Reno Lifestyle - Why I love it here. - 3/21/2016

The title says it all, I Love Reno. I moved here in 1996, 20 years ago and have not regretted it one bit. I came here from the midwest (Chicago/Milwaukee area) where I was born and grew-up. Since coming out west and settling in Reno I have been back twice to visit family. I left mainly due to the winters, minus 20 degrees and winters that lasted 5 months were just too much. The Reno lifestyle is moderation in everything. Four seasons and none of them are to long, to cold or to hot. No humidity. No bugs. No fleas. No traffic jams. 20 minutes gets you just about anywhere in a car in Reno. There are plenty of outdoor sporting activities, it's no surprise that Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse and Scheels are all located here. Summer brings a host of outdoor festivals and activities along with a good nightlife scene for all ages. Then there is Lake Tahoe a mere 40 minutes from downtown Reno. When winter does finally get here there are 6 ski resorts within an hour and a half, including Squaw Valley and Heavenly. I could go on but I think you get the point. I love Reno. I read a lot of negative things people say about Reno and all I have to say to them is: Remember wherever you go there you are. Peter R.

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It's a trap! - 3/16/2016

I have lived in Reno Nevada for 17 years. I spent my life in Reno, from my pre-teens to now being happily married with a daughter. I see a lot of reviews for this place.... and they seems to all be written by the out of touch. First off, the weather is not that great. A lot of people talk about how many days of sunlight or temp, but they're leaving out quite a bit of the story. First, the good: The temps and storms rarely get to be like anything you experience in other states. We get a few feet of snow sticking to the ground, if that. Rain is a bit more common the past couple years, but it doesn't linger for long. WIND! Ok, this one is a bit strange to me. Why won't anyone else warn people about this? We get the fiercest winds I've ever seen, and yes, I've been to Chicago and Wyoming. They're breezy by comparison. The wind may be more consistent in other locations but in Reno, the wind coming off the Sierra Nevadas can cause a windchill factor that will severely drop temps and are strong enough to rip down fences and displace yard gnomes, no joke. We have experienced hurricane style wind with no hurricanes. These winds are often the most predominant in Spring, and it sort of ruins the season. Summer is summer (anyone who complains should try Phoenix or Sante Fe), Fall is Fall, and Winter is Winter. But unfortunately the bulk of Spring is just more Winter. Such is the plight of the rain shadow created by the mountain range. Pollution and Air Quality are not as clean as most think, but it's because it's a hidden concern. Compared to larger cities, you won't encounter much smog. The wind and atmosphere prevent it, except for the occasional inversion layer, but I have seen this happen all over the nation, and it's not that common. The problem is the silica content in the arid desert is very high, and more acute breathing problems can be exacerbated by the dry climate. As I write this, I have spent 3 solid months with a dry throat, broken voice, and a general inability to breathe. I may have to move based on health concerns alone, and despite what many of these reviews claim, this happens quite a bit. Especially to natives, being they've been here much longer than Californians who move here. The culture here is strange. First off, Nevadans are not as friendly as you think. It's not so much that they're bad people, but they're extremely loyal to their state. The most common bumper stickers in the state are "We don't care how you did it in California!" Now I know, many of the reviews on this site outright claim otherwise. But I'm suspect that these reviews are coming from upper middle class Californians who are living somewhere like highway 50 or in silver springs, and this is not a true depiction of what Reno is. Now as far as the arts and events in this town, I would have to say they're not very good. Many of the events downtown used to be fun, but around 2005-07 when we got a massive influx of population, they went from being fun family events to expensive adult events. I have been going downtown and participating in the Reno culture the entirety of my stay here, and I can say that they have become a haven for belligerent drunks and overpriced curios. The cops are over zealous and the casinos dominate the events by providing cheap product while the huge fees for the vendors prevent them from competing. The rib cook-off used to be one of the local favorites, but now you can only go if you can afford 16 dollars for a "rib sampler". Art is ok, but frankly, I know many of the people in the art scene here, and it's a niche club. It's much like San Francisco in that respect: Kiss the butts of the anointed or get nowhere. I am an artist, and I have tried to be part of the art community, and the negativity and egotism these people display pretty much led me to quit painting and not bother. Music is TERRIBLE. Outright terrible, no joke. The Grand Sierra Resort, which used to be the Hilton, had an outdoor venue that many shows went on at and were quite fun. That's gone. Many smaller venues in town were a great outlet for bands who were soon to be giants (Like Aveneged Sevenfold and Shinedown) and local bands alike. Gone. Right now all we really have is the Knitting Factory, and they're shutting down because of the bad rep they got (fighting drunkards). I love going to concerts, and I end up having to travel to Sacramento or San Francisco to