Seriously considering a move to Las Vegas next year

I once thought about about moving to Vegas, this was 20 years ago. I like the desert scenery and at the time affordable housing and plenty of jobs compared to NJ. Then 9/11 changed all that. I wouldn’t want to live in a city that is so dependent on tourism.

 

I wouldn't likely be applying for a job in the tourism sector; I would probably try to transfer within my company from Kansas City to Las Vegas. I agree that a lot of jobs there are dependent on tourism and this current crisis showcases that.

 

From our own experience. We moved here in January of 2019. Living here is certainly different than being a tourist. You spend a lot less time hanging out in the casinos and talking to strangers that are around to have fun. Plus casino means more money than going to a local bar if that's your thing. Making friends...hmmm, I phrase it as nicely as I can.....very hard, better yet almost impossible if you don't get to meet nice people at work. People at the apartment complex hardly say hello or good morning or anything. It is almost as if people are afraid talking to someone. Some days it sucks, some days I keep telling myself I/we will go to a meetup group and then maybe we meet nice people to hang around with every now and then. So far... well, the virus put a big crunch in that plan. So many people are out of a job and it does not look like things will get back to normal anytime soon. Whatever is normal here in Las Vegas... have not figured that out completely. If you move here, good luck and take everything with a grain of salt. People gamble lots, drink lots, dope lots and crime rate is high.....you have to be careful where you hang out. Anyway, good luck and if you have questions...I am around....not much else to do these days.

 

KC isn't much better... I haven't met many friends in the 20 years I've been here. Everybody commutes and nobody talks to anybody.

 

I actually haven't had this experience, but I also do a lot of chatting with people. I go to temple with one of the valet guys, the pool crowd is great, I regularly go to barbecues with the staff around here, and occasionally go out with work people. Plus, Vegas is a pretty centralized location that people are passing through all the time; I see a lot of my friends from back east more often here than I did when I lived there.

 

Another thing to consider, have you been to Vegas in the heart of summer? It’s oppressively not. And it doesn’t cool off at night either. I’m not trying to discourage you, just giving my thoughts. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck.

 

I hate the "it's a dry heat" cliche, but it really is true. If you're living/working in Las Vegas, you'll probably have a car. It's not like you're wandering the strip on a random July afternoon like you might during a vacation trip.

 

It's hot in Vegas in the summertime?
Who knew?

 

I lived there for a year recently and loved it. The summer heat I was out in that stuff every day. If I had to work in it I may feel a little different. It is windy a lot which means a lot of dust and dirt flying through the air often. I hit the strip as often as I could mostly for walking I lived 20 minutes away. I did meet a neighbor or two but most kept to them selves in this nice little neighborhood. I bought and did a lot of work to the house and did take home a nice little profit. But living in a house for less than two years and you have to pay income tax on the profit. The earth quake that hit was a little crazy for sure and the snow fall was a surprise as well. I think we got all the different weather over that year. You can really see the lack of rain when you stop and look at the layer of dirt on everything. I would go back to live there again but my wife hated it... Stands to reason. Taxes are cheap but the food is a little more expensive not necessarily any better. We never had any problems with crime and did not see any first hand. We did read about it enough tho. Lots of car break ins. Some folks make it sound like you cant walk down the street.... you can but have that third eye wide open.

 

1. Have you ever felt that dry heat flare up when you open the door? It's like that here in the summer, except us locals are used to it lol.

2. Make sure that you have secured employment somewhere, or be ready to hit the ground running when you get here. This city is very hospitality driven, so there is always a gig somewhere in hotel, pool, or restaurant operations. Let me know if you need a reference, I'll be more than happy to give one if you are interested in working in the industry!

3. If you are a gambler, make a budget and stick to it. It's easy to stop once you fly back home after a Vegas trip, but living here is different. Of course, it's great entertainment for those that partake in gambling, but set a reasonable limit and be cautious. They don't have clocks in the casinos for a reason!

4. Everything is 24/7 here for the most part. Want to make a 3am trip to a casino to get cheap steak and eggs? We got you covered.

5. There are lakes and a Wet n' Wild theme park if you are into water, however most of the outdoor recreation comes in the form of hiking. Red Rock and Mount Charleston have some GORGEOUS trails, and they are fairly well maintained. Additionally, Utah is a couple of hours away and offers great hiking and camping opportunities at Zion National Park.

6. Dark car tint is your friend. YMMV, but cops have never cared about tint levels since it's so damn hot here.

7. Real estate market is decent right now. Home prices are definitely up compared to 2010-2015, however real estate is still affordable compared to CA.

8. Generally, some better neighborhoods to look into is Spring Valley, Summerlin, Green Valley, anything really west/southwest. North Las Vegas is okay, and in general the east side of Las Vegas has more potential to be sketchy. All locations can have trouble so it might be best to research the areas and ask around before committing to a property.

9. Cost of living is reasonable, but has definitely increased over the years. The Raiders are here now, so keep in mind that luxury condos, apartments, and surrounding real estate will be at a premium.

I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Great tips, thanks!

 

While I was in town this past weekend, I visited a friend who moved from Miami to LV in 2018. He said if he could do it all over again, he would, as he can work from home/remote and the cost of living is much less than South Florida.

 

Been thinking of moving to the Vegas area too. What about golf? Any place reasonable to play? Discount for locals?

 

I played craps on my recent visit and stood next to the stickman. He was a golfer and he mentioned the discounts locals get. He admitted golf courses stick it to the tourists with high green fees. I've played Rio Secco many times but that was part of my CET 7* benefit. There are some nice courses in the area. I regret not playing Cascada. The summer heat is not bad if you play early (7 am).

 

EVERY golf locale has lower prices for locals. And with the proliferation in booking services players of every ilk have it better than we did x years backs. Finally, only Shadow and Wynn have been effectively immune to pricing reductions.

As for reasonable, that is so personally variable, and seasonal. We have chatted up golf here to a very great extent so I suggest a look through the archives. Courses websites have all the pricing info you need, too. If you want to kick around specific courses that might be easiest as far as feedback.

 

resurrecting this thread, as it looks possible I may be doing this after all next year. Realistically, how long does it take to drive from Las Vegas to, say, Santa Monica beach? My daughter is going to be going to college out there. I don't want to live in California, but I do like to go to the beaches.

 

- just saying I live in Burbank in a 750sq ft apartment for $1,800 but I've found other one bedrooms elsewhere in LA for $1500 or so.

And gas is still $1 - $1.20 cheaper per gallon in NV. Definitely looking to move to NV or elsewhere out of CA next year - it's getting way too pricey and I'd never purchase a house out here.

Las Vegas to Santa Monica is about 4 and a half hours, no traffic. With traffic and depending on time of day, you're probably looking at 5-6hrs depending on when you hit the LA area. Flights are always cheap though, so also an option!

 

Totally depends on the day and time.....4.5hrs without traffic and like 7+ if you leave on a Sunday when everyone is headed back to LA from the weekend.

 

Luckily, I'd be going the opposite direction! I'd be going to LA on a Friday after work and coming back to Las Vegas on Sunday evening.

 

Wow, you weren't kidding- I priced nonstop flights from LAS to LAX from Friday to Monday on a random November weekend and it's $25 each way with Spirit, $45 each way with Southwest. Incredible!