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Posted by on Mar 22, 2015 in Blog, Las Vegas, Personal, Travel | 18 comments

Living in The Lakes (Las Vegas) — A Narrative History and Photo Tour

 

the-lakes-las-vegas

 

I live in a section of Las Vegas called “The Lakes.”  Let me tell you more about this wonderful place.

 

The Lakes seems like an odd name for a residential community anchored in the middle of the desert.  People get confused, hearing about “lakes.”  Some misunderstand the reference and think I live way out near Lake Mead.  Others associate the name with “Lake Las Vegas” — a ritzy golf course development with million-dollar homes located on the eastern edge of the city.

Actually, The Lakes is located right smack in the middle of town on the west side.  It’s about six miles away from the Las Vegas Strip (a.k.a. Las Vegas Blvd.).  It’s bordered by Durango to the east, and Hualapai to the west — then Sahara to the north, and Desert Inn to the south.  If you keep on heading west from where I live, the next development towards the mountains is called Summerlin, which most people have at least heard of.  Not so, with The Lakes.

The Lakes has an interesting history.  In today’s column, I’m going to tell you more about The Lakes and convey its uniqueness as a desert paradise, and a really nice place to live.

***

About 30 years ago, the west side of Las Vegas extended only as far as Decatur Blvd., about two miles off The Strip.  Since then, as Las Vegas’ population doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled, roads inched steadily westward, moving closer and closer to the steep mountains.  Now, the city has reached all the way out to the base of a state park known as Red Rock Canyon, which is as far as development can grow without invading an environmentally-protected area.

Three decades ago, the City the Las Vegas was eager to diversify its economy.  Whenever anyone mentioned “Las Vegas,” all that came to mind were casinos and gambling.  Such debauchery later prompted ridiculous monikers that I refuse to repeat, including “S– City” and the appalling convention bureau slogan, “What happens in Vegas….”

City leaders wanted to shed Las Vegas of its one-dimensional image and ramp up its more obvious attributes, including nice weather almost year-round, relative affordability, diverse leisure activities, and world-class entertainment.  And so when banking giant Citicorp announced they were seeking a new home base for their credit card processing division, Las Vegas rolled out the red carpet to attract a mainstream corporation.  Mind you, back then Las Vegas didn’t have any other corporate headquarters — other than companies connected to tourism.  Trouble was, the folks at Citi were concerned that moving offices to Las Vegas would be risky.  How would it look to mainstream consumers and customers elsewhere, particularly those who lived in more conservative regions that a major American bank was moving its operations to Las Vegas?  Would their deposits be safe?  Would all the funds end up on the pass line at the craps table?  Would Americans living in the heartland feel comfortable mailing their checks to Las Vegas each month?

Ridiculous as it sounds now, that really was the prevailing attitude of many people a generation ago.  Long before Las Vegas became just another city with plenty of normal jobs and schools and law-abiding families, it had a far shadier image.

Citi cut a deal with the city.  They agreed to move their credit card processing headquarters to Las Vegas, provided some demands were met.  Concerned they might actually lose customers, the company secretly applied for a postal exemption that allowed a small area of the city to be carved out and given a new name.  That became “The Lakes, Nevada.”  The zip code is 89117, which is where I now live.

***

Why is this place called — The Lakes?

Back in 1985, there wasn’t any freshwater around here, let alone a “lake.”

All that existed was a slopping desert with sagebrush.  The sole single-lane road heading from The Strip out to Red Rock Canyon was paved over and then widened.  That became an extension of Sahara Blvd., now one of the busiest streets in the city.  Seven miles out of town, a huge pit about a quarter-mile wide and a half-mile long was dug out and filled with fresh water.  Then, several home developers came in and purchased the land around the lake, in order to build nice new homes.  People eventually moved in.  Pretty soon, docks and boats appeared on the lake.

Citicorp was given a huge plot of land nearby and began construction of its new credit card processing division, which would ultimately hire more than a thousand workers.

The Lakes, Nevada was no longer just a zip code.  It was now a real place, with homes and at least one major business.

Over the years, that inner ring of new homes expanded outward.  More homes were built.  Condos were added.  A shopping center moved in.  Parks were put in place.  Planners were determined to make this new development unlike anything else in Las Vegas.  More small lakes were carved out of the desert landscape and waterfowl were even brought in.  Hundreds of pine trees were planted.  As they grew, the area began to look like an oasis in the middle of the desert.

