[Shipresa]

I'm moving back to Vegas from Houston because I'd rather raise kids in Vegas. It has much to do with being a good parent anywhere... I mean a good parent would not hang out with their kids at dodgy areas around Vegas as in any other city.

Again, there good schools in Vegas, so you'll need to concentrate on those areas and be ready to pay for that tax area. They are not all bad!

The friends that I made in Vegas who were born and raised in Vegas were much more worldly, flexible and confident than friends from the rural areas that I was brought up in, but not ever with the somewhat haughty, rude attitudes that I found in folks raised in big cities. I would be happy to have my kids raised in Vegas and we are working to move back.

[ChetMcKasey]

Thank you for your reply! I appreciate your thoughts.

[Nix3]

I think raising a family is fine in Vegas. I'm also moving to Vegas with my kids. By the time I move this summer my sons will be about 2 1/2 years old, and around 6 months old (depending on when son #2 shows up) lol. I grew up going to Vegas for FAMILY vacations ha ha! Try explaining that to your small town, Oklahoma, elementary class every new school year when asked what your family did for the summer vacation. We stayed on the strip, and off the strip at my grandma's condo. And yes, my parent's took us three girls on the strip at night too, we weren't out till 3am but we were still out past dark. I just took my oldest son to Vegas last November for Thanksgiving. My dad was very happy to move back to Vegas when I was 15. I stayed in OK with my mom. The school system's may not be that great, but for me, neither is the one in my home town. I'm fortunate to have plenty of family already living in Vegas so when I move I don't have to look so much online at what areas I hope are good to live in or not. I can stay with them until I get a job.

I say, you have an amazing opportunity for your job, and there are plenty of family oriented things in Vegas. So go for it! Maybe your wife would be able to get a job, once you move there, in the education field. From what I've read on the forums it seems for that field you need to live in Vegas first. I don't know the ages of your kids, but there was a ton of stuff to do, and even if it just means going to the mall, the mall (at least the one I went to) looks like any regular mall. So I wouldn't worry about the smut ruining your children or anything like that.

Go for it, you don't want to look back and think "what if?" right?

[rrbridges]

Sounds like you have a plan. Las Vegas is much different back then. Much more to do with family and friends. I dont where they live but Centennial Hills is a great place. We talk about this every Wednesday night on our internet radio show, CHNewsRadio | Facebook. Check it out.

Originally Posted by Nix3

I think raising a family is fine in Vegas. I'm also moving to Vegas with my kids. By the time I move this summer my sons will be about 2 1/2 years old, and around 6 months old (depending on when son #2 shows up) lol. I grew up going to Vegas for FAMILY vacations ha ha! Try explaining that to your small town, Oklahoma, elementary class every new school year when asked what your family did for the summer vacation. We stayed on the strip, and off the strip at my grandma's condo. And yes, my parent's took us three girls on the strip at night too, we weren't out till 3am but we were still out past dark. I just took my oldest son to Vegas last November for Thanksgiving. My dad was very happy to move back to Vegas when I was 15. I stayed in OK with my mom. The school system's may not be that great, but for me, neither is the one in my home town. I'm fortunate to have plenty of family already living in Vegas so when I move I don't have to look so much online at what areas I hope are good to live in or not. I can stay with them until I get a job.

I say, you have an amazing opportunity for your job, and there are plenty of family oriented things in Vegas. So go for it! Maybe your wife would be able to get a job, once you move there, in the education field. From what I've read on the forums it seems for that field you need to live in Vegas first. I don't know the ages of your kids, but there was a ton of stuff to do, and even if it just means going to the mall, the mall (at least the one I went to) looks like any regular mall. So I wouldn't worry about the smut ruining your children or anything like that.

Go for it, you don't want to look back and think "what if?" right?

[Golfinnova]

No issues at all raising kids here in Vegas. Been here 4 years now with my 7-year old twins who have straight A's in CCSD are very active in cheerleading, soccer and basketball. Just came home from seeing my daughter participate in a clinic over at the Sport Center which has quite a bit of things I never knew existed like go-carts, batting cages, rock wall, etc.

Only challenge you will face is the negative picture outsiders paint calling Vegas one of the "saddest cities". If you tune out the noise and see what Vegas really offers in activities for all ages including kids then you will see that it really is a good town.

As others have posted, if you stay involved then the kids will do fine.

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by Golfinnova

No issues at all raising kids here in Vegas. Been here 4 years now with my 7-year old twins who have straight A's in CCSD are very active in cheerleading, soccer and basketball. Just came home from seeing my daughter participate in a clinic over at the Sport Center which has quite a bit of things I never knew existed like go-carts, batting cages, rock wall, etc.

Only challenge you will face is the negative picture outsiders paint calling Vegas one of the "saddest cities". If you tune out the noise and see what Vegas really offers in activities for all ages including kids then you will see that it really is a good town.

As others have posted, if you stay involved then the kids will do fine.

You sound like a great dad...and things will probably work out well. After all, when you provide a good foundation...that usually carries through the rest of life.

However, challenges are ahead...teen-type challenges. Add 10 years and you've got 17-year old twins coming of age in LV. That's a lot of temptation.

[jfkIII]

[mod cut -- quoting deleted post]
Here's a girl who native and wishes she was raised somewhere else. If only positives are posted, it gives the worng impression that the area is nothing but happyland to perspective residents.

You keep posting your positives...I'll take care of the negatives...and hopefully someone hoping to move there will get the balanced view of what it's really about.

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Here's a girl who native and wich she was raised somewhere else. If only positives are posted, it gives the worng impression that the area is nothing but happyland to perspective residents.

You keep posting your positives...I'll take care of the negatives...and hopefully someone hoping to move there will get the balanced view of what it's really about.

Considering you don't live here, I don't see any "balanced" view from you or any other poster who has never LIVED in Las Vegas, yet will post "negatives about living in Las Vegas." Kinda silly for whatever secret envy reasoning a poster has in doing so. We have plenty of people posting negatives here about life in Vegas, they have lived here or still do and will always say so and base their opinion on how living in Vegas was for them.

Anyone who has never lived here does not have a "balanced" view of life here, the everyday, the here and now. Only those who live here (and especially those who have been here a long time and seen the good, the bad and the ugly) of living in our neighborhoods and shopping in our stores, driving our roads and living wth neighbors and other locals can offer a balanced view of life in Las Vegas. We can only offer opinions based on our own exerience whether it be a positive one, or a negative one.

Because we live here that is, we are not tourists, nor are we "I visit enough to be considered a resident" or " I have family that lives in Vegas that told me that"

[jfkIII]

Welcome back!

[Shipresa]

There are some negatives, of course.

Too many drunk people (this from while we were staying in a cabana at Excalibur so the kiddos could swim there); walking through casinos to get to the restaurants we like (I didn't know anything about gambling where I grew up); slot machines in grocery stores and gas stations and trying to explain they aren't video games (however you can see these in the back woods of Texas too); a lot of concrete and asphalt; going to school where there isn't any grass or in trailers (some years ago when too many students meant trailer classrooms); escort papers/calling cards; and so forth. All that isn't 24/7 but sometimes you can't avoid it.

Explaining more often why some people act or talk funny (drunk, drugged) and women (funny, mostly tourists) that wear very little clothing (as my niece once said, "Auntie, those ladies lack modesty."

So parenting makes a huge difference with so much going on.

However, I still think Vegas makes people more tolerant of other types of people, as well as more flexible about life in general.

My niece and nephew thinks Vegas is great. They loved shopping for ice cream any time of the night and seeing a Ninja Turtle (guy on his way home from work) in the checkout at Smith's.