[steveborsto12]

Originally Posted by VLWH

The OP was asking about vacationing with children, not moving to Vegas. Since I don’t have children, I can’t speak about raising a family in Vegas, but I’m sure you’ll get some arguments from a few posters on here.

There is something about this city that is lacking: Community.

People just don't care too much out here. It is a self serving city. It reeks of fakeness. I know some people will defend Vegas to the end, but when is a city is built on gambling and entertainment, it is weak at the core.

I had a good run for 10-15 years here. It was great. And I loved it. But, as I get into my 50s soon, I can see how this won't be a good fit for me. I am getting tired of interacting with the "big talkers" and "bs talkers" and other nonsense that this city seems to attract.

[Mariza160]

Originally Posted by steveborsto12

There is something about this city that is lacking: Community.

People just don't care too much out here. It is a self serving city. It reeks of fakeness. I know some people will defend Vegas to the end, but when is a city is built on gambling and entertainment, it is weak at the core.

I had a good run for 10-15 years here. It was great. And I loved it. But, as I get into my 50s soon, I can see how this won't be a good fit for me. I am getting tired of interacting with the "big talkers" and "bs talkers" and other nonsense that this city seems to attract.

I'm sorry you feel that way but totally disagree.

I've only been here for 18 months and found plenty of community wherever
I go. I think you need to separate the "business district" from the rest of the
city.

There is a community for everyone if that is what they are actively looking for.
It doesn't necessarily come to you, you need to go out and find it.

[steveborsto12]

Originally Posted by Mariza160

I'm sorry you feel that way but totally disagree.

I've only been here for 18 months and found plenty of community wherever
I go. I think you need to separate the "business district" from the rest of the
city.

There is a community for everyone if that is what they are actively looking for.
It doesn't necessarily come to you, you need to go out and find it.

I am happy for you.
But, you are ignoring the core of what this city is about with your statement.
It is not a good place for children when you have these casinos and crazy tourists flying in all the time.

[Mariza160]

Originally Posted by steveborsto12

I am happy for you.
But, you are ignoring the core of what this city is about with your statement.
It is not a good place for children when you have these casinos and crazy tourists flying in all the time.

Seriously? Do you even live here?

I'll admit that I don't currently have children.
However, if I did...I wouldn't be dragging them down to
the casinos every day nor would any normal parent here.
There are adjustments that have to be made for parenting
regardless of what city you live in and Las Vegas is no
exception.

Are you saying that in any city that isn't "perfect" that people
shouldn't raise their children? That is pretty extreme.

[Floridaman777]

Originally Posted by steveborsto12

There is something about this city that is lacking: Community.

People just don't care too much out here. It is a self serving city. It reeks of fakeness. I know some people will defend Vegas to the end, but when is a city is built on gambling and entertainment, it is weak at the core.

I had a good run for 10-15 years here. It was great. And I loved it. But, as I get into my 50s soon, I can see how this won't be a good fit for me. I am getting tired of interacting with the "big talkers" and "bs talkers" and other nonsense that this city seems to attract.

utter baloney. Inspirada in Henderson is fantastic for families and not "weak at the core". Many living there are families tired of the California stupidity and taxation. Lots of new businesses moving in. Seems like you are a big talker and dont let the door hit you on the way out.

[moguldreamer]

Originally Posted by steveborsto12

I am happy for you.
But, you are ignoring the core of what this city is about with your statement.
It is not a good place for children when you have these casinos and crazy tourists flying in all the time.

But at the end of the day, we as parents are our children's most important role models. There is much truth in the old aphorism, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Other important role models are the parents of our children's friends. Note that by selecting where we live, we determine the universe from which our children will select their own friends and peers - and thus the tertiary role models of our children's parents.

Discussing the importance of education each day at home helps. Kids absorb more than we give them credit for. Sitting with our kid every day to read and perhaps do a puzzle or a short science experiment -- that is, demonstrating our own commitment -- is better. When other families in the neighborhood do the same, our daughter's friends will have similar values.

We raised our daughter in Silicon Valley. When she would get together with her age group peers - even early in elementary school -- I would ask the kids in an age appropriate way "what do you want to be when you grow up?" The girls would say things that reflected their role models: "I want to be an Engineer," "I want to be a Chemist," "I want to be a Venture Capitalist," "I want to work at Google" or Apple or Facebook or Intel or Adobe or Microsoft or wherever mom & dad worked, along with the sporadic "Doctor" or "Lawyer" (if mom was a doctor or lawyer).

