I would love a place in both cities... after the kids are gone though :)

Tucson is missing the real city life and shopping, it flat sucks here in that department.. food rocks though, no major high end places but kick ass food all over the place either way.

i would imagine vegas locals get very tired of answering this question every time a tourist comes into town haha! ;-)

To the comments about crime:

I live in the NW section of town. Gated community. I used to live in South Carolina. I would NOT let my kids go out of my yard. There were a dozen registered sex offenders living within a half mile and one of them lived one block away. We had to put up 17 thousand dollars worth of 8 foot high chain link fence with barb-wired top (I had almost 3 acres of yard in the middle of town) to keep the meth heads off my property.

I moved here to Vegas a year ago. My kids can go as they please here. Every house in this community is a 4,000 to 6,000 sq. foot home. As I said, it's a gated community. Has a park in it as well. Kids play right out on the streets since there is no traffic and everybody knows everybody else.

The schools my kids go to are nice, clean, and they even have rules on clothing and hair styles to keep any gangs from getting started.

I drive two blocks from the house and there is a skateboard park, a dog walk park, and a tennis court.

I drive half mile away to the grocery store, bank, gas station, etc.

It's exactly like living everywhere else I lived: Lakeland Fla. , Winter Haven Fla. , Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Myrtle Beach S.C. , Atlanta GA , Orlando Fla , Columbia SC , Upstate SC
The only difference is...this town is a lot newer, a lot cleaner, and has a much better nightlife and dining options than any of those other towns I have lived in.

And I feel much safer here than any other town I've ever lived in.

No thanks. I can deal with being somewhat immersed in the desert, but I'm close enough.

Why would you drive two blocks to go play tennis, walk your dog or heaven forbid, ride a skateboard?

I've got friends and fam pretty spread out all over the country, I used to have a pretty strong base of family and friends in Vegas. I've spent alot of time out there, and begrudingly still continue to.

Every single one of my friends out there has been robbed in one way or another, one at gun point and tied up, my family.. well carjacked, robbed, shot and killed. He lived in Rhodes Ranch, gated, "safe", just like you.

It may have seemed like an off handed comment, but it's an informed opinion.
</rant>

Sure you can, it's a great place to live. I should know, I lived there for 6 years and enjoyed my time there. Believe it or not it's great for families and some of the neighborhoods are top notch. It does get very windy at times and if you have a gambling or drinking problem you may want to skip. Other than that, I LOVE VEGAS!

That's a wild story. Seems like living here was just like living in Washington D.C. ghettos or something.

Every single one of your friends and family was robbed, tied up, carjacked, and even killed. Damn. I don't know how any of us survive here.

By the way, I drive a Prowler convertible, a corvette convertible, and a Jeep Wrangler convertible. During the spring, summer, and fall I keep the top down on all of them...and in the case of the Jeep I take the doors off too.

Guess I've just been lucky to never get "carjacked", though I will say that ONE time it was on the local news that there was a carjacking in town about 8 months ago.

Not saying there isn't crime here. But I go everywhere...day and night and never got carjacked. As I said earlier, I've lived in a few places, and this is without a doubt the safest place I've ever lived.

But everybody has different experiences I suppose.

EDIT: I did have a credit card go missing one night.
But someone handed it in to the bar and I got it back.

Vegas doesn't charge any personal state income tax. City center condos look hot.

This isn't some bullshit story, this is the truth. Don't exaggerate this to make it sound cheesy, asshole. A member of my immediate family was carjacked and killed- not only was it not the only car jacking / murder that happened that night, there was an identical one at another gas station that involved the same make, model and color car.

Another friend of mine had the tattoo shop he was working at robbed and they cleaned out his station, stole all his machines, flash, pretty much everything he had saved for and invested in over his adult life. But hey, you might think tattoo shops are seedy, the friend that was robbed at gun point and tied up was my best friend and that went down at the Al Phillips Cleaners in Sumerlin. Sumerlin.. what a ghetto :winkwink:

I could go on but don't feel like dragging a bunch of shit up tonight. You feel the way you do, I feel the way I do, but if you think there's only one car jacking in Vegas over an 8 month period you live with your head up your ass.