see anything worth my time and be around crowds that aren't obnoxious. Oh... I guess the casinos have some shows some times. But they're basically the b-string of 80s and 90s pop music. The nightlife here is casinos, bars, and clubs, and they're the pits. Worst I've seen on the west coast. If you like the idea of wannabe bangers throwing chairs and pulling pieces on each other in the parking lot, be my guest. I for one am tired of aggressive bar dances from strange women (I'm not making this up either, the bar patrons in this town are rude, vulgar, crass, and outspoken about all three). They claim this is a 24 hour town, but that's just because there's no last call, alcohol can be served 24/7. Speaking of which... Reno is one of the highest populations of alcoholics per capita. It has some of the worst schools. We are one of the highest risk locations for sexual crimes. We compete with Florida on number of pedos per capita. You will have sex sold to you constantly, without shame or respect. This place has some serious issues, and while I have tried very hard as a member of this community to change this state for the better (the way many locals want), suddenly an influx of out of staters come in and ultimately stifle any real change because they find this out dated and degrading culture to be ginchy and cool. The economy here is not stable. This isn't just a critique or complaint, this is a warning: Don't come here as an investor. The state Governor and all of our politicians (A great example of how useless both parties have become) have their heads up their bums and don't know how to direct the state. They've been at their respective helms for some time now, and our state still struggles with growth and basic services. Lord forbid you ever have to deal with welfare, social security, DMV, or even the Post Office. It's one thing for cities to be busy and understaffed, it's another entirely when it takes 4 hours to register your car. And the thing is... just a few years ago it wasn't like that. We also have a political issue preventing growth. These so called conservative politicians and Harry numb-nuts Reed have perpetuated a voting culture here that thinks it's best to give away the farm to any corporation who comes here. Tesla, Apple, Amazon... these are just a few examples of major corporations who only came here because of low to non-existent taxes. Taxes that end up taking away from infrastructure and education. These very businesses are bringing in employees from out of state and avoiding the under educated workforce that this state currently has. Nevada unfortunately is tied to California in the real-estate crisis, and thanks to repeat behavior, we may start that chestnut rolling all over again. Housing has gone down significantly after the recession. Thing is, now we have another onflux of Californians and Out-Of-Staters flooding the market, and while buying a house is cheaper, rent is unreasonable. Soon we'll be back to paying 500k for houses worth 125k sitting in a dirt lot next to a freeway. I have lived on beautiful lakes in the woods in Spavinaw OK, and my parents payed significantly less to be in a much more geographically appealing location. The real estate here is driven by the greediest fiends in the nation. If you let them, they will drag this state through the mud all over again. The city has outgrown what it used to be and has no direction for what it wants to be. You can't just create random jobs, filled by anyone from any state. You need industries that pertain to the states strengths and a culture that entices participation. You need to educate your present population and help them grow as well. Right now it seems that only those with disposable income and a tendency towards avoiding the actual city are the ones moving here. Hopefully the state's population growth leads to a new voter base that sees how ineffective our leadership is and will help us change it. Until then... Reno offers no more than anywhere else, except maybe saving some initial funds. But don't be surprised when you find yourself making a lot less money as well. And on a closing note: If you are into things like the SCA, Comic-Cons, Gaming Events, Table Top gatherings or any other form of "Nerd" culture, avoid this town like the plague. The only real focus on entertainment here is drinking and gambling. There's no professional teams to speak of, just AAA and college games. Severe lack of things to do in general, but Nerd culture especially.

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reno is not what you think - 4/4/2015

My family and I have lived here for close to three years. We moved here from Los Angeles, when I was dislocated from my work. The rent here is inexpensive, the food is terrible, and public transportation is o.k. as long as you are going back and forth to sparks, or down Virginia. There seems to be a disproportionate amount of homeless people vs employed. with the former out weighing. as for events, unless you like to look at old cars (the same ones year after year) reno lacks. the concerts you get here or pretty bad as well. usually, one hit wonders from the 90's. or big stars from the 70's. not thrilling. the casino's smell and are rip-offs (stay away). Yes, there are a lot of outdoor events but you have to drive to get to them. if you have small children the place sucks. the parks are filled with homeless, and the cops don't care. I have seen drug deals go down right in front of cops driving bye and they do nothing. I have seen a person get their purse snatched from across the street, cops come bye in less then a minute and do NOTHING. Sure the housing is cheap, there is nothing here. my dad had a great name for this place while he was alive. DOGPATCH!!!

