It takes a certain personality to live in Pahrump.
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7/7/2009
This is the Wild West. Gambling, prostitution, fireworks, owning pet lions, all of this is okay and legal here, so you have to be aware and okay with all of it. There are about twice as many bars and taverns as there ought to be for the population, so there is a lot of cheap beer flowing because of the competition. You can probably imagine that this is not a great place to raise children. It can be done, however, if you are a good parent and you pay attention. The schools are okay, perhaps a bit underfunded. To counteract all the vice here, there are a decent number of churches and Christian schools, if you're into that.
The town council is going to put in a prison right up the street, despite all the people trying to fight it, so expect that happening in a year or so. There's definitely some corruption in government here. When the sheriff's wife ran for a judge position, it looked a lot like a conflict of interest. She didn't win, but it was pretty ballsy. Like the judge is not going to have inside information and pre-conceived notions of every criminal her husband arrests. Laughable.
It's a hundred and ten degrees outside as I write this, it will be 27 degrees or lower in the winter. There are a few months of the year in spring and fall where you can enjoy outdoor activities in milder temperatures, but the long months of extreme heat and cold really benefit the casinos more than they do anyone else. It's dry, though, so the location is ideal for people with respiratory problems, as the desert climate will likely improve quality of life and in all likelihood extend it. I have suffered from severe allergies all my life, but here I only get sick maybe once a year in the deepest, wettest part of winter when it snows.
If you like animals, there are very few regulations restricting you from keeping them. There's a pick-up truck I always see at the Wal-Mart with a goat tied up in the back like it was a dog. They bring it everywhere. The house down the street from me has lions, and we hear them roar and huff at night. A lot of people keep pet horses in their yards, and land is cheap enough where that is possible. Pigs, chickens, even peacocks are all also fairly common. There is a pack of wild horses roaming around town to be aware of. They have killed at least one family's horse, and I nearly got into a car accident when they ran out on to the highway late at night.
There is a fairly low cost of living here, with readily available, affordable housing. However, there are very few jobs in Pahrump, so moving here should only be considered by people who are retiring or can work remotely via computer. If your work requires a broadband connection, contact the cable company prior to choosing a location, to be sure that CMA can provide adequate service for your needs.
Shopping for new items here is poor, and the local economy suffers from its proximity to Vegas, in that our consumption spending is primarily diverted there rather than recycled into this community. During the holiday season, people drive to Vegas to buy gifts, rather than peruse the meager offerings available here. There is no decent computer store. The two that exist provide repair service, but do not carry inventory, so if your video card craps out, expect a drive to Vegas. Wal-Mart often has more computer equipment than these repair shops, and always at a better price.
For used goods, however, we have some of the greatest, cheapest thrift stores I have ever seen. The Windsor thrift store is open seven days a week and carries all manner of electronics, furniture and decorative items and collectibles. On Saturday and Sunday, you can visit Building 160, which is absolutely insanely large, with two Big-Top tents full of furniture and an airplane hangar filled with other merchandise like electronics, jewelry, cosmetics and more. The outdoor areas in between are also filled with all sorts of children's toys, exercise equipment, retail fixtures, appliances, books, records, and nearly everything else imaginable. If you do decide to move here, just sell everything you own and you can outfit a new home with everything your old one had for pennies on the dollar. I sold a hand-carved Chinese liquor cabinet when I left Hawaii for over a thousand dollars. I found virtually the same piece here in Pahrump, but with a nicer marble top and I bought it for two hundred. I sold my cloth couch in Hawaii for $300 and bought a leather one here (with a fold-out bed) for just fifty bucks. Insane.
We finally have a movie theater, although they only have one screen, zero-incline flooring (so there's always someone's head in front of you) and they are closed on Saturday because the theater room is in a casino and the room is used as a Bingo hall on Saturdays. I owned the only comic shop in town, but closed my business in April in response to the slow economy. The skating rink closed around the same time, but the indoor miniature golf remains, at least for the time being.
Several other local businesses, including a nightclub that opened only eight months ago, have also closed their doors. There are many, many empty commercial units available for people looking to open a business, but you should be advised to haggle aggressively when negotiating a lease. Many units have been empty for months and even years, and are doing the land owners no good, other than as tax write-offs.
At an hour and 15 minutes from Vegas, 45 minutes from Death Valley, an hour from Tecopah hot springs and 4 and a half hours from L.A. the location is appealing to those who don't mind driving and want to do some travelling. I have driven to the Grand Canyon, L.A. several times, been to San Francisco twice and up to the Sequoia National Park, and am planning to visit Yosemite and Salt Lake soon. All by driving and with only a small budget.
There is good and bad here, like everywhere else. Crime exists, but is not rampant. Violent crime is rare, but it still happens, so you have to be on alert. Over all, Pahrump is only a good place to live if you can adjust to it. For many people, it will not be a good choice.
Ron | Pahrump, NV