Is Reno a nice area to live? (Sparks, Spanish Springs: city hall, insurance)
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The wind and the snow. We lived in SW Reno at an elevation of 5074 feet, it snowed a lot there and it always stuck to the ground & had to be shoveled. I don't like the cold anyway and I never could get used to sliding down the sidewalk on my rear end after slipping on ice. The wind was just awful there, we had a west facing deck and in the afternoons, particularly in the summer you couldn't even keep patio furniture on the deck. Somerset is probably even worse for the wind than where we lived.
The wind never seemed to be that bad downtown, at least not on a daily basis but the entire area gets really windy, it just seems to be awful more frequently in certain areas. My husband worked in Stead and had his BMW sanded in some places to bare metal during a windstorm. I had to replace my windshield once while driving to Carson City, the wind picked up gravel from an NDOT construction site and pitted my windshield so badly that I almost couldn't see to drive home. (NDOT said they aren't responsible for "acts of God"
PS avoid HOA's the system is rigged, the State has an HOA ombudsman's office but they load the place with retired HOA managers who invariably decide complaints in the favor of the HOA.
If you can deal with that stuff, then it's a lot like living in any other similarly sized town anywhere.
Don't know about the wind I will have to look into that. However I lived (and drove) 26 years in Pennsylvania so snow isn't that big of a deal for me. My wife on the other hand, not sure how she's going to warm up to this.
We moved here in the 1980s from the Midwest. If you think Reno has snow...seriously, this is like taking a vacation in February when you live in Chicago. Reno gets snow but if you live below 5000' elevation it will usually melt off by noon. If you have to commute the roads can be slick in the early morning. People here haven't learned to go slow enough and the municipalities are pretty lax about plowing, though they have gotten better in the last few years about spraying the de-icer coatings on the roads the night before a storm. If we get more than an inch of snow though, the de-icer is worthless.
Windy...you have to be here a while to know what part of town you would like to live in and then figure out the least windiest areas. We wanted south of town due to our jobs. I really suggest that commuters live on the side of town that they work in due to the horrific morning traffic at the Spaghetti Bowl where I-80 and 580/395 intersect. So we looked at homes in Washoe Valley first because you get more property. But no. It is really windy there and you have to get the right location to make it bearable. We ended up in an older tract in south suburbs...just the right combo for us...less wind, on the west side so the sun stays up longer and garden gets more sun, good for both commutes, acreage, no HOA, allow livestock, grocery stores close but not too close. The only thing I would do differently is to buy a house with the driveway facing east or south. We have a north facing driveway and have to always shovel the first 2' outside the garage door and if we don't shovel the front walk it will never melt since it never sees the sun most of the winter. All of these similar situations play out in all other parts of town.
Schools...just give it up now. NV schools rank at the bottom of everything good and at the top of everything bad. There are tons of great teachers in the district, my husband was one of them and I subbed for several years. We were both educated in the Midwest and hold very high standards. The problem is the cyclical nature of education here. When we first came here it was all about the jobs in the casino industry. That generation did not need a great education to carry change, deal cards, or work in food service. Next came warehousing, which required a bit more education. But companies brought in educated management from outside and locals got the fork lift jobs that again, really doesn't require much education. Now we have call centers. I am constantly appalled at the lack of language skills that happen. I suppose it's better than shipping the jobs overseas. But again I see a continuing lack of education in these positions. So parents have made a living with little education, kids think parents are doing fine and follow in their footsteps, generation after generation. Most of our locally raised neighbors have all the bells and whistles in their homes, lots of toys in the garage, and eat out most meals. On the other hand, we had no problem finding homes in foreclosure with 3 mortgages in default at the same time. If you want a "better" school district think about homeschooling or charter schools.
Housing...the Tesla effect is real here, but I have seen this before. The building is not even finished, they have hired some rank and file but contract in the better jobs (although it also helps the hotels and rentals car places here), and they are already having layoffs. Tesla is way behind on their vehicle production timeline. They chalked the layoffs up to poor performance reviews and since employees have to sign a confidentiality agreement they cannot speak freely about being dismissed. But it is pretty clear that people who were hired in with more experience = higher pay = training up those coming in = first to go once the cheaper labor is trained. Tesla just might be the next Tucker, great cars ahead of their time and without the business skills to get it done. I personally wouldn't bet on Tesla for the long term. That being said, housing prices are through the roof right now. A typical "needs lots of work" 3 bed/ 2 bath is going between $300-400k. Who can afford that on Reno wages? Not even with two incomes here. A few years ago those homes were lucky to go for $200k. Apartments are equally crazy. $1000-1400 for a one bedroom in a good neighborhood with the usual amenities. These cycles seem to last about 5 years here. I suspect in 2-3 years the prices will come back down a bit.
