Spring Valley - Las Vegas, NV

This good-sized town of over 175,000 residents started as a master-planned housing community during the 1970s. As a result, most of the housing was built between 1970 and 1999, making the community feel established.

Although the arts scene isn't prominent in this area, several festivals call Spring Valley home. The Las Vegas Greek Food Festival, famous for its spanakopita and Mythos Greek beer, is held every fall at the St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church and features live music, tours of the church, market booths, and a mini carnival for kids.

DW Bistro, with an exciting mix of Jamaican and New Mexican cuisine, invites locals to spice up their lives with new flavors. Try out the brunch menu with one-of-a-kind offerings such as the New Mexican-style slow-cooked bowl with red chilli and jack cheese, or sample the Jerk pork hash sauteed with seasoned potatoes.

For lunch, locals flock to Volcano Grille on South Durango Drive. Make the build-your-own bento box with fresh caught salmon, chicken katsu, shrimp tempura, or various vegetarian options. Personalize this meal with your choice of sides. The sauce bar, however, adds the final touch with fun flavors such as Hot Lava, Spicy Teriyaki, and Japanese salsa. Elements Fine Casual Dining & Cocktails features huge martini glasses with unique flavors such as cookies and cream, blueberries and cream, pineapple upside down and strawberry shortcake — the list of gigantic martinis goes on. Prime rib represents the specialty of the house on weekends for brunch, but on other days, the coconut shrimp appetizer pairs well with just about any fruity martini whipped up by the expert mixologists. Braised short beef ribs come with horseradish potatoes and red wine onions. Stop by for weekly theme nights such as Ladies' Night on Wednesday and Martini Mondays, both of which feature discounts on several signature cocktails.

The nightlife in Spring Valley is just as diverse as the dining. From hookah lounges to Irish pubs to oyster bars, a late-night hotspot for every taste exists in this area. Cloud 9 Hookah Lounge is more of a hopping dance club than a relaxing lounge on Friday and Saturday nights, so expect some music blasting from the DJ on the weekends. Other nights of the week, guests enjoy a more mellow vibe, and they love to kick back on the comfy sofas while trying out flavors like Pomberry, Pirates Cave, and White Gummy Bear.

Spring Valley, like the rest of Las Vegas, spreads out over a good distance. At just over 33 square miles in size, residents find it difficult to travel from one side to the other without a personal vehicle. While there are public buses, the buses stop frequently, particularly along the larger, more touristy streets. Uber may be the better option for nights out on the town.

While some dedicated biking lanes do exist in Spring Valley, they are not well-connected, making a long-distance trek difficult. The residential areas, however, offer a bike-friendly escape, so neighborhood bike rides are quite feasible. Most neighborhoods have wide sidewalks, too, making walking safe.

While offering residents multiple neighborhood parks, Spring Valley's most favored green space is arguably Desert Breeze Park on Spring Mountain Road. Home to a fenced-in dog park, a skate park and a variety of sports courts, Desert Breeze provides recreation and relaxation. The attached Desert Breeze Aquatic Center contains both indoor and outdoor pools, with water slides for cooling down in the hot Las Vegas weather.

In addition to the parks around town, one can find a large number of gyms and workout facilities. Cross-fit gyms are particularly abundant, offering residents ample opportunities for getting in shape all year round.

Being very near a hot tourist spot, the neighborhood gas average runs a little high, sitting around two percent higher than the national average. Apartment rent for an average one-bedroom unit typically runs around $700 a month.

Though shopping in Spring Valley largely seems confined to standard strip malls, some local gems do exist. The Little Shop of Magic, a haven for gamers, remains Nevada's largest and oldest dedicated table-top game store. Located on South Durango Drive, the store offers an impressive array of games, ranging from kids games to more obscure all-night European titles. With an option to rent a game to try-before-you-buy, The Little Shop of Magic allows even novices to try their hands at gaming.

For those looking for a more glamorous shopping experience, check out the GlamSquadShop inside the Apache Plaza, a boutique that strives to be high-end yet affordable. From handbags to jewelry and coats to shoes, new shipments come in weekly to ensure shoppers have a unique experience upon every visit.

Spring Valley houses a handful of full-service grocery stores, such as Albertsons. Residents consider themselves lucky enough to have a La Bonita Supermarket in the heart of town. A large Mexican market with a hot food counter and bakery, in addition to an impressive butcher section and fresh tortilla factory, La Bonita Supermarket serves as an excellent stop for a quick lunch as well as groceries.