Just a bit of advice that worked for us when we moved. We bought a map of Las Vegas and then mapped out where things that we needed were so we could get a better idea of the location we would be happiest in. We marked out where our bank was, our car dealerships, organic foods groceries and a few other places that we knew we'd be visiting on a regular basis, so that we didn't waste time looking in a part of town where we'd be nowhere near our regular haunts. Two parts of town stood out for us, and when we compared some other issues, like traffic and average household incomes and familial units, it was easy to focus on one in particular. We lucked out and it took just 6 weeks from the time we made the decision to move to actually get here. We lucked out again and really feel that we live in just about the most perfect spot in Las Vegas for us, considering we didn't know much about anything off the Strip.

We had made a few trips prior to moving and spent most of our time asking questions - dealers, waiters, ploppies, everyone - in order to get a feel for areas of town, weather (while my SO loves the summer, I hate it; still, it beats Chicago's weather), people, etc. Keep asking questions after you move here. We grilled our insurance agent (hey, we didn't know a soul out here!), and found out about traffic issues, year-long schools, and more specific information about our neighborhood in particular.

One last thing. People move around Las Vegas like crazy, and you can use that to your advantage when signing a lease. Our complex offers a 6-month lease as standard, but when we signed a one-year lease, we got them to replace all of the carpet in our apartment to a shade we liked at no cost. When we renewed for another full year, they agreed to keep the rent as is and send over professional carpet cleaners.

Hope that helps, and I hope that you take Viktor's post to heart, as every single word of it is absolutely true. I couldn't tell for sure if you were bringing your son with you, but you obviously have many other issues that never even crossed our minds if you are bringing him. I suggest that you focus your energies on Summerlin or Green Valley areas if you'll have a child with you. Good Luck!

Bettie