I remember reading The Goldfinch, by Donna Tart, before I watched the film version. The MC, Theo, and his friend, Boris, lived in a new suburb outside of Las Vegas. The community was so far outside of town that there were very few amenities or services, apart from the bare necessities of water and electricity. As a result, most of the houses were abandoned while still under construction.
I know The Goldfinch is a work of fiction, but the idea must have some basis in truth, right? My thoughts, when I read the passage about the abandoned construction, were "Are there actually places like that near Las Vegas?" 🤷♂️