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Old 04-26-2016, 07:43 PM
 
102 posts, read 187,355 times
Reputation: 143

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Or not consider it.

I currently live in southwest Reno. I also lived downtown near the river for awhile. I lived in Dayton, NV for seven years. Lived in Helena, MT for 2 years and Roseville CA for 5, grew up in San Jose.

It's been said a lot now - that Reno is just an extension of California, and I really would say, yes at this point. And also no. Yes because rents are abnormally going up. We don't have the high paying jobs and industries here to support the kind of rents that are happening. I see wait lists and 1000 sqft old townhouses going for $1900. Old busted up slumlord homes rent for $1300. More and more I see NO PETS and very difficult approval processes just to get into a shack.

Many who have already made their wealth somewhere else, have come here. All the big massive homes in the hills and Teslas nearly running me over everyday are a testament to that.

Whole Foods, Total Wine (Whine), Summit Sierra Mall are all high end, and people shop constantly at them. This means someone has money and the average working Reno-ite is not making this sort of money.

According to City Data stats the crime is overall low however, I am stupefied by this. My daughter has had her gas cap stolen, her boyfriend had his scooter taken (it was bolted to a car port post and parked in front of cars, someone had to lift it way up to get it out and take off a huge U lock), I've seen people wandering around drunk in the middle of the day, condoms on the ground at parks. Pedestrians killed by out of control drivers. Home invasions are common.

I'll tell you where I think Reno fails the most: services for children. I touched on this in another post asking about Las Vegas - which has 4 special schools for kids while Reno has one weird one with problems. Even my son's psychiatrist says if I leave Nevada, would I please write the governor about it. The LACK of regional center support. The LACK of therapists here. The LACK of autism services here. The LACK of affordable housing here. The LACK of support groups here. The LACK of doctors and therapists that actually take insurance. Most only take CASH - no private and no government insurance. And these therapists are about $300/hour.

We have to smog test cars. Our gas prices are (in some cases) higher than California's! Milk prices are high. The ONLY place to get fresh fruits and vegetable with any flavor is Whole Foods...maybe Rayley's and Scolari's. Seeing how many people flood Winco and Walmart on the 1st (SNAP) is scary. 8 or 9 years ago, I NEVER saw this. NEVER.

I see more and more licence plates from Stockton CA, Sac, LA, etc. The California escapism is here and in full darn swing. Yeah, I escaped too but I was seeking a radical change from CA. I was sick of paying $1400 for an apartment back then. I wanted a more conservative atmosphere...so I found Dayton - which is full of religious whack jobs or wanna be thugs driving Hummers. What happened?!

NV Energy is raping everyone in the state. My heating bill for a small 2 bed apartment was $300 for one month during the winter.

You have the emergence of wanna be gangs in certain areas - which almost scare me more than real gangs. They don't know what the hell they are doing.

Schools suck. Most of the kids at my complex.... go to private school.

Fishing. My special needs kid loves fishing and Reno/Sparks may be the worst place on the planet to fish. The Marina is gross. And hard to fish. We tried Marilyn's pond...wall to wall people catching one after another, way past their limit. Truckee was not accessible to us. I'm not going up to Pyramid for many reasons.

Biking. No, no, no. Bike and you get run over. I won't let my child bike around this town any longer.

Dogs. Oh, you mean pit bulls? And nobody here likes to clean up their dog's crap so your child steps in it. And since there is that "Nevada attitude", many don't do rabies or keep up to date with other shots. My dogs got extremely sick from some virus this year. They were sick for over a month. The vet said they are seeing more and more of this. Tahoe had Parvo this year real bad.

Reno has a lot of enviro-culture yet can't seem to get a real recycling program into gear. People are slobs anyway and leave couches and refrigerators dumped anywhere they please.

You can go to cutesy areas like Virginia Lake or Idlewild or Rancho San Rafel...however, don't bother going at night unless you are armed. Downtown also. The amount of times my daughter and her friend (fully clothed) have been assaulted down there is unacceptable. No cops in sight. They are all elsewhere trying to catch people using their cell phones in the car. We played tennis at a local park and non english speaking teens flashed us.

Renown. I don't know much about the actual hospital but the med system is BAD. I had a doctor who seemed like he was in a sprint most of the time. I would get charged $150 just to walk in the door and $225 billed later for no apparent reason. St. Mary's. Well they screwed up on some tests super bad. You feel like cattle in that building. I would say UNR's family medicine is the best, most competent place to go, yet you need to remember it's not California. You are getting average care without much specialty training or experience. **However the medical system in Reno is much better than I experienced in Montana...

