SportsDiva72
Member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2025
- Messages
- 51
Long before I had even thought about or even considered doing something called a 30 Plus Teams Tour, friends and definitely well meaning family members who didn't know that much, or if anything about Las Vegas asked me questions like this constantly:
"You're leaving Los Angeles and going to where now? Las Vegas? Nevada?"
"Really, no get out of town. Do people ACTUALLY live in Las Vegas?"
"Do they have houses on the Las Vegas Strip?"
"Yes, off the strip actually but I'm going to live in Downtown Las Vegas," was always my reply.
"No, stop lying, there's a Downtown Las Vegas?"
"Yes, there is and it's where Las Vegas really started "
"Okay, but what casino are you going to live
in and can I get comps there like I do in Atlantic City ?"
I was leaving Los Angeles after 10 years in the City of Angels, quitting my job at Malaysia Airlines and just like LeBron James, I was taking my talents elsewhere.
I wasn't going back home to New York City, that would happen three years later.
I was moving to Sin City, aka New York on steroids.
What was I going to do there?
Didn't know yet.
I didn't know that much about the city even though I visited a lot.
Las Vegas is just about as close to a suburb of Los Angeles as you can get.
I signed up with a temporary job agency but I couldn't do any kind of job in the city until I got fingerprinted by the Las Vegas police department, which EVERYONE in town must do if you're applying for a job in Las Vegas.
Contrary to popular belief, prostitution is ILLEGAL in Clark County, where the cities of Las Vegas and Paradise, Nevada,(which is where the strip is actually located)are.
The agency paid $75 for my fingerprints.
When I first moved, I spent a couple of nights at EL Cortez Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas until my money ran out, which was a week later.
I didn't know where to stay as I STILL didn't know the city that well.
Someone at the agency suggested that I stay at a place in North Las Vegas called Shade Tree Inn.
For about a month or so, this was my home.
Did I mention that this was a homeless shelter for single women and women with children?
Yes, I did stay at a shelter for awhile and I'm not ashamed to say so.
You do what you have to do to get by.
I had to learn when to get up at a certain time, when to bathe, what time to get to bed, usually the top bunk, and try to find something to do in the morning, because the shelter didn't let you in from the hours of 10am to 4:30pm,when it was dinner time.
When I started working, and got off at midnight, I had to check in with the staff, who turned off the lights at 11pm.
They had to verify who I was and was I really coming to the shelter from work.
Eventually, I found not only a job but a studio apartment also, which was located three blocks from my job.
My studio apartment, had a kitchen, bathroom, and balcony, which I sat on and looked at the Vegas skyline, which seemed to be dominated by the tallest tower West of the Mississippi, the Stratosphere Tower.
(If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you KNOW the building I'm talking about.)
My apartment cost less than my room in Los Angeles and a whole heck of lot less than what I'm paying for my house here in New York City right now.
Where did I work?
Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel, which is now known as The D.
I was one of those people who make players cards if you're playing the tables or slots.
My official fancy schmanzy job title was "Card Ambassador".
Now that it's 2025 and it's been a total of 15 years that I moved from Las Vegas back home to New York City, I ask myself, was it worth it?
Would I ever consider moving back to Las Vegas?
Yes and no.
I didn't follow my own advice.
I didn't research the city .
The cost of living is low.
There's no state tax.
Now some of you may say what's wrong with that?
Some of us of a certain age don't get refunds on Federal tax, but we do on state taxes.
I'm greedy, I want to see that next to nothing state refund from the Empire State, sorry.
We won't even discuss the "dry heat" here.
Can't get used to waking up at 9am in the summer, and the temperature is 100 all ready.
But there's no humidity!
Working for the casinos, I realized that other casinos could give me comps, so I didn't have to worry about food or if I didn't want to go home, I could stay at the job in one of the rooms for next to nothing, as long as there was availability.
Even some of the other casinos offered me free rooms.
(Yeah, I see you Bellagio and Caesars Palace!)
Needless to say, it was always party time after work.
I still visit Vegas and it's changed.
Being the Sports Diva that I am, hello Las Vegas Aces, Raiders and Golden Knights.
Vegas is STILL New York City on steroids, that's not going to change no matter what people say .
There are times that I question myself for not staying in Vegas and moving back to New York City.
However, if you were to ask me at this very moment would I even consider moving back to Las Vegas, I couldn't honestly give you an answer.
Nothing has changed that much when I tell people that I lived in Vegas for three years.