I'm looking forward to retirement here. The summers are great (stay in the shade and drink plenty of water, don't live in one of the concrete jungles that holds the day time heat), winters are relatively mild, and we sleep with the windows open 9 months out of the year. Our cars last longer and doing work around the house doesn't seem as miserable (mowing the lawn, gardening, working outside) when the humidity is so low. There will always be plenty to do around town. I look forward to spending more time at the art museum, theater, River Walk, independent coffee shops, downtown festivals. We have a great house in a great neighborhood with awesome neighbors. Although I wish we had and Ikea, I can live without all the malls and strip centers that retail brings. We have enough. There are more and more franchise restaurants coming, unfortunately squeezing out the mom & pop types. But there is definitely variety and it appears to be that people like the franchises for their known product. It's not a bad place if you can make it affordable with careful choices.
Lots of great insight here thank you very much! Don't care about schools since all my kids are out of the house and way past K-12.
I was traveling last week and stopped in Reno on Monday, for the first time in many years. I went up there frequently 15 -25 years ago. Got off I-80 and drove south on Virginia Street, stopped at The Peppermill, then continued down to I-580 and then back up to 80. I was appalled at what I saw - everywhere.
If Reno is still a nice place to live, all evidence of that has disappeared downtown and for the entire length of the Virginia strip. Drunks, derelicts, homeless everywhere. Almost everything was old and run-down, if not boarded up. Just terrible....and depressing. Massive deterioration from what I remember it to be.
Back in 1992 I loved the area and, for a time, seriously considered relocating there. Wouldn't give it a moment's thought after what I observed last week.
I was traveling last week and stopped in Reno on Monday, for the first time in many years. I went up there frequently 15 -25 years ago. Got off I-80 and drove south on Virginia Street, stopped at The Peppermill, then continued down to I-580 and then back up to 80. I was appalled at what I saw - everywhere.
If Reno is still a nice place to live, all evidence of that has disappeared downtown and for the entire length of the Virginia strip. Drunks, derelicts, homeless everywhere. Almost everything was old and run-down, if not boarded up. Just terrible....and depressing. Massive deterioration from what I remember it to be.
Back in 1992 I loved the area and, for a time, seriously considered relocating there. Wouldn't give it a moment's thought after what I observed last week.
So, you're basing your opinion of an entire city on downtown and one (admittedly long) street? Anyone who is considering moving here wouldn't do that.
I also came here often as a tourist in the early 1990s and, like most tourists, spent most of my time downtown. My take was just the opposite of yours - I never I thought I would consider living here. But the areas outside the downtown core are what has changed. These are the areas you didn't see.
Damonte Ranch, Arrowcreek, Caughlin Ranch, Hidden Valley, Curti Ranch, Double Diamond, the newer areas of Sparks ... these are wonderful places to live. The Reno/Sparks metro area has a population of approximately 500,000, and you felt the need the trash it based on what you saw downtown and on one street. I know I won't change your opinion based on what you saw, but I'm just pointing out that you didn't see very much and anyone reading your post should be aware of that.
Don't know about the wind I will have to look into that. However I lived (and drove) 26 years in Pennsylvania so snow isn't that big of a deal for me. My wife on the other hand, not sure how she's going to warm up to this.
It's windy, we had a teak patio set turned into kindling. We were out of town and the patio set was repeatedly battered against the deck and the house so that when we returned home it was basically unrecognizable. We had our patio umbrella pole break from the wind and the umbrella took off like a kite floating across the canyon behind our home. Trash cans had to be recovered immediately after they were emptied or they would disappear down the hill. The good news, you never have to sweep your sidewalks or clean your eaves the wind does it for you
So, you're basing your opinion of an entire city on downtown and one (admittedly long) street? Anyone who is considering moving here wouldn't do that.
I also came here often as a tourist in the early 1990s and, like most tourists, spent most of my time downtown. My take was just the opposite of yours - I never I thought I would consider living here. But the areas outside the downtown core are what has changed. These are the areas you didn't see.
