Reno... (Carson City, Elko, Fernley: insurance, home, schools)

[melbon7462]

Could I get your opinions on the pros and cons of living in Reno? Thanks

[verynicebecky]

Some pro's...it's near beautiful Lake Tahoe. If you are into skiing then you are near to the resorts. The Truckee River runs thru downtown...very nice in the summer to stick your feet into the cool water and watch the kayakers (sp?). It is pretty easy to get around in, or it was for me when I lived there less than a yr ago. There are places to go for day trips such as Carson City and Virginia City. Sacramento is a few hours drive away....San Fran about 5-6. It doesn't get super hot and there are several farmer's markets spread throughout the area during the summer. I have found the two hospitals I have visited to be "user friendly."

The cons..well I would say that is relative to where you are coming from and having said that, one could say the same thing about the "pro's." We came from rural Kansas so stop lights, traffic, pollution and schools with large student body populations were all new to us. I wouldnt say that Reno was any more colder than places I have lived in the past, but (and this is only my second spring in the area) it does have a longer "cold" season.

[RBinreno]

I'm new to this forum stuff. But after reading several negative responses about Reno, I feel the need to defend it a bit. My husband used to be military so I've lived in several states including Virginia, Mississippi, Florida, California, to name a few. The schools are ranked low in funding - meaning per pupil spending. However, just like any city, there are several good ones around. I suggest checking out Greatschools.com where they actually show you the standardized test scores by school. (That site covers all US schools) I have been very happy with my kids' schools. Second, we have been more active in this state than in any of the other states I have lived in. There are several ski slopes less than an hour away from Reno and my kids learned to ski at 4 years old. There are some great kid's skiing schools at Squaw Valley and Northstar. Because the area has higher than average sunny days, you have many gorgeous ski days where it is relatively warm. Who wants to deal with nasty weather when you're learning to ski? In the summer, being near mountains, means you are near many, many gorgeous hikes. There are whole books of all the nearby hiking trails at local book stores. Also, if you're into golfing, there are a ton of golf courses to choose from. In terms of amenities, it's getting better. I used to have to drive to Sacramento for serious shopping, but the Summit Sierra Mall in the south part of town has brought many of the stores I had to drive to Sacramento for. Because of the proximity to California, we have taken several last minute trips to San Francisco by using priceline and have gotten great deals in the off seasons. I find it is almost exactly a 4 hour drive from where I am. Finally, after enjoyed it and we are here by choice at this point.

[tulegirl]

I would move back to the area.

Love Reno for food & shopping. But we didn't like living in the city - we ended up out in StageCoach. Wild horses walked down our street. DH commuted to Reno & I commuted to Carson City.

We had a friend stay with us while we lived in Carson City and we had to send him back to Washington - he couldn't handle the gambling temptation.

[Tressa]

Thank you all for posting the positive take on Reno, I will be moving from Alaska to 110 miles north of Reno and I plan to visit Reno often for the shows, food, concert, motor sport activities, air show, just to name a few items on my list of to do's,

[What!]

I've read on this forum that it is EXTREMELY windy in Reno. Some people don't agree with that. But to those that agree with it, can you tell me a few things:
1. Is that area generally windy like that?
2. Are there places in Nevada that possess geographical similarities in Reno that do not have wind?
3. Are there other places in Nevada with more wind?

[tulegirl]

Generally speaking... the wind kicks up around 4 pm - gusts can be pretty strong.

The worst of it seems to be through Washoe Valley. Wind advisory boards are up 24/7. 395 has been closed across the lake on occasion to high profile vehicles because of the gusts. Big rigs with trailers have been over turned. Doesn't happen often.

Wind keeps the smog from settling - a blessing as well as a curse.

I have only lived in the Reno/Carson/Fernley areas - so I cannot answer your other questions.

[What!]

Thanks tulegirl!

[verynicebecky]

I originally wasn't going to reply to this because I don't feel that the Reno area is excessively windy, (compared to where I have lived in the past) but tulegirl reminded me of an incident that ocurred a yr ago this Christmas.

I was driving back to Reno on I-80 and was about 30 miles out of town when a gust of wind blew rocks onto my jeep and did over 5k worth of damage in about 15 seconds. I called my insurance agent (in Carson City). I was the first person to call about vehicle damage but I was told that they were getting lots of calls from ppl in Virginia City who had lost parts of their roofs.

I still don't feel that Reno is excessively windy. I moved to here from Kansas/Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain 24/7. Reno does get wind, but it's not all day, every day.

[MtnBikeNV]

I live in Elko, and visit Reno often. Reno does not seem horridly windy. Coming home though, almost always windy here. Reno seems much more pleasant, weather wise, than over here in Elko. But my take.. if you're in Nevada, there's gonna be a bit of a breeze. LOL