'You did?'
"Yes, I did live in Las Vegas but no, I didn't live in a casino."
"You're leaving Los Angeles and going to where now? Las Vegas? Nevada?"
"Really, no get out of town. Do people ACTUALLY live in Las Vegas?"
"Do they have houses on the Las Vegas Strip?"
"Yes, off the strip actually but I'm going to live in Downtown Las Vegas," was always my reply.
"No, stop lying, there's a Downtown Las Vegas?"
"Yes, there is and it's where Las Vegas really started "
"Okay, but what casino are you going to live
in and can I get comps there like I do in Atlantic City ?"
I was leaving Los Angeles after 10 years in the City of Angels, quitting my job at Malaysia Airlines and just like LeBron James, I was taking my talents elsewhere.
I wasn't going back home to New York City, that would happen three years later.
I was moving to Sin City, aka New York on steroids.
What was I going to do there?
Didn't know yet.
I didn't know that much about the city even though I visited a lot.
Las Vegas is just about as close to a suburb of Los Angeles as you can get.
I signed up with a temporary job agency but I couldn't do any kind of job in the city until I got fingerprinted by the Las Vegas police department, which EVERYONE in town must do if you're applying for a job in Las Vegas.
Contrary to popular belief, prostitution is ILLEGAL in Clark County, where the cities of Las Vegas and Paradise, Nevada,(which is where the strip is actually located)are.
The agency paid $75 for my fingerprints.
When I first moved, I spent a couple of nights at EL Cortez Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas until my money ran out, which was a week later.
I didn't know where to stay as I STILL didn't know the city that well.
Someone at the agency suggested that I stay at a place in North Las Vegas called Shade Tree Inn.
For about a month or so, this was my home.
Did I mention that this was a homeless shelter for single women and women with children?
Yes, I did stay at a shelter for awhile and I'm not ashamed to say so.
You do what you have to do to get by.
I had to learn when to get up at a certain time, when to bathe, what time to get to bed, usually the top bunk, and try to find something to do in the morning, because the shelter didn't let you in from the hours of 10am to 4:30pm,when it was dinner time.
When I started working, and got off at midnight, I had to check in with the staff, who turned off the lights at 11pm.
They had to verify who I was and was I really coming to the shelter from work.
Eventually, I found not only a job but a studio apartment also, which was located three blocks from my job.
My studio apartment, had a kitchen, bathroom, and balcony, which I sat on and looked at the Vegas skyline, which seemed to be dominated by the tallest tower West of the Mississippi, the Stratosphere Tower.
(If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you KNOW the building I'm talking about.)
My apartment cost less than my room in Los Angeles and a whole heck of lot less than what I'm paying for my house here in New York City right now.
Where did I work?
Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel, which is now known as The D.
I was one of those people who make players cards if you're playing the tables or slots.
My official fancy schmanzy job title was "Card Ambassador".
Now that it's 2025 and it's been a total of 15 years that I moved from Las Vegas back home to New York City, I ask myself, was it worth it?
Would I ever consider moving back to Las Vegas?
Yes and no.
I didn't follow my own advice.
I didn't research the city .
The cost of living is low.
There's no state tax.
Now some of you may say what's wrong with that?
Some of us of a certain age don't get refunds on Federal tax, but we do on state taxes.
I'm greedy, I want to see that next to nothing state refund from the Empire State, sorry.
We won't even discuss the "dry heat" here.
Can't get used to waking up at 9am in the summer, and the temperature is 100 all ready.
But there's no humidity!
Working for the casinos, I realized that other casinos could give me comps, so I didn't have to worry about food or if I didn't want to go home, I could stay at the job in one of the rooms for next to nothing, as long as there was availability.
Even some of the other casinos offered me free rooms.
(Yeah, I see you Bellagio and Caesars Palace!)
Needless to say, it was always party time after work.
I still visit Vegas and it's changed.
Being the Sports Diva that I am, hello Las Vegas Aces, Raiders and Golden Knights.
Vegas is STILL New York City on steroids, that's not going to change no matter what people say .
There are times that I question myself for not staying in Vegas and moving back to New York City.
However, if you were to ask me at this very moment would I even consider moving back to Las Vegas, I couldn't honestly give you an answer.
Nothing has changed that much when I tell people that I lived in Vegas for three years.
'You did?'
"Yes, I did live in Las Vegas but no, I didn't live in a casino."
