[Tom Lennox 70]

I currently live in the Baltimore-Washington DC area and am seriously SERIOUSLY considering a move away from the East Coast either in the next 2 years or definitely within the next 5 or 6. I'm a graduating college senior and I'm going to either pharmacy school or dental school after taking a year off. I really can't stand the East Coast after living here for the past 17 years. I lived in New Orleans until I was 5 and my extended family lived in Idaho and Texas and I still hear all these rosy stories about the South, the West, or anywhere but the Northeast and how nice it is. We all know about Floridians and North Carolinians complain about the transplants but truth is, newcomers from New York, New Jersey, Philly, and Boston messed up my state and transformed its values and politics not to mention the cost of living here so that I can no longer seeing myself staying here for the rest of my life.

Las Vegas is one of the areas on the top of my list of potential places to settle, along with Phoenix, Charlotte, Raleigh, Tampa Bay and perhaps Dallas-Fort Worth. Are there a lot of job opportunities for a dental or pharmacy degree especially with the major growth in Nevada? Are there a lot of unpleasant people moving to the Las Vegas region from California, New York, New Jersey, or the New England states? I'm Asian American but I'm very Americanized (my favorite genre of music is country) and I'm not comfortable with a lot of ethnic/identity politics. I'm not very religious but I'm politically conservative and patriotic. I plan to vote John McCain in 2008 if not him then Rudy Giuliani.

Also I don't want a very fast pace of life...I mean are the Californians and New Yorkers adjusting or are they bringing their rude manners, unpleasant attitudes, crazy driving and arrogance with them? I want to live in a place that is tolerant but does not have a lot of illegal immigrants or people from the Northeast or California. My cousins used to live in Boise, Idaho and they complain about Californians "invading" and messing up their way of life. They complain about how aggressive the driving is and how the transplants are always in a hurry, how its ironic that they leave LA or SF but then want to change Idaho into another Calif. People from NY and NJ have definitely done this to Maryland. Is this also happening in Nevada? Slightly unrelated, Californian transplants are at least SLIGHTLY less miserable people than the NJ folks?

How is the cost of living, etc.

Unlike a lot of young people I"m not that much into urban living....just want a nice big house with a big yard in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Is a home on Lake Mead with a view to the water prohibitively expensive? Does anyone find a problem with moral values and the impact of the Downtown/Strip areas, stripping, etc on the surrounding populations? I live near DC but most ppl here in the suburbs have nothing to do with the gov't and politics in the city.

I've been to Las Vegas twice and have liked what I've seen, once in the summer and once in the winter. I've seen the area beyond the Strip and it seemed rather pleasant. Not like DC or Baltimore where there are miles and miles of ghettos and slums often populated by illegal immigrants and gangstas. The summer was hot but at least its not humid. I really hate cold weather which is why I wouldn't move to Utah...the WINTER Olympics were held there after all. Reno is probably too cold too.

[jeanjr23]

Good choices. All those places you mentioned are growing and lots of baby boomers are moving to those area. So the job market should be good for you. Stay away from the mid-west.

[ejl127]

Vegas is not for you. I'd also look at SC & TN

[Buzz123]

You are a day late and a dollar short. You ask if that is happening here? It actually started here then spread to other states. That has been happening to Las Vegas in a huge degree, and to all the other western states in a lesser degree, for over twenty years. Our population jumped from somewhere around 400,000 about twenty years ago, to nearly 2 million today. I believe the stats are that at least half of those came from California and the rest from everwhere else. We have always had a very large New York/New Jersey contengency here. We have an enormous number of Asians here too. So many that they built a significantly sized Chinatown about 1½ miles from the Strip in just a few short years, and it is still growing.

As for pharmacies, we went from a town of about ten pharmacies to literally hundreds of them; you'll find two or three on practically every major intersection in town. Nevada is generally conservative, but I'd say country music isn't all that big in Las Vegas. It's here of course, and a lot of country stars work the Strip, but not a lot of country dance halls anymore like there used to be, and I believe only two country radio stations.

My recommendation for you would be to check out Tucson or Phoenix, or maybe even Albuquerque wouldn't be too cold for you. It's not as hot as here, the weather is a little like Reno's, but maybe not quite as cold in the winter. Also, I think St. George, Utah, has all those things you're looking for. It's a great little town. The weather is great, it's a mix of rural and city. There's lots of retirees who need lots of drugs, and Utah is conservative, and country. I kinda wish I'd bought up there about 15 years ago.

[johninvegas]

A couple of more problems that I will add to Buzz's answer. We have a fairly large illegal situation here, depends on which side of the argument you are on as to whether it's a problem or the only way to do business in Las Vegas. Second, there are no houses on the lake outside of houseboats. The area is all Bureau of Reclaimation land. Housing in Boulder City that overlooks the lake is very expensive. And there are very few large yards in Vegas. Only those with houses which have been here a while. Land right now is going for something like 700k per residential acre so not many large lots.

[olecapt]

I would think the gentleman has ruled out the southwest. We are loaded with illegals and Californians. Florida would be out to as it is loaded with Cubans and New Yorkers and looks kind of funny at asians.

Perhaps Dallas. Lousy climate but loaded with conservative and country music types. Than again they are Texans...

[Buzz123]

Gee, the guy sounds a lot like me.
Well, except I'm not of the Asian persuasion.
Is there anyplace that doesn't have a lot of Californians or New Yorkers, and is warm, dry, and progressive minded with a lot of drug stores?
We think we've found our perfect place in Albuquerque/Bernalillo, New Mexico. Now if we can only find a Californian, an easterner, or an illegal alien to buy our house...

[PinkString]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Gee, the guy sounds a lot like me.
Well, except I'm not of the Asian persuasion.
Is there anyplace that doesn't have a lot of Californians or New Yorkers, and is warm, dry, and progressive minded with a lot of drug stores?
We think we've found our perfect place in Albuquerque/Bernalillo, New Mexico. Now if we can only find a Californian, an easterner, or an illegal alien to buy our house...

Have you been to Albuquerque? It wasn't the greatest place years ago when I visited a time or two.
Good luck.

[Tom Lennox 70]

I realize that illegal immigration is a problem throughout the country. In urban and suburban parts of Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC just about every job in construction, landscapping, fast food, and kitchens are illegals and like Las Vegas we have a very big tourist and convention economy.

I don't really mind the heat. Last time the news was all about the heatwave...well myself and all my coworkers from my summer job downtown all ate lunch outside. Off on a tangent, but I don't see all the fuss about the heat A lot of my friends also worked at outdoor pools last summer and they loved it. If I can live with humid heat I guess dry heat ain't bad as long I have suncreen and a bit of shade. Is there something especially about Dallas weather, isn't it also dry heat?

Thanks for the info ya'll...just still exploring where I want to be. Las Vegas still sounds cool.

[Chest Rockwell]

Boulder City seems like a great fit. It's very small town/Mayberryish. The housing price would not be prohibitive if you are selling a comparable house in the DC area. You will find it to be very religious/family friendly. The commute to Vegas is a little long, but not by east coast standards. Not to mention that there are probably 50 ritaid/savon/walgreens/longs drugstores that will go up in the next 2 years.

Boulder City also has no casinos, and a beautiful downtown area with sidewalk cafes and independent boutiques. You should def. come visit.

As for Albuquerque not being so great - it depends on what your definition of great is. I find the people of New Mexico to be 100x friendlier than Las Vegans, the food is amazing, and the climate is better. The economy may not be as strong though, but when your economy is strong because you sell booze/sex/gambling, maybe it's not worth the tradeoff.