Moving to S. Lake Tahoe Advice/Tips

Hi All!  

The other night, my next door neighbor had an attempted break-in from someone claiming to be a cop one week after robbers tied up a family 3 blocks away while ransacking their home by also pretending to be cops (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-07/five-men-sought-in-home-invasion-robbery-in-sherman-oaks)  So... the LA life has been beating me down long enough and I'm considering moving my family (wife and 2 young kids) up to south lake Tahoe.  Wife is definitely in agreeance.

We've been thinking about this for a while now and even went on a trip up there to explore the neighborhoods a bit more to get a better idea of what daily living might be like.  Right now, I'm figuring how the timing will work with living arrangements and finding a job (possibly remote and work from home).  I do construction management for large commercial buildings right now so my industry niche would 100% have to change.

Do any South Lake transplants or locals have any advice for moving a family up there?  Rent or buy?  Good jobs/bad jobs?  Good/Bad areas to live?  Anything to avoid? Obviously a huge reason we are moving there is for the climbing, hiking, camping, fishing, and better lifestyle.

Thanks!

Just rent a JUCY camper van and sleep in the Lover's Leap parking lot.

Best of luck, you will love it up there. You may find work in Reno or Carson doing what you have been doing. I have a friend that worked near South Lake Tahoe & lived in Carson, not a bad drive.

Colton, that’s something I’ve definitely considered. Is that free/cheap and legal?  Any other spots like that closer to the town?

caughtinside wrote:

There is a lot of forest service land around you can bivi in. Would be weird with a family and lots of spots inaccessible in the snow. 

Also, the Forest Service has been known to close some/all of the National Forest areas in winter, even if they're technically accessible. I once got busted in Eldorado NF during January or February, although to be fair, I had no idea it was closed. Luckily the ranger who came up was pretty nice about it and didn't ticket me.

South Lake is like the LA of Tahoe.  

I'll likely wait out the winter in LA but could go up there march or april.

Mike Carson City is very affordable, extremely well located for climbing and skiing.  Reno is now just a twenty five minute  with the new freeway.  Something to consider as for a good bang for the buck.

Anybody have any RV/camper locations that can be used for long term camping?  Preferably in BLM or NF land off the beaten path.

Lon Harter wrote: Mike Carson City is very affordable, extremely well located for climbing and skiing.  Reno is now just a twenty five minute  with the new freeway.  Something to consider as for a good bang for the buck.

SHHHHHHHH!

SHHHHHH!

Also, Carson has an In-N-Out.  Definitely stokes me out every time I drive down to the east side.  
  

I Currently live 3 blocks away from an in n out so Carson city has definitely been in the running!  Haha!

Don’t move to Tahoe it is a thought place to hang but is it so worth it. Not much opportunity  for your job description, if you do find something expect a decrease.

The Carson and Reno folks are correct. not trying to be a troll, just realistic.

my location Meyers CA is basically south lake. I work in south lake proper. 

South Lake is too touristy. The Nevada side of Tahoe is going to be considerably cheaper. I live in South Reno, and I live less than a block from In N Out! ;)

I've lived in Reno close to ten years.
And, yes, S. Tahoe is great for rock and back country skiing, and has a good outdoor community.
But, what governs Tahoe and Reno are the casinos; always have and always will.
I think that both Tahoe and Reno lack substance; meaning- a sense of why.
Our terrain is desert in every sense of the word, so, maybe, Southern California won't seem so distant.
We are experiencing a construction boom unlike any since the gold rush, so work should be easy for you.
One final note; there is a strong police presence here, again the casinos, and for better or worse.
A good note, we have lots of outdoor type shops; Sierra Trading Post, Scheels, Cabelas, REI, and even a couple of used gear shops.
We( Reno) have two of the tallest, biggest indoor gyms; Mesa Rim and something mounted on the wall of a casino.
I miss the call of the wild, and I miss the sense of adventure.
But, I think your children will be safe here.
I am from a different generation.

Well we actually do have a real climbing shop in Reno it's called Nevada Adventure rental.  https://nevadaadventurerentals.com/  They have  the largest climbing selection in Reno.  I think it might be the best selection in Northern Nevada.  The owner Barry  is a AMGA guide. Barry has climbed all over the area and is a pretty nice guy.  You can't go wrong with Reno or Carson for climbing.  Donner is only 45 minutes  You have River Rock or Dinosaur in Carson city for quick trips after work.   Then all kinds of stuff at South Lake not too bad of a drive on the weekends.   In the winter we have a few local craggs to hit up as well in Dayton and Pyramid when you can't drive down to Alabama hills or owens.   Read the last sentence in this photo it says it all. This will give a sense of the climbing community in Carson and Reno.  The Valley is a little over 4 hours in the summer and 5 in the winter. 

I’ve been in Gardnerville almost seven years after leaving CA. I will never live in CA again. This area is awesome (all of Northern NV). Lots of construction going on, both residential and commercial, especially in the Reno/Sparks area. 

Lon Harter wrote: Well we actually do have a real climbing shop in Reno it's called Nevada Adventure rental.  https://nevadaadventurerentals.com/  They have  the largest climbing selection in Reno.  I think it might be the best selection in Northern Nevada.  The owner Barry  is a AMGA guide. Barry has climbed all over the area and is a pretty nice guy.  You can't go wrong with Reno or Carson for climbing.  Donner is only 45 minutes  You have River Rock or Dinosaur in Carson city for quick trips after work.   Then all kinds of stuff at South Lake not too bad of a drive on the weekends.   In the winter we have a few local craggs to hit up as well in Dayton and Pyramid when you can't drive down to Alabama hills or owens.   Read the last sentence in this photo it says it all. This will give a sense of the climbing community in Carson and Reno.  The Valley is a little over 4 hours in the summer and 5 in the winter. 

A) I live in Reno, and I’ve never heard of NAR. I’ll check it out for sure! 

Reno is wonderful for climbers/skiers/lovers of outdoors...I grew up there, and love heading back to see family.
You've got near 365 days of potential climbing with the Tahoe area and the desert.  You can do the elusive ski/climb day without too much issue.
Donner is 30 minutes, Pig is 40...Bowman is a little over an hour...close to a bunch of other destinations, too...
Plus, good beer, cool river, good fly fishing, good trailrunning, good hiking, Lake Tahoe, sunshine...
Downsides--Donner can get a little crowded now, and there are more people in Reno than ever, but a lot just haunt Mesa Rim--especially in winter!  I've seen a lot of weird stuff at Pig, but only a few times, other climbers...

Random plug for Sacramento, I love that place.