Neighborhoods: Creative License

Names, names, names. Every place has a name, or two, or three or more. In addition to being United States, Nevada and Clark County residents, a few Las Vegans can also say they live in the Wood Glen neighborhood, which is in Willow Creek, which is in The Willows village, which is in Summerlin.

Local builders use creative license when coming up with a name for their condominium, townhome or single-family home development.

Some names actually capture the local ambience, such as Cactus Flower, Desert Bloom, Desert Willow and Nevada Trails. Meantime, others conjure up images of the past, such as Ponderosa, the Northern Nevada ranch that housed Ben Cartwright and his boys; and Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning "ancient ones." (Don't tell Anasazi's developer, but its name refers to the Basketmaker-Pueblo culture that existed from about A.D. 1 to 1300 in the Four Corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah -- not Nevada.)

Other names are somewhat puzzling. With sources available such as Nevada's own cities of Winnemucca, Hawthorne, Goldfield and Jackpot from which to choose, why do developers name their projects things like Yorkshire Point, Verona, Madrid or Valencia? And why is there a Scottsdale and Tucson Ridge, not to mention an Aspen Hills and Santa Fe Village?

Some developers just plain miss the mark. How about the builder of Lexington and its sister neighborhood, Concorde, spelled unlike its namesake in Concord, Mass. This oversight is an insult to the patriots who fought the Revolutionary War.

Here's a good one: Pelican Bay. Of course, we won't confuse this neighborhood with the Northern California prison that's called "home to the worst of the worst" felons. Even "60 Minutes" visited there.

Other developers look to the skies for inspiration, and come up with such names as Northern Lights and Starfire.

But what's with the letter "e" at the end of the word "point?" We're not talking about ballet, and when we last checked, Nevada's roots were not in France. We've got Diamond Pointe, Summit Pointe, Silver Pointe and, most notably, Talon Pointe. A talon is the claw of a bird of prey, isn't it?

That pesky "e" also appears in the name of a neighborhood that was introduced as Hunters Pointe. In this case, why no apostrophe in "Hunters?" Probably for the same reason there are no apostrophes in Kings Gate or Eagles Roost -- the builder's grammar skills were a little rusty.

Based upon neighborhood names, one might believe that some valley residents live among farm animals or crops. "Ranch," as defined by Webster's Dictionary, means "1. an establishment for raising livestock under range conditions; 2. a large farm to raise one kind of crop or animal."

This brings us to Deer Springs Ranch, where cows have yet to graze on the front lawns and residents are rarely seen using a plow. Further, the builder of this neighborhood didn't follow the ranch theme when naming the streets. Choosing to bypass the obvious Cornhusker Court or Heifer Avenue, he instead chose to name a street "Tartarus" (a place of damnation in Hades where the wicked were punished after death) and intersected it with a misspelled Pinnochio Avenue.

The word "glen" is defined as "a narrow, secluded valley." Look around, there's no Echo Glen in these parts, but we do have an Echo Glenn, perhaps named for an astronaut who loves to hear his own voice.

Many developments, such as the Paloma neighborhood, bear Spanish names, which is appropriate for the southwest -- assuming the translation makes sense. Donde esta su casa, Carlos? Respuesta: Paloma. (Where is your house, Carlos? Reply: Dove.)

There's even a neighborhood called "Treasures" that promises "unbearably beautiful" homes. When people see these homes, are they blinded by a vision of block walls, stucco and concrete tiles that is simply too much to behold?

When it was open for sales, agents at ClearView Estates, like their colleagues at many hillside neighborhoods, boasted the development's vantage point. From atop Sunrise Mountain, residents do, in fact, have a clear view of the smog below.

Some developers try to draw buyers to their homes with grand names such as Opulence, while others manage to capture the essence of what the development is all about. Lake Las Vegas Resort, for example, surrounds a lake named Lake Las Vegas. There's also Lamplight Village, which is illuminated by, you guessed it, gas lamplights. And who could argue that Las Vegas, with about 300 sunny days per year, should be without a Sun City or three?

The Orchards community, however, has yet to yield a sizable crop. Although it's home to such neighborhoods as Apple Tree, Cherry Tree, Pear Tree and Peach Tree, local produce managers are not optimistic.

But there is joy at Harmony, Serenity, Solitude Estates and Whispering Meadows, and fun is had by all in Celebrate, Confetti, Fiesta, Parade and Life's A Beach.

And then there's Stallion Mountain, home to the neighborhoods of The Links, The Greens and The Fairways. One wonders: The country club is not perched upon a mountaintop nor have horses been seen galloping alongside golf carts. Maybe we should visit on Wednesdays.

If the name given to a neighborhood is accurate, then many are situated within a canyon, or, as the dictionary reads, "a long, narrow valley between high cliffs, often with a stream flowing through it." Is this the source of excitement at Antelope Canyon, Canyon Terrace, Canyon Vista, Dove Canyon, Scarlett Canyon and Stillwater Canyon?

The valley also has many "ridges," which means "long, narrow elevations of land, a chain of hills or mountains." Perhaps this is why people are drawn to Amber Ridge, Copper Ridge, Crimson Ridge, Emerald Ridge and Garnet Ridge.

And with water a much-touted conservation issue, it apparently flows freely -- even when it's not raining -- at Rio Vista, Eagle Creek, Pelican Creek, Los Rios, Rainbow Creek, Salt Creek and Hammock Creek.

Meantime, residents of Moonstruck and Sunbeam take joy in their natural lighting, while those living in City Lights or Candlelight Estates must rely on man-made illumination.

So, it's no wonder when asked where they live, some Las Vegas area residents respond with the northwest, southeast, southwest or northeast. It's just too difficult to explain.

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