Reno - What is it like to live there? (Sparks: apartment, crime)

[henry2481]

My wife and I are looking to get out of Southern California to a slower town, close to the mountains/great outdoors (but with some big city amenities). Reno is on top of the list (outdoors, Mountains and no state income tax), but we have questions.

Here they are:

- I hear different stories about the wind. Some realtors have told me that it's important which way the house is facing. What is it REALLY like? In particluar, what it is like in Sommersett or Arrowcreek? Execissive wind would be an excessive bummer for us

- What is your overall experience of living in Reno?

- Is it a good town to raise children? We have two preschoolers.

- Is there a bad drug problem? I have seen some things about meth

- What are the values generally? Conservative or liberal?

- We are Christians and a church community is very important to us. What are your suggestions for a good church in town?

- A random question.....Are any of you boaters? If so, what's Pyramid Lake like? I heard it has a high salt content.

Any comments are welcome. Thanks for your time.

[renoguy]

Hi Henry,

I’ll give your questions a shot. I have to agree about which way the house faces. This is all a matter of opinion though. I like the front of my house facing south so that the snow melts on its own. When the front faces north the snow is hard to remove from your walkways and driveways. If you Bar-B-Q you may want the front of your house to face west. The afternoon sun in the summer can be hot and it’s nice to have the shade from your house. The other factor is wind. It blows from the west and it helps to have your yard on the east side to shelter from the wind. If your house faces west and nothing casts a shadow on your driveway you may be okay with regard to the snow. In the summer it is usually windy in the afternoon. I don’t mean breezy either, I mean windy. Anywhere on the west side of town on the hills is going to be more prone to wind. However it blows everywhere and once the wind blows 20mph it’s too difficult to be outside so if it’s 20mph in Sparks and 35mph in Reno in the west not sure what difference it makes.

Arrowcreek is nice. It’s a gated community up on the hill. There are some tracts houses in there as well as custom houses. Somersett is a planned community that does have some gated communities within. It’s not as expensive as Arrowcreek. Somersett is definitely flipperville. There are a ton of upside down people that thought they were going to flip and run but have flipped and flopped. So many are either selling for less than they paid or are trying to get what they paid and are dying on the vine.

Is it a good town to raise children? I would say Reno is what you make of it. Everything your kids would do in other towns is offered here. Karate, soccer, little league etc.

Historically Northern Nevada is conservative. I think that is changing though. There are several large non denominational churches in town as well as any of the denominations you’d expect. Here are links to two that I can think of. http://www.gracechurchreno.org/ http://www.scf.net/

Pyramid Lake does have salt but it’s not like the ocean or anything. A friend of mine goes out there a lot and he does make sure to clean his boat well when he’s done out there. He really flushes out the cooling system. It’s a very large lake out in the desert with no trees. It is on the reservation so you have to pay your fees out there.

[NC_Lover]

- I hear different stories about the wind. Some realtors have told me that it's important which way the house is facing.

They call the wind Mariah, I call it many other names most of which are explicatives.

- What is your overall experience of living in Reno?
Cant wait to leave.

- Is it a good town to raise children? We have two preschoolers.

The schools could use a lot of revamping but the casino mob that runs the state misappropriates a lot of funding.

- Is there a bad drug problem? I have seen some things about meth

Hey, this is the meth capitol, look at the National Ratings on Drug and Alcohol Abuse - Nevada ranked 2nd right behind Alaska. Take a walk downtown Reno at night, near the casinos...

- What are the values generally? Conservative or liberal?

Conservative and not that friendly especially towards Californians.

- We are Christians and a church community is very important to us. What are your suggestions for a good church in town?

Got nothing for you there.

- A random question.....Are any of you boaters? If so, what's Pyramid Lake like? I heard it has a high salt content.

Yeah if you dont mind boating with high wind and hot hot sun.

These are honest but cynical answers. Most people will not like my responses but this is an opinion board, others are welcome to dispute my answers. I suggest that you really check it out before moving here.

[Tressa]

Originally Posted by NC_Lover

- I hear different stories about the wind. Some realtors have told me that it's important which way the house is facing.

They call the wind Mariah, I call it many other names most of which are explicatives.

- What is your overall experience of living in Reno?
Cant wait to leave.

- Is it a good town to raise children? We have two preschoolers.

The schools could use a lot of revamping but the casino mob that runs the state misappropriates a lot of funding.

- Is there a bad drug problem? I have seen some things about meth

Hey, this is the meth capitol, look at the National Ratings on Drug and Alcohol Abuse - Nevada ranked 2nd right behind Alaska. Take a walk downtown Reno at night, near the casinos...

- What are the values generally? Conservative or liberal?

Conservative and not that friendly especially towards Californians.

- We are Christians and a church community is very important to us. What are your suggestions for a good church in town?

Got nothing for you there.

- A random question.....Are any of you boaters? If so, what's Pyramid Lake like? I heard it has a high salt content.

