I arrived in Las Vegas in November, 1999, expecting to stay for a month or two. In that time, I believed, I could learn enough about the city and its denizens to make the novel I was writing ring with authenticity. Now, of course, I know that’s laughable. A lifetime isn’t enough to learn all of Las Vegas’s secrets and idiosyncrasies. Those who try to “get” Las Vegas in a weekend only succeed in putting a thin veneer on the old established stereotypes. “Parachute journalists,” we call them, and it’s not a compliment.
Almost immediately, I realized that Las Vegas was nothing like I expected it to be. Within a few weeks, I was helplessly hooked on the valley’s unique location, history, and style. By the time I had spent six weeks exploring, I knew I had found, not just a fascinating place to write about, but also a place I wanted to call home.
In 2004, soon after I had launched the Web site that eventually became Living-Las-Vegas.com, I wrote an article called “Ten Reasons I Love Living in Las Vegas.” Now, in celebration on my first decade in the shadow of the Strip, I’d like to revisit the topic. Here are ten more reasons I love living here.
1. The weather. When I addressed this topic the first time, I focused on how kind low humidity is to hairstyles, and I still appreciate the low incidence of bad hair days. Since then, I’ve also come to appreciate many more aspects of Vegas weather. I like summer, when I can swim at midnight. I like winter, when it’s usually crisp and clear, and it snows just often enough to be a novelty. I love desert sunsets, and thunderstorms are the best free entertainment anywhere.
2. Vintage Vegas. Those who don’t know the city beyond the stereotypes are wont to say that there’s nothing old in Vegas. While it’s true that plenty of landmarks on the Strip (including the Landmark) have come tumbling down, interest in preserving older neighborhoods and restoring historic buildings is on the rise. The Fifth Street School in downtown Las Vegas is a great example.
3. It’s good to be a “local.” In part because Las Vegas is a tourist destination, being a local has its privileges. Not only are “locals’ discounts” common, many businesses and resorts make a point of appreciating Vegas residents with other perks and specials. The M Resort on south Las Vegas Boulevard at St. Rose Parkway is a great example of a property that makes locals especially welcome, but it’s just one of many.
4. Diversity. People of all ethnicities and most nationalities call the Vegas valley home. Whether you want to eat at a Goan restaurant or join a Maronite church, you can do it in Las Vegas.
5. No flies. Well, okay, maybe there’s a fly here somewhere, but you have to look.
6. Volunteer opportunities that really make a difference. I volunteered through the Surrogate Parent Initiative to be an advocate at school for a child who lives in foster care. It’s the most worthwhile volunteering I’ve ever done, and other opportunities abound, like those offered through Opportunity Village and GetOutdoorsNevada.com.
7. Fresh and Easy. Okay, this one may seem kind of dumb, but I really like Tesco’s new American markets, and I’m glad they decided to open some of their first stores in Las Vegas.
8. Really wonderful organizations and businesses. I love Pottery West, The Meadows School, the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Research, the Vegas Valley Book Festival, the Pinball Hall of Fame, and Cactus Joe’s. These are only a few. The valley is full of amazing people doing wonderful things.
9. “Going to Vegas.” I live in Las Vegas, but any time I feel like it, I can “go to Vegas.” Even if I don’t always seize the opportunity, I love knowing that an amazing array of world-class restaurants, shows, attractions, and stores is just up the road. Yes, I’m one of those locals who does go to the Strip. Downtown, too. Often.
10. Great service. Every time I go to another city, I have to remind myself not to expect the high standard of service in restaurants and bars that I’m accustomed to in Las Vegas. We sometimes take it for granted, but we’re spoiled here.
Okay, those are my latest top ten. Agree? Disagree? Any additions? I’d love to know what you think.
As a former Chicagoan, I would add “free parking” to your list. Seeing a show in Chicago includes a hefty fee to park a car downtown; here, parking in LV is either free or simply the cost of a valet tip.
Excellent point, for the most parking, is free, easy to find and convenient here in town. Actually, one of the funny things about Las Vegas parking are the “Valet Full” signs one sometimes sees at big-name concert and fight events at Strip casinos. Of course, there is no such thing as “a full valet area”. All that really means is that you just offer an extra $20 and “voila” — there’s always room to park!
Mark
Yes!! How could I have left out FREE PARKING? Thanks, Diane, for adding it. I have paid to park in Las Vegas on occasion, but not nearly as often as any other big city. In addition free VALET parking is a perk we can take for granted here. Yes, a tip is in order, but what a great service you get for a few bucks.
The flies are in my dog run, if you want a few. But I agree with all 21 of your picks, and the free parking thing, too. I’m unendingly galled when I have to pay to park in another city. And the 24-hour stores are great! I don’t often want Wal-Mart at 2AM, but it happens, and when it does there’s a Wal-Mart waiting for me to shop.
Once, outside of Denver, we went to a buffet, and the drink waitress started explaining to us how a buffet works. Can you believe that? We were able to figure it out, somehow ;-).
Probably number 10 is my biggest reason for still being here. It never ceases to amaze me when I’m out of town just how good the service here is anywhere. I always expect the same level of service elsewhere and it never measures up. How are things going with you?
Hi, Charles! I’ve been out of town for a couple of days and glad to be back. Hope all’s well with you and your four-legged friends!
