Does moving there kill the magic?

For those of you who have moved there... do you still get giddy about seeing the strip at night or being out there? Or is it so 'normal' now that you don't see it the same way? Or maybe you've even learned to hate the strip / tourist areas?

Not planning a move anytime soon, but maybe after I'm retired/etc in the future... and wondering if it even makes sense to CONSIDER living where I love to be... or if I need to limit my exposure

 

My Friend A.) Moved to Vegas from Oakland, California in highschool and can't stand living in Vegas. He doesn't go on the strip or freemont at all unless I'm in town. He always tells me about how he wishes he could visit Las Vegas.

My Friend B.) Moved to Vegas from LA in highschool, but moved to Texas 2 years ago. He loves travelling back to vegas. Heck we will both be back there on March 6th and we were both there in October also.

Basically I think people who live in Vegas and then move love to come back to Vegas and they feel the magic and all. People that live there from all the people I know that live there just say they don't feel the magic at all. Keep in mind my friends are about 21-27 so maybe my opinions a little swayed I guess, but I know a lot of people that live there and they would just love to visit it as a tourist, but don't do anything tourist related while living there.

 

Just being on a long trip makes me a little sick of vegas. I can't see myself living here. Although I have a gambling problem so that skews things a little.

 

My goal is to live there for 2 months in the winter and 1 month in summer eventually. I can never see living there year round
I need the changing of seasons the midwest has , but love to shorten the winter. I think I will enjoy myself, but I already stay clear of the
strip for the most part and tend to gamble at local casinos or downtown. Plus I don't gamble all day as I tend to relax more and lay around
the pool and just enjoy reading the paper every morning.

So for me I think it will work. I go to vegas now because it is a cheap place to getaway and do nothing or be able to do anything 24/7.

If you go to Vegas mainly to Gamble and party then I think a move there would be disappointing and eventually you would
not like the town.

 

There is such a thing as a gambling problem??? wut?!?!

I think this board is filled with gambling problems.... well, not me.

...but to get back on topic - NO way in hell would I want to live in Vegas. I already live in Florida so that ruins all the beach type, pool and cruise vacations.

Here's an example of how I see things from living in Florida:
I can't understand why anyone would want to go to a pool in Vegas and hang why there are perfectly working slot machines and open tables in the cool casino.

 

I think the issue is tied to why the person moved to Las Vegas and what their expectations are.

If they moved for work or other "need to" reasons, that's very different than if they moved because they specifically chose Las Vegas - simply because it IS Las Vegas (and all that entails).

Also, something needs to be said about realistic expectations. It continues to amaze me how people complain about the reality of living in a metropolis like LV. Of course there are issues. I do not know of a big city that does not have the same issues in one form or another. This is real life.

Now, I'm obviously a fan of Las Vegas. My bias is evident. But, my intent is not to convince others Las Vegas is a place they will like. Before moving, people should do their research and know what they're getting into - but that can be said about any relocation effort. I think hanging out in a forum like this (and others) is a good start for acquiring useful information.

Bill

 

We both retired and moved to Vegas in 2008. Moved back to WI in 2010. Short answer...we lost our favorite spot to vacation.

There is a whole slew of negatives about Vegas and why we moved back, but no need to get into them. PM if you want specifics. Gambling wasn't an issue, but we enjoyed it and probably went to a casino 3-4 days a week. I keep meticulous records and in the time we lived there, we actually came out ahead. i wish I could say that about our vacations.

To answer your question. In the two years we lived there, the only time we went to the Strip was when we had company and wanted to show them around.

Although we still went to MSS, our favorite casino became Suncoast. A Boyd property and only about a 15 min drive from our house. Alainte was only about a 4 min drive, but we just didn't enjoy the place. No vibe, no excitement. Sorry Suecasey.

 

"Does moving there kill the magic?"

The answer is YES. I miss the days when I was a tourist here.

Joe, I don't work at Aliante anymore. I loved the place when it was a Station Casino, but since the new management took over ...

 

I would be very wary of moving to Vegas, as much as I love it. I live in New York City, and I know that I take for granted one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world.

When you see something every single day, after a while you lose the appreciation for the very things that make people dream of their next visit.

 

12 years ago, I visited Las Vegas for the first time for a job interview. The plan was to do the interview, and drive around and check out the town, and fly back home the next day.

I ended up extending my trip two days, and never left downtown. I fell in love with the area and didn't want to leave.

Two weeks later, I had a job offer, and 3 months later I was living in Las Vegas.

The important thing about living in Vegas is that you have to remember you're not on vacation. For casual tourists that never leave the strip, there may be some false sense of Fantasy when living in town. I've watched people struggle with gambling problems, alcohol addictions and drug problems, when every vice is available 24 hours a day.

There are some great things about living in Las Vegas; the 24 hour convenience, the great food deals and excellent entertainment options, if you have the self-control to not spin into 24/7/365 degeneration.

I loved the fact that I could meet my friends for happy hour at the Longhorn and play blackjack on a 20 for a few hours and walk away even. I appreciated the Ellis Island Steak special, and the great perks for local players at Terrible's. It's a great place to meet lots of interesting people, and hear some great stories. There is also fantastic Camping and outdoors activities a stones throw from town. I spent many a weekends visiting valley of fire, Red Rock, mt charleston, death valley, big bear, mt zion, and countless other parks and ghost towns.

It's been 6 years since I moved from Las Vegas, and I still visit at least 3 times a year. It's one of the few places that I would move back to, and I've lived in Milwaukee, Chicago, DC, Las Vegas and Austin. It's not for everyone, but it's worth a shot if you think it might work for you.

 

While I don't now and have not lived there, I do visit for once or twice a month for business reasons and have an office there. I also live in Nevada and got used to slot and VP machines around me everywhere I go a long, long time ago. Not sure I've ever gotten used to seeing people who have no business gambling putting their last penny in a machine hoping for that BIG jackpot, but that's another story.

I'm still just as excited about each and every visit to Las Vegas and the electricity and anticipation of the folks on the plane is always fun...even though we're just coming from Reno. I love the people watching, the food and the energy Las Vegas in known for, BUT... I've come to almost hate the town. Downtown and The Strip are but a part of the Las Vegas/Clark County metro area, which seems over-run by vagrants and "ner' do wells". There are beautiful residential areas in Summerlin, Henderson and yes even some nice spots in N. Las Vegas and I don't mean to trash the whole area, however, I have never been anywhere else in the country where I feel the need to be "on-guard" as much as I do in Las Vegas.

That alone sucks the "magic" out of a visit for me, as I'm in many different parts of the area. After a few days, I'm soooo ready to get on a plane and get out of there... though I'm always eager and ready to go back! I just know I could never be happy living there.

 

I'm coming up on a decade of life in Vegas and no magic is lost for me. I visit the strip and downtown regularly. I take staycations a few times a year. I get excited when I fly or drive home after a trip. Life in Vegas isn't for everyone. If you have a weakness Vegas will find it. I've seen dozens come and go, and few stay. But for me, Las Vegas is home. You have your day to day routine, but when you're ready to let loose America's playground is in our backyard. Living in Vegas has allowed us to travel elsewhere. When we lived in Chicago, every vacation was in Las Vegas. Now, we're able to travel the world, one city at a time. Living in such a popular tourist destination makes it affordable.