Public transportation is getting a much needed update this fall when ACE begins shuttling passengers between major Las Vegas destinations. The new service will be a “train-like” bus that will travel in dedicated lanes and make fewer stops compared to the currently available bus service. ACE will connect riders traveling in and around Downtown, World Market, The Strip and eventually down to the South Terminal at the airport.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that the construction cost is about $52 million.
Visit the Regional Transportation Commission’s (RTC) website for ACE to see a cool video demo of ACE and detailed maps of planned routes and stops.
ACE & Deuce Pricing
$3 one-way ride
$7 day pass
$65 monthly pass
A local bank is no more. Silver State Bank joins the list of failed banks that have buckled under the load of bad mortgages.
The bank had $1.7B in deposits which will be taken over by Nevada State Bank.
Ironically, they just opened a branch on South Durango.
Leaving Las Vegas over July 4th weekend is a popular strategy for savvy locals looking to avoid the peak of tourist season and triple-digit temperatures. The Economy Parking Lot at McCarren Airport was completely full when we arrived so we were directed to overflow parking near UNLV. To our surprise we didn’t have to pay for parking when we picked up our car a few days later.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that some brothels are offering creative incentives: gas cards. Spend a certain amount of your tax rebate check and get more “bang” for your buck.
Remember that prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas so would-be patrons need to drive as far as 150 miles each way to visit a brothel. Gas cards are a way to offset the rising price of fuel and to lure visitors out of Clark County.
Tix4Tonight is a good way to save money on tickets to many of the popular Las Vegas shows. They offer discounts of up to 50% off box office ticket prices.
Pros
- Four convenient locations around town
- Up to 50% off published prices depending on the day of week and the show
- You can also buy discounted restaurant and buffet certificates
- They give you an umbrella for shade when it’s hot and sunny out
Cons
- You get a mixed bag of shows on a daily basis
- Quantities are limited and popular shows can sell out quickly
- For some shows they give you a voucher and you have to go to the box office to pick up the physical tickets
- You have to stand in line in line – sometimes in the hot sun
Be sure to print out this coupon to save $2.00 the Tix4Tonight service charge (per ticket).
I blogged about the Mac Clinic before but have to mention them once more. My trusty little iBook failed to boot the other day (I wish this explained the time between postings but unfortunately it doesn’t) so I brought it down to the Mac Clinic. They got me fixed up, helped me find a replacement power-cord on the cheap and I’m blogging again. Thanks guys!
If you live on the west side of town consider visiting Silver State Eye Care. The office just celebrated its grand opening and Dr. Thomas Kelly is accepting new patients. He has been practicing in the valley for over five years and was recognized as a “Top Doctor” in LV Life Magazine.
I first heard about Dr. Kelly from my neighbor, Frank Slaughter. Frank recently helped a homeless, former boxer named Joseph Kiwanuka get eye surgery and a plane ticket back to Uganada. You can read more about Joseph’s story in the Las Vegas Sun. It’s a touching story of how the efforts of Las Vegas residents like Frank and Dr. Kelly made a big difference in someone’s life. This city would be a better place if everyone was so generous.
Silver State Eye Care
6080 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite A
Las Vegas, NV 89148
(702) 309-2015
Part of getting settled in a new city is rebuilding your network of trusted health care providers and this is not an easy task. In LA, I visited four dentists before finding one I liked. So imagine my dread when I chipped a filling doing battle with a crab leg (no, it wasn’t worth it) and needed to see a dentist pronto. Fortunately there are a dozen dental offices within 5 miles. In fact, there is an unusually high number of houses of pain in the valley (more on that later).
I went to Town & Country Dental since because the dentist is Vietnamese (gotta support my peoples!). The office is located conveniently near the corner of Warm Springs and Durango in the shopping center near Sonic. The waiting area is nicely decorated and everyone there is helpful and friendly. It is very family run business that excellent family dentistry.
After a check-up, a cleaning and having that filling replaced I am confident in recommending Dr. Phan Nguyen to anyone in the area. He was courteous, professional and did a fantastic job. I will be back in six months for a routine exam.
I asked Dr. Phan why there seemed to be so many dentists in Las Vegas. He told me that in previous years there was a shortage of dentists in the area. The certification process was relaxed to make it easier for dentists to practice in Las Vegas and many have come to serve the growing population.
Town & Country Dental
7225 S. Durango Dr. #102
Las Vegas, NV 89113
(702) 558-8696
This month’s newsletter from LVVWD featured an article about Las Vegas tap water. The “taste” that many residents complain about comes from chlorine. Calcium and magnesium are also present but these minerals do not affect the flavor. Instead, they are the reason we get spots on our glassware, white deposits on our faucets and cloudy ice. Hard water is nothing new for those of us coming from California but folks from the East Coast sometimes opt to add water-softening systems to their homes.
If you don’t like the way tap water tastes LVVWD recommends three possible solutions: 1) let the water sit in the fridge for a few hours so the chlorine can dissipate; 2) throw in some citrus slices and pretend like you’re eating out; and 3) use carbon filter. We use a Brita pitcher here and it works fine – I have no complaints about the water’s taste.
You can find contact information for LVVWD and other Las Vegas utility companies on our resources for new residents page.
One of the things that comes with buying a home is junk mail. There are companies out there who troll public records to create databases of names for marketing purposes. Likewise, your information will probably be sold by the credit bureaus since they know how much you make, owe, etc.
Since moving to Las Vegas and buying a home I’ve been inundated with flyers, pamphlets and credit card offers. It’s a big waste of paper since I seldom read any of this mail (it just gets shredded and goes into the recycling bin). Today I learned how to stop the credit card offers by submitting my information on the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry’s website.
Visit http://www.optoutprescreen.com to stop getting credit card and insurance offers by mail. You can opt-out for five years or forever. It’s a great way to reduce the amount of junk mail you get and helps reduce paper waste.
