Moving from east coast, questions about the area (Las Vegas, Reno: ski resorts, homes)

[buffalo2012]

We may be moving to the area from east coast and had some general questions?


1) Are solar panels common on homes in Reno/Sparks? Do utilities provide net metering?


2) I have a kid in 5th grade, which middle/high pubic schools are the best in the area?


3) For Coral academy of science and TMCC high school, do you need to be zoned in the area, or can anyone apply?


4) For international flights out to Europe/Asia, which airport is most convenient?


5) Which areas are good for families, I was looking into Sparks as housing is slightly affordable. My range is 700-800K for a 3/3 bed bath?


6) Any summer camp recommendations for kids?


7) Any fitness centers/gym/ recreation centers /ymca in the area which offer classes/swimming etc?


8) Which is the best public library in the area with events for kids/adults?


9) We have no experience of living on the west coast, how are winters/summers in the area? Can kids play outside in the summer or is it too hot?



10) Any CSA farm recommendations?


Thanks, any help appreciated.

[ChrisMT]

Hello!
I cannot answer most of your questions with certainty as I live in a nearby city.

There is only one airport in Reno.

Sparks can be more affordable, the schools considered the best in Reno are mostly located on the west side of Reno, but also the southern side and northwest area have better schools from what I know. I’m not familiar with the Sparks school system as much.

Many folks have solar installed and there used to be net metering, I am not sure if that is still the case. There are some local farms that you can buy into weekly delivery of products. Many of these farms have exclusive contracts with local restaurants now and can be very difficult to buy into.

Northern Nevada has a year-round outdoor climate for the most part. I am outside hiking, biking or on an off-road adventure nearly every day (except today as we are in the midst of a blizzard lol) There are some seasons you enjoy the outdoors early or later to avoid too much sun or wait until it warms up in the winter etc. There are very few days you cannot enjoy outdoor activities here from my experience.

I’m sorry I cannot be of more assistance with your questions. I just have general knowledge of the Reno/Sparks area, not really specifics.



Best wishes to you!

[MrWillys]

Originally Posted by buffalo2012

We may be moving to the area from east coast and had some general questions?


1) Are solar panels common on homes in Reno/Sparks? Do utilities provide net metering?


2) I have a kid in 5th grade, which middle/high pubic schools are the best in the area?


3) For Coral academy of science and TMCC high school, do you need to be zoned in the area, or can anyone apply?


4) For international flights out to Europe/Asia, which airport is most convenient?


5) Which areas are good for families, I was looking into Sparks as housing is slightly affordable. My range is 700-800K for a 3/3 bed bath?


6) Any summer camp recommendations for kids?


7) Any fitness centers/gym/ recreation centers /ymca in the area which offer classes/swimming etc?


8) Which is the best public library in the area with events for kids/adults?


9) We have no experience of living on the west coast, how are winters/summers in the area? Can kids play outside in the summer or is it too hot?



10) Any CSA farm recommendations?


Thanks, any help appreciated.

#3 The schools you mention are charter schools. As long as you're okay with teachers not required to be credentialed then you should have no problem.
#4 Most International flights you'll find yourself going to SFO or LAX first.
#7 There's a place for year around swimming I believe South Reno. Gyms for work out are everywhere.
#8 Our Library in North Hills is very family orientated.
#9 Reno rarely goes above 100F and can have single digit humidity in the afternoon when those temps occur. Winter can be colder with snow. We live 18 miles Northwest of town and currently have over a foot of snow. Most we've seen since moving here in 2011. Reno is about 4500 feet and we live at 5100 so it's not near as hot as even a few hundred miles South.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by buffalo2012

We may be moving to the area from east coast and had some general questions?


9) We have no experience of living on the west coast, how are winters/summers in the area? Can kids play outside in the summer or is it too hot?

Even though I don't live there, one thing I do know is that NV isn't a west coast state. You won't gain any experience with coastal weather living there. Depending what route you take, Reno is over 200 miles from the Pacific and there's some serious topography in the middle preventing marine influences from reaching NV.

[ChrisMT]

My experience with charter schooling is that the few educators that are not credentialed would be say a violinist at the local symphony teaching music or a retired machinist teaching machine shop. Charter schools do have more flexibility in non-core subjects to hire without the teaching bachelors.

In Clark County (Las Vegas), charter schools are very popular and have limited enrollment due to waiting lists, as they are usually a much safer environment to learn in vs the public schools. I am not sure if this is also the case for the charter schools in Reno.

Do you plan on visiting the Reno area soon?

[Teacher Terry]

The best schools are in the southwest and northwest in Reno. The climate is a mild 4 seasons so you can be outside most of the time. In the 27 years I’ve lived here we have only had 5 real winters. Most of the time a sweater is my winter coat. We have very low humidity which is great.

It’s 45 minutes to Lake Tahoe and lots of ski resorts if you ski. There’s so many beautiful places to hike and camp. Being close to California you will have many options for vacations that aren’t far away. I have lived in 5 states and this is by far my favorite.

[buffalo2012]

Thank you so much for everyone's responses, this helps a lot. Yes, hopefully I will be able to visit in the next 2 weeks, will give me a better idea.