Communities – Living in Las Vegas, Henderson or Boulder City
For those considering moving to Las Vegas this is a guide to the best places to live, the fun things to do, and the wonderful places to go.
There are one million visitors per week to Las Vegas, yet there are also over two million people who live there. Living in Las Vegas is an excellent lifestyle. We are not talking only about the wonders of the famous Las Vegas strip. In fact, when one lives in Las Vegas, the times that they visit the strip are usually only when visitors come in from out of town or when they want to eat at one of the magnificent buffets.
The people who live in Las Vegas find there is so much more to the city than just the strip. Ask any long-term local and they are happy to share why they love Las Vegas. Las Vegas is full of great neighborhoods, which also include the nearby cities of Henderson and Boulder City.
Great Places to Live
Click on the city area name for the official websites.
- Boulder City – Originally created to provide housing for thousands of workers who built Hoover Dam during the 1940s; this quaint city has that wonderful small town feel. It has not been over-built and still retains a lot of its historical character. It is quiet and relaxed. It has a low crime rate because of its great police department.
Boulder City is 20 miles from Las Vegas. Living there seems like going back in time about 80 years, when things were calmer and everyone knew their neighbors. Lake Mead is close by for boating enthusiasts or for those wishing to enjoy a picnic.
- Henderson – Henderson was the first master-planned community area in Las Vegas developed on a city-sized scale. What Summerlin is to the northwest of Las Vegas, Henderson is to the southeast. There are more rolling hills in Henderson, which means the nighttime views of the Las Vegas strip from the backyards are stunning.
Green Valley Ranch community in Henderson is one of everybody’s favorite places, yet there many other choices of master planned communities (27 at the last count). According to an article in Las Vegas Weekly on the history of Henderson, Forbes ranked Henderson as the second safest city in America.
- Summerlin – Summerlin is an affluent area with many houses less than a decade old and some that are brand new. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Summerlin, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary during March 2015, helped shape modern Las Vegas by creating a pleasant suburban lifestyle away from the strip.
Anyone who lives in Summerlin loves it. It is a very large, mature community with all the amenities. The master plan concept of community design for Summerlin is the housing areas are created around community villages. Every convenience is a short drive away with great shopping in Downtown Summerlin.
- Westside – This part of Las Vegas has the original up-scale houses from the time when Las Vegas first began to expand. The lot sizes for the houses are large, sometimes even up to one acre. Very large ranch homes are common in this area, with beautiful swimming pools and huge backyards.
- North Las Vegas – This is one of the newest areas in Las Vegas. Until 1990, only 50,000 people lived there, now slightly over 200,000. Find many new houses to choose from when searching for a nice place to live. It has mild winters in the 40s and the average summer temperature is 88°F.
Fun Things to Do
Every major entertainer in the world performs sometime in Las Vegas. It is possible to go to a different show every night and never need to see the same thing twice. Superb tiny neighborhood restaurants are the alternative to the huge casino buffets. World-class restaurants are found in Summerlin and Henderson. There are also casinos that specifically cater to local customers. They are usually more generous and have terrific reward programs for repeat visitors.
Local sports include games by the UNLV Rebels. For auto racing, there is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway just north of the city. Golfing is incredible with the choice of over twenty-five courses to play some with outstanding rates for seniors. Bowling is available non-stop in over a dozen locations and late night bowling is only $1 a game! Art and music lovers congregate for a big monthly party at the First Fridays Downtown Art Event.
Places to Go
Here are a few great places to spend an afternoon or for a short trip:
- Red Rock Canyon– Take a hike or go rock climbing in this area. See the baby donkeys that run wild on national land and ride horses.
- Hoover Dam/Lake Mead – Having a picnic or boating is a great thing to do on the way to Boulder City.
- Valley of Fire – The oldest state park in Nevada. It is great for hiking. It has wonderfully colored rock, which is called the “painted” ”
- Charleston Peak– This area is less than one hour north from Vegas. It is superb for hiking and is a nice place for skiing in winter.
- Sloan Canyon – Check out the petro glyphs. They are amazing.
This is just a tiny sampling of what Las Vegas has to offer to those who live there.
For Families
When families experience Las Vegas living, especially when they live in the nicer neighborhoods, they find it offers an easygoing lifestyle, with a small town feel in Boulder City, lots of local sports in the Westside, excellent shopping malls in Summerlin, and extremely safe neighborhoods in Henderson.
The public and private schools in all these areas are some of the best Nevada has to offer. There are 5 schools in Boulder City, 14 schools in Summerlin, 55 schools in Henderson, 329 schools in Las Vegas of which, the Westside areas have about 70, and 51 schools in North Las Vegas.
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For whatever reason, and there are plenty good reasons to choose from, when the decision is to move to Las Vegas, contact Heide for help in finding the perfect place.
References
Boulder City
http://www.bcnv.org/
City of Henderson
http://www.cityofhenderson.com/
60 Things to Know About Henderson
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2013/may/16/60-things-know-about-henderson/
Forbes America’s Safest Cities
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/egim45edhe/2-henderson-nev/
Summerlin
http://www.summerlin.com
North Las Vegas
https://www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com/
Schools:
Boulder City Schools
http://www.bestplaces.net/schools/nevada/boulder_city
Summerlin Schools
http://summerlin.com/schools/
Henderson Schools
http://www.bestplaces.net/schools/nevada/henderson
Las Vegas Schools
http://www.bestplaces.net/schools/nevada/las_vegas
North Las Vegas
http://www.bestplaces.net/schools/nevada/las_vegas
Things to do and places to go:
Sports in the Las Vegas metropolitan area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_Las_Vegas_metropolitan_area\
Golf
http://www.golf.com/courses-and-travel/best-golf-courses-las-vegas-nevada
First Fridays
http://fflv.net/menu/
Red Rock Canyon
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca.html
Hoover Dam
http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
Lake Mead
http://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm
Valley of Fire
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/
Charleston Peak
http://www.summitpost.org/charleston-peak/150959