mydowntownlasvegas

2006-09-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

New Huntridge Neighborhood Mural at the Corner of 15th and Franklin. We'd love to see a lot more of this kind of art added to downtown. Any one have some other ideas?

Demolition of the "Farmer's Market" in the Commercial Center on Sahara

2006-08-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

TONY'S DRINKING FOUNTAIN

2006-07-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

OUR NEIGHBOR AND FRIEND TONY AT 1311 S. 15TH ADDED A DRINKING FOUNTAIN AS PART OF HIS GREAT NEW LANDSCAPE.

GREAT IDEA TONY!

More yard art

2006-07-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

These have been downtown for years. Find them on Beverly way between Oakey and St. Louis. I get a little chuckle and a big smile everytime I drive by.

more fun yard art

2006-07-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

At the corner of 15th and Wengert

Must of been a BIG Bird that laid these eggs!

2006-07-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to document some of the ever growing front yard art thru out the neighborhood. Let me know if there's something I missed or haven't gotten to yet. Congratulations and thanks to Mike, Angela and Gus for being the first to get published.

Amusing Easter Holiday Decor

2006-03-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

you can always count on the corner of Houston and Crestwood for great holiday decor. This time it's easter. We've previously shown his Christmas and Holloween Decor(from Eastern, go west on Oakey to first street Crestwood and then north to Houston Ave.)

Durette Studio (Archetectural Hardware)

2006-03-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

Best selection of unique doorknobs, cabinet pulls, and complete interior design service. I left the beaten path of First Friday last month and stumbled north on Main Street and found all kinds of new interesting business. Durette's studio was facinating and unique. Check it out at 1007 S. Main St., just north of the Arts Factory.
Best selection of unique doorknobs, cabinet pulls, and complete interior design service.

What Defines us as a neighborhood?

2005-11-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

On the surface... it's that we could comfortably walk to Downtown or north Strip. But we also have charming OLD homes, Big trees, numbered streets, and an incredibly diverse population.

Sun Columnist raises interesting question of how we define our neighborhoods
Full Description:
click here to read entire article Since Tom has raised the question (which for those of who live "downtown" had already been answered, let's give him an earful (or an inbox) full of what makes downtown the great place to live that we all know it to be. Email him at href="mailto:tom.gorman@lasvegassun.com">tom.gorman@lasvegassun.com or give him a call at 259-2310 click here to read entire article

Grafitti

2005-10-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Still battling the grafitti problem. Some jerk kid just loves to deface Burnham from Sahara to Charleston at least once a week. I'd love to catch him. I've asked metro to watch for him, but with no success.

Everyone is encouraged to call the city RAPID RESPONSE TEAM the minute you see something new. 229-6615 or report things on line at http://edynamicportal.com/DP1/metroplex/lasvegas/customerservice/wiz_csr.asp

Market comments

2005-10-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

After a spike in the inventory of homes for sale downtown, things have leveled off and 35 now seems to be the constant number of homes for sale. just about every day, one home sells and one home gets listed.

Prices are "outrageous" with the lowest priced homes being 1 bathroom house for 210-230,000.

Still homes with garages are being snapped up fast, as well as those with updated dual pane windows, upgraded electric plumbing roofs etc.

Still too many corporate contractor rehabbers think that a new coat of paint and new floorings is more important than new windows, insulation, plumbing and electric upgrades.

I call their level of remodelling "putting lipstick on a pig".

The blog front page was another casualty of Katrina

2005-09-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Spent much too much time watching Katrina news, and didn't do any posting. Promise to do it at least daily from now on.

huge increase in for sale inventory

2005-09-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Suddenly in the last 2 weeks, the number of homes for sale downtown has risen to 50.
We've maintained a steady inventory of about 25 for sale at any given time, and about 30 in escrow. Now there's still 30 in escrow, and 50 for sale. Sale rate stays steady, but inventory has doubled.

I think that will move us to a 60 day average time on the market instead of the robust 30 days we've had for the last year.

NEW NEIGHBORS

2005-08-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Richard Routh. Moved from Barstow and closed on his home on San Jose today.
Welcome to Joe Scheinnman on his new home Wengert.

Downtown HOME PRICES

2005-08-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Slight improvement of inventory in the last 2 weeks. Today there are 32 homes for sale downtown with lowest price at 220,000 for a 3 br, 2 bath 1200 sf with no garage or pool. We've been carrying right around 20 homes for sale at any given time for the last whole year.

City wide median price statistics show a 10% increase since Jan. 1. 05, but I calculate a 18% increase in Downtown median price. I know this is true, because with every sale downtown, we're struggling to get the appraisals to come in. Appraisers have to use closed transaction, but the market demands higher and higher prices.

My biggest complaint is sellers asking top dollar for 50 +- year old homes that have not had the plumbing, electric, heat/air, windows etc updated. We'll get away with this for a short time more as long as buyers think they're getting more sf for the money than they can elsewhere, but as prices rise, sellers will have to have done the updating to get top dollar. Downtowns amazingly great location will carry us for a while, but not when 2br 1 bath is 250,000.

Visited the Photo Exhibit of Las Vegas History

2005-08-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite photo, which happened to be on the website for the event www.ilv.com/caughtonfilm

Great photos that I'd never seen before. Most interesting to me were the ones of Las Vegas a hundred years ago before all the glitter and gambling. And to think we all complain about our struggles of day to day keeping it together. Gives a little perspective.

This is NOT YARD ART

2005-08-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

I get my hopes up when I see a new project started, and then they trash the outside while doing the inside.

forgot I was supposed to post EVERY day

2005-08-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

here's some more yard art from 1400 block of Jessica

Backyard tours

2005-08-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Disappointed that only one person ever volunteered to show off their yard. Will try again for next spring.

Winning the war on Grafitti

2005-08-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

For the first time in 10 years, I went a whole week without spotting new grafitti. I'm sure the folks at Rapid Response are sick of me, since I call in almost everyday. Found 2 new ones yesterday.

I do give them a great big round of applause, since "rapid" seems to be an appropriate name for their team.

When I moved downtown 10 years ago, there were tags on every available inch of block wall. Who says citizen action and caring doesn't work wonders!

Changing Skyline

2005-08-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

SOHO LOFTS just showed up out my kitchen window. From the living room window, we've been able to see the skeleton and watch the cranes for about a month... but today, it's peaked above the tallest tree on Oakey, and I can see it from my kitchen.

The Tortoises

2005-08-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

If you haven't driven the spaghetti Bowl, you need to drive by and see the Desert Tortoises and their re created natural habitat in the various intersections of I-15 and US 95. I'm greatly impressed and in awe of their size and majesty. Go take a look. Best viewing I've had is northbound 95, both sides just as you go under the I-15.

Remodeling going on all over

2005-08-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

Been watching with interest as homes at 5th Place and Griffin, and 8th and Oakey have been gutted to studs. They seem to be on the same track, as windows are being installed in both.