haha. sounds like a mighty fine place to live in!

I am primarily concerned about the crime rate. As many other big cities, is it something to be concerned about? Please enlighten.

Re: the crime rate here - when we lived in Miami, I carried a gun with me whenever I went out!!! Miami is a volatile city. Road rage is common and people there have been known to get out and shoot someone over an incident on the road. A dead body was found in the trunk of a car left at a shopping center I frequented which was in a good neighborhood. Yet another time, police and robbers had a gun battle in a small shopping center. Also a good neighborhood. Miami is known as a drug center.

In Las Vegas, I do not carry a gun as I have more of a sense of personal safety. People in this city are more laid back. There is no rampant hostility. We have not experienced road rage here. I am not saying there is no crime. Car theft is the major problem here. However, on the Strip, there is a strong police and security presence. I would say to exercise the same vigilance you would in any medium-sized city and stay out of bad neighborhoods. 8)

glad to hear about you about Vegas again, amberstar.
I see what you mean about bad neighborhoods.
your right. 8)

Do you mean the same vigilance for travelers in Vegas as well?
or just locals living in there.?

hey I didnt know Miami is so volatile ?!!
wow. :shock:

What I mean is EVERYONE should exercise reasonable vigilance, whether tourists or locals, due to the era we are living in. Whenever you are in a crowd, always best to keep your wallet in an INSIDE pocket. Women should not carry open handbags. Our "bad neighborhood" is around Nellis Airforce Base but you would have no reason to be in that area anyway.

Casinos are very safe as there is a lot of security. Also, there are people located on a floor right above each casino observing everything that goes on. They call this "the eye in the sky". This is to deter employee stealing, players cheating and any crime that might occur. 8)

Las Vegas isn't really that much fun. Basically if you don't gamble or go to strip clubs then theres nothing really fun for u. I don't smoke or gamble or look at naked girls so it was really boring for me there. and gambling is just wasting money if i wanted to do that i could go to some arcade, that would be much more fun! Vegas sux if there was something better about vegas then i'd go.

There are some really beautiful hotels worth seeing as well as some great restaurants. Also some excellent shows. I have never heard anyone react to Vegas like you did - but of course you are entitled to your opinion. Some people like red, some people like blue.......... :D

hello,
my parents visited vegas a couple of months ago, they said they felt safer there than did in there home city London. They travel a lot all over the world and are usually fairly unjudgmental about a place untill they have been tehre, but lots of people said you had to be real careful in vegas. When they came back they made sure they corrected everyone who had given them the bad image of vegas. I really would like visit there one day soon but i think i might get carried away spending. lol

Vegas is safe, its only not safe if your some mafia guy lol. But any wayz vegas is made for gamblers and strip clubs. that's why they call it sin city. So basically if you don't go there to sin then theres no point of going cuz theres nothing fun there to do but sin

Mystic, to reiterate. There are many hotels with interesting themes such as the Luxor with an Egyptian theme, the Excalibur with a Medieval theme, and the new Wynn hotel which is all based on water. Many tourists bring their children here.

Again, there are innumerable restaurants and buffets and world-class shows. Yes, it is called "Sin City" for those who wish to indulge in legalized gambling and other pursuits.

My self-imposed role on this forum is NOT to attempt to talk someone into visiting here who does not find the city to their liking but to answer questions and help prospective visitors. We have millions of happy tourists from around the world who visit Las Vegas each year so one person who is not enticed by what we offer does not make a whole lot of difference to our economy.

Quote:lots of people said you had to be real careful in vegas. When they came back they made sure they corrected everyone who had given them the bad image of vegas. I really would like visit there one day soon but i think i might get carried away spending. lol

That's what I heard too! :P

amberstar makes a good moderator. Talk about Las Vegas can go on about the sin and stuffs, but bottomline it is still a tourist spot. and it can get interesting with the stuffs they do there :lol:
I have to go to Vegas to see all these first hand! :P

Re gambling - my husband and I go to one of our favorite local casinos once a week. We set an amount that we are going to spend and earmark that as entertainment money. We DO NOT spend more than that amount. We do not spend more than we can afford. We do not spend money needed for bill payment.

