Internet connection: Sites bring valley residents together

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 | 7:25 a.m.

In a city where families are often isolated in gated communities or are new to town, the Internet, which can contribute to social isolation, is being used to bring people together.

Web sites that connect residents with common interests or offer a network of resources for families are scaling the walls of the Las Vegas Valley's neighborhoods.

Sarah and Paul Gorman have lived in the valley since 2001, but had a hard time connecting with other locals.

"Las Vegas is a tough place to meet people," she says.

Then they checked out one of the many community Web sites set up by LiveJournal, an online service with an emphasis on user interaction.

"When you meet online it is less confrontational, less threatening," she says. "When you finally meet them in person you feel like you already know them."

The couple now has a community of friends who meet and share common interests, including a game night at various coffee shops and pubs around town.

The blog-style sites at LiveJournal allow people to submit information through a personal journal and access information from other members. It includes privacy, social-networking and customization features that allow users to provide as much, or as little, information as they choose.

Postings on a typical site include information about upcoming events, restaurant tips and social activities.

Another Internet resource linking families in the valley is the Web site vegasparent.com, which three local mothers launched earlier this month.

Tamara Dungan, Sherry Smith and Kim Young set up the site as a one-stop shop for Las Vegas area families.

"We think Las Vegas is a very family-friendly town, but it doesn't have that reputation," Dungan says. "We wanted to provide a true comprehensive resource for parents that demonstrates this."

The site, broken down by neighborhoods, provides a list of family-oriented activities throughout the valley. Other features on the site include a classified section that offers family products and services, such as tutors, and a local perks section that offers discounts at local businesses.

"It's so busy with everyone running here and there, there is not a lot of time for people to investigate things on their own," Smith says.

Joanne Thompson, director of the School of Social Work at UNLV, says the area's rapid growth forces Las Vegans to work harder than in other cities to develop tightknit communities:

"In a lot of cities, the school is the point of identity and the linchpin of the community. With the profound growth being experienced here and seven to nine schools being built every year, it's more difficult for that to happen."

She said other factors, such as cultural diversity and language barriers, can hamper the city's ability to develop a sense of community.

Local developers have also begun to recognize the role the Internet can play in bringing a community together.

As housing developments spring up throughout the valley, creating communities of strangers, developers see computer networks as a way to overcome unfamiliarity.

"Usually when you meet somebody new, you are scared to death," says Steve Bottfeld of bottfeldreport.com, a podcast that provides information about the real estate market in Las Vegas. "If you know that your neighbor who you've never met loves the Boston Red Sox and you love them, you have a connection."

Bottfeld said new housing developments have started to provide intranet and e-concierge services that connect all of the homeowners in a development. Residents will be able to communicate, and post for golfing and bridge partners or baby sitters.

He said some developments have even included computer alcoves in all homes, a floor plan he expects to be copied liberally.

Says Bottfeld: "The Internet is just going to continue to change the way we live."