Twilight Zone

Last night we had such a surreal experience that we couldn't believe that it wasn't a dream. For the first time, we made the treck out to the District at Green Valley Ranch. Of course, we had heard a little about it, and finally we had a real reason to check it out. As the night progressed, we could hardly believe that we were still in Las Vegas. It felt so much more like a utopian California village. It was very strange. Don and I joked that we were waiting for the stroke of Midnight when all the vampires and prostitutes come out and take over the square. I guess it's a sad comment on society when seeing people in a wholesome and family friendly atmosphere seems so strange. Tons of people were actually walking their dogs everywhere. What was even stranger was that they all seemed to have red leashes. I hope that was a coincidence! We were actually there to see a band and much to our surprise the green was totally packed with families on blankets and lawn chairs. Parents and kids were dancing and singing along to Beatles tunes all over the square. No one was dressed to provocatively or tacky. It just seemed too good to be true. There was even a clock tower for goodness sake! Adding to the strangeness was the fact that people actually own condos above the shops. I had heard about this in real estate circles, but the concept is so foreign to me because it has never really existed in Las Vegas. We've never really had any true urban centers. Honestly, we've been a very suburban town in which you rent an apartment or buy a house with a yard. So, it was really weird to be dancing around to The Magical Mystery Tour and look up at a woman working on her computer in front of a huge window.

We had a very nice time, but it is far enough away that I don't see us frequenting the District especially since so many of the stores and restaurants that I would be interested in are right down the road from our house at Boca Park. The talk is that the new Red Rock Station will have an area like the District. I could see us going there fairly often, because it would be so close to home. Thankfully, developers are doing a really great job of creating comparable areas in different parts of the city, so that if you live in Summerlin everything you want and need is right there. You don't have to go to Green Valley or the Strip for anything. I love where we live. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the city. Whenever the day comes that we feel we want another house, I'd like to stay in the same general neighborhood. We are so close to so many great things, and far enough away from the Strip that it doesn't influence us much. Plus, we actually have a backyard and a pool which is getting harder and harder to come by these days. Honestly, the only thing we are missing out here is a really good mall. But, I hear that is coming too. Once we get all this out here, it is going to be really hard to convince us to drive anywhere else. The only reason we'll have to go to Green Valley or Southern Highlands will be to visit our friends. Thank goodness!