I recommend to visitors that you allocate a specfic sum of money toward gambling if that is one of the activities you plan. Once you pass that amount, STOP. Go into one of the 24 hour coffee shops that exist in each hotel and treat yourself to a nice dessert.

Visit the new Wynn hotel which is supposed to be spectacular. We are going to see it next week.

BTW, I am a Psychotherapist by profession and have counselled clients with addictions. I also counselled women who were victims of domestic violence. Now I happily work full-time at home on the computer writing content for websites. Sometimes I miss counselling but I get to do that online at times. :lol:

Quote:BTW, I am a Psychotherapist by profession and have counselled clients with addictions. I also counselled women who were victims of domestic violence. Now I happily work full-time at home on the computer writing content for websites. Sometimes I miss counselling but I get to do that online at times.

That explains why you are good at explaining things :wink:
we have a psychotherapist on board !!!

Quote:I recommend to visitors that you allocate a specfic sum of money toward gambling if that is one of the activities you plan. Once you pass that amount, STOP. Go into one of the 24 hour coffee shops that exist in each hotel and treat yourself to a nice dessert.

Good advice. I wouldn't want to spend all of my money on gambling, that will be a shame.

The hotel we stayed at when we arrived here is being renovated. They had a dessert there which you will love if you are a chocoholic. It's called "Alligator Pie" and it made of a fudge brownie, mint chocolate chip ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream. I'm going to try to get over there to see if they still serve it. The hotel is the San Remo, right behind the Tropicana, off the Strip. :lol:

Fits my description of good deserts!! :D

Quote:Alligator Pie" and it made of a fudge brownie, mint chocolate chip ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream.

Any more food that I should be aware of ??? :lol:

If you like prime rib, you will see some of the less expensive hotels advertising prime rib dinners at reasonable prices. Some of the buffets offer prime rib as part of the all you can eat for one price.

We like lunch and dinner buffets at the Gold Coast. Dinner is about $13.00 - all inclusive. What we like is to start with cold shrimp with tartar or cocktail sauce 0 all the shrimp you want. Peel and eat. This hotel often has prime rib as part of their buffet.

When we first arrived and were staying at San Remo, we tried the Excalibur dinner buffet. It was awful! The only thing good about it was a place where you could get any type of soft drink. The food was dry and tasteless.

I would imagine that the buffets at the bigger and more expensive hotels like Bellagio and Caesar's Palace are good. 8)

prime ribs in all you can eat? :lol: Hey amberstar, thats like my dream come true! I have never seen or heard of all-in-1 buffet prime ribs..
I am sure many steak lovers will be drooling like me!!

Vegas is cool man. Can't wait to visit the place year end or off peak season. by the way, amber, is there an off peak tourist season when going to Vegas? I am hoping to save on the air fares :)

Quote:prime ribs in all you can eat? Hey amberstar, thats like my dream come true!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

The prime ribs are PART of the buffet. It is not exclusively a prime rib buffet. But like any of the foods, you can order all you want. They have different serving stations in some of the buffets with a specific type of ethnic food at each one. The prime rib is at the American section. You can get one slice, two slices or more. Mashed potatoes, gravy, sliced turkey, stuffing.

With most people, the first few times at a buffet, your eyes are bigger than your stomach - i.e. you order a lot more than you can actually eat. Also, if you are a dessert person (as most of us are), you will want to leave room for cake, pie, brownies, etc.

The first few times we went to a buffet, I felt like a kid in a candystore. It's often hard to make a decision as there are so many choices and your stomach can only hold a certain amount of food. :lol:

One of the things that surprised me in Vegas is there are so many obese people. This is probably because of the buffets which are so cheap. Sometimes it is cheaper to eat out than cook at home.

Regarding the off season, it is best to check with a travel agent.

Quote:One of the things that surprised me in Vegas is there are so many obese people. This is probably because of the buffets which are so cheap. Sometimes it is cheaper to eat out than cook at home.

