There are several books on the subject (one by Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith and his wife Patricia), an entire magazine called Relocating in Las Vegas (check it out at www.relocatinginvegas.com/current.htm), and a hundred real-estate agent websites with hints and tips on migrating to southern Nevada. You can check these sources to get all the details on climate, traffic, housing, employment, neighborhoods, crime, medical care, schools, transportation, recreation and sports, shopping, entertainment, gambling, etc.
Also, we don't know exactly where you're moving from (East Coast: the Upper West Side of Manhattan? The Outer Banks of North Carolina?), so it's hard to know what you'll be comparing Las Vegas to.
But we assume that you're basically asking for a quick lesson on looking like a local. So here we'll provide some brief and general hints about understanding Las Vegas in order to fit in, feel at home, and be an insider, as quickly as possible.
First, definitely read everything you can get your hands on about Las Vegas. It's a complicated place for sure and the more perspectives you glean about it, the more you'll be able to come to your own conclusions, which will no doubt evolve over time. In fact, you might be surprised at how differently you feel about this city, after the newness has worn off and you feel like real Las Vegans, than when you first arrive with all the reasons for relocating you've brought along.
The relocating guides are good. They'll tell you important things you need to know, such as the fact that you've got X number of days to exchange your home-state's license plates and driver's licenses for Nevada licenses (or face fines of up to $500).
The travel guides are OK. They can clue you in to the local sights, so you can get the tourist stuff out of the way right off the bat. They also provide leads to good dining, entertainment, shopping, and the like.
The travel guides can also inspire you as to what to do with the inevitable visitors who'll start showing up in one long stream. Get used to it; you can't move to Las Vegas without everyone you know, and everyone they know, wanting to take advantage of knowing someone here. Unless you really like company and have plenty of room for guests, you'll need to learn some gracious ways to put people off. We've found that the best line for people who'd like to stay with you, but whom you don't want to put up (with), is, "Call us when you're all checked into your hotel."
Subscribe to the Las Vegas Advisor. Your $37 investment (for an online subscription) will pay off in information about good deals around town in the first issue or two. There’s only one thing we can think of that will make you look more like an insider than to read what long-time insiders have to say about the city.
And what's that one thing? Drum roll, please: coupons. Use discount coupons, such as LVA's Pocketbook of Values, whenever you can. Nothing will give you more of a feeling of knowing what you're doing in Las Vegas than getting for free, or paying half-price for, something that the huddled masses, which includes visitors and locals, are paying retail for.
Read both daily newspapers. Look for tips, deals, coupons, and local news.
Read maps. Figure out shortcuts in your drives around your immediate sphere of influence. Also, learn the alternate routes for the areas where you'll encounter the most traffic: the Strip and the freeways. Explore Industrial Rd., the Koval-Paradise stretch between Tropicana to Sahara avenues, the Desert Inn Super Arterial, etc.
Finally, be sure to get out of the city and look around the vicinity whenever possible. Las Vegas, like all cities, has a tendency to get a grip on you that’s hard to break. But you’ll probably notice that the surrounding countryside is a bit different than most places between Arcadia, Maine, and Key West, Florida. You need to get away every so often to get a perspective on things.
And it’s not that much trouble. Red Rock Canyon, for example, is no more than 30 or so minutes from anywhere you might live; it’s a pretty small time and travel commitment to stretch your legs, lungs, and lifestyle. Lakes Mead and Mojave, Valley of Fire State Park, Hoover Dam, Pahranagat and Lincoln County, Laughlin, Death Valley, Grand Canyon -- they’re all within a half-day’s drive of Las Vegas. So you’ll go, you’ll see, you’ll appreciate.
Good luck with your move. May your new home in Las Vegas be everything you hope it’ll be.