Our daughter's friends' own mothers & fathers are their most important role models, and it was reflected in their children's aspirations. Their moms and dads had advanced degrees - frequently PhDs in solid state physics, ChemE, EE, ME, Photolithography, CS, software engineering, even IE, and worked at startups or household name tech companies. The next important role models are the moms and dads of their own friends.

Our daughter went on to college at an Ivy (Columbia), and I still remember taking her suite of freshmen women out to dinner when I would visit. Most of these bright women hailed from NYC or Long Island or Connecticut or New Jersey. I'd ask them in an age appropriate way "what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Their answers shocked me.

"Do? What do I want to do???" There were puzzled expressions as if I were stringing together words that made no sense. Ultimately I would get answers indicating they would graduate, marry a Columbia man who would work on Wall Street, and they would live in the City, and she would volunteer and maybe sit on the board of a charity until they decided to start a family, at which point they'd move to Connecticut or Long Island. That is, their vision of their future was based on their own most important role models - their own mothers and fathers. Their dads worked in finance in the city. Their moms volunteered and took Pilates classes and tennis lessons and the like.

The main issue in raising children in Las Vegas is the parents of the neighborhood friends and playmates. Do they value educational achievement? Or do they view education as a necessary evil on the way to an exciting career in Hospitality/Food & Beverage? Are there great books on bookshelves in the house, with parents who limit screen time, or is the TV constantly on showing re-runs of Keeping Up With The Kardashians? or perhaps Monster Truck gatherings? Do the parents show little effort at achievement, or have they started their own businesses as a vehicle for a better life for themselves & their kids? It is difficult to know many of these things precisely, but there are indicators.

[Mike from back east]

Mogul, fabulous posting and info.

I've seen the dynamic of "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" in my own family. My father worked in Smokestack America (railroad shops) and in that culture he drank, smoked and cursed. My two older sisters married 4 such guys; it was a mess, and caused me more excitement by the age of 25 than many people have in a lifetime.

Most of my doctors are from nations or cultures that value education and achievement; my dentist is Korean, my proctologist (for colonoscopies) is Indian, my cardiologist is Indian, my urologist is Jewish, my oncologist is a Canadian woman. Today, 60% of college students are women, that tells us something about where we're headed as a nation. Parents truly are the primary factor in proper development of young people and have the most impact on the education of children; if they're not interested in the development of their children it seems the child is predisposed to a mediocre future . . . only so many people can live under our bridges, which are falling down because too many mediocre minds believe the lies that all tax money is a waste.

About 50 years ago I went to a monster truck show in the DC area just to see what it was all about. Seated near us was a good looking young couple in their early twenties; the guy was chewing tobacco and spitting on the floor every minute or two until the floor between his feet was a slimy pool of tobacco spit. Good grief.

[moguldreamer]

I guess I should add that there is nothing inherently wrong with a blue collar career & lifestyle. There are many highly skilled & highly trained blue collar employees in the skilled trades who are wonderful and honorable people. It takes dedication & commitment to become a master plumber, pipe fitter, electrician, HVAC tech, welder, etc. etc. etc. Skilled trades require their own education & training. In the famous book, "The Millionaire Next Door," the authors point out the profile of a typical millionaire in America is a blue collar skilled tradesman who has opened up his own shop - say, a plumber who now has a half dozen trucks & employees a half-dozen plumbers to go on service calls. And such people work their rear ends off to meet payroll and support the local community.

[Cold Warrior]

Most of my doctors are from nations or cultures that value education and achievement; my dentist is Korean, my proctologist (for colonoscopies) is Indian, my cardiologist is Indian, my urologist is Jewish, my oncologist is a Canadian woman.

It may appear to Americans that Indians are extremely intelligent. This is a sampling error. Only the top 1% of the top 1% of Indians emigrate to America. The vast majority of Indians in India have zero education and are bound by a caste system that makes achievement impossible.

[moguldreamer]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

It may appear to Americans that Indians are extremely intelligent. This is a sampling error. Only the top 1% of the top 1% of Indians emigrate to America. The vast majority of Indians in India have zero education and are bound by a caste system that makes achievement impossible.

The bold above is a good thing. It raises the average IQ of our country.

Contrast the Indian elite who immigrate to the US with, say, the unwashed masses who cross the border with impunity from Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala and the like. They are on the other side of the mean with respect to intelligence & human capital.