There are discussions/negotiations underway with my work around being transferred to Las Vegas. I’ve been to LV just a handful of times and always just stayed around the strip. But what is it like to actually live there. Is it a good place to raise a family? There isn’t any state income tax, but I’ve heard the property tax is very high. What else is there to do there other than the stuff on the strip? I would love to hear from people that live there or have lived there and what they thought of the place and their experiences.
There is actually a thread on the topic going on right now: Vegas Baby and it has some good info.
But to answer you question quickly (I am about to leave the house) - I love living here. Yes, the housing prices have risen dramatically in the past few years, but I don’t think the tax is all that bad. I have family in Illinois and they are paying FAR more in property taxes (ridiculous rates, as far as I am concerned) than we do here.
Las Vegas is NOT family friendly. Sure, they have lots of schools and are struggling to build even more, but the school system is pretty crappy and you will find a lot of places that do not allow anyone under 21 to enter. Most people I know with kids do not rank Las Vegas as a particularly good place to raise kids. I also teach and have met a few students who were born and raised here - and almost without exception, they cannot wait to finish school and move away. They do not give this city high marks and wish they lived anywhere else. Granted, that is the song kids sing everywhere, but here they have a valid complaint in that the city really is designed for adult entertainment, with only a smattering of things for people under 21 to do.
And if you do move here, move as far from The Strip as possible. You can always drive there if you want to see a show or meet up with friends, but you do not want to live anywhere near that madness, despite what you might think as a casual tourist. Plus, neighborhoods near The Strip are generally pretty crappy. The further away, the nicer and newer the area.
My personal opinion is that Las Vegas is perfect for young single people, or couples without children - or retired couples. But for families with children, I cannot imagine a single good reason to move here unless you had some really high-paying job or simply had to move here for career reasons.
Hope my info doesn’t burst your balloon…but I have seen enough to let you know that your kids will not thank you for moving them here.
I used to live in Gilbert Az, one of the suburbs of Phoenix. Lived there for about 7 years and really liked it. Growing fast, good shopping, family friendly, good schools. Just gets a little hot for about 6 months.
I’m now in the Los Angeles area, Ventura county to be a little more specific. The cost of living here is just out of control. We moved back here due to some family medical reasons on my wife’s side. But those reasons are now behind us and are looking to get away again. And there are some opportunities in Vegas that are open to me through work.
Probably not my first location to move to but the areas I would like to move to I’m not finding work in my area. I would love to move to the central coast area of Ca. That would be San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Atascadero. The home prices are still high, but not nearly as high as farther south. We could make a go of it up there.
Well I was your neighbor in Ahwatukee, just over I-10 off Elliott. Gilbert and Chandler are nice areas, but add the casinos and other stuff of Vegas, and I would think the crime rate would be higher too…
Hey neighbor. I’ve been to Ahwatukee a bunch of times. Really nice area. Little congested at times. I always thought of it as the worlds largest cul-de-sac.
Crime rate out in Chandler and Gilbert were on the rise when I left a year ago.