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Is there many job opportunities out there. Quality of life pretty ok. Can you come from work and win some at the blackjack tables or will they take all your money. I doubt the weather is any worse than Alanta... doesn't get as fridgid as we do in the winter I know it does get cool there though. As summer goes triple digit heat, low humidity vs 90s and high humidity. It rains too much here, year round and they always say we are in a drought. Tornados, 1 or 2 ice storms, and those hurricanes that hit Florida, they usually hit us as well as tropical storms or depressions. Of course with all that precip we do flash flood as well. So tell me is Vegas weather is worse. We don't get dust storms though... As far as crime goes, I don't know anything about Vegas, you guys have gangs, right? Crime is everywhere here, worse in certain areas, plus we have our share of home invasions and robberies (its over for me or the punk who trys to rob me because I'm not giving anything up I work way too hard for my money) all over the metro. So is Vegas better than Atlanta, should I pack my bags?
PS: I know there are much more illegals out there, they are here too. They don't bother me.
Secure good employment first and have some money in reserve to live on and for housing expenses.
The streets of Las Vegas are not paved with gold.. You wouldn't expect to be on easy street in any other place you move to so don't expect it in Las Vegas either.
If you can't immediately find a position you like in the field of your choice for the amount of pay you are seeking, don't close off the idea that you'll have to accept other employment until you secure the job you want...
Don't think that things are extremely inexpensive here, they are not. While utilities and taxes might be lower here than in some other parts of the country, a lot of things are more expensive. Homes, while less expensive than California, are expensive by midwest standards.
Be prepared for life in the city, even on the outskirts of Las Vegas proper (meaning Green Valley, Summerlin, the Southwest and Northwest). There are lots of people and cars. And more coming everyday. Be prepared for a lot of construction going on, constant road work, detours, traffic, crazy Californians and tourists invading even our "off the Strip" neighborhoods and shops....
We have museums and the ballet and the orchestra..but if you're looking for Lincoln Center and the Met and the "Greenwich Village/Tribecca" culture, go visit them there.
Don't think that once you move here, everything will be handed to you...you wouldn't expect that if you moved anywhere else in the country, so don't expect it here either.
Expect dry, baking heat in the summer. No or little humidity. Expect mild winters - but not tropical.. We do get a snow every couple of years. But do expect days upon days of sunny, blue skies. A rainstorm in summer is a welcome relief! Expect naked mountains that surround the valley, not too much greenery but majestic...no ocean, the only real water is Lake Mead over by Hoover Dam. A nice place to boat, but not much in the beach department. The mountains make a great backdrop as you're cruising on the water.
Be prepared for the 24 hour lifestyle. Everything you need and want is available 24/7 in this city. No pulling in the sidewalks at 10:00 pm in this place! Get used to good restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, shops, entertainment. Everything Las Vegas has to offer is yours whenever you want it when you live here. Be prepared for the bad things as well, crime, homeless people, infrastructure that can't keep up with the burdgeoning population, corrupt politicians, not enough cops, etc.. This all goes with the territory of city life and is not all that different from other cities of the same size. Be prepared for the "transient" nature of this town. Plenty of folks move here as a stopover point and move out. Employers are cautious about hiring newly transplanted folks because of this. Be prepared for that. And plenty of criminals come here, do their dirty work and move on. A lot of people come to this city every year to visit, 35 million or so is it? Expect a few bad ones in the bunch to do their mischief while on vacation here.
Good planning, $$$ in reserve, a good attitude to "make it happen", marketable job skills and some hard work and perserverance on your part will make you successful and happy here. So many others have done it and they just keep coming!
Is there many job opportunities out there. Quality of life pretty ok. Can you come from work and win some at the blackjack tables or will they take all your money. .
People who come to Las Vegas thinking they can win in the casinos end up losing everything they own and filing for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy rate in the city is one of the highest in the nation and directly correlates with the gambling. The casinos don't build and maintain billion dollar hotel/casinos because they let people win. The odds are heavily stacked against you.
There are plenty of jobs in Vegas. But you need to have the skills/education to get good enough ones to afford to live in decent areas. Buying a single family home in a decent neighborhood will cost you at least $300k.
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Originally Posted by Ericmrtt
I doubt the weather is any worse than Alanta... doesn't get as fridgid as we do in the winter I know it does get cool there though. As summer goes triple digit heat, low humidity vs 90s and high humidity. .
Winters are very nice and mild in Vegas. The summers are brutal. It's extremely hot and too uncomfortable to do much outdoors at all. People like to say "but it's a dry heat." Well so is sticking your head in an oven. But it's still hot and uncomfortable.
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Originally Posted by Ericmrtt
As far as crime goes, I don't know anything about Vegas, you guys have gangs, right? .
Yes, there are a lot of gangs in the city, it's a huge problem. Do some searches at the main newspaper for the city (Las Vegas Review Journal) and you should find some archived stories about the problem. Look at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department website and can likely find more info. It's a huge problem there.
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Originally Posted by Ericmrtt
So is Vegas better than Atlanta, should I pack my bags? .
That's subjective. People like different things and some will say yes and some will say no. It's all in what you like and want out of a city.
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Originally Posted by Ericmrtt
P: I know there are much more illegals out there, they are here too. They don't bother me.