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older folk - 2/14/2015

Wonderful town to live in. Only the winters can get a bit to cold for older folk. Great area for starting a family. Elevation average is 4500 feet

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cost of living - 1/9/2015

Ok but is lacking in many national chain restaurants Medicare costs are higher Veterans free meals etc are not as plentiful here due to lack of restaurants Spartment rentals are higher

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Much More than you Expect - 7/10/2014

We moved to Reno almost three years ago from Mesa, Arizona for a job relocation. I was recruited for the job and we did not really want to move here. WRONG. We love it here. The weather is mild all four seasons, Lake Tahoe is a 30 minute drive, the Truckee River runs right through town and the local area is beautiful with many things to do.

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reno, Nevada-the only city in America that can get - 12/5/2013

people in reno are genuine and decent. good disabled community, no attitude here. among the driest cities in usa, so lather up with sunscreen. rtc is considered the best small bus system in america. very tough place for men and women to meet-like asocialness rules but you have to match reno with rest of country and since the top 20 cities are for supergeeeks and expensive, reno looks pretty good. everyone complains about their city. that's life. not the best city for young people. actuallly if i were young, i would go nuts living here- gay community is even a joke but good for geezers. good for disabled. with large hispanic population, hispanic community is muy agradable. reno should be 50 per cent hispanic within 10 years. botttom line good city for married people-for single people take a gun and shoot yourself. a friend of Howie Stern, i try to call it like it. university of Nevada should have better sports teams but this is a midsized city-and the casinos while not as popular as in days off old still dominate. medical care is improving. you would have to compare reno to spokane, winters too cold or tacoma, less sun but not as cold in winter. loook midsize cities are generally uneventful. but reno works hard at trying to put on a show /hot august nights and reno is artown are the best 2 shows in town. Reno is trying hard to make a new district called midtown happen. Whether it will or not will determine to some extent whether reno becomes a desired city. .and when i mean desired, i mean for young white 20's who are on the cutting edge. The dryness and lack of greenary are downers. the decency of typical renoite is an upper. if this city was more social, like a bit of Brooklyn Heights, this place would reach desired status but it is what it is-a city trying to figure out where to go beyond warehouses and casinos. Because america is in general a mess, reno looks good by default. even the homeless are prety nice. i hear there is crime, meth, and other bad stuff happening but somehow the decency of the citizenry masks it.

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housing and cost of living in california - 8/5/2013

housing and cost of living in California makes it very difficult for me and my family and tired of high desert living want 4 seasons

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Beautiful; but, has issues - 12/2/2012

The cost of kiving in this very beautiful area is great. The city is relatively flat, so it is good for cyclists, south of I-80. The constant wind didn't bother me; although, it was annoying at times. The housing costs are cheap, compared to most cosmopolitan cities; i.e., San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. When it snows, the landscape is gorgeous; this is a ski area, making snow a good thing. Now the negatives: 1 shopping mall in Reno; there is an outdoor mall in Sparks; it is decent, but not great. The Sparks mall is far away from Downtown. Too many wannabe cowboys live in Reno/Sparks, making driving or cycling dangerous at times. Constant work on Virginia Ave, all year long. Vegan food is extremely difficult to find and restaurants serve mostly carnivoires. Overall, Reno/Sparks can be socially conservative, making it a bad area for the GLBT population.

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NOT a place to live if you're single! - 7/23/2012

If you're married, retired, affluent or have kids, it can be great here, IF you like the winds that blow you half way across the continent almost daily, desert heat that scorches you to death (that's summer) or the same winds that blow you half way across the continent, cold, cold weather and the wind chill that drops the temp. 10 degrees, black ice, and snow (that's winter). Spring can be challenging and usually lasts two or three days, summer 3 months of scorch, fall of 2 months which can be pleasant (except for the winds) and then winter cold that lasts 6 months. People are small town friendly, they just don't want to be your friend. I've been here ten years and still don't have a friend to hang out with in spite of joining various churches, and groups. So go figure. Retired, affluent and married is the best bet here; you'll fit in right away; and DON't be an outdoor enthusiast because those winds will keep you in A LOT. For a small town, it is very expensive to live here. The trek over the Sierras to Sacto or the Bay Area gets tiring going thru the windy mountains. Basically, I am so, so sorry I moved here and am looking forward to moving back to the Bay Area temperate climate, ocean air and LOTS to do that Reno will never have. The city will stay a small, crappy town with those smelly casinos and crappy downtown area. The only pretty place is first street and the river, which you can traverse in about 10 minutes.

