St. Louis to Sparks (Reno, Spanish Springs: real estate, apartment, rental)

[knucklehead2470984]

I am considering a job with the railroad in Sparks. I currently live in the St. Louis, MO area. I am not familiar with Nevada let alone Sparks or the surrounding area. I have lived mostly in suburban areas and am interested in the same out there. I have two small children, ages 2 and 3, so I am looking for areas that are child friendly with things to keep them learning and experiencing as much as possible. I guess we are looking for reasonable living costs with amenities close by. Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by knucklehead2470984

I am considering a job with the railroad in Sparks. I currently live in the St. Louis, MO area. I am not familiar with Nevada let alone Sparks or the surrounding area. I have lived mostly in suburban areas and am interested in the same out there. I have two small children, ages 2 and 3, so I am looking for areas that are child friendly with things to keep them learning and experiencing as much as possible. I guess we are looking for reasonable living costs with amenities close by. Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

The Reno/Sparks area has a population of about 250,000 and most of it looks suburban. There are high rise buildings in the downtown area, mostly hotel/casinos. Many of the locals don't go there much - it's mostly for the tourists! But it's a good place to go once in a while for dinner and a show. You will find all the amenities you want including malls, schools, hospitals, parks, whatever.

Outside of town are the Sierra Nevada mountains with lakes, streams, fishing, hiking, skiing, Lake Tahoe, etc. I think you would like it there.

I've been to the rail yard at Sparks. The 'California Zephyr' use to stop there.

[bigdave01]

Actually Reno/Sparks has about 425,000 people in the region.

But there are definitely plenty of nice suburban areas in the nearby vicinity.

[Biggest Little Drunk]

Washoe county according to the 2010 census is 421K but Washoe county goes from Carson to the Oregon border, so it's more like 300K in the metro Reno-Sparks area.

[Fred2herEthel]

First of all, in comparison to where you are from, you will love the absence of humidity. You will also love the lack of insects-no screened in porch needed. Not sure of your income bracket and whether or not you will own or rent but you should know that traffic in Reno/Sparks is really not too bad at all. I say this because with your young family you will most likely want an area with good schools and that can vary widely by which part of Reno/Sparks you live in. Don't think that you have to live so close to where you work because, for the most part, you can get across town here in 20 minutes. You have a while before the kids are in school so just find a decent rental (there are plenty of those) and start looking around, like most people, it will grow on you quickly. Good Luck!

[tanmctee]

Originally Posted by knucklehead2470984

I am considering a job with the railroad in Sparks. I currently live in the St. Louis, MO area. I am not familiar with Nevada let alone Sparks or the surrounding area. I have lived mostly in suburban areas and am interested in the same out there. I have two small children, ages 2 and 3, so I am looking for areas that are child friendly with things to keep them learning and experiencing as much as possible. I guess we are looking for reasonable living costs with amenities close by. Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

I hope your decision proves to be as great as mine was 7 years ago; I love the area and am thrilled I made the choice.

Washoe County has about 400,000 population, give or take a few and in my opinion, the weather is fantastic!

The area is not big city as many expect and yet it offers many amenities you would find in a larger city. You can live in an urban area and still have the same suburban feel.

House pricing is very good right now due to the real estate bust --- if you are looking to buy a home you can do so reasonably (for instance, my client just purchased a Home Path home at $252,000 with 5% down and 3.5% help on closing costs from the seller they now have a house payment of less than $1500 per month for a 2008 home in a well requested neighborhood 4 bedroom/3 bath).

This is obviously a little higher price; but it gives you the idea and there are plenty of properties in the area in the under $200,000 price range.

If you are looking to rent, you can find a house and apartment/condos in a reasonable price range.

There are amenities throughout the Washoe Valley --- if you choose a suburb such as Cold Springs or Red Rock, you will have to drive 10 miles or so to find shopping. If you choose Spanish Springs you will find the area is developed with shopping available nearby.

It sounds like you are thinking about Sparks, there are plenty of shopping, amentiies, dining etc all within a short walk or car hop to any neighborhood.

The best thing to do is take one or two days and visit, if you come for an interview take at least 1/2 day to have someone show you around.

Okay --- I think I've rambled enough --- good luck!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by knucklehead2470984

I am considering a job with the railroad in Sparks. I currently live in the St. Louis, MO area. I am not familiar with Nevada let alone Sparks or the surrounding area. I have lived mostly in suburban areas and am interested in the same out there. I have two small children, ages 2 and 3, so I am looking for areas that are child friendly with things to keep them learning and experiencing as much as possible. I guess we are looking for reasonable living costs with amenities close by. Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

Get on a train or plane and visit Reno. Reno is not St. Louis and if Momma is not happy, noone is happy.