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Me (16), my Grandmother (81) and my Mother (56) are thinking about relocating back West. I was born in Tarzana, CA but my Mother and Grandmother were both born in Rhode Island. My Mom and Grandmother lived in L.A County for 20 years so we know what being out West is like but we have never lived in Nevada so we'd just like to get some information on Laughlin, Henderson and Mesquite so we can weigh our options. Our main reason for liking these areas so much is how affordable it is. I've been looking at some houses online and I'm seeing 3 Bedroom homes go for $1,200 a month which is ridiculously inexpensive compared to back East (One Bedroom apartments out here go for $1,200 a month). The cold winters here are doing something terrible to my Mom's back and legs and the Summers are no better because of how humid it is. This place out here is like a tropical rain forest! (I'm a California Boy so I'm weak when it comes to this weather!)
Any information regarding any of Laughlin, Henderson or Mesquite would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all!
Well, you didn't ask any specific questions but I have lived in Henderson and Mesquite and have spent small periods of time in Laughlin visiting so I'll give you my take which some will agree but more will probably disagree.
Henderson, as you know, is a huge suburb of Las Vegas. It's busy, congested in some places, but convenient as you are close to all of what the Vegas Valley has to offer. You have all the amenities of the city ...shopping, medical, entertainment, etc. very close by either in Henderson or adjacent neighborhoods of Vegas.
Mesquite is an interesting place as it is an LDS-founded town and still has a very large Mormon population. On the other hand, it has casinos and the entertainment and other activities associated with gambling. Therefore, you have a large segment of residents with strong family values and more conservative points of view but yet you have others who are in town either residing or visiting that enjoy gambling and all things that the casinos have to offer.
It's considered a resort town and many retirees are attracted to living there and like a lot of southern Nevada, has lots of snowbirds. Many leave town in the summer as it is so hot. It is hotter than Las Vegas in the summer.
It's also almost considered a suburb of St. George Utah as many commute in both directions. Mesquite has strong ties to Utah in general. Many are retired or snowbirding from the Salt Lake City area. It almost feels as if Mesquite is tied closer to Salt Lake City than it is to Las Vegas. Most of the big box stores are in St. George so you may find yourself going into St. George quite a bit to do shopping and for doctors appointments, etc. However, Mesquite now has its own hospital now and more and more doctors are becoming available.
Mesquite will has the most small town "feel" to me than Henderson or Laughlin.
Laughlin is the smallest of the three but doesn't seem so as it not only is closely tied to Bull Head City Arizona (across the Colorado River) but has a large "strip" of casinos that has the Riverwalk --a boardwalk of sorts-- that runs along the river behind the casino/hotels. Again, most of your shopping, doctors appointments, etc. are going to be in Bullhead. You will find yourself going into Bull Head quite often as it's only a few miles away ...compared to Mesquite where St. George is about 35-40 miles away and takes a good forty minutes to drive one way.
Laughlin is very very hot in the summer but is the most comfortable temperature-wise of the three in the winter as it rarely experiences freezing temperatures. Laughlin/Bullhead City often will be the hottest place in the U.S. in the summer competing with Death Valley. Laughlin is at the lowest elevation of the three, consequently, the very hot summers and the not-so-cold winters.
My thinking is that you all will be more comfortable in Henderson. Your grandmother will be closer to better medical care and you'll have a lot more availability for a variety of activities for young people. If you or your Mom need to find jobs, Henderson will also offer more possibilities and opportunities.
However, you'll have to weight the pros and cons. Maybe your family likes a smaller town where the pace is slower. Mesquite would be better for that ...no rush hour traffic, etc. Or you may like that undercurrent of activity that the "strip" provides in Laughlin. It's not nearly as big as the Vegas Strip but still will give you a sense of excitement having those high-rise hotels lined up along Casino Dr.
Like I said, many could disagree with what I've said here but at least it hopefully will get the conversation going so you can get the opinions of others too.
Thank you very much for your detailed response, it really was much appreciated and I got to learn quite a bit! Quite honestly, living on the East Coast (Rhode Island) I for one have had it with the freezing winters here and so has my Mom & Grandmother. We most definitely want to be around some sort of Medical Care where if something happened we would have quick access to something. We are really, really liking Laughlin, NV quite a bit because it looks and sounds so appealing to live in and is going to be the closest to Southern California which is where my family out West resides currently. The rental homes out in Laughlin, NV are also very nicely put together from what I can see online...I have looked in Mesquite and Henderson, NV and from what I can tell, most places are quite unattractive and look unkempt to say the least. I think my family has made the decision on our next city and it's most definitely going to be Laughlin. Thank you very much again for your response and I will let you all know how we are after a few months of living there!
I am from Massachusetts and have lived in Mesquite for the past four years. I am not sure where you are looking at pictures of unattractive and unkept homes. This is one of the cleanest towns I have ever seen and the HOAs keep everything looking beautiful. We live in Sun City and the grounds, recreation, etc are gorgeous. Mesquite has a small hospital with great service. There are folks here from all areas of the country, so even though the town is LDS in its roots, the new retirees are mostly non- LDS. Good luck with your search, but out of the three Laughlin would be my least favorite choice.
