Latest news with #CrystalWojtowich


New York Post
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
I live in the desert on the edge of Las Vegas — here's what life in the Mojave is really like
The idea of living on the edge of Las Vegas, with the unforgiving Mojave Desert in your backyard, has lately captivated social media, inspiring dozens of TikTok videos; but for Crystal Wojtowich, it's just her everyday life. Wojtowich is one of many Sin City residents sharing videos of breathtaking desert views. Advertisement The hospitality industry worker, who has racked up 5.6 million views on her video alone, tells what it's like living on the periphery of a bustling city, with her porch overlooking a stark, lunar-esque landscape that is far removed from the neon-lit frenzy of downtown Vegas. 'Sometimes, I do look out at the desert and realize that it is pretty barren, but also realize that with my personality, that peace and quiet is definitely something I wish for in every home that I live in,' Wojtowich says. Wojtowich grew up in a small town in South Dakota and moved to Vegas five years ago. For the past three years, she has lived in a home located in a community called Mountain's Edge tucked away in the southwestern corner of Las Vegas Valley. Advertisement There are about 25 homes in the neighborhood but only three on Wojtowich's street. She explains that she was immediately drawn to the area because it offered her privacy, while at the same time being within a short driving distance from grocery stores and parks. 'The home was a perfect fit for my needs, so the thought of the dark, open desert beside me was not an issue,' she said, adding that she does not feel isolated at all and can still hear the typical noises you would have in any normal neighborhood: cars driving by, kids playing, and dogs barking. 'I actually really love where I live,' Wojtowich insists. 'I'm still perfectly close to everything that I need, while still having that privacy.' How to get used to living in a desert Advertisement But acclimatizing to Vegas' notoriously scorching climate took some time for the former Midwesterner, who was far more used to blizzards than heat waves. 'Your body definitely learns to adapt, but that doesn't mean you still aren't going to sweat,' Wojtowich admits. 3 TikTok user Crystal Wojtowich documents her life on the edge of Las Vegas near the Mojave desert. TikTok/yourfaveazn Living in Las Vegas, where summer temperatures routinely climb into the triple digits, and especially steps away from North America's driest desert, Wojtowich says she quickly learned the importance of staying hydrated, cranking up the AC early, keeping the window shades down, and having her car windows tinted. Advertisement Wojtowich says her daily lifestyle is most noticeably impacted by the desert environment during the blisteringly hot summer months. 'Living an active lifestyle and wanting to be outside, the desert can be brutal,' she admits. 'I love to hike and take my dog places, but it definitely is hard to do that when it's 115+ degrees outside and the pavement is even hotter.' So Wojtowich has adapted, opting to go on hikes and walks during the cooler early morning hours, and investing in a set of doggy shoes to keep her pet's paws from being seared by the sizzling-hot pavement. 3 Wojtowich said she enjoys the privacy she has living by the desert. TikTok/yourfaveazn The pros and cons of living on Vegas' edge Another downside to living in the desert-adjacent neighborhood is the commute to downtown Vegas, roughly 15 miles to the north. 'While I do love where I live most days, there are some days where I could be running late, there's heavy traffic or construction, and my commute takes double the time,' explains Wojtowich. 'Most of my commute to work is just driving to the freeway!' But being a homeowner in an arid landscape off the beaten path has plenty of upsides, according to Wojtowich. For starters, landscaping is a breeze, because there is no grass to water — but there are still shrubs and trees to liven up the backyard. Advertisement The biggest perk for Wojtowich is the location itself, which she says strikes the perfect balance between privacy and community. Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'I get a mix of both lives!' she gushes. 'I have awesome neighbors, my neighborhood is clean, and I love being close to parks so I can attend farmers markets, food events, and even just getting outside.' Wojtowich notes that the relatively isolated location of her neighborhood does tends to attract some rowdy outsiders, who can be heard some nights riding dirtbikes, setting off fireworks in the desert, and even firing guns uncomfortably close to people's homes. Advertisement 'There are a lot of animals and kids nearby, so it does get scary sometimes when you're not expecting it,' she concedes. 3 A residential neighborhood bordering the desert in Northwest Las Vegas. trekandphoto – Asked about her interactions with the desert's wildlife, Wojtowich recounts spine-tingling moments of discovering a variety of 'creepy crawlers,' including scorpions, ants, cockroaches, and stink bugs, in dark closets and under appliances. 'It is so very important to have pest control in the edge homes of Las Vegas because the desert is their home, and they are just a foot away,' Wojtowich advises. 'With just a wall in between our home and theirs, they are bound to get inside at some point!' Advertisement It's also not uncommon to hear piercing coyote yelps echoing in the open desert in the middle of the night, she says. What appears to capture the imagination of social media users flocking to these videos is the otherworldly emptiness of the desert— just a stone's throw from people's homes on the edge of Sin City. 'I think most people would be surprised to learn that while living on the edge might seem unnatural and dystopian, it really is no different than any other neighborhood,' concludes Wojtowich.


Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
We live on the edge of Las Vegas... when people see the view from our back gardens it freaks them out
With its huge five-star hotels and casinos, bright lights, and buffets, Las Vegas is famous for being a city of excess. But the edge of Sin City couldn't be more different. Tourists have been taking to TikTok to share videos of the view of Vegas from the sky, as their planes are landing. From above, it's clear that Vegas' residential areas are surrounded by the Mojave desert as far as the eye can see. One person captioned their video: 'It's weird to me how Vegas just… ends.' And now people who actually live on the edge of Vegas have been sharing the views from their back gardens on TikTok, including Crystal Wojtowich (@yourfaveazn). In her video, she opens up her back door to reveal a high brick wall surrounding her patio. She then pans the camera over the wall to reveal an absolutely barren desert behind. People who actually live on the edge of Vegas have been sharing the views from their back gardens on TikTok, including Crystal Wojtowich (@yourfaveazn) (pictured) In her video, Crystal opens up her back door to reveal a high brick wall surrounding her patio She adds: 'It's actually amazing not having neighbours to the left and in front of me.' Another Vegas local who lives on the edge of Sin City is @tianishaye. In a video posted to TikTok, she says to camera: 'I've seen a couple of TikToks of the aeroplane view of how Vegas just ends, and it is kind of weird that it just ends, so I'm going to show you what it looks like from the ground view.' She then points the camera at her house, before panning it to the right to reveal the vast no-man's land. She adds: 'It is pretty weird that it just ends but I love living on the edge of Vegas. 'It's quiet, it's peaceful, there's not a lot of commotion. 'I love that every single time I drive over here, it just goes all the way out like that.' But many people commented on Crystal's video about how frightened they would be living where she does. Many people commented on Crystal's video about how frightened they would be living where she does One person even likened the view to The Hills Have Eyes, a horror movie about a family targeted by cannibalistic mutants when their car breaks down in the Nevada desert. Another said: 'When I see the desert it just gives me sad deathy murder vibes.' A third added: 'Beyond the wall is the Wild Wild West.'