***

The success of The Lakes as a major development spawned a similar construction project about five miles to the north, later called Desert Shores.  This similar development became even bigger.  The lake was twice the size and included several thousand new homes and condos, along with parks and commercial development.  After that, “Lake Las Vegas” was built, a similar project on the east side of town, adjacent to Lake Mead.

Unfortunately, as Las Vegas’s population exploded and we became the fastest-growing city in the nation for eight out of ten years, the water became a serious issue.  Concerned that building artificial lakes were wasteful (due to steady evaporation), a moratorium on such developments was passed.  No new lakes would be permitted.  This is the reason why, even though we are called “The Lakes,” only one huge man-made body of water exists.  The second lake which was planned never happened.  So, we really should be called “The Lake,” instead.

Of course, all the moratorium did was make The Lakes and Desert Shores more attractive as places to live.  Pretty soon, the areas around the parameters began to fill in with more homes and businesses.  Summerlin, once owned by Howard Hughes and intended as an airfield, became the hottest new development in the nation.  Sun City was built nearby.  Several golf course communities sprang up, oddly enough — needing even more water than any lake in order sustain greenness.  But the genie was already outside the bottle.  Growth couldn’t be stopped.  Not when developers run the city and there’s money to be made.

Another reason why the far western side of Las Vegas became so popular was — temperature.  Because the plateau near the base of Red Rock Canyon is more than 1,000 feet higher than the rest of the Las Vegas valley, temperatures can be as much as ten degrees cooler in the summertime.  That means it’s “only” 96 degrees for some Summerlin residents, while the tourists down on The Strip swelter in 106-degree heat.  Moreover, the air quality was much better up near the mountains.  Haze had become a problem in Las Vegas, and from the vantage point of the far west side, one could see the brown cloud of pollutants blanketing the rest of the city.  People who lived on the far west side were above all that.

By the mid-1990s, the barren arid wasteland between Las Vegas and The Lakes had been filled in completely.  Now, the Citicorp headquarters and surrounding area are completely engulfed into a giant urban zone.  Yet today, this mature development which turns 30 years old this month, remains very much apart from the rest of the city with its signature lake and tall pine trees all around.

Here’s a collection of pictures I shot today, which reveal more about the attractiveness of The Lakes, Nevada:

Postscript:  Sometime around 2005, Citicorp moved its credit card processing division elsewhere.  Then, it made The Lakes the center of its national mortgage banking division.  However, the economic crash of 2008 resulted in hundreds of layoffs and shutting down much of the building.  In 2014, Citicorp finally vacated its offices.  The building and parking lot now sit vacant, awaiting new ownership and tenants. 

he lakes, nv 5

 

The Lakes is built amidst an oval road, which is four miles to travel around — Lake South, Lake North, Lake East, Lake West.  There are four small parks with lots of waterfowl — including ducks, geese, swans, and other birds.  Many residents enjoy feeding them.

the lakes, nv 3

 

Here’s one of the parks along Lake North Drive.  Each park is different.  The birds occupy them year around.

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This view was taken today from one of the inlet waterways, connected to the main lake.  Many residents keep boats docked along the water.  However, due to noise and pollution, the motors must be electric.  No gas motors are permitted.  The keeps things very quiet.

the lakes, nv 9

 

The most expensive homes in The Lakes are on the water, and these are protected within gated communities.  This entrance is typical.

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I mentioned that Citicorp is now gone.  Here’s the former headquarters and parking lot, now vacant.

the lakes, nv 2

 

What I really love about The Lakes are the wide streets.  This is great for runners and cyclists.  As I said, it’s four miles to make the complete round.  This view is from the far west side.  As you can see, there’s not much traffic.

the lakes, nv 11

 

Our most famous resident is comedian Marty Allen, now in his 80s.  He still performs occasionally in Las Vegas.  Mr. Allen was even on the same Ed Sullivan Show as The Beatles, on their American debut in 1964.  He lives here, about a block away from me.  His home is really nice.

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Here’s the view from the south side of the lake, which has a large park, with a picnic area.