I am from Massachusetts and have lived in Mesquite for the past four years. I am not sure where you are looking at pictures of unattractive and unkept homes. This is one of the cleanest towns I have ever seen and the HOAs keep everything looking beautiful. We live in Sun City and the grounds, recreation, etc are gorgeous. Mesquite has a small hospital with great service. There are folks here from all areas of the country, so even though the town is LDS in its roots, the new retirees are mostly non- LDS. Good luck with your search, but out of the three Laughlin would be my least favorite choice.
Agree with above. Don't live in Mesquite but am planning on retiring there. I think it is very clean town, nice stores, many new housing developments for a small town. Everyone we met that lives there loves living there. Close to St. George for what you can't get in Mesquite and close to Vegas for a major airport.
Laughlin is really hot in the summer and I don't know if that would be tolerable for your Grandmother. I find Mesquite a far nicer looking community than Laughlin.
The best thing is to visit all three before you make your choice, they are not that far apart and could be covered in a few days.
I certainly agree with happyinca. Even though it sounds as if you've made up your mind, you really should spend a week or so and scope out each place. Take notes on the amenities that are important to you and compare each location.
I don't think you can judge an entire area on what the rentals look like from photos on the internet. In fact, I'm sure you can't. As jfitt mentioned, Mesquite is an extremely clean town. Sure, it has a "sketchier" part of town that Laughlin might not have but overall, Mesquite is very clean and well-kept.
I still say that Henderson may offer more of what you are looking for. It's close to the large medical facilities (for your grandmother), has more opportunity for jobs (if needed, for you mom), has more variety of things to do for younger people such as yourself.
Laughlin does not have a hospital of its own and you'll have to go across the river to Bullhead or Fort Mohave. I've heard that the high school in Laughlin is not as highly rated as the ones in Henderson. Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite is considered very good.
But at any rate, the reason for my posting again is to urge you to visit southern Nevada first before just making a decision on what you see or hear (from us) on the internet.
I currently live in northern Baja and am used to high heat summers. I would like to move back to the States, possibly looking at Mesquite, at least weather-wise, because of comparison and acclimation . Is there a website where I might find costs of living; i.e. electricity, gas, water, rents, etc? Or does anyone have that at their fingertips?
Also, in an Internet search, I thought Mesquite has a Costco, WalMart, Mall, etc. Did I imagine that?
I wish Mesquite had everything you thought. There is a Super Walmart, Bealls, very nice Smiths Grocery Store, Star Nursery, ACE Hardware, and a few other shops. FOr Costco, Mall, other large box stores you will need to drive N to St George or S to Las Vegas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baja Teeia
I currently live in northern Baja and am used to high heat summers. I would like to move back to the States, possibly looking at Mesquite, at least weather-wise, because of comparison and acclimation . Is there a website where I might find costs of living; i.e. electricity, gas, water, rents, etc? Or does anyone have that at their fingertips?
Also, in an Internet search, I thought Mesquite has a Costco, WalMart, Mall, etc. Did I imagine that?
My two cents worth -- if you are only 18 you would be bored to death in Laughlin, and probably in Mesquite too.
I never am sure why people pick out Henderson as it is essentially Las Vegas, but I suspect it is just the name difference, as people get strange, but unfounded, ideas about Las Vegas as a place to live. Of those three, I'd just look all over the Las Vegas Valley until I found a place I liked. Las Vegas is really the City of Las Vegas, Henderson, and the City of North Las Vegas, plus the unincorporated areas of the county surrounding all of the above. From an aerial view you would see one big city on a flat plain.
FYI: because it lies mostly (not all) in a lower part of the Valley, Henderson gets hotter in summer, and colder in winter. Not that it's a big difference; but it does. Being relatively close to Lake Mead, it gets a little more rain too. But then we're in the desert and we hardly get any rain. It is also a little more congested.
Buzz, I was responding to the new poster not the original.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzz123
My two cents worth -- if you are only 18 you would be bored to death in Laughlin, and probably in Mesquite too.
I never am sure why people pick out Henderson as it is essentially Las Vegas, but I suspect it is just the name difference, as people get strange, but unfounded, ideas about Las Vegas as a place to live. Of those three, I'd just look all over the Las Vegas Valley until I found a place I liked. Las Vegas is really the City of Las Vegas, Henderson, and the City of North Las Vegas, plus the unincorporated areas of the county surrounding all of the above. From an aerial view you would see one big city on a flat plain.
FYI: because it lies mostly (not all) in a lower part of the Valley, Henderson gets hotter in summer, and colder in winter. Not that it's a big difference; but it does. Being relatively close to Lake Mead, it gets a little more rain too. But then we're in the desert and we hardly get any rain. It is also a little more congested.
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