Top 10 reasons why Summerlin is king of Vegas

Today, Summerlin, now marking its 30th year, is as vibrant as ever and home to approximately 100,000 residents. Considered the preferred place to live for many of the city’s influencers, CEOs, celebrities, professionals, athletes and families, Summerlin offers an active, outdoor lifestyle; a stunning natural setting at the base of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area; incomparable amenities; and homes in a wide range of styles, sizes and prices by the nation’s premier builders, all within a few minutes’ commute of the community’s bustling city center.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 1 best-selling master-planned community for nearly a decade from the early 1990s to the early 2000s, Summerlin is still landing on the best-selling list year after year. In 2019, Summerlin ranked No. 3 nationally, based on new home sales, and was awarded Master-Planned Community of the Year by the National Association of Homebuilders in 2020. Not bad for a community now entering its fourth decade.

“During this time, we are reminded of the importance of home, family and community,” said Danielle Bisterfeldt, vice president of marketing for Summerlin. “Summerlin was created with a vision to provide a sense of community for all generations. With three decades under our belt, we believe these are some of the top reasons why Summerlin continues to resonate with residents and homebuyers.”

1. Astounding surroundings

Nestled in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Southern Nevada’s most stunning natural landmark and a world-class destination for cycling, hiking and rock climbing, Summerlin is synonymous with the area’s indigenous beauty. Of note is the fact that The Howard Hughes Corp.’s predecessor, Summa Corp., helped to establish the boundary for the conservation area to forever protect Red Rock Canyon from development. In a landmark exchange with the Bureau of Land Management, the company helped to create a buffer zone in the late 1980s, well before Summerlin development began.

2. Nation’s premier homebuilders

Summerlin’s all-star roster of national homebuilders has long been a part of the community’s development mantra, ensuring that quality, innovative and progressive home design remains a community hallmark. In fact, the list of national homebuilders in Summerlin includes many of the country’s largest and most successful builders as ranked by ProBuilder.com for 2019: Lennar (No. 1); PulteGroup (No. 3); Toll Brothers (No. 4); KB Home (No. 6); Pardee Homes (parent company TRI Pointe Group No. 9); Richmond American Homes (parent company MDC Holdings No. 10); Shea Homes (No. 12); Taylor Morrison (No. 16); and Woodside Homes (No. 25). Discovery Land Co. (DLC), the nation’s premier developer of luxury estate communities, is also active in Summerlin. In a joint venture with The Howard Hughes Corp., DLC is developing The Summit, the most exclusive community in all of Las Vegas.

3. A home for everyone

A variety of homes in all styles and price points is just one reason why the community has held its value and appeal through the years. Summerlin offers more than 175 actively selling unique floor plans in 36 neighborhoods throughout nine distinctive villages, priced from the low $300,000s to the millions. Homes in Summerlin run the gamut from expansive estate-style and luxury custom residences to a diverse range of detached homes in multiple elevations for families of all sizes. A variety of attached homes, from town homes of all sizes and price ranges to luxury apartments, are ideal for multigenerations — from millennials to empty nesters and active adults.

4. Downtown Summerlin

While Summerlin is exceptional for many reasons, the fact that it has its own downtown puts the community in a league of its own. Downtown Summerlin includes an outdoor pedestrian retail center home to 125-plus national and regional brands, 30-plus restaurants and eateries from fine dining to fast casual, movie theaters and major sports venues. While Downtown Summerlin has easily become a go-to shopping and dining spot for those who call the community home, it is also a popular gathering place for nearly everyone in the valley thanks to accessibility via the 215 Beltway.

5. Active, healthy lifestyle

It’s easy to stay active in Summerlin thanks to the community’s abundance of recreational amenities. This includes the community’s award-winning trail system that offers more than 150 miles for walking, running and cycling; more than 250 parks of all sizes that are home to tennis/pickleball/basketball courts, baseball and softball fields and playgrounds; five community swimming pools; community centers for socializing and gathering; 10 public and private golf courses, including the state’s only two Tournament Players Club facilities; and, of course, nearby rock climbing, cycling and hiking at Red Rock Canyon. The community’s social infrastructure is bolstered by youth and adult sports leagues, camps and activity classes for all ages.

6. Priority on education

Recognizing that schools are foundational to community, The Howard Hughes Corp. made schools a priority from Summerlin’s inception. In fact, the very first building in the community was The Meadows, a college preparatory school now in its 36th year and built on land donated by The Howard Hughes Corp. Today, the community is home to 26 schools, including the valley’s top-ranked public schools, many of its premier private schools and a growing number of charter schools.

7. A community of culture, amenities

To access a variety of cultural amenities and services, Summerlin residents don’t need to leave their community. The Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center features a community theater, so popular it’s booked more than a year in advance. Next door is the Donald W. Reynolds Cultural Center, home of Nevada Ballet Theatre, marking its 48th year as the state’s oldest performing arts organization.

Fourteen houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths allow Summerlin residents to worship at a church or temple of their choosing close to home. Summerlin Hospital Medical Center is a 454-bed acute care hospital providing premier health care minutes from home; and Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, a division of Roseman University of Health Sciences, provides comprehensive treatment for pediatric cancer patients — right in the community.

8. Higher elevation

Summerlin is about 3,500 feet above sea level — with areas of the community topping out at more than 4,400 feet. The higher elevation delivers amazing views from scores of vantage points throughout the community, a significant benefit of literally living above it all. The higher elevation also delivers cooler temperatures of about 5 to 7 degrees as compared to other parts of the valley, a real difference maker during the heat of the summer.

9. Professional sports

The newest star in Las Vegas is easily professional sports with the recent arrival of the National Football League, National Hockey League, Women’s National Basketball Association and United Soccer League. Downtown Summerlin boasts not one, but two professional sports facilities: City National Arena, practice facility of the Vegas Golden Knights; and Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators, professional Triple-A baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). With both pro hockey and baseball converging in Downtown Summerlin, the area is now a hotbed of sports and fun.

10. Attention to detail and respect for the environment

Sidewalks with tree-lined streets, beautifully manicured streetscapes designed with the desert environment in mind, outdoor signage restrictions, street and trail lighting that points downward to minimize nighttime glare and light pollution, carefully curated plant palettes, colors that blend with the environment and design standards that require four-sided architecture on all homes are just a few of the standards that keep Summerlin looking clean, beautiful, modern and peaceful.

The community’s high design standards are created to complement its natural surroundings. In fact, Summerlin has long fostered a culture of environmentally sensitive development as one of the valley’s earliest adopters of desert landscaping and the first community to implement strict Water Smart conservation guidelines. A number of design innovations include the preservation of natural drainage areas and arroyos that serve a dual use for parks and trails.

For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com. Before you visit, call the builders to check on hours of operation as many builders are now open by appointment only. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on www.Summerlin.com.