My main concern is for children. And Reno news acts like there are all these family events ...however we attended some and were so damn disappointed. Reno is more concerned about beer gardens than doing something for children. If you have a lot of $$$$, you'd probably love it here. You can live in south or west Reno or Hidden Valley and forget you are even in Reno.

I'm going to leave and it's going to be tough because I like mountains and wide open spaces. I love Tahoe but it's hard to worm your way through the circus up there with a special needs child. And most of the shoreline is inaccessible these days.

California has a lot of problems, however, for people and children with disabilities, it might mean the difference between living and existing. Taxes? Oh yeah. Well, Washoe has a hoard of taxes and more are on the ballot every time. Reminds me of.....oh, California. I nearly blacked out at the costs to register a 24 year old truck.

Think before crossing the border to Reno. It may look like CA but it's a city with a confused identity. With more and more high end development and no real industry to support it, other than working for $9/hr at the casinos or slaving away at the Amazon warehouse. Teacher shortages. STEM shortages. Water shortages. Affordable housing shortages. Disability services shortages (err, non existence).

The last time I held a rotted head of lettuce at the grocery store with a produce clerk shrugging his shoulders....summed it all up. This town doesn't care.
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Old 04-27-2016, 01:35 PM
RFF
 
Location: Sparks, NV
165 posts, read 300,449 times
Reputation: 149
Let me chime in on a few things here.

We are on a single income since my Wife is now back in school full time. Budgeting is very key. Cost of Fuel and Food factor into a lot of what we do now.

I have noticed that home values are going up with a lack of inventory and this so called Tesla Effect. My house went up 60,000 dollars in value since Oct 2013.

Smog Check - 16 dollars a year in Nevada. Yes we need smog checks here in this area because of our lovely inversion layer in the winter and general bad air quality. Smog Check in California every 2 years correct? Costs 30+ dollars every two years.

Milk Prices - I buy whole milk because I have little kids. It's 2.74 a gallon at Walmart and YES their PRICE FIRST milk is the same as Model Dairy (Read the plant code). It's just cheaper. Not so bad.

Fresh fruits and vegetables - Farmers markets around town have good tasting produce (Prices are not that bad). Walmart is a hit or miss. Save mart is also a hit or miss.

Fishing - Fish the truckee off the Verdi exit. Cross the bridge if you want to fish with some privacy. You don't need 4x4 and there's plenty of parking.

NV Energy - I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment that was built in 2005. My winter bill cost me 180 dollars at the peak. I live in an older home 1400sf that costs 160 dollars at the peak for winter. That goes to show what kind of furnace, windows, insulation they use in these newer construction. Your 300 dollar cost seems way too outrageous

Fuel costs - Yes we have high fuel costs because of the county fuel taxes.

Biking - It's a hit or miss. I've come close to being hit a few times.

Schools - That's another hit or miss. We talk to the teacher often regarding our son's progress. We have him do his homework nightly. We do not allow him to play if the work isn't done. So to say schools suck here, it really depends how you view it. If my son's teacher was lousy, then there would be a problem.

You are right about nevada. Crappy social services compared to California (but you have to pay somewhere right). There's help if you need it in California.

I've been living here most of my life (with the exception of a few years away). Schools are overcrowded (yes DOUBLE SESSIONS). We keep building without having the developments pitch in their fair share. Everyone blaming the californians, even ex californians blaming new californians for problems.

You know why people don't care about this area. It could be that people are trying to hustle to get food on the table, pay the bills, and make sure they have a roof over their head.

Last edited by RFF; 04-27-2016 at 01:48 PM..
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Old 04-27-2016, 02:04 PM
 
102 posts, read 187,355 times
Reputation: 143
*You have to pay somewhere right
Why does AZ and Vegas do it right then? And the midwest?

*Schools are overcrowded (yes DOUBLE SESSIONS)
Also the change to year round schedules from Washoe County and now the announcement that kids are all going to start at different times to accommodate lack of space. If you have 3 kids - you could be driving back and forth six different times throughout the day. My daughter's friends have graduated from UNR and can't get hired to teach to save their lives. WCSD is filled with corrupt people making decisions with taxpayer money.

*county fuel taxes
What good is it when our roads are in complete destruction? My car's engine is practically ruined from the sludge they stick in the gas here.

*Farmers markets around town
I've only been to one and saw mostly jams and strange candles, etc. They are around for a very short period of time.

*Tesla effect
People are putting way too much importance on this company coming to town, and it's not even in Reno. There are very few STEM jobs in Nor NV and very little training or competent degrees. Already Tesla has been hiring from New Mexico and California like mad and gotten away without having to pay over a billion in taxes. Like most companies, they come to Nevada, use what ever they can and the people here don't benefit. Inflated house prices might be good for home owners but the market will make an adjustment on that at some point.