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We have some neighbors who need some special care.  We often have ducks wandering out on the roads.  Another reason why you have to drive slowly in this area.

the lakes, nv 8

 

We have several European-style traffic circles.  I prefer these to stop signs.  I don’t know why we don’t have more traffic circles in America.  They are much better for traffic flow.

the lakes, nv 12

 

This is my favorite area of The Lakes for running and cycling.  It’s along Crystal Water Drive, which has a bike and running path.  Also, those houses on the left up the embankment have some of the best views of the city.

Coming Up:  More photos coming next time of my actual daily running path.

TAG: The Lakes in Las Vegas

18 Comments

  1. Great article Nolan- I’ve bought my “forever home” in The Lakes a year ago. I absolutely love it here – I still haven’t found that damn lake!! Lots of duck ponds though.

    • Another great article Mr. Dalla. With Jeanne now in the neighborhood, part 2 of The Lakes can focus on how “the crazies” are now moving in…

    • Do you remember around 2006 or 2007 they dropped a car in the bottom of the lake? I can’t find anything about it on the internet. How deep is the lake in it’s deepest spot?
      John Peters

  2. Great article, but is it not Durango to the east & Hualapai to the west?

    • Actually, it appears that Hualapai to the west is correct but it might just be all the way to South Rainbow Blvd to the east. I do not live there and Google Maps may not be the proper authority to deliver such information, but there it is.

      I will make it a point to visit when Dianne and I visit for our very first entry into the WSOP … the Seniors. It is about time. Another great essay, Nolan. Thanks for your work.

    • Nolan Replies:

      The initial text was incorrect. Fixed now. Thank you.

      — ND

  3. How rock stars roll yo.

    Posts like these here, more more. Please.

    Homes price range?

  4. I really enjoyed reading about your neighborhood Nolan and seeing your photos. I’m looking forward to visiting there after my move to Vegas in the next few months.

    I’d been wondering if there were any good biking areas in the Vegas area. The Lakes sounds perfect!

    Thank you!

  5. Oh how I miss the old neighborhood.

  6. Where do yo get the money for all of this? Taking multiple trips all over the world, and yet having a small budget for football season. Never heard of that Marty Allen guy. What type of comedian lives to be 80 and nobody has ever heard of him.

    And another thing. Waterfowl is one word, not two. It didn’t look right when you said water fowl, so I looked it up. YOu son of a bitch!

  7. I cannot believe someone said that — just because you used the space bar. So, “crazzies” !?

  8. Enjoyed your article on The Lakes. Very interesting. We bought some years ago, and have just retired here on the lake from Honolulu a few months back. Could you tell me where I might find some technical data on the lake? Secifically physical characteristics such as size, shoreline linear footage, depth, etc? Thanks, any help would be appreciated.

    • NOLAN REPLIES:

      Welcome to the neighborhood! Thanks for the kind words. Enjoy life!

      — ND

  9. A question: How is the Lake circulated in terms of source and drain. How clean is it? Who cleans or how is it kept clean? Is it stocked with fish? ok to eat them?

    • NOLAN REPLIES: Thanks for the question. It’s a stagnant lake. No streams. It is about a clear and clean a water source as exists in LV aside from Desert Shores, but the ecosystem is severely limited. Algie grows and feed fish, which also feeds some water fowl. But its very limited and fragile. Turtles seem to fare the best over years. Coots also do well, but fish are very scarce. We do see 5-6 inch fish (I dont know the species) that comes a few times a year but the fowl are starved for them so the system can’t reproduce. It’s a valiant effort, but desperately needs human support.

      — ND

  10. I enjoyed this very much! Is there access to walk up to Lake Sahara for residents that live in The Lakes, but don’t own lakeshore property? Would you say you prefer The Lakes to Desert Shores? I am trying to decide which community to buy in. Thanks for this!

    • NOLAN REPLIES: There is no access to the lake from non-residents outside the gated areas. But the lake can still be enjoyed from two small parks on each side, which sometimes even host events. Desert Shores is also very nice, and much larger. There is also direct access to the lakes there from the streets, so if that is an issue, Desert Shores is better. Both communities are stable and well maintained. Desert Shores does have more options but Lakes is more affordable in surrounding area. Good luck to you, whichever you decide.

      — ND

  11. Thx so much for your quick reply!Good info!

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