LIVING IN LAS VEGAS-Housing, Cost of Living and Other Advices/Suggestions??

[Sero]

Hello Everybody,

I have been in LV many times but I have never lived there so I wanted to request from those members who live in Las Vegas, for some advices for someone who is relocating to LV soon. I believe this could be a great thread to share information about living in LV for everybody. I haven't been able to find a specific thread particularly discussing this subject.

Could you share with us what you know such as right places and areas to dwell, basic cost of living of a decent life, things to consider etc.? Every single line you may write about anything counts and is appreciated. Thanks.

SERO

[21vegascounter]

look me up when you move here. I have lived here for about 6 months now.

you can get coupons for local casinos all you can eat buffets $4.50 for all you can eat if you have two people cause its buy 1 get 1 free and with members card. And its clean casinos with good eating.

Some casinos advertise $4 steak dinners..... Nasty casinos. So any good deals you find scout it out b4 bringing friends there. Or ask me. No sense in reinventing the wheel.

It's tough finding work here

I'm trying to find a stupid simple job so I can practice counting cards 8 hours a day.

I'm also trying to get a team started, or join a team if there is already one here.

Eating on the strip is expensive, and usually not that good of food. Also bring cash to the strip, as the ATM's cost $3-$7 fees for using them

There are websites you can subscribe to to get killer deals on shows and what not. Only catch is its last minute deals. Like magic show for $20 ($80 ticket) but show is in 2 hours kinda deals.

I once watched ufc 119 for free at the mgm. Only problem is I didnt get in until after the end of the first fight. partly why it was free.

If anyone else has good tips please add, I too have only been here half a year, and I'm sure theres still a lot I havent learned

[aslan]

Originally Posted by 21vegascounter

look me up when you move here. I have lived here for about 6 months now.

I bought a town house last year at more than 60% discount from it's highest sales price three years earlier. I have been visiting LV frequently for more than twenty years. Prices are rock bottom, but who know, it might get even better next year the way the recovery plan is going.

you can get coupons for local casinos all you can eat buffets $4.50 for all you can eat if you have two people cause its buy 1 get 1 free and with members card. And its clean casinos with good eating.

A friend of mine treated my wife and I to a great buffet at Boulder Station in March. There are a ton of bargains for locals. Ever eat the $1.99 full breakfast at Arizona Charlies on Decatur after midnight?

Some casinos advertise $4 steak dinners..... Nasty casinos. So any good deals you find scout it out b4 bringing friends there. Or ask me. No sense in reinventing the wheel.

Roma's Cafe and Deli (on on Spring Mountain and one on Sahara near Summerlin) has the best Italian food I have found in Vegas. They also bake some of the best Italian bread and Ciabatta in Vegas. I like a little dumpy place called Omelet House that has a cheapie breakfast with potato chip-like fries and delicious pumpkin bread. There is every kind of cuisine throughout Vegas, and no need to spend big dollars at the major casino/hotels, although some of them are worth a trip to now and then. I am partial to the Lux Cafe at the Venetian--never had a bad meal there, and occasionally, PF Chang's, a pretty reliable upscale chain. If you get out west, there is a great cafe and bakery called the Bagel Cafe at Rainbow and Buffalo.

It's tough finding work here

My brother may be looking for a job in security. He has many years of experience in armed security. Do you think he has a chance, what with all the security jobs in the hotels and casinos?

I'm trying to find a stupid simple job so I can practice counting cards 8 hours a day.

Maybe an eye-in-the-sky job. They even train you to count at the MGM properties. They don't pay much though.

I'm also trying to get a team started, or join a team if there is already one here.

Keep me in mind. I won't be living there full time for a couple years, but this year I've been there in March, May, August, and plan a trip in November.

Eating on the strip is expensive, and usually not that good of food. Also bring cash to the strip, as the ATM's cost $3-$7 fees for using them

I went for cash at Mandalay Bay. The first ATM wanted $11. I refused. I found another machine a few steps away that cost $3.50.

There are websites you can subscribe to to get killer deals on shows and what not. Only catch is its last minute deals. Like magic show for $20 ($80 ticket) but show is in 2 hours kinda deals.

You can also spend an hour or two in a time share presentation and receive back a couple of $100 show tickets,
and other stuff, like slot and table play, restaurant dollars, etc. I saw "O" at the Bellagio on a time share pres., and also "Mama Mia" last year, two tickets each.

I once watched ufc 119 for free at the mgm. Only problem is I didnt get in until after the end of the first fight. partly why it was free.

I'll have to look for those websites.

If anyone else has good tips please add, I too have only been here half a year, and I'm sure theres still a lot I havent learned

Do you know about the Belz Outlet Mall on South LV Blvd? Have you been to the Town Square also on s LV Blvd? Some nice eateries and night clubs, but you'll probably want to avoid the pricey retail stores ala Hollywood, CA.

