Moving to Vegas

[Need to know]

Can anyone please give me some insight on the best area's to live in in Vegas is? I have 2 small children. One in school and I know nothing about Vegas.Never been there. My husband has to move there for work. I know crime is everywere but I was just wondering what you think are some good area's to live in or to stay away from?

[Jay]

Need to know wrote:

Can anyone please give me some insight on the best area's to live in in Vegas is? I have 2 small children. One in school and I know nothing about Vegas.Never been there. My husband has to move there for work. I know crime is everywere but I was just wondering what you think are some good area's to live in or to stay away from?

Generally, the further away from the center of town you go the better off your going to be. Avoid the NE and E side all together. Green Valley(S), Summerlin(W), Aliante(N), Henderson(SE), Spring Valley(SW) and Centennial Hills(NW) are all good areas. Just remember the further out the better and locate yourself close to I-15, 95 or 215 to make your commute easier. Hope it helps...

[Here in Vegas]

Jay's right. Stay away from NE area and East. Just take a drive up Las Vegas Blvd from the strip out to Nellis AFB. Anything east of 15/95/93 is bad.

The areas west of 215 on Charleston and Sahara towards Red Rock Canyon are very nice. All master planned communities. Summerlin is good.

We live in the NW valley and its OK. It's a mix of planned communities, half acre estates, desert oldtimers and horse farms, a real mix. The problem around the NW area is that they zoned in some dumpy apartment complexes in the regular neighborhoods along Hwy 95. You can get some pockets of "rif-raff" in the area.

Elementary schools (K to 5)in our area are generally good. Middle schools (6 to 8) are iffy. In fact we pulled our son out of middle school and homeschooled him 7th and 8th grades.

[Need to know]

Thanks so much! I know the realtor I talked to said he could not tell me anything about it. Due to the fair housing. I know every one has there job duties but I think that is crazy. So when I do my home search It really doesn't let me put in any kind of area information. I am sure I will figure it all out with a little more time. Most of the homes do not tell you what area they are in. Thanks for you help. I was starting to get worried!

[Here in Vegas]

The home searches do not say much about the area. It is best to come here for a visit and check it out in person. Just get a feel.

One thing you may want to look at is the school reports. Go to the Clark County School District website. They have statistical reports from all the schools. You can probably tell by the discipline and graduation reports which areas to stay away from. CCSD is the 5th largest school district in the US, so they have coverage of all the schools. I think the CCSD website allows you to poke in a street address and see what schools are zoned in that area.

You said you have 2 little squirts. I think you can be confident in the elementary schools. But, you may want to look down the road at Middle Schools and avoid the ones with higher discipline problem reports. Even farther down the road, there are excellent "Magnet Schools" at the High School level. Magnets are competitive public schools, so the kidlettes need a good GPA to apply. Our son is in one and it is wonderful.

As you can tell education is important to us.

[Need to know]

Yes it is important to me too! I know the school there will be totally different than here in Ky. I am nervous about the whole situation. I told the realtor the information you had given me and that I wanted to view homes in the area's you had given me and to keep me clear from the others. Thank you that helped me alot. If you know anything else that can be helpful please let me know.

[Need to know]

So year round school! Does it have a summer break? Well that's what we call it. I noticed in August it is mostly blank on the calendar. Why is that?

[CMV]

We are thinking about moving out west too. I heard that jobs in Vegas are hard to find now. Anyone out there with some input on that one?

[Here in Vegas]

Need to know wrote:

So year round school! Does it have a summer break? Well that's what we call it. I noticed in August it is mostly blank on the calendar. Why is that?

They have a "track" system here, but it is up to the individual schools if they want to participate. Our son's elementary school did, then they dropped it and went back to regular 9 month school cycle. His middle school did not do it, nor does his High School now. I think it's dying off now.

In the track system all students got 5 weeks off in the summer, then two vacation during the school year, each 3 weeks long. Our son got Oct and Feb off. I liked it because summer is so hot it's hard for the kids to get outside. At least under track they would time off when the weather was decent.

[Need to know]

So not all the schools participate? My daughter is in the second grade! Is there a way to know what school participate? What is the 9 month cycle? I mean here we get a week for spring break, a week for fall break, a winter break and then 5 weeks in the summer. You probaly think I am crazy but I don't understand this yet.

[Need to know]

The Calendar is very confusing compared to our calendar here.

[Need to know]

Okay I am beginning to understand now that I did my research. So on the 9 month cycle? How does that work? Do they get breaks for winter and fall or do they get 3 months all at once? or do they break it up?

[Here in Vegas]

9 month cycle is basically 2 months off in the summer. School's out during the first week of June and then starts the week before Labor Day. Two weeks for Christmas and a week in the spring. Fairly traditional.

There are a handful of 3 day weekends too for a thing called "Staff Development Day". Oh, we get "Nevada Day" off too.

[Need to know]

What time does school begin and let out there? We take up at 7:40 here and end at 2:20. I noticed if you live within 2 miles of school there you can not ride a bus. I had never heard of that untill that little girl went missing in florida!

[Here in Vegas]

Yes, no buses rides within 2 miles. Around here there are a lot of elementary schools, there is essentially no service to them. As I recall elem school starts at 9:00 AM and ends about 3:15. Middle school starts at 8:00 AM to about 2:15. High School 7:00 AM to about 1:15. Don't hold me to those times, but our son has lunch at 9:45AM

[calibrat]

No matter where you live it can be bad..the people who live in "gated communities" are in just as much danger as the people from their own communities rob the houses..people follow car after car so people can get in who may be upto no good.

[Here in Vegas]

calibrat wrote:

No matter where you live it can be bad..the people who live in "gated communities" are in just as much danger as the people from their own communities rob the houses..people follow car after car so people can get in who may be upto no good.

I think they publish gate codes on the internet. Seems like everyone gets in the gated communities. Except friends of those who live there.

Seriously, my friend works at the phone company. He has a code list for every gated community in the valley. He has to send guys into the communities to fix phone trouble. Same with the garbage, cable, gas, water, electric, pizza dudes, taxi etc.

[calibrat]

Here in Vegas wrote:

<quoted text>
I think they publish gate codes on the internet. Seems like everyone gets in the gated communities. Except friends of those who live there.
Seriously, my friend works at the phone company. He has a code list for every gated community in the valley. He has to send guys into the communities to fix phone trouble. Same with the garbage, cable, gas, water, electric, pizza dudes, taxi etc.

Big hassle where we used to live they chage the gate code every 2 months.

[Here in Vegas]

calibrat wrote:

<quoted text>
Big hassle where we used to live they chage the gate code every 2 months.

Probably hit or miss on changing codes. Another friend we visit has not changed codes in 7 years. You would think they would have to give the codes to police and fire at least.

Where did you live?

[calibrat]

Out by Azure & 95