I would add that just in the last two days I see that Reno is more concerned about Beer Gardens, upscale shops and pricey condos without ONE MENTION of anything for children. I remarked on FB about this and I was threatened and attacked and told I'd better move the hell out. This is the type of attitude I've encountered for the past two years. Reno doesn't want to invest in the real future; children. Instead big hairy beer guzzling biker guys like to make threats against my life.
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Old 04-27-2016, 02:21 PM
RFF
 
Location: Sparks, NV
165 posts, read 300,449 times
Reputation: 149
You know toomuchthinking,

State income tax? AZ and most of the midwest has.

I think a lot of people want to move here because of how much cheaper it is than where they used to live. It seems our local government can't cope with an influx of population. Lets take a look at Washoe County's population from 1980.

1980 193,623
1990 254,667
2000 339,486
2010 421,407
Est. 2014 440,078

Can you say HOLY MOLEY.

It's unfortunate that your daughter's friend can't find a job.

I do have 3 kids. I hope in hell not to drive back and forth. I live less than a mile from the school thank goodness. They can walk.

We go to the farmers market on pyramid / oddie on thursdays. more fruits and veggies than knick nacks.

As far as the things for kids. We take them to do the usual things. Camping, Water park in the summer, water features at Lazy 5 and north valleys, Lake Tahoe, Discovery museum, the local library . Vacations during spring break, fall and winter break. I wouldn't mind more things to do with the kids here in the Truckee Meadows.

Roads seems to be pretty well kept on my way to work and back but taking Glendale / 2nd street is an Aye Carumba moment. California roads are worse by far.
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Old 04-27-2016, 03:41 PM
 
340 posts, read 660,375 times
Reputation: 374
Did you even bother to research the area before you moved here? In particular, the schools? I have family members in Florida but I'd never stick my kids in the school system near them.

$300 to heat a 2 bedroom apartment? You must have rented something that wasn't insulated.

Total Wine is high end? I think their wine and beer prices are best in town, but please let me know who has better prices with as good a selection. As any good wine store would, they do have expensive wines on display but there are a lot of bargains to be had, and signing up for their emailed coupons help.

TJ's is my store for most of my fresh fruits and veggies. Walmart prices are better.

What is the sludge in your gasoline -- are you complaining about ethanol? You can thank the Feds for that, not NV.

And it's odd that people would complain about the lack of good fishing spots after moving to the desert.
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Old 04-27-2016, 07:51 PM
 
102 posts, read 187,355 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by RFF View Post
You know toomuchthinking,

State income tax? AZ and most of the midwest has.

I think a lot of people want to move here because of how much cheaper it is than where they used to live. It seems our local government can't cope with an influx of population. Lets take a look at Washoe County's population from 1980.

1980 193,623
1990 254,667
2000 339,486
2010 421,407
Est. 2014 440,078

Can you say HOLY MOLEY.

It's unfortunate that your daughter's friend can't find a job.

I do have 3 kids. I hope in hell not to drive back and forth. I live less than a mile from the school thank goodness. They can walk.

We go to the farmers market on pyramid / oddie on thursdays. more fruits and veggies than knick nacks.

As far as the things for kids. We take them to do the usual things. Camping, Water park in the summer, water features at Lazy 5 and north valleys, Lake Tahoe, Discovery museum, the local library . Vacations during spring break, fall and winter break. I wouldn't mind more things to do with the kids here in the Truckee Meadows.

Roads seems to be pretty well kept on my way to work and back but taking Glendale / 2nd street is an Aye Carumba moment. California roads are worse by far.

The roads are not well kept. Glendale is bad but so is Virginia. Plumas. And many, many others. HWY 80 needs patching and full repairs every 3-4 years. Most of the kids near me attend private schools. Discovery museum is fine for youngsters but when your kids get to be preteen - it gets old and boring. It's a sad museum for such a town. I've lived in MT with some significant income tax however, unemployment was 3%. Roads were beautiful. Library was far and away better than any in Washoe, no car smogging, no crap in the gasoline, low prices for gas, decent home heating costs, low cost of food,...so we didn't mind our income being taxed one bit. Overall cost of living was so much lower than Nevada.

Stats don't always tell the whole story. I don't always put much weight into them.
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Old 04-27-2016, 07:57 PM
 
102 posts, read 187,355 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hotfeet View Post
Did you even bother to research the area before you moved here? In particular, the schools? I have family members in Florida but I'd never stick my kids in the school system near them.

$300 to heat a 2 bedroom apartment? You must have rented something that wasn't insulated.

Total Wine is high end? I think their wine and beer prices are best in town, but please let me know who has better prices with as good a selection. As any good wine store would, they do have expensive wines on display but there are a lot of bargains to be had, and signing up for their emailed coupons help.

