[altushansens]

Hi everybody, my name is Amy, and for now, we live in Altus, OK. Within the next couple of months, we're moving to Las Vegas. My hubby received a reserve job at Creech. We stopped in for a visit and to familiarize ourselves (briefly) in December and were just amazed by the amount of nice homes and even nicer prices! We looked in the Tule Springs area, around the Bruce Woodbury Beltway, Durango Rd...that area. We were so excited at the potential! Now, after talking to some people who have either lived in the area or have friends and family in the area who have hated Vegas, I'm scared! From the impression I'm getting, there are only a couple of areas (in our price range) that are lower in crime. This scares me! I have an almost 4 year old daughter and am absolutely discouraged at what I'm hearing. I do appreciate the advice I get, positive or negative, as I feel it's vital to be well-informed, but I would love to hear some good, for a change.

Here are my questions: 1) the areas we're looking in...NW Vegas, is that generally a safe area? By safe I mean, can I let my child play outside and walk to the parks without having to worry about safety? 2) there have been a few tell me to stay away from North Las Vegas. Is that the "town" as a whole, or just a couple of areas? 3) where are the ideal shopping areas? If I were to be by myself at dark in one of these areas, is it safe?

I appreciate any advice, good and bad that you would be willing to give. I'd love to put my worries at ease and hear that loving living in Las Vegas is entirely possible!

Thank you!

[photobuff42]

NW Las Vegas is among the safest areas in the city, and also closest to Creech. It also has some of the best schools in the county. The newer areas of North Las Vegas, north of Craig Road are also very safe.

[PinkString]

The northwest area is just fine and you can feel assured that your kids will be safe going to school, the parks, etc.
Those "few people" that warned you away from North Las Vegas are generally referring to the old crappy icky area down by MLK/Lake mead, known as Northtown, and on over to Nellis AFB. Not the nice new area like Aliante and El Dorado. And especially not the very nice northwest area of Centennial Hills and Summerlin that you are interested in. You will do just fun over there. It is very nice and a really good choice.

[MomMom]

Tule Springs? Durango, Beltway...? Bad Areas?

Amy, you sound terrified and so discouraged! You really should listen to those who gave you that advice, I mean they live in the area and must be miserable there in such a dangerous locale, so they should know...right?

Being you got such negative info about those areas, and are concerned about your baby, maybe a move to Las Vegas is not right for you

Maybe your hubby can accept a reserve position at another AFB in another state or maybe you should reconsider staying where you are?

Anyways, good luck wherever you decide to move to

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by altushansens

Hi everybody, my name is Amy, and for now, we live in Altus, OK. Within the next couple of months, we're moving to Las Vegas. My hubby received a reserve job at Creech. We stopped in for a visit and to familiarize ourselves (briefly) in December and were just amazed by the amount of nice homes and even nicer prices! We looked in the Tule Springs area, around the Bruce Woodbury Beltway, Durango Rd...that area. We were so excited at the potential! Now, after talking to some people who have either lived in the area or have friends and family in the area who have hated Vegas, I'm scared! From the impression I'm getting, there are only a couple of areas (in our price range) that are lower in crime. This scares me! I have an almost 4 year old daughter and am absolutely discouraged at what I'm hearing. I do appreciate the advice I get, positive or negative, as I feel it's vital to be well-informed, but I would love to hear some good, for a change.

First thing you got to do is get some new people. The ones you are talking to are not nice...either dumb or mean and neither is good. Crime in the cities of the SW...such as Las Vegas... is relatively low compared to the midwest and east. And crime in the nice suburbs of such cities is miniscule.

So start out knowing that the overall enviroment is safer than an OKC or Dallas or similar.

Now it is a city. And large cities tend to have more crime than small ones. But in general crime that effects your life goes down when you come west.

Here are my questions: 1) the areas we're looking in...NW Vegas, is that generally a safe area? By safe I mean, can I let my child play outside and walk to the parks without having to worry about safety?

Your generation is far more paranoid than mine even though you have much less crime. The areas were you would likely end up are quite safe. It however sometimes appears to me that your generation worries about children walking a block to a bus spot with an adult escort. So the kid is safe...but the degree of worry depends more on your paranoia than it does on that safety.

2) there have been a few tell me to stay away from North Las Vegas. Is that the "town" as a whole, or just a couple of areas?

Again we have to get you some new people. There are places in NLV where it is not a good idea to move. So don't. However the north and west areas of NLV are an exceptionally nice place to raise kidlets. Aliante for instance might be a great choice for a Creech assignment.

3) where are the ideal shopping areas? If I were to be by myself at dark in one of these areas, is it safe?

I appreciate any advice, good and bad that you would be willing to give. I'd love to put my worries at ease and hear that loving living in Las Vegas is entirely possible!

Thank you!

Regular shopping areas are along Durango around 95 and 215 and at the major intersections on 215. For heavier you go south to the various areas.

You can shop any where along there with no fear. Do not leave bundles of 20s on your dashboard etc...but otherwise very peaceable place.

And get yourself some new people....

[altushansens]

Thank you all so much for all the information! I feel so much better about things! I tend to overreact and will definitely take the advice of olecapt and get new people! I do realize and have to remember that there are certain risks that become facts of life while living in a big city. Thanks again!

[Buzz123]

I've lived most of my life. If I didn't live where I do I'd love to live near Tule Springs. And I'm very particular. Your friends probably were prejudiced against Las Vegas before they got here and had their minds made up. Other than regular precautions that you'd take anywhere, don't worry about things that probably will never happen. Odds are you already live in a more dangerous place than Las Vegas, especially NW Las Vegas.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by MomMom

Tule Springs? Durango, Beltway...? Bad Areas?

Amy, you sound terrified and so discouraged! You really should listen to those who gave you that advice, I mean they live in the area and must be miserable there in such a dangerous locale, so they should know...right?

Being you got such negative info about those areas, and are concerned about your baby, maybe a move to Las Vegas is not right for you

Maybe your hubby can accept a reserve position at another AFB in another state or maybe you should reconsider staying where you are?

Anyways, good luck wherever you decide to move to

MM, you're sounding kind of negative and you are usually our most positive cheerleader...anything wrong?

[bepperoo]

Hi Amy. We were stationed at Altus! We PCS'd from Maryland to here though but I think it will be a little bit of a culture shock coming from that tiny town! LOL What everyone has said here is true. You will be just fine. We live in NLV (89031) and I feel very safe here however we do realize that it is a big city and we take normal precautions such as an alarm system. By the way, we lived on base while in Altus but there are some very unsafe areas of Altus even though it is so small. I didn't drive down some of those side streets at night. You will find that anywhere and you just have to be smart about where you go after dark and what you do. As is any place that you are stationed, it is all what you choose to make it. So I hope that you enjoy Vegas.

[Buzz123]

We have 2 million people and 38 million tourists per year. Most of them survive.