What do teens do in Vegas? (Las Vegas: credit, neighborhoods, school district)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
the strip is NOT teen friendly.....they don't WANT them there....teens interfere with adults that want to lose money....curfew is pretty strictly inforced on the strip...
the strip is NOT teen friendly.....they don't WANT them there....teens interfere with adults that want to lose money....curfew is pretty strictly inforced on the strip...
Glad to hear that! I was in Reno visiting as a teen, and whilst Dad played the poker tables I was free to roam Circus Circus. There was plenty of trouble to be had there if I were so inclined. I was a dabbler in trouble, I never jumped in both feet, but the local teens were happy to engage me in trouble if I wanted to. That was daylight hours.
Even so, I am encouraged that teens are discouraged from being on the strip. Hubby went to Henderson a couple days ago and he seems to like Green Valley and Anthem.
welllll Circusinsanity doesnt count......they still let them roam wild there.....
but I confess to NOT being an expert on Circus.....I havent been in there since a week after it opened.....something about sitting at a bj table and having some dork dive of the rafters and splat on a mattress right next to you thats unnerving
I love this reply! Makes sense and tells it like it is. My kids might not believe it but I was a teen once, and I was raised well with good values. A good kid. But wherever you live there is trouble to be found, if you are looking or if you are not. I occasionally did find some, and I am sure my kids will too.
I don't really worry about the casinos, and they can drink illegally anywhere they can find a way to get it. My concerns are less concrete than that. Its something else. Harder for me to pinpoint myself.
When I think of Vegas as a parent, I am thinking, will my teens stay away from the strip when looking for things to do? Will their friends? Is it unsafe for them there if they do drive around there? What kind of things will they see? What kind of people will they meet? Who will be influencing them and what will be available to them. Does exposure to the goings on of the strip desensitize them to the values I teach in the home. Does the tourist motto of what happens in vegas stays in vegas mean tourist young adults might influence/encourage my kids to participate in things those people would not think of doing back home? Maybe this line of thinking is way off. Maybe not. But as an outsider these thoughts exist in my head, and that is why I am here talking to you folks about it. I want to know your opinions, as people who live it, before I decide if my fears are justified.
Right now my basic feelings are: Yes, kids can get into trouble anywhere, but is Vegas worse?
Thanks again for your insight
If for one minute you really believe that the things that "happen only in Vegas" don't happen anywhere else, you are quite naive.
I have friends with families old and young, in so many other states and when I hear of things going on with their kid's, their kids friends and their kid's schools, I scratch my head and say "shouldn't that only happen Vegas?"
The same perils and temptations that teens have in any other city, are here in Las Vegas as well. The problem is that a lot of parents moved here to enjoy everything Las Vegas has to offer, because they enjoyed their last vacation here. And some of these parents feel that whatever the kids do is fine, so long as they don't intefere with the parents coming and going and enjoying.
If you have good parenting skills, meaning you are involved in your teen's lives, know their friends, their friend's parents and where and how they live...and you have instilled good family values on your kids, you'll have no problem raising them in Las Vegas.
I raised and helped raise (and still am) a bunch of kids here over the years and I've never had a problem with any one of the them. They are productive young people, some of them go to church, volunteer their time to charities, have good jobs, do well in school, involved in school activities, etc.
The kids will be prevented from indulging in the adult goings on with the Strip and Fremont Street, the curfew and various security will prevent them from "hanging out" at those touristy places, same thing with local casinos. And even if they want to go bowling or to the movies that is located in a local casino, they are quickly ushered out if they stray away from those areas. Casinos here in Las Vegas don't allow kids anywhere near the gaming areas and they will not be allowed to loiter in a casino either.
Just keep in mind, Las Vegas is not Sunnybrook Farms, it's a city and we have all the nasty things that go along with living in fishbowl of 2 million people, drugs, crime, abundant sex...and anything you and your kids can see at the beach, at the pool, on tv and in the movies...is here in Las Vegas (and everywhere else, for that matter).
