Photos show what it's really like to live in Las Vegas, from grocery-store slot machines to tarantula sightings
- I've lived in Las Vegas for over 16 years, experiencing the city's offerings on and off the Strip.
- Las Vegas Boulevard can get packed and dirty, so like many locals, I avoid spending much time there.
A neon oasis in a sprawling desert, Las Vegas is a city of contradictions. Known for its casinos, colossal hotels, and larger-than-life shows, the 24-hour town is a one-of-a-kind vacation destination and a really unique place to live.
I moved to Vegas in 2007 and have been here since. Because I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada's peculiarities were familiar to me, but still, I knew Vegas was a wild, weird city from the start.
Here's what it's like to live here 365 days a year.
The Strip has some incredible restaurants and shows, but the tourists make this area of Vegas almost impossible to enjoy.
Over 30 million people visit Las Vegas every year, and it sometimes feels like they're all on the Strip at the exact same time. The 4-mile stretch has five-star restaurants and dazzling shows, but the crowds flooding it can make those attractions difficult to enjoy.
Temperatures can skyrocket north of 115 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, but the heat doesn't keep people off Las Vegas Boulevard. In fact, I've rarely seen it quiet.
On New Year's Eve, the city shuts down vehicle traffic around the Strip. It gets so packed that I can't take two steps without bumping into someone.
If I can avoid this part of the city, I do, and if you ask most Vegas residents, they'll probably say the same.
The crowds often leave behind huge messes.
The city works really hard to keep Las Vegas Boulevard clean, but with so many visitors coming through every day, trash pileup is inevitable.
It's just too bad people can't take an extra moment to throw their waste in the myriad of trash cans lining the streets.
Many Vegas residents forego the Strip's resorts and get their gambling fix at locals casinos.
Yes, locals casinos are a thing in Vegas. Catering toward residents rather than tourists, these casinos have shows, restaurants, pools, spas, and all the amenities people look for in larger casinos — just off the Strip and without the massive crowds.
If I want to enjoy the benefits of Vegas, I go to these casinos. Some offer rewards cards that grant discounts at restaurants, hotels, spas, and more. In my experience, the drinks at locals casinos tend to be less expensive than the ones at bars and casinos on the Strip.
A lot of the locals casinos also run specials. Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa hosts Social Hour, during which guests can enjoy select appetizers and drinks for $6. Prices, days, and times vary, so be sure to ask your server for details before ordering.
Slot machines are everywhere, from gas stations to grocery stores.
I can gamble while I get gas at Circle K, shop for groceries at Albertsons, eat at local bars and grills, or even wait for my flight at the airport.
Sometimes it feels like there are very few places in Vegas without slot machines. If there's space, many business owners install one.
Conventions bring people from all walks of life to Vegas.
Vegas is a popular city for conventions, from CES, Consumer Technology Association's annual trade show, to the AVN Awards, an award show for adult films.
Whenever I walk through a casino while these events are going on, I meet interesting people and stumble on random displays. One year, I found a gigantic megalodon that was part of a 7-Eleven convention.
If you plan on driving through Vegas, expect to deal with construction.
There's a joke that Nevada's state flower is the construction cone. They're everywhere (half the time, I have no idea why).
Because it's a 24-hour town, I run into performers at all times of the day and night.
I've seen an Elvis Presley impersonator shopping for groceries, fixing a car on the side of the road, and getting gas. And people dressed as Chewbacca and a Stormtrooper from "Star Wars" walked down the street in front of my son's school.
I have no idea what's going to happen every time I leave my house.
Many people come to Vegas to wed, and some tie the knot in unexpected places.
More than 150 couples get married in Las Vegas every single day, earning the city its nickname as the "marriage capital of the world."
There are dozens of stand-alone chapels all over the Strip, and some are inside casinos. But one of the most unexpected chapels I've ever entered is inside a Denny's on Fremont Street.
The diner chain offers a wedding package that include two Grand Slam breakfasts, a wedding cake with Pancake Puppies, use of the chapel, a bouquet, a boutonniere, a souvenir Denny's wedding certificate, and a champagne toast for $200.
Not bad, as far as wedding packages go.
Because Vegas is known for its dry heat, many people don't realize it also gets snow and flash floods.
Even though Vegas is in the Mojave Desert, temperatures can drop below freezing between November and March. In true Vegas fashion, even the weather is unpredictable. It doesn't snow every year, but when it does, it feels like the entire city shuts down.
Another part of living in the desert is monsoon season, which extends from July to September. Thunderstorms can strike out of nowhere. The ground can't absorb the water fast enough, meaning flash floods appear without warning.
To combat the water, the city installed drainage tunnels for the rainwater. However, streets still flood most years.
The city is brimming with wildlife — I've seen cockroaches, rattlesnakes, bobcats, and tarantulas.
Many people think of massive hotels and commercialization when it comes to Vegas, forgetting that it's in a desert brimming with wildlife. On my evening walks, I've encountered rattlesnakes, sidewinders, and even a few tarantulas.
I got used to seeing coyotes trot through neighborhoods, bobcats slink around cars, and tortoises cross streets in Vegas. But the bugs? They shocked me.
Cockroaches show up everywhere. I also have to check my shoes for scorpions and never reach into dark crevices — black widows and brown recluse spiders live there.
Vegas has hard water, so many people install water softeners in their homes.
Desert water is typically hard, meaning it contains high levels of dissolved minerals, and that's certainly the case in Vegas.
If you don't want to fight mineral deposits on your faucets or buildup in your pipes, you can install a water softener in your home.
Unfortunately, they don't come in most houses or apartments and can cost anywhere from $300 to $4,000, but in my opinion, they're worth the investment.
I feel like I can't go anywhere in the desert without coming across people's trash.
Where I live, there's trash day twice a month, and I can also go to the dump for free with a trash bill. Yet, for whatever reason, people still throw their trash in the desert.
I've come across mattresses, furniture, construction equipment, and even old cars while walking along desert paths.
Despite all of Vegas' quirks and strangeness, there's no denying that the city is gorgeous at night.
Life in Vegas can be unexpected and bizarre, but there's nothing I love more than watching the sun go down in the beautiful desert sky.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement