Breakdown of areas in Reno (Sparks: rentals, crime, houses)

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by leisenming

Thanks all for the input. I will follow up.


As for rents increasing - where I am now, Fremont CA, rents are dropping. So, the incentive to move away from HCOL places is dropping a decent bit.

Fremont?
Pretty crowded and congested down t here. Not like it was in the 80's which was much better.

[leisenming]

Thanks traveler for the detailed breakdown. Also thanks for the budget recommendation. It helps us anchor our decision. The 2 BR rent here in Fremont, CA is approx 2400, but they have some deals which brings it down to about 2000. Comparing that with the 1600 in Reno, we don't see the savings as worth it.


How is the renting situation in Reno? Are they offering something like 2 months off etc?



Thanks.

[Teacher Terry]

The rental market is tight so I haven’t seen anyone offering even a month free. Some 2 bedrooms go much higher than 1600.

[toomuchthinking]

Originally Posted by leisenming

Hi,

Thinking of moving to Reno with family. We want to visit it for a few days before we do so.

Would love to hear a breakdown of areas, something along the lines of - the western part of Reno is ..., eastern... downtown and so on.


Things that we are looking for: low crime, decent school (daughter will start kg), avoid casinos, friendliness to minorities (indian + chinese couple with mixed daughter), activities such as arts, rents.

We are looking to rent with a budget between 1000-1300 $ per month.

When we visit for a few days, what parts should we definitely visit, where are the suitable apartments?

Thanks

You're moving to Nevada....get used to casinos. Just when you think you found the perfect neighborhood without one, there will be a Dotty's or other casino put in. If you don't like that - move to another state. Tourism, gambling, events, all supports this region.

All of Reno has high crime. Check the FBI stats. Maybe less than other major cities but certain crimes are growing.

I've seen more of a blend of minorities now, Reno is more diverse than most places in NV with the exception of Vegas.

You might need to up your budget. The average Rent in Reno is supposedly $1600 however I'm not sure that's realistic. I'm seeing 2/2 apartments going above $2000. If you plan to find a house with the things you mentioned - you are facing at least $2500/mo. You could try Rosewood Park maybe for an apartment but they are very full because they are so cheap. When my daughter lived there, the cops were always hunting someone down and it's not an especially "bad" area of town.

North Valleys used to be cheap but no so much anymore. Stay away from Midtown or South Reno due to affordability. West Reno is also very pricey. You might find something in Sun Valley.

If you can qualify for low income housing then get on a wait list now.

Sparks used to be safe and cheap but I can't say it is anymore.

Verge or Enclave would be considered more affordable but look up reviews on Google or Yelp. I find them pretty accurate.

Good luck.

[leisenming]

Hi,


We visited Reno last weekend. Glad we did. Now its something real and not just an abstract idea.


The western parts of Reno have some new very nice apartments with some rents close to Bay area (non SF) rents. We found a few places in the 1400 - 1600 range for a 2BR.



Traffic is light. Downtown appeared to be dead - not sure if it was because of Covid. Casinos seem to be suffering and a few have shut down. Homelessness is much less that SF or Oakland.



We did not encounter any racism. We were just left alone.



Rents in places like Reno are increasing while those in bay area decreasing. Much less incentive to move now, compared to two years ago.



Was surprised that gas was almost the same price as bay area and groceries actually more expensive.


Just stuff we saw.

[msb2ncsu]

I still haven’t visited (that changes in about 18 hours), but Reno reminds me so much of Raleigh NC in the mid-90s.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Don't know if it helps at this point, but my three choices would be south of the Truckee River, West of Virginia St (West Reno), Northwest Reno and West University.

[leisenming]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Don't know if it helps at this point, but my three choices would be south of the Truckee River, West of Virginia St (West Reno), Northwest Reno and West University.

Hi Tim, These are the areas we are considering. Glad to have it confirmed by you :-)

[Devushka]

I'd appreciate opinions on the area near the intersection of Mae Anne Ave and Sierra Highlands, just west of the big shopping centers there. I'm out of state, and eyeing a listing in that area. Also, the listing does not appear to have central AC. Reno seems pretty hot in the summer, so is that a deal killer? FYI, I visited Reno this past May to look around, and have been focusing on townhome/condo developments with HOAs (for maintenance sharing reasons, not recreational amenities), especially near the Truckee River, but it hasn't worked out so I'm rethinking my approach. Brokers are constrained in what they can say about particular neighborhoods, so this forum may be more informative. Thanks for any comments.

[TravelerUSA45]

Originally Posted by Devushka

I'd appreciate opinions on the area near the intersection of Mae Anne Ave and Sierra Highlands, just west of the big shopping centers there. I'm out of state, and eyeing a listing in that area. Also, the listing does not appear to have central AC. Reno seems pretty hot in the summer, so is that a deal killer? FYI, I visited Reno this past May to look around, and have been focusing on townhome/condo developments with HOAs (for maintenance sharing reasons, not recreational amenities), especially near the Truckee River, but it hasn't worked out so I'm rethinking my approach. Brokers are constrained in what they can say about particular neighborhoods, so this forum may be more informative. Thanks for any comments.

I have lived in Reno for 25 years and I figure I know the area fairly well. The area you are describing is called Northwest Reno and in general, it is a good area (Northwest, West, and Southwest tend to be the best areas of Reno). It should have relatively low crime, good schools (zoned for McQueen High, which is one of the areas top HS), and it is near the freeway so easy to get around to places.

For me personally, no AC is a dealbreaker (it does get hot here for at least 4 months of the year), but if you can put in a window AC that could solve the problem (I just won't not recommend going without some form of AC).