[PhotogRyan]

If so:

1) How long have you been living there?
2) What prompted you to choose Vegasas the place to move too?
3) How much research did you put into the city?
4) What expectations did you have coming in?
4a) Which of those expectations were met, exceeded, and failed?
5) What advice would you give to others who are contemplating such a move in '08?

and finally,

6) Any regrets?

[WOHR]

1). We have been here 8 1/2 months.
2). Employment with an excellent paying job brought my husband here.
3). I spent months researching online. I was constantly researching homes, neighborhoods and schools. By the time I got here, I had the road system pretty ingrained in my head from all of the maps I looked at when figuring out where to live. This Las Vegas forum filled me in on all of the nitty gritty questions that can not be answered on a regular web site. For that I am forever grateful.
4). I had no expectations. I came in as open minded as I could and I was pleasantly surprised on how much I like it here. Everyday when I see the mountains a sense of peace comes over me.
4a). Not everything is perfect here. But as I watch the news back in NE OH, the same problems abound.
5). If you have children, really research the schools and the neighborhoods. Understand the difference between a 12 month school vs. a 9 month school. The tract thing is really insane, especially if you have more than one kid. Another thing, with school aged kids, if you live under 2 miles they walk to school. While this may not be an issue to some, 2 miles walking in 95 degree weather for someone coming from the Midwest is brutal. I've noticed a lot of parents drop off and pick up their kids from school here.
6). Miss the family back home. But other than that, no.

[radraja]

I moved to the valley quite awhile ago, but just switched to another part of town within the year. Do I count?

1) How long have you been living there? Something like 10 years total, my new residence for a few months.
2) What prompted you to choose Vegas as the place to move too? Less humid weather, lots of job opportunities, the concept of masterplanned communities, not very much traffic, great dining and shopping. I choose my new side of town (the southwest) to get a taste of all the great new things opening down there.
3) How much research did you put into the city? Quite a bit.
4) What expectations did you have coming in? Can't remember.
5) What advice would you give to others who are contemplating such a move in '08? Vegas is very different from any other city out there. It takes some time to get used to. But if you're the social type who can take a proactive role in finding happiness, there's lots to offer out here. Read city magazines to find out what's going on around town. See the mountains, see the lake, go to the festivals and free concerts. Try everyone at least once. Vegas is best enjoyed by those who seek to enjoy it.

and finally,

6) Any regrets? Not really. I'm personally looking for a change (as I've been here since high school), but the experiences I've had out here have been excellent. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Most newcomers love it here.

[PhotogRyan]

Oops, tons of typos in that first post, my apologies!

I'm a bit homesick, and california's cost of living is ferociously eating away at what many people would consider a decent salary. I moved out of Vegas right when I graduated college 2.5 years ago, and am now contemplating a move back.

Of course, Vegas being Vegas, a lot of things can change in that amount of time, and I wanted to draw upon the experiences newcomers have had throughout their move. Aside from the layout of the streets, I'd say my notion of daily life would be outdated considering the vast differences of Vegas and San Diego.

[airics]

hey WOHR, where in ne ohio are you from and where did you end up moving to in vegas

[WOHR]

hey WOHR, where in ne ohio are you from and where did you end up moving to in vegas

Medina and Summerlin.

[jfkIII]

Funky Cold Medina?

[Austinman]

1) 3 weeks
2) A new job and less humid weather.
3) Studied this forum and the whole website.
4) None whatsoever...
4a) na
5) Don't listen to negative people. There is good and bad in every city.
6) Not yet.

[Lola Granola]

Originally Posted by PhotogRyan

If so:

1) How long have you been living there?
2) What prompted you to choose Vegasas the place to move too?
3) How much research did you put into the city?
4) What expectations did you have coming in?
4a) Which of those expectations were met, exceeded, and failed?
5) What advice would you give to others who are contemplating such a move in '08?

and finally,

6) Any regrets?

1) Since beginning of July 07, so just over six months.

2-4) We had left MI for what is possibly the most boring city in the country. Within six months we knew we would not be happy there. We didn't want to make another cross country move without being more sure of ourselves, so we did rather extensive research. We made a list of what we wanted in our "ideal" location. We wanted nice weather (no winter and preferably low humidity), lots of nature easily accessible, lots of interesting places within a 6 hour drive for weekend trips, not top on the crime lists (from Detroit metro; we've seen real crime), an urban area with a lot of city amenities and urban things to do, not a heavily religious Bible belt city, also not an ultra-liberal city, not a sanctuary city, an economically growing area, population over 1 million and under 4 million, reasonably affordable, a reasonably fiscally sound state government, etc. Then we started matching cities. Las Vegas was #1 on the list, with it's nearest competitor a distant second. After we decided on Vegas, I started watching for jobs in my field.

4a) Vegas is pretty much what we expected. More greenery than we anticipated. Much more beautiful than I expected (Red Rock, Mt. Charleston, Valley of Fire). I enjoy the Strip more than I thought I would... we occasionally go down to roam the malls, see the lions at MGM or the living statues at the Venetian. So I would say my expectations were met or exceeded.

5) I would recommend deciding what attributes you want in a community/city first, then matching communities/cities to that. Vegas is a very unique place... it doesn't really have a "suburbia" at all (not like most cities; even the outer communities here have an urban feel), which suits us (we wanted urban, with country/wilderness close at hand), but midwesterners who are accustomed to a "backyard" oriented, leave-your-doors-unlocked suburban lifestyle may have trouble acclimating.

6) No regrets. We love it here.

[nemspy]

1) How long have you been living there?

I moved here in November 2006 and got my perm residency about 6 months later.

2) What prompted you to choose Vegasas the place to move too?

Enjoyed a week here in 2001, my wife was starting a new career, seemed like a more interesting option than others.

3) How much research did you put into the city?

My wife is almost OCD when it comes to research - LOTS.

4) What expectations did you have coming in?

Nothing much. I expected to have a lot of interesting shows available, plenty of my favourite 80's bands etc and some good, cheap food options.

4a) Which of those expectations were met, exceeded, and failed?

All met, although I don't like the recent "LAification" of the strip - detheming of the Luxor, Alladin becoming Planet Hollywood etc.

5) What advice would you give to others who are contemplating such a move in '08?

Go for it, but pick your area carefully - there's big differences between different parts of the city.


6) Any regrets?


Miss my friends/family back home in Australia