Making Las Vegas More Livable
Las Vegas has long been known as a great place to visit, but people are working to make it more livable as well.
Las Vegas has long been seen as somewhere to visit, rather than somewhere to settle down and raise a family. Making our city more livable in the eyes of buyers has long been a goal of real estate professionals. If you look at any list you find online to see what makes a city livable, you will find things like “foodie cities”, “golf cities”, or “best places to retire”, but places like ours don’t seem to exist in these lists, unless you are looking at the best places to visit or gamble. Las Vegas real estate has long had to fight against this misconception.
Once Celebrity Neighborhoods Now Working Class
Neighborhoods that were once home to Las Vegas celebrities are now home to working class residents who enjoy being closer to their jobs on the Strip at the casinos. While these areas have location going in their favor, as well as character, it does not draw in most of the outsiders that are moving to Las Vegas. This means that many of the homes that are for sale in the heart of Vegas tend to stay on the market for much longer than those that are for sale out in the suburbs.
Downtown Project: Good or Bad?
While these new homes may be drawing most of the outsiders that move to Vegas, the issue of livability is a very hot issue, due to an organization called the Downtown Project. This organization was founded to increase livability in the city of Las Vegas by luring people like entrepreneurs, tech companies, and restaurateurs to the downtown area. This has brought some aesthetic improvements to the downtown area with some new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops that filled once empty storefronts.
In addition, it has brought some new real estate activity with the upper and middle class families purchasing homes in the downtown area, but has tended to push some of the lower income families out, due to the high cost of living that is part of living in this updated area. In addition, it has aided some of the cities more universal issues, such as school issues and crime problems.
Livability Takes Time
Unfortunately, it is going to take time for Las Vegas to bounce back from the housing crash and bring more newcomers to the heart of Las Vegas. While some complain against projects like the Downtown Project, it is at least bringing some interest to the city and causing new businesses to get excited about moving into the city, which makes it more livable. The key is for everyone, including real estate professionals, to work together to find a balance that will work for everyone.
Bringing new business into the area is the first step to ensuring that Las Vegas real estate, both commercial and residential, will continue to get stronger and that we are able to continue to work on the misconception that Las Vegas is just a place to visit. Las Vegas is not only a place to gamble, it is a place to live and to enjoy life.