Las Vegas, HI

There are many "Ninth Island" contenders on the West Coast and the Mainland, but few with the sheer size of Vegas. I was always impressed by the number of people fleeing Hawaii for the desert, but now, even the New York Times has noticed. Hawaiians Find an Unlikely Eden in Las Vegas, the headline reads, and the story opens with a surfer... in a wave pool.

"In Hawaii you have a better quality of life," says Stephen Lum of No Ka Oi Realty (of Nevada). "In Vegas you have a better standard of living."

Not only do 300,000 Hawaii residents (not "Hawaiians," thank you) travel to Las Vegas every year, but as many as 65,000 now call the artificial oasis in the desert home, making it "perhaps the most Hawaiian city on the mainland."

And the reasons cited for leaving the islands are well known. High unemployment and taxes, a slumping tourist economy, and staggering housing costs, for example. The median home price in Hawaii? $345,000. In Nevada, it's $152,000. There, you can get 18 eggs for 79 cents, and two boxes of cereal for $5. Here? Ugh.

Dysfunctional "local" that I am, I never really got the appeal of Vegas, and in fact have never visited (while everyone I know seems to visit twice a year). But the fact that so many people do, and that so many people stay — and, as this article illustrates, that they're seemingly building a pidgin-filled, beef-jerky-stocked home away from home out there — tells me something.

How often do you visit Vegas? Would you live there?

Comments

I never visted Vegas but then again I never been much of the traveling type.

I have a brother who has lived there for 10 years now. I been to Vegas only twice in my life, the last being 1993. I am not a gambler, so the area does not have that much appeal for me in that respect. The thought has crossed my mind about perhaps moving there due to the very reasons many have pointed out... more affordable to live there and of course lower taxes. (I would brand most Hawaii people who have moved there "economic refugees", fleeing Hawaii's tax hell.) It is quite amazing that for $112,000 one can afford a reasonably nice home in Vegas while I only can afford my little apartment here in Honolulu. And as long as taxes remain high, no fix for the Hawaii economy is offered by the entrenched Democratic party, you will see people continue to move to Vegas or other mainland destinations where the cost of living is much lower. The only reason why I haven't left is because I don't like the cold at all, and it can get cold during parts of the year in Vegas and many other mainland cities.

I've visited Vegas numerous times, although it has now been about fifteen years since my last visit. I've never really liked the place, much prefer Reno.

And I wouldn't even consider living there. Yeukh!

The only mainland cities I'd seriously consider as a new permanent location are San Diego, San Antonio and New Orleans.

But I seriously doubt I'll ever lleave Honolulu except in a wooden box. :)

I'm an overstimulation junkie, so, of course, I'm in love with Vegas. The last time I was there was in 2000, but I didn't want to check out of the hotel. I couldn't get enough of the eye-candy and the bells and whistles of the casino. Amazingly, I don't really like to gamble. I just enjoy the charge from being in a place where other people are gambling.

I'm not sure if I'd actually move out there because I fear it would lose its mystique if I were so close to it.

Been there once, in about 1987. It was January and really cold. Even though I'd lived in Arizona for a while I'd forgotten how cold desert country can be. I got there about 9:00pm, met the guy I needed to meet (he was a new manager about to work for the Club, and was attending a convention) the following morning, and got on a plane to LA about 1:00pm to meet some computer software & hardware people.

Having said that, I could live there in a minute; I absolutely love the desert Southwest.

Las Vegas hasn't been the same since they Disney-fied downtown. Now there's as much tourists there as there are on the strip. You know how hard it is to find a low-stakes single deck blackjack game downtown? Traffic is getting worse and the drivers are too (possibly because Hawaii residents are moving there?). The movie Casino was right. It used to be good until the mega-corporations took over.

Honestly, the only thing that could improve the 100+ degree money pit by answering question nine correctly and decriminalize it. That wouldn't get me to go more often since I don't do the wacky-tobacky, but it'd be a very progressive move in an increasingly conservative country.

I grew up just a few hours from Las Vegas and have never been there, or even had much desire to go. I can't imagine living anywhere that far from the ocean. Forget about the climate extremes (San Francisco was too damn cold for me).

With the cost of living and unemployment rates, well, it's all relative. I just bought 2 boxes of cereal for $5 on sale, and recent reports have put Hawai`i's unemployment rate below the national average.

And as far as housing prices go, it's the same everywhere- the first choice areas always seem just out of reach, and the affordable stuff is either in not-so-nice neighborhoods or the commute's hell.

My personal theory about why Hawai`i residents like Vegas is because in many ways it's the antithesis. Vegas is an escape, a world where seemingly anything can happen. Almost like a modern-day American Dream.

I remember the last time I visited there ( must've been about 6 years ago ). I was only 14 years old or so, and my parents were driving. We stopped for some reason, to let some pedestrians cross the street. I was suprised when the people who crossed flashed us the "shaka". I had no idea back then, how many Hawaii residents frequented Vegas.

And it's not just Vegas. A good portion of the people I graduated with ( Class of 1999! ) now attend college in Oregon! Seems like the West Coast is the place for people from Hawaii to go when they leave here.

I just assume Vegas would bug the fuck out of me.

I don't get it. Maybe the reason people think that there are more Hawaiians in Vegas is because they have discounted the rest of us here on the other side of the 15 south! I have been in Cali MY WHOLE LIFE, andI tell you what, I would NEVER trade the beach, the mountains, and the lack of gambling and drinking for THAT side of the 15!! I recently attended the California hotel May day celebration and was treated horribly by people who are supposed to be embracing us all. I guess they no can embrace us here on the Cali side of the 15 because for them the desert is a pit-stop and not truly a place to call home. The real "ninth island" is California. Always has been, always will be.

Just my opinion

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Hi, im a student in oregon and i was just wondering what the actual price of cereal is in hawaii im having a debait with my teacher and want to see whos right so how much is a box or captain crunch?

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