What's it like in Las Vegas?

[ullanta]

Hi! Can anyone tell me what the market is like in Vegas? I may be spending some time there and would like to figure out what life would be like...

[Barry_Green]

Which market? *The market for video production services? *Market for housing?

Housing is red-hot, hotter than any market in the country. *List a house for sale and you'll have 8 offers within a couple of hours, and a bidding war above list price. *Housing prices on used homes have gone up about 30-40% in the last year. *And there are waiting lists and people camping out for days at a time trying to get new houses. *Some home lots are now being auctioned off. *So if you're in the market to buy, it's brutal. *If you're in the market to sell, it can be heavenly IF you're moving out of town. *If you're staying here, it's almost impossible to buy a new place.

Average resale home is about $210,000, average new is creeping up to around $230,000.

Market for filmmaking? *Zero. *Valencia Entertainment just bought Lear Studios and is renovating it and may have a little production work coming. *If you're a crewperson and you get on with the right companies (there are two or three that do most of the work) then you might find work, but generally those companies are already staffed up. *There's several big-budget films here yearly, but lots of them bring crew from L.A. *There are a dozen no-budget features shot here yearly by the typical no-money indie crowd, but there's no paying work to be had from those.

If you're doing independent videographer work (weddings, convention coverage, etc) then there's plenty of competition, but with 7,000 new residents every month there's also plenty of opportunity.

As far as what life is like? It's hot as an inferno, and when the wind blows (and it BLOWS) it's like a hair dryer. The traffic and smog are getting unbearable, and there's a massive water shortage on (we've had a four-and-a-half-year drought, with no end in sight). The water district is paying people to rip out their grass and replace it with rock landscaping. It's getting more and more crowded, and people here are angry and impatient -- it's sort of like New York attitude with Los Angeles traffic and pollution, but stuck in the middle of a hellhole desert. (Not that I'm complaining, but... well, yeah, I'm complaining).

If you're into whores and x-rated entertainment, this place might be nirvana. If you like strong & vibrant economies, this is your place. If you're a real-estate developer, this is the best place in the world to be. If you like world-class restaurants and shopping, this is the place to be. If your business is related to conventions, this is the #1 place to be in the world.

If you like family and community and nature and neighbors and "quality of life", this is not the place.

[ullanta]

Wow! Do you actually live in Vegas? Are there many Barry's there?

Sitting here in LA, the Vegas housing market sounds dreamy.

But I guess I was asking primarily about the videography (and audiography ;-) market... I guess I'd have to carve hard at a niche.

Where are nice, reasonable places to live in the area (if you don't mind me pumping for info)? What's the area near the University like? Are there any nice little communities that aren't too car-centric?

Feel free to kick the stupidity out of my head...!

[Barry_Green]

I'll send a PM so we don't clutter the board...

[J.R. Hudson]

If you're into whores and x-rated entertainment, this place might be nirvana


LMAO LMAO LMAO :D :D :D :D

[Jay_Blanchard]

I went to Las Vegas this year for NAB (my first trip to both) and I was amazed at the pornography everywhere--i must have seen at least 50,000 (not exaggerating) business cards for prostitution featuring full color nudes, covering every inch of sidewalk, chain-link fencing, lamposts, etc. not to mention the people handing them out at every corner. I couldn't find a newspaper box anywhere that sold the Times or even USA Today, buy there were hundreds of them with free copies of such fine publications as "hot sluts" and "completely nude" everywhere.

Coming from little quiet Vermont, it was quite the culture shock. I can't imagine bringing kids there on a vacation. Just seeing 70 year old couples shuffling down the street with dozens of pornographic cards russling beneath their orthopedic loafers was a surreal enough sight.

But on the other hand, I did win 75 bones playing the slots...

[Barry_Green]

Yes, that lovely sight is one of our constant battles... somehow someone thrusting pictures of naked whores into your hands is "constitutionally protected free speech"... go figure that one... and (theoretically) prostitution is illegal in LV! ::)

[speedbump]

I'm coming to Vegas (for the first time!) next weekend: May 14th, 15th, and 16th, to cover the Modern Drunkard convention. We're primarily at the Stardust, in the Avalon ballroom. This will be a grueling drunkumentary: 14 hour days for me, and I have a crew of four others with me.

I am SO looking forward to this job! 8)

[BLWolf]

that lovely sight is one of our constant battles... somehow someone thrusting pictures of naked whores into your hands is "constitutionally protected free speech


Being given pictures of naked women? So . . . what's the problem?



j/k ;)

[Barry_Green]

Until you see it, you just don't believe it. Thousands and thousands of flyers, "business cards", all sorts of absolutely pornographic pictures littering the sidewalk, littering the street, and a bunch of sub-minimum-wage thugs shoving them directly at you. It's absolutely surreal. I mean, people got so upset that Janet Jackson's boobie was flashed for half a second on television...

[boo]

yeah, i was carrying my 3 yr old w/ me and one of the guys handed me one of those brochures. i was so pissed, i took it and threw it back at his face.

[Barry_Green]

Funny thing is, people used to report that this place had more churches, per capita, than any other city in the country.

Hmmm.

I drove through Brentwood, Tennessee, and I'd say there was a magnificent mega-church roughly every 20 feet.

Could this "most churches" claim be true? *Turns out that apparently they were including the "wedding chapels" in their count of churches...

Oh well. *I keep meaning to try to organize some church groups to go down there with garbage sacks, and stand next to the pimps pushing the whoreflyers, and encourage pedestrians to take the flyers and dump 'em right in the trash right next to 'em. *Seems like it'd be a great way to clean up the streets, declare war on the pimps, and cut down on their business at least a little...

[BLWolf]

I live in SoCal, and I've been to Las Vegas a bunch of times; I've seen what you're talking about. I just completely ignore those guys and go about my business.

[Zoomforce]

lol.. Vegas is interesting thats for sure. Forget the film biz if you move there, open up a print shop that specializes in printing 2"x3" postcards and you will do fine :)