The city is being taken over by illegals. This should concern you a great deal. The influx of illegals has a ripple effect on many things. Depending upon the line of work you do, you might be competing with them for work and not be able to get hired because they will work for much less. They bring with them many gangs. Crime goes up with illegals. They also help with the decline of the education system. They also cause a huge strain on the resources of the state (medical care, more police officers, jail expenses, school expenses, etc). There have been cases in Arizona where hospitals have had to close because of so many illegals getting medica care there (you can't refuse the care) and not paying for it. This all has a HUGE effect on the city and the quality of life you can get there. You should care deeply about the illegal population growing so largely in that city. I've been to cities across the nation and never seen a city so filled with graffitti, majority of which is a Hispanic problem, stemming from the gangs, and on to the illegals. I think you should rethink your position on not caring. I think you just have no idea how much it really effects or will effect you and your family.
There are plenty of jobs in Vegas. But you need to have the skills/education to get good enough ones to afford to live in decent areas. Buying a single family home in a decent neighborhood will cost you at least $300k.
A small single family home in a reasonable area can be gotten for $250,000. You can buy a reasonable condo for around $200,000. The median price is about $310,000. So half the homes cost less than that.
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Winters are very nice and mild in Vegas. The summers are brutal. It's extremely hot and too uncomfortable to do much outdoors at all. People like to say "but it's a dry heat." Well so is sticking your head in an oven. But it's still hot and uncomfortable.
You do not appear to have ever lived in a humid climate. Las Vegas is certainly hot but Atlanta is actually a good bit worse. 95 and 90 is about the same as 114/10.
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Yes, there are a lot of gangs in the city, it's a huge problem. Do some searches at the main newspaper for the city (Las Vegas Review Journal) and you should find some archived stories about the problem. Look at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department website and can likely find more info. It's a huge problem there.
Yes there are gangs. They do not compare in level or ferocity to those of the big cities of the east. A good check is the violent crime rate.
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That's subjective. People like different things and some will say yes and some will say no. It's all in what you like and want out of a city.
Hey we agree. Probably turn out we are both wrong.
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The city is being taken over by illegals. This should concern you a great deal. The influx of illegals has a ripple effect on many things. Depending upon the line of work you do, you might be competing with them for work and not be able to get hired because they will work for much less. They bring with them many gangs. Crime goes up with illegals. They also help with the decline of the education system. They also cause a huge strain on the resources of the state (medical care, more police officers, jail expenses, school expenses, etc). There have been cases in Arizona where hospitals have had to close because of so many illegals getting medica care there (you can't refuse the care) and not paying for it. This all has a HUGE effect on the city and the quality of life you can get there. You should care deeply about the illegal population growing so largely in that city. I've been to cities across the nation and never seen a city so filled with graffitti, majority of which is a Hispanic problem, stemming from the gangs, and on to the illegals. I think you should rethink your position on not caring. I think you just have no idea how much it really effects or will effect you and your family.
Ahh the xenophobia again. The city of Las Vegas and all the cities of the SW have large hispanic populations. Part of the Hispanic population is illegal. It is a minority.
It is the view of the US economists that the illegals have in fact been good for the economy of the SW. This is based on their contribution less their costs. It is, in my opinion, a virtually impossible calculation to do...but that is where the economists are.
I know of no evidence graffiti is Hispanic or illegal related. It is mostly ascribed to tagger groups which are generally not minority.
I know of no evidence that crime is increased with illegals. In fact the studies to date indicate that new immigrants, legal or illegal, committ fewer crimes than the similar economic status natives. As they stay longer in the population their crime rates rise to that of the natives.
There are any number of good reasons for not moving to Las Vegas...if you really like to gamble for instance you should avoid this place like the plague. But none of the reasons not to move here have anything to do with hispanics.
They are in fact handy to have around when you need your trees trimmed or heavy cleaning done.
Believe me, I know you are not getting a nice home for $250k in Las Vegas in a good area. You are nuts!
You have also shown that you don't know much about the hispanic or illegal population. Sad because it is causing a huge stress on the SW states. Have you not read the news stories of the hospitals being forced to close because of illegals.
I think you must read all your news with rose colored glasses.
And by the way, I know humidity, I lived for 25 years in Michigan where they have humid summers. Try something else!
Believe me, I know you are not getting a nice home for $250k in Las Vegas in a good area. You are nuts!
You have also shown that you don't know much about the hispanic or illegal population. Sad because it is causing a huge stress on the SW states. Have you not read the news stories of the hospitals being forced to close because of illegals.
I think you must read all your news with rose colored glasses.
And by the way, I know humidity, I lived for 25 years in Michigan where they have humid summers. Try something else!
Sorry - As I said you know not what you speak. There is absolutely no where in Michigan that has high humidity.
Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisianna, Missouri - but no where in Michigan. Hell it is worse in Iowa!
The violent crime rate in Atlanta GA (1842) is over twice that of Las Vegas Metro (789) and roughly 9 times that of Henderson (203) These are 2004 DofJ numbers. That is the latest year available.
Yes, call me a Vegas basher if you must. But I do tell it like I see it. Honestly if anyone cares to take the time to look through past posts on this forum they will see many others that gave the same honest opinions about Vegas. I have a sneaky feeling that olecapt tries to run off anyone that says anything negative about the city. He's not open to someone else being allowed to give their opinion about the place. If you give your opinion he will tell you over and over you are wrong.
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