:lol: That would be great! Just eat out every day then! :lol:

Buffet is my favourite. I used to go hotels and check out their buffets, hoping to make the most out of it. heh. Sounds like Vegas has more to offer than just casinos and night life. Buffets!! Eat to your heart's content! :P

We want to Caesar's Palace to visit a friend about two weeks ago. Those of you who are boxing fans will know his name - Angelo Dundee. He was the trainer for Mohammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. He is also the trainer for a new kid named David Estrada - who lost to Shane Moseley that night. Anyway, we played their video poker slots for the first time. A BIG disappointment. Regardless of our winnings (which were not great), we did not rack up any points.

The Palms Casino is the only one I am aware of (there could be others) where you can see your points increasing as you play. You have to join the Players Club and insert your card into the machine before you play. If you get enough points, you can redeem them for prizes or buffets.

Las Vegas has an interesting Chinatown area in a big strip mall on Spring Mountain Road. Only Chinese shops and restaurants. Charming Asian decor and good prices on souvenirs. Our favorite restaurant is "Emperor's Garden". Tonite I had my favorite "Walnut Shrimp" which I never tasted before coming to Vegas.

Juicy shrimp in a honey-cream sauce with toasted walnuts - 32 of them. I am a shrimp counter because in Miami, I never got enough. A Chinese restaurant serving there was 10 measly shrimp. Husband, son and I each ordered a separate but different style shrimp dinner and now we have enough for 3 other dinners in the refrigerator. I love doggie bags.

If you are here for a few days, definitely a nice way to spend a few hours at this attraction and restaurant of your choice. 8)

great information as always amberstar 8)
btw what is the asian ratio in chinatown?
Japanese? they seem to be travelling all over the world these days :lol:

I am guessing lots of koreans in US. am I right?

Quote:great information as always amberstar
btw what is the asian ratio in chinatown?
Japanese? they seem to be travelling all over the world these days

I am guessing lots of koreans in US. am I right?

Hi Spidey:
Thanks........We have a large Chinatown as far as the shopping area is concerned. In the surrounding area, there are a number of Chinese businesses including real estate and the are a peaceful presence in local stores, casinos, etc. Probably because of their proximity to the West Coast - with many Californians moving here because CA is so much more expensive to live in than Las Vegas.

I am not sure about Japanese and Koreans because they would be included with Chinese in demographics. 8)

Several days ago, I read in the newspaper that a local woman (single grandmother) won $1 million on the penny progressive slots. As unusual as this event is - this is the SECOND huge win for this woman. Last year, she also won a million dollar jackpot. At that time, she predicted that she would win again - but did not think "so soon".

University professors have calculated that the odds of this happening are somewhere in the trillions to one.

A note on penny progressives: In order to win a jackpot, you have to play $2 each time. Those of us who play the nickel slots can only hope to win $200 if we hit that elusive Royal Flush. But we keep trying....And maybe someday we will graduate to the quarter slots. :lol:

Quote:Several days ago, I read in the newspaper that a local woman (single grandmother) won $1 million on the penny progressive slots. As unusual as this event is - this is the SECOND huge win for this woman. Last year, she also won a million dollar jackpot. At that time, she predicted that she would win again - but did not think "so soon".

:shock: some people have all the luck... :lol:

Quote:But we keep trying....And maybe someday we will graduate to the quarter slots

heheh. that's me. I can't afford to play big most of the times. somehow I keep losing in casinos and slowly downgrading my bets..lol. oh well, for the fun of it all :wink:

We went to our favorite casino last night. They added a new game to the video poker slots called "Aces Up" with very good payouts. The slots were very kind to me but I did not hit a royal flush.

I am not a gambling expert but have read enough books to know that I should check the slots payout before playing. More about this later..... 8)

Quote:We went to our favorite casino last night. They added a new game to the video poker slots called "Aces Up" with very good payouts. The slots were very kind to me but I did not hit a royal flush.

Interesting info amberstarr :) acutally I don't really know all these video poker. Is it even possible to win a handful from them? somehow I always get the feeling that the machines always win . Lol.

