[Iolaus]

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I was looking at the Green Valley area?

Any other areas that are nice?

I'm also looking for opinions of people who actually LIVE there about stuff to do, but haven't gotten as much as I'd have liken.

Also, there's almost no way I'll buy right now, especially in Vegas. I just can't see myself staying there long enough to even begin to reach a break-even point.

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My wife and I moved here in June 2004 from Pennsylvania mainly for a climate change. We both got sick of shoveling snow. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

We love it here. We rent in the Northwest part of town near but not in Summerlin. 1200 ft.^2, 2BR, 2BA in a community that caters to dog owners, about $930/mo.

As far as things to do...almost every major musical artist/group that goes on tour comes to Las Vegas. For example, we're going to a U2 show on Friday.

Mt. Charleston, the highest peak in Nevada, is about a 45 minute drive. Here you can participate in winter sports, ie skiing or snowboarding...plus hiking or camping during the warmer months, or just to get away from the heat during the summer for a few hours. It's 20-30 degrees cooler at 11K feet.

Lake Mead was already mentioned. In addition, there is Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire, both state parks I believe. Great for hiking and camping.

There is the speedway which hosts NASCAR and drag racing events.

Right around the corner from my place there is a mini grand prix place where you can go drive go carts, play video games, etc.

There are plenty of bars away from the strip to go shoot darts or play pool.

Nearby you can go skydiving, bungee jumping, rock climbing, and just about anything else you can imagine. You can go visit old mining towns that are now ghost towns. Then there's Area 51 and the old nuclear testing sites. Of course, you can always go hump in Parhump. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

As far as weather goes, I love it. It gets cool in the winter, but nowhere near the deep freeze I'm used to from Pennsylvania. YMMV since you're a CA person, but I think weather in the 50's or 60's in Feb. is awesome. Average rainfall is between 4 and 5 inches per year, so there are plenty of sunny days.

Around town there are plenty of parks and recreational areas. Some of these put on concerts or other events during holidays. Red, white, and boom is an annual July 4th event that brings several well-known bands for an all day concert. This year, there was a free Red Hot Chili Peppers (along with Weezer) show for the Vegas Centennial.

I'm sure I'm missing a whole bunch of stuff, but I've only been here a little over a year.