Reviews & Comments
Reno, NV
It's a trap! -
3/16/2016I 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.