[EA]

Chinatown is about a mile or two west of the Wynn on Spring mountain drive.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by zxro

It's great that I'm already getting interest in this thread. I just don't have a good idea of scale yet. I haven't been outside of the downtown/convention center/strip area yet. I watch countless hours of Las Vegas filmed television shows. I've seen a lot of suburbia on that Counting Cars program, as well as Pawn Stars.

Is there like a main commercial corridor in Henderson, or is it more like strip malls scattered about? I've heard there is a Chinatown in Summerlin, but maybe I'm mistaken. I know little to nothing about any other surrounding areas, other than a few tidbits I've picked up on the forum here.

Also, I'm not staying in Lake Las Vegas for any reason other than it's the only place (that doesn't look like a dump) with reasonable rates the weekend I'm coming. I've got to stay outside of town because of that ridiculous EDC thing they do in the summer now that triples the price of a downtown hotel. Thanks a lot, weird raver kids!

Henderson is a pretty big place. About a quarter million people. There is a "downtown" on Water St., but it's not the type of area I would think you'd want to hang out. It is older than the rest of Henderson, and the neighborhoods around it are sketchy at best.

The areas west of the 95 are the areas most people talk about when discussing Henderson. And it's strip mall after strip mall as far as the eye can see

[BBMW]

Originally Posted by zxro

Is there like a main commercial corridor in Henderson, or is it more like strip malls scattered about? I've heard there is a Chinatown in Summerlin, but maybe I'm mistaken. I know little to nothing about any other surrounding areas, other than a few tidbits I've picked up on the forum here.

The closest thing to a main commercial corridor I've seen in Henderson is the Eastern Avenue Corridor on either side of the beltway. But that isn't particularly relevant to where you'd stay. If you wanted to be in Henderson, I think GVR Station is the ticket. I've been in it, but never stayed there. It looks very nice. If you watched the show "American Casino" from a few years back, you've seen it.

AFAIK Chinatown is not in Summerlin. It's in the near west side, Summerlin is more on the far west side, straddling the Beltway. The big commercial (retail) areas in Summerlin tend to be along Charleston. Red Rock station is on Charleston, right by the Beltway.

Also, I'm not staying in Lake Las Vegas for any reason other than it's the only place (that doesn't look like a dump) with reasonable rates the weekend I'm coming. I've got to stay outside of town because of that ridiculous EDC thing they do in the summer now that triples the price of a downtown hotel. Thanks a lot, weird raver kids!

When are you going? It thought that festival was long gone, or does you trip coincide? Neither of the Station places I mentioned should be affected (or at least any more than any other hotel in Clark County would be.)

[demoknite]

OP, where are you from? If you are from any decent sized town I can assure you that the suburbs here are no different than the one in which you currently live? Do you have a strip malls with Bed Bath Beyond, Target, Chillis, Olive Garden and similar? Same thing here....

[owelles]

Chinatown is in Spring Valley, not especially close to Summerlin.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by owelles

That not only makes it OK, it makes it advisable. I wasn't convinced that I wanted to move here until I did just that - ventured out into the neighborhoods for an extended period of time. This is just like most cities - with libraries, banks, grocery stores ... except that you can play video poker at 3 a.m. in the same building where you buy laundry detergent and potato chips. Seriously, go into the neighborhoods and get a better feel for how locals live. You won't regret it, regardless of whether you decide to move here.

Absolutely true, in any city. You don't get any feel for what it's like to live in a city by staying in a hotel and visiting tourist areas. I think that's especially true of Las Vegas. When I was a kid, we used to pass through there twice every summer on the way to Oregon. Once, we ended up staying about a week when my sister became ill. I never saw a residential neighborhood in LV until many years later...as I kid, I didn't think anyone actually lived there. Don't ask me where I thought all the people who worked in the businesses went when they were not working...

[zxro]

Originally Posted by BBMW

When are you going? It thought that festival was long gone, or does you trip coincide? Neither of the Station places I mentioned should be affected (or at least any more than any other hotel in Clark County would be.)