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no future - 7/10/2012

Reno sucks there's no jobs and no opportunities if you are thinking about starting a new career this is not the place to live nor las vegas the counsel board of nevada is stupid because they don't know how to make better improvement for new businesses or for tourists to visit to promote jobs and make money for the city this town is sloppy i can't wait to leave i hate it.

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windy - 6/1/2012

Primarily two seasons...winter and summer. Very short spring and fall. LONG winter, but not too cold and snows primarily in the mountains. Summers are warm, but with low humidity and it cools off nice after sunset. Often very windy.

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The Great Outdoors - 2/27/2012

If you are an avid outdoors-person, you will adore Reno's 340 days of sunshine. Whether the weather is during the spring, summer, winter, or fall you can spend most of it outdoors while feeling the warmth of the sun. If you like the rain and overcast skies, then Reno, NV isn't for you.

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Its not a great place to live - 1/9/2012

ive lived in reno all my life 19 years and reno is would be best just for a couple day visit but to live here is another story one major thing is economy wise its very hard to get a job here also not very affordable to live here it is expencive prices r expencive sales tax is high buying cars here will cost an arm and leg dont expect things cheap here also there is alot of drugs in this city such as anywere from marjuana cocaine crack heroin pills all the way to crystal meth so when ur downtown youll pass quite a few drug addicts begging for cash saying they need to pay for there "medicine" or need to feed there "child" also homeless people theres alot of crazies and most of all alot of disrespectful people threw out not just in reno but all of washoe county another crime is robbery and burgalars do to economy robbery has been a problem so secure ur house and hide tha ipod in ur car and make sure evrythings secure and locked also cops tend to not do the best job here they rather catch someone goin 5 over tha speed limit then go to investigate an armed robbery its also very dirty hear not very clean u basically dont even wanna sit on the public benchesi will soon be moving out of reno to a hole new better state and city were economy is much better because economy is my biggest problem but besides the bad visiting during an event in the summer would be fun such ass rib cook off balloon races air races and my personal favorite hot august nights to see classic cars for 7 days and many other events so in conclusion visiting: yes. living here: NO NO NO

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Thinking about moving to Reno - 11/17/2011

I am thinking about moving to Reno Nv this summer of 2012. I have been reading and researching that city for a while and found a lot of positive reviews and comments about Reno and fewer negatives about Reno. No city in the USA or in the world is perfect. But overall Reno is a lot better than most cities in the United State and better than all the cities in Texas where I live. Reno is the number 9 best place to live in this country. I am getting very very tired of the climate in Texas because its so awful for seven months and its the summer in Tx that is awful and I heard that Reno has a very nice weather only nine inches of rain a year and 24 inches of snow and low humidity during summer compare to Texas. The surrounding mountains is just beautiful with snow on it all year and here in Texas we don't have that. I like the facts that there is a ton of things to do in Reno like hiking, camping, playing golf, bike riding, skiing, and much more things to do there in Reno Area. Any body reading my comments about Reno I need your opinion and where in Reno is the best area to live. I heard that sw and nw reno is nice area. I am getting tired of Texas and can't wait to move out of Texas and I want to make sure if Reno is the place where my family and I will be happy and the last time I visit Reno was in June of 2011 and overall I like everything about Reno because is a pretty town and so close to everything and its does not look boring at all compare to cities in Tx. I need people living in Reno opinion and informations about Reno that will be very helpful. Thank you. Jay

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A Very nice city to visit - 8/3/2011