Damonte Ranch, Arrowcreek, Caughlin Ranch, Hidden Valley, Curti Ranch, Double Diamond, the newer areas of Sparks ... these are wonderful places to live. The Reno/Sparks metro area has a population of approximately 500,000, and you felt the need the trash it based on what you saw downtown and on one street. I know I won't change your opinion based on what you saw, but I'm just pointing out that you didn't see very much and anyone reading your post should be aware of that.
I didn't "feel the need" to do anything. I shared my experience for what it's worth. Anyone seeing my post can read it and interpret it without your help.
I saw a very significant deterioration in what has long been the heart of the city. Does not speak well for general trends. Don't fool yourself into believing that mess won't reach into the nice, new, outlying areas.
I was traveling last week and stopped in Reno on Monday, for the first time in many years. I went up there frequently 15 -25 years ago. Got off I-80 and drove south on Virginia Street, stopped at The Peppermill, then continued down to I-580 and then back up to 80. I was appalled at what I saw - everywhere.
If Reno is still a nice place to live, all evidence of that has disappeared downtown and for the entire length of the Virginia strip. Drunks, derelicts, homeless everywhere. Almost everything was old and run-down, if not boarded up. Just terrible....and depressing. Massive deterioration from what I remember it to be.
Back in 1992 I loved the area and, for a time, seriously considered relocating there. Wouldn't give it a moment's thought after what I observed last week.
You did drive through Midtown and that area is the most expensive and gentrified. Where are the derelict and board up houses you are talking about?
You also did not drive the entire length of Virginia Street . The Virginia street area South of Mccarran loop is very clean and new and look just like any good suburban area in the country.
Picture worths thousand words. Anybody wants to know what Reno looks like, check out the Picture post.
I was traveling last week and stopped in Reno on Monday, for the first time in many years. I went up there frequently 15 -25 years ago. Got off I-80 and drove south on Virginia Street, stopped at The Peppermill, then continued down to I-580 and then back up to 80. I was appalled at what I saw - everywhere.
If Reno is still a nice place to live, all evidence of that has disappeared downtown and for the entire length of the Virginia strip. Drunks, derelicts, homeless everywhere. Almost everything was old and run-down, if not boarded up. Just terrible....and depressing. Massive deterioration from what I remember it to be.
Back in 1992 I loved the area and, for a time, seriously considered relocating there. Wouldn't give it a moment's thought after what I observed last week.
It's kind of like visiting San Francisco and judging the city going down Castro Street.
The main casino areas downtown aren't doing that great but it improves the further you move away from Virginia Street.
As far as the wind in the area, I felt the worst areas were Somersett, parts of SW Reno, the 80 corridor going east and Washoe Valley. A little less in the Double Diamond and Hidden Valley. Less still in northern Sparks and Spanish Springs.
Last edited by Vic Romano; 10-21-2017 at 11:47 PM..
It's kind of like visiting San Francisco and judging the city going down Castro Street.
The main casino areas downtown aren't doing that great but it improves the further you move away from Virginia Street.
As far as the wind in the area, I felt the worst areas were Somersett, parts of SW Reno, the 80 corridor going east and Washoe Valley. A little less in the Double Diamond and Hidden Valley. Less still in northern Sparks and Spanish Springs.
Ridiculous. Utterly. It is nothing whatsoever like that.
Most of you who are horrified at the information I shared were probably toddlers, if that, in the early 90s. When I first visited Reno in 1973 at age 24, most of you were years away from being. So you have no long-term perspective. I do.
My post was factual and for the benefit of those with open minds seeking honest information. It most certainly was not to provoke or engage in frivolous argument with heads in or yet to emerge from the sand.
Most of you who are horrified at the information I shared were probably toddlers, if that, in the early 90s.
Ridiculous. Utterly. It is nothing whatsoever like that.
I'm older than you and have a better perspective on how much Reno as a whole has changed in the time frame you referenced, as I live here now. I remember when Virginia Street was more alive than it is now, with Harolds Club, the Nevada Club, the Horseshoe Club, the Silver Spur and other casinos thriving. Yes, that part of downtown is depressing compared to what it once was, but the rest of the city has blossomed. Of course, you wouldn't know that, since your "scope" was limited to one street.
Reno is so much more than the downtown area.
I'll value the opinion of those who actually know something about this city, not those who make a drive-by assessment.
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