Tell me what it's like to live in Las Vegas?
 

Am about 3-5 years away from retirement. Spent all of my life in the Midwest, looking to relocate to warm (not humid) climate with large population center, lots of choices of things to do, like cultural activities. Have been considering other places. Would love to live in San Diego, but cost of living is too expensive. Need good medical community, have some chronic medical issues that are controllable, but need access to specialists.

Friend from work just retired at 55, her husband is an accountant and they moved to Henderson, a LV suburb. Have heard now is the time, real estate will likely never be cheaper there. Any experience with living in LV would be helpful. I am not a gambler, but would like the restaurant and show scene, once in a while. Thanks!

Henderson reminds me of that song, "little houses". (You can find it on youtube). Except there is little "hillside".

I remember a thread where someone was heading to Las Vegas for a week, with her dad who had medical issues. She was asking locals, if dad has an attack will they take him to the nearest hospital to the strip...she'd heard terrible things about it. People responded by saying "Just make sure they don't take him to........." and naming the hospital nearest to their homes. Six or seven hospitals were mentioned as "nightmares" or "depths of hell".

Why would you want to move to an economically depressed community that people are leaving? Go to Arizona or Texas instead. Arizona has whole towns that cater to oldies. Texas is the state that has fared best in the last four years of economic flop.

The song is Little Boxes, it was the opening theme for Weeds for its first 3 seasons before the show jumped the shark.

Um, in summer Las Vegas is hot as hell and your electricity bill - for AC - will be a fortune. Also - it is not an area reknowned for excellent healthcare. If that is an issue I would find someplace with name hospitals and MD specializing in your problem.

... and Arizona won't be hot in summer OR Texas which is also quite humid many areas. A/C bills could eat up any savings in lodging (home/apt).

We had some friends a few years ago who retired to Vegas. They ate all their meals at the cheap casino buffets. She played the dollar slots and made friends with the casino waitresses who patrolled the slots area. They would tip her when a slot had been pumped full of coins but hadn't paid out in awhile. She often won quite a bit.

The husband was a fair poker player. He got on-board with two or three casinos who would call him when they had high rollers in town looking to put together a game. The casino would stake him to play and he got to keep any winnings, minus the original stake. They used to brag that they lived for free in Vegas.

You couldn't pay me to live there. Visit, yes. Live, no way. It is HOT, not warm. With the economic situation in Vegas, I am sure the crime rate is higher now too.

Having lived in Henderson for 20+ years we very much enjoy it. Has all the conveniences of a big city, international airport, world class cuisine, great medical care if you look for it, plenty of entertainment and the real estate will never be cheaper.

The summers are hot and dry of course but winters are usually a heavenly 50 to 60 degrees. Weather is a mixed bag anywhere but we prefer warmth!

The Vegas area is on a real down cycle right now for jobs but it will be back. But if you are retired, who cares. One warning: don't gamble if you become a resident. Let the visitors feed the slots while you enjoy all the other great amenities built to lure those slot feeders in!

Living in Las Vegas can be like living pretty much any place. I live in Reno, and I'm going to Las Vegas, Henderson actually, in a couple of weeks to stay with a friend who lives there part of the time and then she lives in Reno part of the time.

I never go to the casinos except to eat and that is pretty rare. I could live in Las Vegas, no problem, except I hate the heat and the traffic really can be awful.

People live, raise families, work, go to school, go to church, coach their kids in sports, take their kids to gymnastics, dance, marshall arts classes, go to PTA, volunteer...I mean what's it like in any town, city. It's what you make of it.

If you like the night life it's certainly there and you can get a plate of chinese food 24 hours a day if you want. You can grocery shop 24 hours a day in some stores if you want. Other than that, houses are very cheap. If you don't go to the strip, it's not all that different from many other places.

I will say that the houses are really close together, lots of tract houses and lots of neighborhoods with CC&R's. I don't think they are enforced as much in some places with so many forclosures.

My friend has a nice house, small lot, the pool takes up most of the back yard but she doesn't want yard work and a lot to maintain, especially since spending a lot of time here in Reno. At the same time, her landscaping keeps her privacy and the way the lots are terraced, she has a fabulous view from her back yard.

You might want to check on the medical issues depending on what your particular problem is. The have University Medical Center there but there have been some financial issues since the downturn and they have closed some of their services, like the oncology treatment for uninsured patients.

I don't know where nytraveler gets their information on the healthcare situation, but unless you have something really unique, there is good care there. Many places have some problems with the down turn.

As I said, my big issue with Las Vegas is the heat in the summer, but I have the same issue with Tucson, where my brother and SIL moved a couple of years ago. They love it, so there ya' go.

I see Toucan covered the gambling. You said you don't and hopefully you keep it like that. There are so many people living in Reno and Las Vegas that gamble all the time. I never liked it and living in Reno hasn't changed that.

Check out Mesquite NV or St. George UT. Close enough to Las Vegas to visit but don't have to live there. Great weather. Nice people. Low crime. Good medical care. We love it.

LBloom,
I would want to be familiar with the area I might retire - You might consider going to Las Vegas for a week or two in the summer and again for a week or two in the winter.

I would talk to real estate agents and have them drive you around neighborhoods to see what price range you would be in and what the neighborhood looked like.

I would also visit the various hospitals if that is something you feel is cruicial as well.

I don't think you can count on other's views because one man's treasure is another's hell! I would hate to live in Phoenix, Las Vegas, or some of the other flat, desert areas. I find them pretty boring without much to do. HOWEVER, we have and know many people who love both cities and wouldn't live anywhere else!

You really need to experience what it would be like.

I agree with spending some extended time, even a month in Las Vegas in the summer heat of July/August and the cold of January.

Personally, I find Phoenix to be far more attractive than Las Vegas. It has a desert with some character. Las Vegas, not for me.

As I have posted many times my late husband who was a Realtor Broker and owned a RE Agency always advised people who wanted to move to where they were not familar with to lease a residence for a year. One gets the advantage of living in all four seasons and checking out the various neighborhoods, shopping and medical facilities etc. Best wishes that you find the perfect retirement location, LBloom.

My advice is the same as LoveItaly's. Live there for a year before you make any permanent changes. I know six people/families who moved to Vegas. Not one lasted over two years. It is cold in the winter, brutally hot in the summer, you'll spend a lot of time in your car, and the culture can be quite different from other parts of the country.

The homes are pretty cheap right now, but there is a reason for that. Access/ cost of water may be a problem in the future.

Lease a home until you've survived 4 seasons!

Not all of San Diego is terribly expensive. You might go out and look at real estate in places like north San Diego, Chula Vista, etc.

Cold in the winter lol... not if you are from the midwest.