I just recently visited Reno Nv in early June of 2011 and overall about Reno its was very nice two day visit on my way to Oregon. The people living there are very nice because I notice that when I eat in restaurant and a stop for an oil change. The people there are so much friendlier than Texas people. I don't know why some of the reviews are saying that the people there are horrible because I didn't notice that at all maybe they are meeting the visiter from other places that don't lve in Reno. I love the surrounding snow cap mountains west of Reno its very beautiful mountains. Very comforable climate in Reno compare to Texas where Texas is so hot and humid. Its was in the upper 70's in Reno when I visit there in early June. Downtown was very neat and nice but there was a few rough people but its not bad at all compare to Las Vegas. Its more older people visiting Reno to gamble which I like that because you don't have to worry about young rowdy people acting bad. The housing and shopping centers and all the other buildings are very nice and its very clean there maybe because I was in the right area. One cool thing about Reno is so close to Lake Tahoe and a ton of stuff to do there like hiking, camping, skiing, and bike riding and those things are to do in the mountains and its very close by only about 20 miles. I was thinking about moving there just to be closer to California and Oregon but I worry about the unemployment rate being close to 12 percent I don't understand why is so high because I notice its looks so busy everywhere in Reno. But I would love to visit Reno again in the near future. Its a great place to visit to get away from the heat and only travel 30 minutes to Lake Tahoe. The Reno airport was very nice and its not very big or crowded. I recommend Reno over Las Vegas and I don't care for Las Vegas very much because of lot of werid people in Vegas.

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Reno Living - 6/20/2011

Reno is an upbeat city, with plenty of activities to do. Most organizations in our community hold events on weekends and its a chance to see the area. Such events include, The Reno Wine Walk, Reno Beer Crawl, Artown, movies in the park, 5k/10k run, bicycle through downtown, new condos with city skyline views, many many more.

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Overall a great city - 5/26/2011

I’ve lived here with my wife and son for 6 years and still sometimes feel like I’m on vacation. We moved from the San Fernando Valley in California after living there 5 years. Climate: Reno has a great climate most of the time. The locals have a saying, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes”. Since Reno is considered a “high desert” conditions can change quickly, and temperatures in the same day can vary by up to 40 degrees. Humidity all year long is in the single digits. Summer days are hot and sunny…usually around 90 from late June to early September with a week or 2 around 100. Temps fall to the upper 50’s at night. There’s a very short spring and fall with all of the rain for the year happening during the spring. After the end of May you won’t see another drop of rain (or clouds for that matter) until the end of September. Winter usually starts by mid-November and ends by mid-April, with temps ranging from mid-20’s to mid-30’s. The snow melts quickly most of the time except for the 2 or 3 times it falls 8-12 inches. Every few years a 2-3 foot dump will hit. Keep in mind that snow means snowboarding (or skiing) in Tahoe, and no snow means…you get it. Probably the biggest drawback here is the wind. It’s pretty constant and can get quite gusty (you’ll need cast iron lawn furniture). Another drawback is that there’s little greenery (it’s very brown). Economy: Currently hurting. Things were booming back in 2006 up until housing crashed followed by the overall economy. Two of the larger industries, construction and casino/hotels, were hit hardest. Unemployment is still a few percent above the national average. There’s a high foreclosure rate, and a lot of vacant store space. Hopefully when the housing market works out the excess the economy will pick up. Crime: It’s probably lower than a typical city of this size, but it depends on what part of town you’re in. I live in the NW where crime is almost nonexistent. The SW is also very nice. Once you get east of Virginia St. (which runs N/S down the middle) it’s hit or miss. Downtown Reno, where all the casinos and night life is, is dirtier than it should be, but overall not much different than most big cities (downtown L.A. had endless miles of filth). Activities: Awesome. Lake Tahoe is about 30 minutes away with some of the country’s best ski resorts, and a beautiful lake to swim and beach in the summer. There are big city events most of the year including Hot August Nights (about 5,000 classic cars), Street Vibrations (Harley hog heaven), BBQ Rib Cook-Off, Art Festivals, Brews Brothers (microbrew festival), hot air balloon races, Reno Rodeo, Burning Man (if you’re into that kind of thing), and various others. Also lots of golfing, hiking and biking trails, off-roading, fishing (California is just over the border), great shows (famous bands and comics) in nice casino venues that are easy to book (no major stadium hassle), also an awesome semi-pro baseball team and new stadium.

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Excellent retirement City - 4/19/2011

I have lived in Reno, NV for 6 years now and what a place. It has everything and anything a person would desire...small town, fantastic climate, 24/7 town, low crime rate compared to Vegas and other cities, public transportation, great doctors & hospitals, down-to-earth communities, low cost housing, many indoor-outdoor activities, dog lovers and dog parks, animal friendly town, numerous restaurants for different food tastes and pricing, college friendly town, lots of sports events, museums, pioneer cultural center, water sports, and of course, casino's galore. Lake Tahoe is also close with skiing, gorgeous beaches, fun-loving nightlife, and dinner cruises. Reno is "heaven on earth". I was born & raised in NJ that had limitted opportunites in every area. :)

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Outdoor Playground - 4/6/2011

If you love the outdoors, you will love living in Reno.

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