If you think I'm bullshitting you can meet me on the steps of the Clark County courthouse in October when I go back for the retrial. Murderers and their fucking appeals :321GFY

lived there for about 6 months last year, got over it pretty quickly!

Sorry to hear that. but you said this:
That's insane. Unless you have like 2 friends or something here. You made it sound like everybody in Vegas gets carjacked. They don't. Nor do they get robbed. Nor do they get killed. It's mostly fucking Mormons living in this town, and they are more boring than dangerous.

Here is the list by the way of the REAL most dangerous cities in the U.S.:
1. Detroit, Mich.
2. St. Louis, Mo.
3. Flint, Mich.
4. Oakland, Calif.
5. Camden, N.J.
6. Birmingham, Ala.
7. North Charleston, S.C.
8. Memphis, Tenn.
9. Richmond, Calif.
10. Cleveland, Ohio
11. Orlando, Fla.
12. Baltimore, Md.
13. Little Rock, Ark.
14. Compton, Calif.
15. Youngstown, Ohio
16. Cincinnati, Ohio
17. Gary, Ind.
18. Kansas City, Mo.
19. Dayton, Ohio
20. Newark, N.J.
21. Philadelphia, Penn.
22. Atlanta, Ga.
23. Jackson, Miss.
24. Buffalo, N.Y.
25. Kansas City, Kans.


Damn...Vegas didn't even make the top list. That seems impossible from what you are saying. By the way that list is from this URL: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921299.html

A couple of minutes on Google is always helpful to find out real information.

Sorry to hear about your immediate family that were killed. But it's not an indictment on the entire city. Fact is...living here is very nice.

Vegas is whores, whores, whores.

High priced escorts, low priced escorts. Casino girls from out of town who are probably cheating on their husbands or hooking in secret. street hookers or even porn star hookers.

Most crimes involve drugs. sorry to say it but if you are involved in anything beyond smoking the occasional joint you're life is going to be fucked up to one extent or another.

Even with marijuana you see crime related deaths that are higher than peeps that don't do drugs.

Basically if you are drug free and not a drunk you aren't likely to be involved in any crime.

and if you walk a lot just carry a beretta and you'll be fine as long as you are cautious about pulling it out. Like when someone robs you and has you at gun point you don't try some wild west shit unless you are jacki chan.

Learn your gun laws for your state. Learn when you are in the right to pull the trigger. In some states you can shoot a burglar in your home or even on your lawn even if they are running away.

Just saying if you are smart and take the time to know your city, it's laws and some basic shit you aren't likely to get hurt.

an updated list from aug 2009

1 New Orleans, LA
2 Camden, NJ
3 Detroit, MI
4 St. Louis, MO
5 Oakland, CA
6 Flint, MI
7 Gary, IN
8 Birmingham, AL
9 Richmond, CA
10 North Charleston, SC
11 Cleveland, OH
12 Baltimore, MD
13 Miami Gardens, FL
14 Memphis, TN
15 Youngstown, OH
16 Atlanta, GA
17 Compton, CA
18 Orlando, FL
19 Little Rock, AR
20 Minneapolis, MN
21 Washington, DC
22 Philadelphia, PA
23 Jackson, MS
24 Newark, NJ
25 Milwaukee, WI

Thank you for your condolences.

I know a handful of people from Vegas, some of them might be considered higher risk- tattoo artists, bouncers, etc, but some of them are straight edge and live drug free lifestyles and some of them are just your average middle class joes. Every single person has told me some story about how at one time or another they were robbed or ripped off in some crazy way.

I did do a little google fu but didn't want to take the trouble to post it, but since you brought it up I googled "most dangerous us cities" and the first link that was returned was Forbes list of the most dangerous cities for 2009.