If you have a good relationship with your teens, are involved in their lives, know who are their friends and their friend's parents, instill the basic ideas of right and wrong (morals) and how to behave and how not to behave, I don't think you'll have a problem with raising a family here (or anywhere).
Despite the Sin City moniker, there are plenty of things families can do here in Las Vegas.
Now if your next question is about "how are the schools" well then, that's another matter. Nevada is ranked last in everything pertaining to schools across the board.
But, your kids will get the standard US education here, and nothing more, nothing less. We simply don't have all the bells and whistles that go along with a highly funded, highly rated school district. Private school is better, but costly.
And kindly don't take offense if one or two of us local schmocals beat ya a bit. We get many negative people on here, and we've mostly found out that they have negative lives to begin with and want to blame Las Vegas for their misery...all because they had a good time here as a tourist and wanted to move here and expected to continually live that vacation. And granted, some people just hate it here, and you'll get that with every place in the country, so you have to draw your own conclusions.
Living in Sin City is what you make of it, if you don't want the Strip and all that goes along with it, you don't have to have it. You really could be as "suburban" as you wish.
When the kids get out of school, take a trip here and drive our neighborhoods, see our stores, see our churches, parks...you'll find out real quickly if it's your thing or not.
If for one minute you really believe that the things that "happen only in Vegas" don't happen anywhere else, you are quite naive.
I have friends with families old and young, in so many other states and when I hear of things going on with their kid's, their kids friends and their kid's schools, I scratch my head and say "shouldn't that only happen Vegas?"
The same perils and temptations that teens have in any other city, are here in Las Vegas as well. The problem is that a lot of parents moved here to enjoy everything Las Vegas has to offer, because they enjoyed their last vacation here. And some of these parents feel that whatever the kids do is fine, so long as they don't intefere with the parents coming and going and enjoying.
If you have good parenting skills, meaning you are involved in your teen's lives, know their friends, their friend's parents and where and how they live...and you have instilled good family values on your kids, you'll have no problem raising them in Las Vegas.
I raised and helped raise (and still am) a bunch of kids here over the years and I've never had a problem with any one of the them. They are productive young people, some of them go to church, volunteer their time to charities, have good jobs, do well in school, involved in school activities, etc.
The kids will be prevented from indulging in the adult goings on with the Strip and Fremont Street, the curfew and various security will prevent them from "hanging out" at those touristy places, same thing with local casinos. And even if they want to go bowling or to the movies that is located in a local casino, they are quickly ushered out if they stray away from those areas. Casinos here in Las Vegas don't allow kids anywhere near the gaming areas and they will not be allowed to loiter in a casino either.
Just keep in mind, Las Vegas is not Sunnybrook Farms, it's a city and we have all the nasty things that go along with living in fishbowl of 2 million people, drugs, crime, abundant sex...and anything you and your kids can see at the beach, at the pool, on tv and in the movies...is here in Las Vegas (and everywhere else, for that matter).
If you have a good relationship with your teens, are involved in their lives, know who are their friends and their friend's parents, instill the basic ideas of right and wrong (morals) and how to behave and how not to behave, I don't think you'll have a problem with raising a family here (or anywhere).
Despite the Sin City moniker, there are plenty of things families can do here in Las Vegas.
Now if your next question is about "how are the schools" well then, that's another matter. Nevada is ranked last in everything pertaining to schools across the board.
But, your kids will get the standard US education here, and nothing more, nothing less. We simply don't have all the bells and whistles that go along with a highly funded, highly rated school district. Private school is better, but costly.
And kindly don't take offense if one or two of us local schmocals beat ya a bit. We get many negative people on here, and we've mostly found out that they have negative lives to begin with and want to blame Las Vegas for their misery...all because they had a good time here as a tourist and wanted to move here and expected to continually live that vacation. And granted, some people just hate it here, and you'll get that with every place in the country, so you have to draw your own conclusions.
