[topaz420]

I'm currently 500 ft from the beach in one of the safest countries in the world, but I've bought a house in LV - because I just can't afford a house here (400k minimum).

I've lived in Vegas before - for about a year - long enough to know I like it "enough" - I like that even with 2 million+ people, it still feels like a "town" everywhere but the strip. I've also picked a neighborhood about 2 blocks from the edge of the desert in the northwest, so at least I have some elbow room.

My plan is to work my butt off to pay off this 60k mortgage and leave in about 5 years, to somewhere where grass grows because the earth says grass should be there, where dogs can run and play freely, where guns aren't more necessary than clothes dryers, where there is a local sustainable food supply, and where shootings aren't something you skim past in the newspaper.

My short list: semi-rural Vermont (within 1hr of Burlington) or semi-rural Ontario/Quebec (within 1hr of Toronto/Montreal)

[Danknee]

I love Las Vegas, but I would consider moving to Mars to help establish a colony.

[TimTam1]

Originally Posted by logline

Nevada is the 3rd most popular state to move to according to the big moving companies (as reported by CNBC):

//www.city-data.com/forum/las-v...a-now-3rd.html

Yup. They said that 10 years ago. Do you know what happened??? This is what happened:

HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT

HIGH FORCLOSURE

HIGH CRIME

POOR HEALTH CARE

Should I continue????

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by TimTam1

Yup. They said that 10 years ago. Do you know what happened??? This is what happened:

HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT

HIGH FORCLOSURE

HIGH CRIME

POOR HEALTH CARE

Should I continue????

Hmmm

Must be a really nice place as they continue to come in the face of all that...

[aggrofish]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I have been to all of the above, and then some. And I still don't like it here. I'm sure my mood will improve once the weather ceases to resemble a sand-filled convection oven.

The main dealbreaker for me is lack of an ocean. A five-hour drive is not good enough. If I can't see and smell the ocean; If weekends don't mean the occasional fishing trip; If there isn't a world-class fish market in town; then I'm not going to enjoy living in such a town.

Second, I don't like city living. When I leave here, I'm going to find someplace that has 4,000 to 8,000 people and everybody knows everybody else. I want access to a city, naturally, for the entertainment and amenities. But I don't want to live in a high-population density area.

Finally, I can't get over the "I don't care if it's good, I just want it to be cheap" mentality here. I realize this doesn't apply to everyone. But it applies to enough people that the whole city suffers. There are plenty of places where the prevailing mentality is, "I don't care if it's expensive. Is it the best?" These places -- Aspen, Key West, East Hampton, Martha's Vineyard, St. Helena, Carmel -- are invariably expensive. That doesn't matter to me, though. I'd rather have a nice place in a great area than a great place in a mediocre area.

So my lack of enthusiasm for Las Vegas isn't because I haven't taken the time to get to know the area. It's because I've taken the time, and decided I'm not at all interested in what I've found.

Them there be fighting words! Las Vegas is the best place on earth end of story!

To answer the op: my "residency" will remain in Nevada for the foreseeable future. I already spend a considerable amount of time in California and as long as the tax man doesn't catch on, I'll continue to spend more time there.

[costaricageorge]

Aspen, Key West, East Hampton, Martha's Vineyard, St. Helena, Carmel -- are invariably expensive. I would think expensive would actually being doing a misjustice to how much it costs to live in any of those places. Aspen got a little cheaper after the Madoff scam. I too would love to live in a town like you describe and did for many years in Costa Rica. Then it became overgrown and too expensive. I have lots of friends who live in the Keys and the only ones that can afford to live there anymore are the ones who have shoeboxes buried all over filled with money from their frequent trips to Bimini and Jamaica. Florida, other than the Keys is extremely affordable right now but I prefer the heat here to having to deal with the hurricanes. Watching my friends have to rush back to Miami, Palm Beach, ect. 2 or 3 times a year on the bad years was enough for me. I guess the only way I would be truly happy would be if I could afford 4 homes. One is Beaver Creek, one in Los Suenos, Costa Rica, one in Manhattan, and one right here in Las Vegas. Then of course throw in the G4 to shuttle me between the four of them. My free time would be spent between the Four Seasons in Nevis and the Hotel de Paris in Monaco. Of course then I'd be bitching about how much it costs for upkeep and expenses!!!

[Bill_Lumbergh]

I just got here a month ago after 8 long years in Vail, CO. and love it.

[Cyborgt800]

I got here in December '11 from Denver CO....and I also love it!

[von949]

Been here 3.5 years. I don't love it here but I do like it. I married into a pretty big family that is spread out all over state. Vegas, Elko and Reno mainly. I can honestly say that the longer I stay in Vegas, the more established I become and will be harder to leave.

[Willy702]

I considered 4 places to move to during my 15 years in LV, I just knew I couldnt stay forever. Once I went sort of against my will to Reno for about 2 years for work and got them to move me back. Finally the economy made me stop making excuses and I moved to Denver in 2010. I got offered a decent job in Vegas this past January and turned it down, its just a place that has lost my interest. I really do wish the city well and totally understand why some people would never leave, but its just not for me anymore.