TJ's is my store for most of my fresh fruits and veggies. Walmart prices are better.

What is the sludge in your gasoline -- are you complaining about ethanol? You can thank the Feds for that, not NV.

And it's odd that people would complain about the lack of good fishing spots after moving to the desert.
I turned down the heater - kept it at 65. Yes, this place is super old but supposedly "nice" by Reno standards. Rest of the winter my heating bill was around $225, same with my daughter at her place also.

Yes Feds AND Nevada. Because I've lived in other states that don't put it in the gas or you can choose a different octane without it. You don't have a choice here that I'm aware of. TJ's lettuce is the driest I've ever encountered. Apples are soft. Bell Peppers were so squishy the other day. Total Wine prices are fine but again I've lived all over and never seen some fancy wine store like this. Try ND or MT - hard booze is regulated and you go to special shops for it - which nobody really minds. I got some Total Wine coupons...deceiving...you have to buy the super big bottles of stuff to save a little. I never buy that much booze but I guess that's what Reno is about.
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Old 04-27-2016, 08:33 PM
 
340 posts, read 660,375 times
Reputation: 374
Need to go to special shops for booze - really? I don't buy the hard stuff but even if I did, no thanks. I prefer to stick to free markets. And no big bottles for me either.

We probably all know that TJ's doesn't have the best deals of everything, and can't be relied upon for all of anyone's shopping needs, but what's nice is that I can start my shopping there and then finish off with either Walmart, SaveMart or Whole Paycheck only a few minutes away, depending upon what I couldn't find at TJ's. And yes, Whole Foods is expensive but that's the largest complaint about that store chain across the nation, and is nothing in particular to the store in Reno. For me it's a nice store to visit but not a place I'd patronize weekly to fill my cupboards.

Whether or not the county has to be limited to selling gas loaded with ethanol is dictated by the Clean Air Act, courtesy of the Feds. I doubt that Washoe County or Nevada for that matter is happy to give up tax revenue to motorists who know there is cheaper gas in a neighboring jurisdiction -- as far as I know, they don't have a choice whether or not they can offer non-ethanol regular gas. I don't know anyone personally is in favor of ethanol -- seems to me like those requirements should have been buried a long time ago.

I don't doubt that you think your gas bill is high -- I agree with that. The highest for my house has been $150 for one month, although I've only been here for two winters.

I hope you can find an area to live that is more suitable for you -- Reno isn't for everyone, for sure.
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Old 04-28-2016, 10:08 AM
RFF
 
Location: Sparks, NV
165 posts, read 300,449 times
Reputation: 149
Quote:
Originally Posted by toomuchthinking View Post
I turned down the heater - kept it at 65. Yes, this place is super old but supposedly "nice" by Reno standards. Rest of the winter my heating bill was around $225, same with my daughter at her place also.

Yes Feds AND Nevada. Because I've lived in other states that don't put it in the gas or you can choose a different octane without it. You don't have a choice here that I'm aware of. TJ's lettuce is the driest I've ever encountered. Apples are soft. Bell Peppers were so squishy the other day. Total Wine prices are fine but again I've lived all over and never seen some fancy wine store like this. Try ND or MT - hard booze is regulated and you go to special shops for it - which nobody really minds. I got some Total Wine coupons...deceiving...you have to buy the super big bottles of stuff to save a little. I never buy that much booze but I guess that's what Reno is about.
Nice by Reno's standards. It's laughable to see how the quality of the housing from the 60's to even now has changed. There's no reason that it costs that much to heat a 2 bedroom apartment but it's more of the same here in town. An old friend of mine said that you build a large tract of homes first then take care of the issues afterwards. It was more cost effective that way.


You know produce here is truly a hit or miss. It reminds me of getting California's produce after they've been out for a few days. TJ's and Whole paycheck is way across town.


Reno is a town where you either love or hate it. Both of my siblings won't ever come back.
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Old 04-28-2016, 11:08 AM
 
294 posts, read 334,547 times
Reputation: 437
Quote:
Originally Posted by RFF View Post

Reno is a town where you either love or hate it. Both of my siblings won't ever come back.
I often hear this statement accompanied by "it's not for everyone"
I've lived in busier, more crowded cities and part of what I enjoy about the area are the options. You could live in downtown or midtown or could live out in Spanish Springs. I still laugh when people complain about the drive. Sitting in Northern Nevada traffic is much more pleasant because you don't really get stuck and there are ways around (unlike Vegas) and you don't really have to be on the freeway.

I have some locavore tendencies so I just consume what's made locally with local being loosely defined as the Northern Nevada area. I've also started growing veggies.

I could keep complaining about the area but unless I actually plan on moving out it really wouldn't do my quality of life any good so I just choose to enjoy my little corner in the BLC.
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