Palace Station has a good 6-deck game. They comped me a great dinner at there steak house--a couple of lobster tails, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, garlic potatoes and a really delicious NY cheesecake. M also has/had (haven't been there for a while) good bj games; they comped me $100 at their top of the line steakhouse. Mandalay Bay has a tough DD game to beat, but they did comp me $100 at one of their excellent restaurants.

[HockeXpert]

Sero:

Places to avoid (living): North LV, downtown.*
Fantastic neighborhoods ranked in order imho: Summerlin, McDonald Highlands, southern Highland, Anthem.*

Avoid having to commute on I-15 and avoid the spaghetti bowl. Almost all the other freeways are a breeze. I-215 is not complete in the Northern and NW areas but will be completed in the next few years.*

Where you reside depends on so many factors that it is hard generalize. I would consider some of the following before moving there. Single/Married, family/solo, employed/unemployed, rent/buy, age, hobbies, job location.

I personally think Vegas is a great place to live and the time to buy a place is now. If you are young, single and can move around easily, rent a place close to the strip and experience that and check out the different areas. If you're none of the above, find a place in Summerlin or someplace convenient to your job. You won't be disappointed with any of the areas listed above as favorable.

There are many other Las Vegans here on this site who have been there much longer than me.

See you soon.

HockeXpert

[badclover]

I wouldnt say avoid North las vegas, there are areas to avoid. the area directly above 95 all the way up to about cheyanne, then it start getting better. Above craig road starts getting really nice, and then even better towards alliante parkway.

I live near Craig and MLK so i am very familiar with the area.

[WRX]

Housing is very affordable at this point, whether you decide to rent or to buy. Rents are rock bottom. Compare and negotiate. Offer less than the asking rate and see what response you get. Ask for and get at least one month's free rent if you sign a six-month lease. If you want to buy, there are lots of great deals, particularly bank-owned properties that have been foreclosed on. Be warned that bank people on these deals are complete a-holes to deal with, utterly lack even minimal respect for their fellow humans, and often behave completely irrationally. OK, that just keeps the prices even lower. Just take the cheap deal, and laugh to yourself about how stupid they were. It's kind of like beating casinos. But like casinos, they'll screw you if they can, so don't get into a situation where you have to wait around forever for a sale to close, do your due diligence, demand a short closing period, and walk away if they won't play ball. You'll probably need to budget some money for rehab. For some of these properties you'll have to pay all cash, as the banks are getting very leery about financing in Las Vegas and won't touch some of them.

[HockeXpert]

Originally Posted by badclover

I wouldnt say avoid North las vegas

I meant avoid the City of North Las Vegas.

Sero:

I missed the part about cost of living. That depends on where you are moving from and what you're used to. I would consider LV's cost of lving as moderate. If you're used to the NE or CA, then LV has a low cost of living. If you're used to rural Wyomng, then LV will be shockingly high.

Btw...I hear SW has some cheap condos available for rent or sale.

HockeXpert

[aslan]

Originally Posted by badclover

I wouldnt say avoid North las vegas, there are areas to avoid. the area directly above 95 all the way up to about cheyanne, then it start getting better. Above craig road starts getting really nice, and then even better towards alliante parkway.

I live near Craig and MLK so i am very familiar with the area.

I know that North Vegas not far from the Sante Fe is not bad at all. They have homes out there with two acre lots. It used to be an area where there were lots of horses, which is why there are so many two acre and more lots. The only drawbackis that it is extremely far north.

I went out to Alliante in March and felt I was almost in the next state. Too remote for me. But speaking of remote, I have an acre in Pahrump where I might build a retirement home someday. It's 50 miles west of Vegas and probably not a place to live if you want to be in Vegas every day. pop. 35,000.

[kewljason]

I debated on responding to this post, but decided to weigh in. If you are an advantage player (from counter to advanced methods) vegas offers more opportunities just from the shear number of games or opportunities available. So, if your decison is strictly about advantage play, I think Vegas is the place to be. Of course vegas has negatives you need to consider before a move her. #1 weather...mid sept thru mid may is great. No snow. No heavy winter coats. Yes it can hit below 40 degree in dec/jan but normal ave temps range 59 to 80 degrees. That means throw away the snow shovels and winter coats. But of course the trade off is summer. July/August can be as hot as 115 degrees. It's a dry heat...yes, but 115 is freaking hot!

Ok, non-blackjack-related. Vegas is a cold town. At any given time, 1/4 of the people here are toursit or temp residents. That tends to make the regulars or locals that much more unfriendly. Unfriendly might be a bit harsh, but they aren't real accepting of new folk (from my experience) just an opinion BTW...