According to Forbes Vegas is the 4th most dangerous city in the US:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/mos...peed=undefined

Obviously, my opinion is tainted, I will admit. I can only base my opinion based on my own personal experiences and I know alot of people from many walks of life, and while not every single one had a gun placed to their head every single one of them has been touched by crime. If no one in your circle of friends out there has ever been a victim than yes, I'm pretty amazed. Best of luck and genuinely hope if that's the case it stays that way.

In 08 Las Vegas was #4 City for Violent Crimes per capita. However, Henderson has one of the lowest violent crime rates in the Country, year after year.

We lived on the dark, fun, crazy side of Vegas.. very fun and very stupid all in one, we never saw a violent crime. Heard of a few... but was never witness to any.

only if i could live with aaronM

Look at how close the houses are. Thats just nuts.

Lived there 5 years. I would never do it again.
Just hated it towards the end.
Not a healthy place to live that is for sure.

Just because you guys come here for 3 days, stay on in a hotel on one particular street, and spend as much money as you can at clubs, strip clubs, and casinos, does not mean that's all this city is all about. It's pretty cool as a local.

-from a pseudo local, lol.

Mine isnt like that.

http://www.mrpheer.com/home.jpg

Las Vegas is too hot, and there is too much crime.

But, it's a great place to incorporate a business.

I went to Vegas in January a couple of years ago and thought the weather was nice. As far as living over there, not sure but I do like that you can buy a large home for pennies. As far as crime I think nowadays you just need to be alert since shit can happen anywhere these days.

You said 'nowadays' and 'these days' in the same sentence. How redundant of you.

Its cheap as chips and the desert is a nice climate. I think the boredom of living there might get to me, but the weather is attractive. But then I like hot weather.

:thumbsup

Best place I have ever been think they should send old folks there for their hols, they can get everything and the place reeks of money, sex and a happy time. Don't go there unless you have an open mind and want to get layed, I am back there next month for a fill up.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b133/syn0r/homes.jpg

Haha, my realtor offered me a house in this community :)

If it's still available when I'm there, I'll snatch it up.

I lived in Vegas for a year, and IMO that was about 11 months too long. Regarding crime, some guy got his brains splattered all over my doorstep. No, it's probably not in the Top 10 Most Horrible Cities In America, but there are so many nicer options I don't know why you'd settle unless you just don't know any better. Rows of closely packed poorly constructed McMansions in the desert are cheap for a reason.

Reading this thread, I get the impression that the only people who say they like it were either born there, or moved from places even worse. So I say with love and respect, see more of the country before you waste your whole life there.

We can have a reasonable disagreement about the weather, but Vegas is populated mostly by transient uneducated poorly paid service workers with no sense of community. I'm only half joking when I theorize that a large segment of the gene pool probably ended up there because some ancestor gambled away all his money and lost their transport out. It seemed like every local I met made excuses for living there and it's only temporary until blah blah blah ...

Vegas is a great place to invest in property right now if you are careful and choose well.

I like to visit but would not want to live their all the time.

we lived in Henderson for two years but returned to Florida last year. It's too cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer!

The Vegas market is still being artificially propped up by banks who are releasing for sale only a fraction of the doomed investments from last decade, in an attempt to keep prices from plummeting further. The foreclosures on the market now are just the tip of the iceberg. I don't see how a real recovery is possible here, but it could be manipulated to look that way for a while.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b133/syn0r/homes.jpg

When I see this picture, it makes me think of those huge old victorian homes back east that now serve as multi-family slums. I'm afraid that future is more likely than continued prosperity in the desert. I'm only 30, so I make all my investments trying to imagine the world in 2025-2050 and my crystal ball predicts this place is going to end up looking something like Detroit does now.

How can you tell?

I lived there for 5 years. It was great!

I could definitely live in Vegas. Would need to be far away from the strip tho.