I’m glad to see someone saying nice things about my home town. Too many people come with enthusiasm and leave bitter. Las Vegas has many good points. I like that a person can snow ski at Mount Charleston in the morning and water-ski at Lake Mead in the afternoon (if they really wanted to). I like that it is a mid-sized city with a small professional core. You can literally get to know all the movers and shakers here. We have a dental school and a law school. A brain institute is coming. We are a world famous city, so it you are trying to impress people to visit you, it is not too hard.
My only real concern about Vegas is the water supply. But that is because this is my home and I don’t want it to dry up, literally or figuratively. The Strip will be here for a long time, but when water sky-rockets in price, I don’t know that many people will be able to afford to stay. Neighborhoods might go Detroit on us.
I think it is a pretty hard stretch to imagine that Las Vegas will ever face the kinds of hardship now facing Detroit. Water is going to be an issue — it already is. But the thing I remind everyone is, that Nevada is still following the rules set by the western states alliance of 50+ years ago. With riparian law, possession always wins in the end…. Nevada may and perhaps should play a bigger role in determining who gets the lion-share of the water from the Colorado River.
Los Angeles and the Imperial Valley is who should be worried. I don’t see anyone in LA worrying about water rationing of for that matter Pasadena. There’s a big pipe that runs from Lake Mead direct to Pasadena, California and that pipeline goes through Nevada. Remember “possession” sometimes the rules, about equitable sharing of limited natural resources, need to be re-written…
As a business owner and home owner, I’m not that worried about future supply.
Mark
Thank you for the update on reasons why you love to live in Las Vegas. I live in Oregon and work for a hospice organization. I have an opportunity to transfer to Las Vegas or Palm Springs to work in an in-patient hospice facility – same company. I’m learning about both places so I can make an informed decision on which place would suit me. For Las Vegas, I love the idea of having so many shows to choose from on any given night. I really enjoy dancing as well. Culture is very important to me as I live in a very culturally diverse city. Your top 10 was most helpful. Thank you!
I was only in Vegas for a couple of days and to me what was amazing was the architecture and how all of the buildings create a city unlike any other in the world. I’m from Portland Oregon and even though Portland metro area isn’t hard to navigate around, I found Vegas to be super easy to get from point A to point B. If you do get lost all you have to do is see where the Strip is, and since there are very few trees thats easy enough. One thing Vegas could improve on is transportation, and by this I mean a streetcar similar to that of Portlands would be nice along the Strip from downtown to Excalibur. But what city doesn’t have problems.
Thanks for your comments. No doubt about it, water is a big issue here in the west. Mark makes a good point about the agricultural areas in California. The water agreements worked out a century ago really need to be revisited and updated.
Brant, I agree that public transportation could be better here. I’d take the bus much more often if there were a stop closer to home. Improvements are in the works, though, which is encouraging.
Sarah, there IS culture in Las Vegas, but it tends to be the kind that the tourist industry has encouraged. That means the city still has a way to go with respect to museums. On the other hand, there are plenty of musicians, artists and dancers everywhere you go. The way I see it, it’s culture in the making.
My fiance and I have been thinking about moving out there. We live in Cali and where we are there is barely any job openings unless you have management skills or want to flip burgers at Micky D’s.
My guy wants to go for the culinary career, and I was surprised to see how many job postings are over there compared to here. I’m not entirely sure what career path I’d want to go for though.
How is North Los Vegas?
We’re hoping to move there in the Spring.
Any tips/advice on how to get situated there?
Thanks a lot!
P.S. love your top reasons!
I have lived in Michigan all of my life and I am tired of the cold winters and lack of sunshine. Several days can go by without ever seeing the sun. I have been thinking about moving to Las Vegas but I am unsure what it is really like. I have visited a few times but it was on the strip and it was just as a tourist. I understand that living there won’t be what Hollywood has made it to be but Vegas does seem to have a lot of other great qualities.
My concern is that I am a little worried about what the people are like. I heard that people can be pretty rude. I also heard that there seems to be a lot of gangs and crime. Can anyone give me some insight to what the people are like and how bad the crime is?
I’ve forgotten what the saying is — but it’s something on the order for 354 days of sunshine a year for Las Vegas. In the ten years that I lived here, I can’t remember a single day without seeing the sun — even on the days it snowed or rained hard for a few hours.
There’s quite a bit of variety these days with multi-ethnic and multi-cultural influences — but there is a built-in conservatism that many new residents find a bit surprising and off-putting — but I can’t think of a single time in 10 years where someone was personally rude to me.
Crime and gangs are a part of every major city in the USA — but I rarely see it in a personal way — You do need good urban survival instincts and you can greatly lessen the incidence of crime against you by reading John Taylor’s tips and acting on them.
Mark
I love your website Megan, I am considering moving to Las Vegas later this year. This definitely hlpes justify my move.
Would it be alright if I emailed you for some advice on the city, I will be visiting in two weeks
I am working on finding a job in Las Vegas and I am concerned whether it will be difficult to find a job. I am a VP in banking and we so badly want to move to Vegas and be near Family. Does anyone know what the job market is like for a VP Regional banking position?
Loved your 10 reason’s and not seeing flies all summer long will be so nice! Thanks for your website it is very helpful.
Any chance you would be willing to get in touch with Scott Whitney at Vegas Video Network. If you don’t know, he has a podcast called “Living in Las Vegas”. Check it out and get in touch with Scott. I’d love to hear about the reasons you love Vegas.