Thinking of moving to the Las Vegas/Paradise area in early 2008?

Question

Myself, my wife and two children (4years and 1year) are looking into maybe moving to the Vegas/Paradise area come tax time next year to make the move a bit more smooth money wise.

I've vacationed there a few times, we're not much on gambling but love everything else that the region had to offer. My wife is a year from finishing her bachelors in Psychology, and as of right now, I am a stay at home father who has years of experience in retail and customer service and currently we live in an area where neither of us can peruse an education or jobs we are experienced in.

My question has a few parts really.

1. I was told by someone "If you live in Vegas/Paradise and aren't working...its because you don't want to work." Is the job market really that open out there?

2. How are the public schools in Vegas/Paradise area?

3. What areas are best for raising a family?

Any additional information you have to offer would be nice as well. Thank you for your time.

Also, as far as cautioning about gangs and what not, thats to be expected in any big city, its my job as a responsible parent to make sure my children don't get involved.

And as far as moving to Minnesota, I live there now, the economy here is horrible which is why I am seeking to move to somewhere where it isn't and to where my family can grow and enjoy themselves.

Answer 1

I've been here for 12 years, moved out here from Southern California, and I love it out here. I can do without the heat, but you can't have everything....

1. Job market is plentiful, if you're willing to work. But I would recommend trying to secure a job prior to moving out here. I had two before moving out here. If you're going to try & get a job in a casino/hotel, the hiring process takes a long time, which is why I would recommend having a job lined up, unless you have a nice nestegg to hold you over...

2. I don't have any kids, nor did I go to school out here, but from what I hear, the public school system is horrible. If you can afford it, try to send them to private schools...

3. I've lived in Henderson & now have a home in the southwest area, near Mountain's Edge. Both areas would be good, but the southwest area will have cheaper homes, Henderson tends to be a bit more expensive. Summerlin is also nice, but again, an expensive area, in comparison to the rest of the valley...

Overall, would I raise a family out here? Yes I would, but I would definitely send my kids to a private school. That's hard for me to say since I am a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District(public school), and despite all it's imperfections, I think a lot can be learned by going through the public school system. But seeing how the dropout rate out here is pretty high, and I have made lots of friends who did not finish highschool, and they have all said how horrible the public school system is out here, I think it would be best to go private school for my kids, if I had kids...=)

Good luck with your move, and if you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me an email. Sometimes, just having a contact in a new place makes all the difference in the world...

Answer 2

I've been here for almost 20 years. I would not send my children to public school here. Lots of schools are year-round schools.I assume you mean Paradise Valley area, it's an old area and includes the airport and UNLV. I would have a "job" before I moved out here. P.S. I don't consider this a place to raise a family. The pollution is bad and allergies are all year long. We have gang problems like other big cities. But I must say, this town has been good to us. Best of Luck!

Answer 3

Nobody local refers to Paradise Valley - it's either Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Northtown, Naked City - unless you're referring to a master-planned community such as Green Valley, Aliante, Summerlin, etc.

Avoid living in Northtown (North Las Vegas east of I-15) or central Vegas. Avoid everything in Naked City (the slums around the Stratosphere) - its a nasty place.

Now, for your questions:

1. The jobless rate is low here and jobs are plentiful if you're in the service industries - Las Vegas is a service town. Develop bad references, however, and it will be just as hard here as anywhere else. You might not always find exactly what you want but you can always find a job here. The only people I've known that had problems finding jobs had other obstacles, such as a criminal record.

2. The public schools in all of Nevada are just as sad as the ones in California. I would equate most of the graduates as 8th grade level compared to other graduates, such as from Iowa or Wisconsin.

3. See #2 - if you have children, you would be better off moving to someplace in the midwest or northern central, such as Iowa, Minnesota, or Wisconsin. There is less crime, less gangs, better education.

There aren't any areas of the entire Las Vegas Valley that are totally "safe" for raising children - the gangs are everywhere, the drugs are everywhere, and the crime is everywhere.

Now that I've given you the hard facts, here is my personal experience.

When I moved here 11 years ago, I lived in SE Vegas - and there were drug dealers working the bus stop across the street. I didn't have any personal problems, nor do I have children, but that didn't make me feel like I was living in a great area.

A year later, I moved to near the Texas Station - no drug dealers there, at least. Nothing ever happened to me, but there were cops around because of other houses being broken into and then it turned out that our next-door neighbor (who had just disappeared) was a wanted pedophile.

A year after moving there, we bought a house in North Las Vegas and, while nothing has happened to us, we hear and see police helicopters on a regular basis. We occasionally hear gunshots being fired, and once we had a get-away car dumped in our front yard. A house nearby was broken into once and two vehicles have been stolen in our block.

We also have, like so many others, an alarm system on our house, alarms on our cars, big dogs in the yard, a security door on our house, and I learned how to use my husband's guns and use them well. But, once again, nothing has happened to us.

This may sound horrible if you're from the midwest, but wholesome if you're from southern California.

Answer 4

We moved to Las Vegas in 2003, and stay approximately 2 miles from the North Las Vegas airport. we like it. there are a number of advantageous factors on the brink of the sector, commencing from residences to truly luxury residences, so which you will desire to have a good decision of residing preparations. As already suggested, the fee of residing right here would desire to be decrease, with the shortcoming of a state income tax being a considerable element. additionally, in case you intend to purchase a house, you will locate sources taxes very low, and no college tax further on. as quickly as faraway from the Strip or Downtown, you will locate existence right this is like everywhere else. the common ameliorations are the huge decision of activities, and the supply of 24 hour an afternoon playing. Oh, yeah. the climate, too (3 hundred days of light extra or much less). like all city, Las Vegas has its proportion of crime and different issues, yet average, it would not look as undesirable as some. The powers that be look doing a particularly good activity (relative to different factors i've got lived) in retaining with with a inhabitants boost of around 6000 human beings a month. speaking of people, we've got here upon the human beings we've met right here to be lots of the friendliest, maximum powerful human beings everywhere. in case you do unlike Denver, i'd say why no longer circulate? in case you come back to a decision you do no longer like it, you may consistently try someplace else, and in case you do like it, then welcome! wish that helps.

Answer 5

Henderson is a very good area as well.
Jobs are easy to come by if you are willing to work.
Schools are marginal I live here. I grew up on the east coast. This is not negative, I live here and enjoy it. But the people do not have the education that I got on the east coast. Reaction time is off and decision making is an obsticle to some. That is my personal observation.

Answer 6

I concur:
1) Yes, there are plenty of jobs. Depends on what pay you are willing to settle for.
2) public schools are no good (I come from a family of teachers)
3) Best areas for a family? Any area that is generally in another state. We are moving out next year, about the same time... maybe you want our house?

Answer 7

Good luck!
Its very Hot!!