Living in Sin City is what you make of it, if you don't want the Strip and all that goes along with it, you don't have to have it. You really could be as "suburban" as you wish.
When the kids get out of school, take a trip here and drive our neighborhoods, see our stores, see our churches, parks...you'll find out real quickly if it's your thing or not.
Good luck to you and the family!
OK. I hear what you are saying, and your posts have helped me immensely. I wish I didn't have to take a naive dig before the good stuff, but the rest was really what I needed to hear. Thank you.
I am not sure if you are aware of this, but I am pretty sure this forum is here so that people who are relocating can learn from locals about a place they do not know well. If we knew it all, we wouldn't need to ask anything of you, would we?
Like or not, Vegas has a reputation. Come on, I am sure I did not coin the term Sin city myself??? Is it so far out there to wonder if it just MIGHT be not the best place to raise children? Call me dumb if you like for doing my homework before making a decision to relocate there. Unlike you, I do not take things people say out of ignorance personally. I must admit I am wondering how my question even relates to you on a personal level. Why should you be insulted? Did you contribute in some way to the city's reputation?
Whatever my thread insinuated to you, my question was on what teens do to stay out of trouble. It was not a Vegas bashing thread (there are a lot of those for you to release your ire on), just an honest question. I have read other threads on whether Vegas is a good place to raise a family, and their questions did not address what I was asking.
Thank you anyway for your reply. I wish it answered my question, but it was still informative. It brings to mind questions on whether Las Vegas is a friendly town?
It's the way you asked the question, Ceylona. It's as if you already decided Las Vegas was a "bad" place, and just wanted those of us who live here to confirm your prejudices. You could have asked it a different way and not been so offensive. Why does it insult me? Because I've lived here most of my life and raised kids here that turned out pretty well even among all the "sin". It's because I've spent much of my life selling Las Vegas as a great place to live and raise a family. It's because I've spent much of my life, more or less, a little closer than most to the "inside", because I was lucky enough to have a career in local television. It's because, believe it or not, Las Vegans are tired of the hidden meaning in questions like yours. They hide a covert accusation that all of us are of low moral character because we live where gambling is legal; or that the gambling is really a criminal activity that sucks kids in to be mob hit men and prostitutes or something. It's like a news reporter asking a man if he still beats his wife, even though he never has.
I don't know where you are from, but I'll make you a bet that wherever it is there is more corruption or questionable behavior than you'll find among the locals in Las Vegas. If you now live in any large American city there is probably as much or more illegal gambling going on than legal gambling in Las Vegas. There is probably as much or more prostitution there too. "Sin" is not unique to Las Vegas. What is unique is that we acknowledge it and allow that which doesn't hurt anyone, and since it is out in the open, and not hidden as it is where you live, we, (the State of Nevada) are able to tax and regulate it so no harm is done.
I've lived other places too, so I know that wherever you now live in America, "Sin" goes on in the darkness, and by being hidden people there think it doesn't affect their own lives. But in order to keep it in the dark, more crimes are committed, and your kids are actually in more danger than they would be in a city like Las Vegas.
You'd be surprised at the battles that have gone on in our state, city, and county governments over what is and isn't acceptable, and how to keep our major industry, tourism and entertainment, from influencing children. You might actually laugh at how prudish some elected officials here can be.
Next time, put it a different way, such as: "People not familiar with life in Nevada let their imaginations run away with them. It's probably due to movies and television, etc. Obviously, two and a half million people live normal lives there. Are any of the rumors we hear true, or is it just marketing hype?"
OK. I hear what you are saying, and your posts have helped me immensely. I wish I didn't have to take a naive dig before the good stuff, but the rest was really what I needed to hear. Thank you.
Honestly..if you're going to be that sensitive you had better toughen up a bit before moving here to the big city... fraught with locals who moved here from all over the world and tourists visiting alike...
I meant no harm...
Last edited by MomMom; 05-13-2010 at 11:24 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
