Las Vegas, Nevada

First of all, forget about The Strip. That’s for tourists. More and more people are streaming into a revitalized Downtown (much revitalized by Zappo’s and it’s founder.) Many locals live in Summerlin or 18b, a mix of nice housing and a variety of boutique and vintage shopping and restaurants. Otherwise, the more conservative dwellers go for planned communities like Henderson (with homes and condos and tennis courts) or upscale gated communities like Seven Hills or The Scotch 80s. Finally, if you’re really looking for seclusion (and a 30 degree drop in temps) check out Mount Charleston.

Probably the coolest place to live in Vegas is downtown in the Arts District. For those not in the know, Downtown is where the hot casinos were many decades ago before the newer casinos were built uptown, creating the modern “strip”. The Art Districts and downtown combine “old school cool” and contemporary city culture. There are plenty of newer apartment/condo options and plenty of bars/restaurants amidst the older casinos in the area. Interestingly there are also a number of new live/work/play buildings in the area that serve the growing community of people looking for the combination of apartment/loft + wework style area + social culture in the building. One option outside of downtown is Summerlin. It’s a neighborhood and master-planned community in southwest Las Vegas that has its own commercial district and plenty of apartments and rentals.

• Downtown (Arts District in particular)
• Summerlin
• Spring Valley
• Huntridge

Henderson, while technically a suburb of Vegas, draws tons of families who work in Vegas. A big commercial district without the gambling/tourism bias you get a more classic city/commercial and suburb experience with inexpensive housing and good-sized yards. Tons of shops, restaurants and family amenities make it a fun choice as well. Summerlin has many of the same benefits as Henderson. It is suburban with great parks and inexpensive housing but also has tons of great coffee shops and some restaurant options.

• Henderson
• Summerlin
• Spring Valley
• Southwest

Within neighborhoods like Summerlin are pockets of wealth where families of more means live. In Summerlin that area is The Ridges. It’s one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in all of Vegas with huge, fabulous homes and big yards and gated privacy. It’s located in the foothills of the the stunning Red Rock Conservation Area and has the best views in the Las Vegas valley.

Southern Highlands is another beautiful neighborhood development in the foothills of Vegas. It surrounds the Southern Highlands Golf Club and has beautiful parks, trails and outdoor space. It has its own boutique shopping area with restaurants and coffee shops. Finally, it has some of the best public and private schools in the area and is near McCarran International and Henderson Executive Airports in case getting out of town quickly is one of your things.

• The Ridges (Summerlin)
• Southern Highlands
• Summerlin North
• Tule Springs
• Sheep Mountain

Las Vegas is a premier destination for retirees. Warm, dry heat, low taxes and generally low cost of living drive the growth. There are plenty of options here including neighborhoods like Spring Valley that appeal to retirees due to low crime rates, affordable housing and a close-knit community.

The city also has a number of popular age-restricted communities. Ardiente, in North Las Vegas is a 55+ community with lots of the amenities retirees are looking for. A 20,000 square foot clubhouse with multiple pools and a beautiful fitness center that also hosts the myriad clubs community members can join. Ardiente also has multiple parks, including one for the doggos, and walking and biking trails with 20 different fitness stations along the path.

• Spring Valley
• Henderson
• Macdonald Ranch
• Ardiente