but it doesn't.
True. Many locals, especially longtime locals, never venture out on the Strip. They don't need to because there are several casinos in almost every area in the Las Vegas Valley. The "local's casinos" are where most of the great perks are. Free food, gambling, chips, cash (yes, casinos send local regulars vouchers with cash redeeming coupons).
Many areas of suburban Las Vegas look like anywhere U.S.A., but in reality it's a ways from being normal.
Topic.. weather
My point-of-view is that I'm glad there are people who choose to reside in desert environments. Many green technological advances are coming from cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix. Solar, wind, water conservation etc.. All this will work to improve the lives of all mankind.
Saying you won't sweat in LV is lunacy. It's hot. Humans sweat. Yeah the sweat might dry faster in LV than Atlanta, but you'll be hot and sweaty in LV. The sweat doesn't magically poof into thin air when it leaves your skin. And you're telling me when you sit on your leather seats in LV after your car has been parked in a parking lot, your legs don't stick to the seat and sweat? Please.
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Better summer weather...