Google streetview rides around the neighborhood

Boredom and Vegas in one sentence?

I live in Henderson and the New Breed Digital Studio/office is in Vegas, not far from the palms in between Flamingo and Sahara somewhere.
Probably not the best part of town, one of those places you can tell is lower but we have been there 3 years and never seen anything violent, seen plenty of pull overs and hookers etc arrested but that's about it.

We are not far from China town (about a mile) and here in the office we have been on a Thai kick lately, we have the best foods from all over the world at our fingertips here in Vegas, no doubt.

My house is 2700 sq ft, i have a pool/jacuzzi, 2 car garage, 3 bed 2 1/2 baths, great backyard for parties.. and probably pay less then anywhere else in the country.

We lived in Tucson for years and I liked it there, the weather is very nice there, just how I like it. Tucson is a decent size city but does not have that big city feel to it, it's all very relaxed and chill.. Summers slow down a lot because of all the snowbirds leaving, winters are a little more busy and just like Vegas you see license plates from all over the country.

Actually no, I don't like the climate of a desert.

Mmm, I don't think so, no. I like the beach.

I have to say that I was born and raised in Florida. And there were a LOT more transients and bums living on the streets in Ft. Lauderdale than I have witnessed here in Vegas.
There are plenty of them on the streets here panhandling for sure. But in Ft. Lauderdale, we would come out of Summers On The Beach partying at 3 in the morning and the dumpster would have a dozen bums eating out of it.

I've never seen anything like that here.

The "uneducated poorly paid service workers with no sense of community" that you describe are the heavily Catholic pro-family hispanics and the very work oriented Asian communities that are here. I don't think they agree with that racist viewpoint. They work hard, do a good job, get paid, and take care of their families. A lot of people could learn a thing or two from them.

Of course the teenage boys and young men raise hell in certain areas I suppose. That's the way it is in every city with any kind of population. Nothing more dangerous in my mind than a pack of 19 year old guys. They will destroy anything in their path and aren't scared of anything.

But that's the same no matter what town you're in.

BUT, there really is a problem here in Vegas.
And that problem is there are too many goddamn Mormons. They have turned Sin City into Wimpy City. There seems to be a law against anything and everything. :(
That's the complaint I hear from everyone in town. Not the "danger" or crime or "transients" or whatever other things you guys are dreaming up...Nope, the main complaint is "We are covered in Mormons" lol

Their religious superstitious bullshit is smothering the free spirit of the town.

For instance, The Erotic Heritage Museum recently had painted nude women on the building. Keep in mind, it's in a neighborhood right by the Strip surrounded by adult book stores and strip clubs.

Well, the Mormon community (which never goes to the strip anyway) was "offended". So the Erotic Heritage Museum in "Sin City" had to paint pasties over the nipples of cartoon paintings on the outside wall! LOL!

There is your REAL danger in Las Vegas. :1orglaugh

no way no waves

I agree right now I'd rather live in Vegas than Florida. Fortunately those aren't the only options. I used to think it was a choice between big city problems and redneck rural problems. But then I did some traveling and there are actually lots of nice little cities just as socially progressive, hidden away where nobody needs gates, random violence is still rare, people are genuinely happy and kind to eachother in more than a superficial way. Just because millions of people choose to live in crowded hot aggressive places doesn't mean you have to. It took me a too long to figure that out. After several years in Phoenix (and Vegas), I moved to a liberal little town in Oregon and I'm much more relaxed now. And the house you can get for your money isn't bad either. My only complaint is that in a cooler climate, girls cover up too much.

To each their own I suppose. I was born and raised in Oregon and have now lived in Vegas for 10 years. I much prefer Vegas to Oregon. Better weather (other than the 6 weeks a year in July/August that Oregon is great), ton more things to do and no state income tax.

Tons of houses all look the same man.

:1orglaugh

I live in Asian Vegas :thumbsup