Yes, it is possible to win a significant amount from video poker slots. However, if you play a 5 cent machine, you should play the maximum amount each play which is 25 cents. The biggest jackpot you can win would be $200 at one time. But you can make several smaller wins which add up over the time you are playing.

When you play a 10 cent or quarter machine, the jackpots are proportionately higher. There are also 50 cent and dollar machines. But at the dollar machine (as with all others) you need to play $5 (max) each time. A few months ago, I saw a woman sit down a few seats away from me. She was playing a 25 cent machine. In 15 minutes, she won $100 and $500, never even cracked a smile, got up very casually and went to the cashier to cash in for her winnings.

The most money I ever won at one time was $100 and I was SO excited.

Also, the Bingo games have BIG prizes in their jackpots. We have not played Bingo that often but never won anything when we did play. I would not bet the mortgage or food money but, to reiterate, set aside a specific amount to play and when that is gone - stop playing. 8)

If you exercise self control, gambling can be a lot of fun. At the local casinos, you can cash in your accumulated points for prizes or dinners so the money played is not really lost.

Re points: we join the Slot Clubs, get a Players Card and insert it in the machines when we play. Points are accumulated according to wins and they add up pretty quickly.

Quote:Also, the Bingo games have BIG prizes in their jackpots. We have not played Bingo that often but never won anything when we did play. I would not bet the mortgage or food money but, to reiterate, set aside a specific amount to play and when that is gone - stop playing.

If you exercise self control, gambling can be a lot of fun. At the local casinos, you can cash in your accumulated points for prizes or dinners so the money played is not really lost.

good piece of advice 8)
I like to bet small, just for fun of it.
the best i have seen is my friend who tried a 5 cents bet on video machines. he got 1000 AUD in return. :x I guess that covers his accomodation in Melbourne... :P :P

My wife and I both want to move to Vegas as well but until we become wealthy or retire I don't see that happening anytime soon. It is like out home city to us. We both just feel like we are at home there. There are few places that we just feel like we are at home in.

Las Vegas is a wonderful place to live. However, in the past three years, home prices have skyrocketed. Our home is worth - on paper - almost 100% more than when we bought it. Speculators have created this huge real estate bubble. IMO, it has to burst eventually.

In the meantime, enjoy your visits. Keep a watch on real estate values and perhaps when they come down, you could buy a house and rent it out til you are ready to retire. I am not a real estate professional - just my opinion.

I was reading on another board about one of the top American investors has pulled out all his real estate holdings due to so much money being put up to chase deals that turn out to not be deals.

In Vegas the article mentioned that certain builders had to ask for an increase on the cost of the condos that they sold because the original cost had gone up from pre-sale to actual building phase. But because it is a legal agreement they were sued and forced to sell it at the agreed upon price or refund the money.

As an owner in that kind of a market it has to be really hard to know what the right decision is. If you don't sell before the burst that is money lost and potentially you may not be able to sell. If you do then what do you do for a place to live until the burst happens.

i'm interested in seeing the article to which you refer. Could you post the link for me? Re the home prices, whatever they go up to - or not - is irrelevant to me because I did not buy to resell. I plan on staying here for a long, long time. We got a good buy on our home 3 years ago because the existing owner at that time was anxious to sell and several other deals had fallen thru.

I know some people have sold high and hope the prices will go down to where they can rebuy at an affordable price - but that is too risky for me. I would not gamble with the roof over my head.

http://lvtalk.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=11515&highlight=vulture

sorry power supply was dying on the laptop when I posted that link. I looks like the link that they refrence is no longer valid sorry.

created a new thread instead

I'm want travel in LAS VEGAS travelonline.happyhost.org

Go go go travel to Las Vegas and USA all

Found a great Vegas site! Easy to use, filled with accurate information. Everything I needed in one place. insidervlv.com

vegaszip should know a lot on Vegas.

Post a thread to ask him 8)

Sometimes moves are good, I am happy that I moved across the USA, it was a good trip, and worth every penny. :) Vegas there are always a ton of things to do, and I know some that live outside the city, so its a little bit more laid back. :)