Living and Playing in Vegas

[LeavingMA]

I am leaving MA for sure. Vegas and Tampa are two places I'm considering and where I can play poker. At least initially playing poker will be during weekdays as I have a 10 year old on my own.

My main question is not about playing poker but about living in Vegas so I'm looking for general feedback on that. I recently visited and know I can take the heat, so to speak, it hit 109. I do like the Mountains Edge development, even though building and sales seem to have stalled for now. It is closer to the strip than Summerlin, it appears. Not sure whether I should buy or rent though initially I'd likely rent. My concern is that total selling fees are higher than in MA, for example, so if you own a home for just a few years you may lose money selling.

I am looking for an area preferrably where my son can safely ride his bike to friends and to school, walking distance to restaurants, access to own or community pool?

How is the quality of life, are people as friendly as they appear to be, the traffic situation?

As an aside, while in Vegas on 215 the cops gave me a ticket for driving in the breakdown lane when there were no lanes marked and I was preparing to exit. There was no amount written on the ticket and obviously I can not appear in court so any tips on how to handle this from afar would also be appreciated.

[rafiki]

what games do you play ? I think that should be a big part of which city you choose.

[LeavingMA]

Currently, because of my situation and location I play mostly Hold em tournaments and Sit and Go's online, in NH and Foxwoods but I plan to widen that after I move. LA was suggested as another location which I had not given much thought about though it is worth considering. My main concerns are quality of life, over the types of games available.

[RRizGod]

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Currently, because of my situation and location I play mostly Hold em tournaments and Sit and Go's online, in NH and Foxwoods but I plan to widen that after I move. LA was suggested as another location which I had not given much thought about though it is worth considering. My main concerns are quality of life, over the types of games available.

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Tampa and LA are probably both better places to raise kids over LV.

[Don Olney]

Mountains Edge is just fine. Kids are good to go to ride around there.

As for your ticket. OPPPS.
If there is no bail amount set on the ticket it is a must appear. Call the court that it list for you to show and explain your situation. They should give you a bail amount and have you send a certified/cashers check. I think that ticket is around $195 if it was in Henderson. If it was Las Vegas it should be around $125..

[bav]

One of the most common reasons I hear for people leaving Vegas is "for the kids". It's just not thought of as a good place for the youngin's. There isn't enough for them to do, and there are too many naughty temptations for the teens. AND the teachers are dreadfully underpaid so they are constantly hiring new ones by the boatload, often from the Philippines and elsewhere. See: http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../26153393.html

So I cannot even slightly suggest Vegas as a good place to raise a kid. But it's not exactly child abuse to bring 'em here, either.

[LeavingMA]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

I believe I understand the potential negatives with Vegas as far as kids go but I see lots of positives such as the weather, mountains for hiking and skiing not too far away and more. For now my kid needs only a pool to be happy, anywhere in the world [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

At this point my son attends the Boys and Girls Club, he has playdates with mates, weekly "game" days/nights with me and I think that we would find that in Vegas, yes?

I read some articles and opinions on teachers and the salaries while there and I've always thought it is not how much money you spend, necessarily, that determines the quality of schools though it may be the case here. In MA property owners are being taxed to death in part due to the high teacher salaries and healthcare benefits. In Quincy, the teachers just ended a strike. I might prefer a foreigner teacher's work ethic over that of a union controlled American teacher, assuming they have a union in Vegas.

Having said that, I submit the over all quality of education is likely better in MA than in Vegas.

As far as temptations for kids/teens, I'm aware and I figure as long as you teach your kids right from wrong without shielding them from reality (which I think is a mestake) they have a great chance at surviving in this jungle we live in. In fact, since an early age I have tought my son poker, odds and probabilities because I know he will benefit from it in other areas. At the kids game room at Circus Circus he evaluated close to every game about whether the "odds" of winning were ok or not before deciding to play. He actually turned down a "chance" to win an IPOD so I know he is on the right track.

I know a friend of a friend, a devout Mormon with 3-4 kids who has lived in Vegas for 10-12 years and who recommends Vegas as a good place for me and my son. Please keep the feedback coming, Mountains Edge is still young and they have some plans for kids.

As far as the ticket, the bail amount is "cash", the date of appearance is Oct. 26, 2007 and it was in Vegas at 215 and Decatur (exit?) Why no ticket amount?

This cop must have been on a quota and it seem I get a ticket every time, lately, that I travel to Vegas. Got a speeding ticket in Moapa, I was guilty but was not happy about the cop asking where my son's mom was when he saw him in the back seat. What an azz and what a question, did he think I was kidnapping my own son?? Would he have said that to a mom traveling alone with her child.

For those of you who live in Vegas, what do you do in your spare time, besides poker [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I recently learned an interesting stat about Vegas, it historically has the highest rate of foreclosure at any given time. A Vegas mortgage broker explained it to me as more people living in Vegas have vices than those who do not.

[pig4bill]

Vegas may or may not be a good place to raise kids, but I can't imagine raising a kid in L.A.

[MrMore]

By far the most important influence in your kid's education is you. By far the most important factor is his nature. Schools, for the most part, are what you make of them, and education is something you give yourself.

As for the best place for combining poker, life, and child rearing, it's San Diego county.

[bav]

I think I agree with 'bout everything Leaving says about bringing his kid to Vegas. He's thought it through. Nevada schools are among the lowest rated in the country and Clark County hires more than their share of new teachers every year because they can't retain 'em, but that doesn't mean your kid can't get a good education. And yeah, when your kid is at the "safe street to bicycle around in" age vs the "how much trouble is he getting in now and where is he" age, Vegas ain't bad at all. Folks who flee Vegas 'cause of the kids tend to do so when the kids hit about 13.