There are very few people who don't end up lavishing praise on the Las Vegas lifestyle and everything it has to offer.  From the unrivaled casinos and unique wedding chapels to the activities that have earned it its great reputation, "sin city" remains a required visit among the city's assortment of attractions.

Those who can't get enough of Las Vegas are increasingly turning from formerly inquisitive tourists to satisfied homeowners as the city's real estate market continues to appease new buyers and investors and remains itself relatively strong in comparison to the majority of neighboring areas still reeling from the country's present slow housing market.

Maxim, a nationally circulated magazine has instead chosen to lavish its own praises not on Las Vegas, but instead on Miami, ranking it at number one as the country's top party destination.  Vegas did put up a noble fight; it still managed to rank within the top ten at number five.  Still, it does cause one to take a moment and wonder, "Miami has overrated beaches and a street named after the word for a large body of water.  What's the appeal?"

Let's remove Maxim's reasons regarding their decision and instead theorize on how else Miami could have trounced Las Vegas.  Not that Miami has anything that's inherently bad about it, but its saving grace may be its pervasive charm.  Twentysomethings flock to the downtown Miami clubs and the Ocean Drive bars, the more mature audiences seek out the beaches, abundance of art and performances and there's sprawling miles of verdant commons for children.  Miami may be singled out for its celebratory atmosphere, but its wealth of age appropriate activities come aplenty.

The aforementioned reasons may come across as weak and perhaps unconvincing in terms of how they can make Miami sound more compelling than Las Vegas but its significance in giving future Miami condo investors and homebuyers another reason to consider the sunny South Florida metropolis is worth noting.  It may not be a strong argument overall but it may sway the opinion of a few people to look at Miami as a Vegas alternative.

So, is Las Vegas' tourism suddenly going to nosedive?  Hardly.  Las Vegas is still a major attraction and, if its comparably thriving real estate market is any indication, that's not going to change anytime soon.  In spite of this, the effect (however negligible) this may have in the long term of how Miami and Las Vegas attract future residents is at least worth discussing.