This will be the third year for the EDC. I come to town once a year for the IECSC conference, and so far every year the EDC out at the racetrack falls on the same weekend. It's pretty much a madhouse of weird burning man type raver people. I think the first year, someone defiled the statue of Caesar with a feather boa and some headphones and shades. It's funny, and they are fun to look at, but it drives hotel prices way up. Even the older UN-refurbished ones are pricey. I think a Friday night at the Hotel California or the Fremont is like 125$. Considering the accommodations, that is highway robbery. The prices have dropped considerably out at LLV over the past few years. We are staying at the Westin, and a basic room there is 105$ after resort fees. Their prices don't change at all because of events in the city, apparently.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by zxro

It's great that I'm already getting interest in this thread. I just don't have a good idea of scale yet. I haven't been outside of the downtown/convention center/strip area yet. I watch countless hours of Las Vegas filmed television shows. I've seen a lot of suburbia on that Counting Cars program, as well as Pawn Stars.

Is there like a main commercial corridor in Henderson, or is it more like strip malls scattered about? I've heard there is a Chinatown in Summerlin, but maybe I'm mistaken. I know little to nothing about any other surrounding areas, other than a few tidbits I've picked up on the forum here.

Also, I'm not staying in Lake Las Vegas for any reason other than it's the only place (that doesn't look like a dump) with reasonable rates the weekend I'm coming. I've got to stay outside of town because of that ridiculous EDC thing they do in the summer now that triples the price of a downtown hotel. Thanks a lot, weird raver kids!

Don't know where you're coming from, but Las Vegas, like all western cities of any size, is spread out and covers many sq. miles. There is no commercial corridor, unless you consider the Strip as one; we have large and small shopping malls all over town. And when we say "town" we mean the combined cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson, plus probably as much area that is unincorporated county. From the air it's one big city. Driving from LLV to the NW part of Las Vegas is probably 40 miles. From my house to a doctor's office on Sunset Rd just inside the Henderson city limits is 25 miles. Long distances are the hallmark of the west, but we don't care. Our roads are straight and wide and we're used to driving long distances. I've driven to LA and back in the same day quite a few times, and once drove to Albuquerque and back in the same day, 550 miles each way.

It's 97 miles to Laughlin and you still haven't come to the southern state line. And 80 miles north to Mesquite. So get used to wide open spaces (that I love, don't fence..., etc.). This one county is almost the size of New Hampshire.

[zxro]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

So get used to wide open spaces (that I love, don't fence..., etc.).

That is part of the charm, for me. Pretty much anything you could want, right at your fingertips. An overwhelming amount of visual stimuli and entertainment, etc. Then you can drive for maybe a half hour and be surrounded by miles and miles of nothing but beautiful desert. Wide empty horizons remind you how big the world really is. I've been a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, but every time I'm out in the desert I just feel better (and healthier). All these damp years have me growing moss on my bones. I can't wait to get out there and dry out. Stepping out of McCarran into the heat after I first arrive is the best. It's like a warm hug. I guess I'm just a desert person at heart.

[Raiderman]

Originally Posted by zxro

That is part of the charm, for me. Pretty much anything you could want, right at your fingertips. An overwhelming amount of visual stimuli and entertainment, etc. Then you can drive for maybe a half hour and be surrounded by miles and miles of nothing but beautiful desert. Wide empty horizons remind you how big the world really is. I've been a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, but every time I'm out in the desert I just feel better (and healthier). All these damp years have me growing moss on my bones. I can't wait to get out there and dry out. Stepping out of McCarran into the heat after I first arrive is the best. It's like a warm hug. I guess I'm just a desert person at heart.

I know that exact feeling. While I've lived all over the country, I spent the majority of the time in New England. The change in landscape is amazing and we love it! Even the drive down to Primm, with nothing but desert and mountains on the way! We drove to Pahrump a couple days ago, as we'd never been. Climbing from 2000 feet to 5500 feet in just a few miles, then back down.. snow on the mountains. I hope to never take the scenery for granted!

We're in Green Valley, so about 20-25 minutes from Hoover Dam, 30 minutes to Primm, an hour to Pahrump, or 40 minutes to Centennial Hills. You get used to driving, that's for sure. Going across town, depending on the time of day, can take you an hour or longer. We have very good friend in Centennial Hills, and we find it funny that we are closer to Arizona or California than we are to their house, and we're in the same town!