[LowTune]

Why does Las Vegas receive so much negativity?

I visited Las Vegas for about 2 weeks earlier this year and I didn't find the people to be rude, the city to be ugly, the drivers to be bad, or for it to be an unpleasant place. I've also read that it's a violent city, I didn't feel that it was especially rough and I didn't feel unsafe.

Usually the CD community gets it right with places such as Dallas, Phoenix, Austin, etc... But this is one of the few times that I don't understand where all the hate is coming from.

Could anyone explain why Las Vegas has such a bad rap?

[logline]

I have to agree. The only explanation I can offer is that the negative nincompoops must have no money and are living/working in the worst parts of the city. There are some truly vibrant, beautiful and safe parts of this city to live in.

[zumaboy]

For folks like me, who came here because of a good job that isn't connected to the gaming/entertainment industry, Las Vegas has a lot of advantages. People like myself probably have mostly positive things to say about living here (while acknowledging some of the negatives). If I had to commute down to the Strip each day and deal with an endless tide of drunken fools that are here to cut loose and engage in the Sin City vacation fantasy, my attitude would likely be very different...

[UKWildcat1981]

It is probably because Las Vegas is a city built on sin and it does not appeal to conservative mainstream America, also LV is seen more a tourist destination than a place to live much like Miami Beach.

[skugelstadt]

If your retired and have resources, you can pretty much avoid the seedy side of Vegas.
If you come here and need a job and have no money..................

[macgeek]

it's a city of extremes.

people expect to step in vegas, throw $3 in a slot machine and win 10 million dollars,
after they lose all there money, they say the place is a $--t hole.

people who come to live here think the streets are lined with gold,
when they find out its like everywhere else.. they say the place is a $--t hole.

People who understand the place, and is not tempted by easy money, or vice and sin LOVE THIS PLACE
and welcome others.


Jonathan

[ScoopLV]

I know and work with plenty of people who don't gamble, aren't looking for easy money, are capable of paying their bills, rarely go to the Strip willingly, and STILL don't like it here.

I realize that I'm just about as popular as cancer on this forum because of how I feel about Las Vegas. But the answer is high standards.

It's reverse sour grapes to insist that everyone who dislikes living here does so because they're just scraping by. (Three posts already on this thread and counting.) It's also flat-out wrong to suggest that Las Vegas isn't popular with mainstream America. Mainstream America LOVES Las Vegas. Just loves it to death. They love it more than Mall of America, handguns, fast food, cheap beer, cigarettes and country music all put together. Las Vegas is the Happy Hunting Grounds for such people. Suggesting otherwise shows a lack of familiarity with mainstream America.

Oscar Wilde wannabees who have simple tastes -- "I am always satisfied with the best" -- have almost nothing available to them in Las Vegas. It's just an endless parade of Applebees, Walmart and pawn shops. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[cb at sea]

I don't think I could live in the desert environment....I need my green trees! But, I LOVE Vegas....didn't think I would, before we visited, but I think it's great! Totally different than the East Coast!

We gamble ONLY what we can afford to lose, and consider that money an entertainment expense. We aren't looking to "strike it rich"...just to have fun! Sometimes, we win something...sometimes, we don't. We planned to lose that money, so not losing it is a bonus!! We have met some really fun folks and we enjoy the whole experience!

I find that the restaurants (not so much the buffets....not a fan) are top-notch, for the most part. I love that you can walk down the street with your drink....I love the "glitz"...for a while, anyway! I love the climate 9 months of the year...the heat doesn't bother me. I never found cigarettes to be "cheap" tho....they were about 3 times what they cost at home...thank goodness I don't smoke anymore!

[Willy702]

Well the city I transferred to from Vegas is more expensive (by a lot), the traffic is terrible and the taxes are at a whole different level.

For it I buy a Sunday paper and read pages and pages of things to do. None are cheesy Strip entertainment I might enjoy once a year, its real diverse choices for everyone. Too many Vegas options were of the "well ita better than nothing" variety. To avoid traffic I do a 21 minute train commute, something I doubt will be available in my lifetime in Vegas. The baseball team is in the playoffs and their team colors are everywhere, lawyers normally in suits and ties are wearing jerseys. Real city spirit which is so lacking in Vegas, where you can tell where half the people come from by the license plate frame or back window of their car. Never see that here. If I get hungry, I have 5 places walking distance away to choose from. In Vegas if I didnt feel like driving it would be time to call for a pizza. And oh yeah the seasons are really changing (leaves and all), none of the slightly less brutal heat Vegas is getting. Trust me 93 only feels nice in October to locals.

Yeah I pay for this, but more than willing to do it. The people here I tell I came from Vegas just recoil and say I could never live there. Im sure a few would choose Vegas, but very few. Meanwhile all the efforts to "diversify" the Vegas economy lose when someone like me with an advanced degree and plenty of experience willingly leave. In my place, at least my home which is rented out already, is a couple from California with kids who said they couldnt afford it there. Neither is going to do anything other than lower level jobs. Thats the trade Vegas gets too often, skills with money leave and those without skills or money fill in.

[Cold Warrior]

You can live here for years without meeting an intelligent person, finding an excellent restaurant, or seeing a spectacular show. If you can do that in Las Vegas, you can also do that in New York, London or Paris. Some people prefer Guam.