Now about neighborhoods. As other have expressed, you want to avoid North Vegas, both the city of North Vegas and north of the downtown area. There are pockets of decent areas, but as a general rule...not good areas. West of the strip seems to be the desired areas. Henderson is great too, but a little far away for my liking, if your main goal is playing blackjack.

I personally bought a place a block east of the strip late last year. East of the strip is considered a bad area in general, but it varies. East of the strip/north of flamingo is alot of crime/drug area. East of the strip, flamingo to trop is UNLV, which used to be considered very slummy. It's not as bad as it used to be crime-wise, but is still older buildings, which mean less rent and college area, which means over populated.

Now for a young person, which you seem to be and I still consider myself, Las Vegas, from my experience seems difficult, to find anyone interested in anything more than a one night hookup. So if your objective is to play blackjack, I say Vegas still is the place to be, but for other aspects, it can be less desirable.

[aslan]

Originally Posted by kewljason

I debated on responding to this post, but decided to weigh in. If you are an advantage player (from counter to advanced methods) vegas offers more opportunities just from the shear number of games or opportunities available. So, if your decison is strictly about advantage play, I think Vegas is the place to be. Of course vegas has negatives you need to consider before a move her. #1 weather...mid sept thru mid may is great. No snow. No heavy winter coats. Yes it can hit below 40 degree in dec/jan but normal ave temps range 59 to 80 degrees. That means throw away the snow shovels and winter coats. But of course the trade off is summer. July/August can be as hot as 115 degrees. It's a dry heat...yes, but 115 is freaking hot!

Ok, non-blackjack-related. Vegas is a cold town. At any given time, 1/4 of the people here are toursit or temp residents. That tends to make the regulars or locals that much more unfriendly. Unfriendly might be a bit harsh, but they aren't real accepting of new folk (from my experience) just an opinion BTW...

Now about neighborhoods. As other have expressed, you want to avoid North Vegas, both the city of North Vegas and north of the downtown area. There are pockets of decent areas, but as a general rule...not good areas. West of the strip seems to be the desired areas. Henderson is great too, but a little far away for my liking, if your main goal is playing blackjack.

I personally bought a place a block east of the strip late last year. East of the strip is considered a bad area in general, but it varies. East of the strip/north of flamingo is alot of crime/drug area. East of the strip, flamingo to trop is UNLV, which used to be considered very slummy. It's not as bad as it used to be crime-wise, but is still older buildings, which mean less rent and college area, which means over populated.

Now for a young person, which you seem to be and I still consider myself, Las Vegas, from my experience seems difficult, to find anyone interested in anything more than a one night hookup. So if your objective is to play blackjack, I say Vegas still is the place to be, but for other aspects, it can be less desirable.

Your post made me think of other things. Yes, there are a lot of pros and cons. A block east of the strip is a terrific place for someone intent on casino play. The Marie Antoinette jumped into my mind, which is about two blocks east of the strip on Harmon. It is an old-time building of condominiums, which has been kept up well down through the years and has really nice units. I'd live there in a heartbeat.

I myself am west of the strip on Desert Inn, but under five minutes from the strip by car. I am also walking distance from one of my favorite pool rooms.

On the food scene, don't forget LV's Chinatown, a several block strip of Asian restaurants on Spring Mountain a mile or so west of the strip.

Henderson is far, but thousands of Vegans [? lol] commute the 15 minutes to the strip area everyday, and there are tons of ways to do it either by main drags or side streets. BTW, the first thing you want to do in Vegas, if you own a car, is to learn how to get around Vegas via side streets. The main drags can be a bear at times, though big time-savers at other. Vegas has grown from 15,000 in 1946 to about a million and a half currently. During major holidays, for instance, New Year's, the population can grow by a million to two million. This can put extreme pressure on the roadways, which are bad enough at rush hours without them.

If you're into boating, Lake Mead is not far away. Other attractions include, Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, the Grand Canyon, and Boulder Dam. San Diego and Los Angeles are a short 400 miles away. Maybe that's not a day trip, but it's not prohibitive if you have something special to do on the coast on a long weekend, or better yet, a week or two vacation.

While I agree with Jason about some of the locals here, on the other hand, I have found tons of very friendly people throughout Vegas. That is because people are largely transplants from other places. I frequently strike up conversations in public places. An easy conversation opener is, "So where are you from?" I find most to be friendly, but you do have to be aware of a segment of Vegans who are obsessed with money and status and have a certain shallow ring about them. From traveling to Vegas for many years, I have run into these people (beware the real estate agents, for one), I have found the warm and welcoming to far outnumber them. One reason I want to possibly retire in Vegas is all the great people I have come to know there.