Yeah if you dont mind boating with high wind and hot hot sun.

These are honest but cynical answers. Most people will not like my responses but this is an opinion board, others are welcome to dispute my answers. I suggest that you really check it out before moving here.

And when are you leaving Nevada? Seems that all of your posts about Nevada are negative, so why are you still there?

[Nirvanagurl]

Ok I dont live in Reno, but I live outside of it in Carson City and spend alot of time going into Reno for all sorts of things.

I moved here from Central IL, I have also lived in CT, FL, SC, MI and MO and MA
But did spend most of my life in IL
the others were in my late teens/early 20's when I just roamed around the North and East for a bit..

I moved here 4 years ago due to my husband's job and we have 2 children that we have raised here for 4 years.

My opinions on Reno and the general Reno/Carson/Minden/Gardnerville area

It is windy. I am mean you really really really really have to love it here to make up for that wind. The wind is mean and its cold. It sounds a bit silly to tell someone to be prepared for the wind, I know you are thinking how bad it is ..

Its that bad that I am putting it at the top of the list..lol

I had NO idea , no one told me , no one warned me about wind here, if they had I would of laughed it off as cant be worse then Chicago
Umm Yah..yah it can
and it is..it is WAY worse then Chicago..
Chicago is a dam breeze compared to this wind out here..LOL
Trust me

Meth Heads
Now understand I am not a fancy Cali girl, I am a blue collar Midwestern girl so when I talk about crime and drugs I am not talking from some over protected rich girl point of view, oh no, I partied my butt off in school myself, grew up, became a hard working mom, I have never lived in fancy white picket fenced houses and I am not a prude and I am not a raccist and I am not afraid to live in lower middle class and blue collar neighborhoods, so if I tell you the Meth problem is horribly annoying and is EVERYWHERE out here..then trust me..it is
BUT it's somewhat less annoying then that dam wind on most days..I can tell you that
And I am going to tell you its not just Reno, or NV, it's all over the west, and I do mean all over, there are teacher's aides on it, there are mom's on it, there are hospital workers on it, the kids fixing your meal at the pizza place are on it.
Like I said were pretty middle class and I wont ever name names but I know for a fact alot of the couples with kids we hang out that seem perfectly normal on the outside are doing Meth occasionaly.
I know soccer mom's on meth that make way more then us.

Now, when we first moved out here people didnt know me and didnt trust me enough to confess sins to me, and I really didnt see the huge Meth problem, I think you see it more when you start making friends and find out their 60 year old mother is on Meth.

But yah I feel its fair to warn you, its not just a problem here, its so embedded into the West that you will meet totally normal folks, get attachted to them only to find out that some of them, not all, but some are probabbly doing Meth..
It blows my mind every time someone finally confesses to me to doing it because its always the people I least expected it from!
But it is all over the West, All over Cali, All over Idaho, All over Montana espically, All over Arizona, New Mexico, I mean if you are going west you are going to have to learn to deal with the possiblility that everyone you meet could maybe be doing Meth atleast occasionaly.

And from what I know its just spreading right along to the midwest which is from what I hear just as bad now to the east coast..

so most likely if you have not noticed alot of meth in your own town ..you may not really notice it here, because I think its really starting to get really bad all over the states, from what I hear alot of the dealers are moving east now because its become harder to deal and mix the stuff up in the west..

And not everyone on meth will shoot you, like I said I know a few Soccer Mom's and grandmothers on the stuff that wouldnt hurt anyone, not justifing using it or saying its not a horrible, horrible thing, it is, but some of the hype you hear about meth dosnt always mean gangs and shooting..the problem is how many soccer mom's and grannys are on it..



Hold on I have more things to share, but I have to grab the phone

[sugarloaf]

I don't know much about Arrowcreek, but I hate Sommerset. The homes there are a dime a dozen, and most are empty of the homes are empty; there is no personality there, none. Your view would consist of other McMansions identical to yours, dirt and a single 4ft tall pine tree. Its also a pain to get to the 80 from there as there's only one way out, if you live in the back you have to drive all the way across Sommerset to get anywhere, its a very large place.

I hear different stories about the wind. Some realtors have told me that it's important which way the house is facing. What is it REALLY like? In particluar, what it is like in Sommersett or Arrowcreek? Execissive wind would be an excessive bummer for us

I live in Northwest Reno near Sommerset and it can get VERY windy here, its not an everyday constant thing but when we do get wind we get hit hard. I can't give you any estimate on the mph, but the last couple of times the wind was howling for about a week straight. In my old apartment on those days it was hard for us to get the door open/closed and had to exercise caution around it.

What is your overall experience of living in Reno?

My favorite thing is the terrible urban planning here. Near Plumb/Mulberry there's this row of suburban homes the back a huge cow pasture, its like that all over, you'll be close to the suburbs and then you'll see a large estate that looks like its straight out of the country. The homes on Plumas also contribute to this, its just a really fun place to drive through.

Is it a good town to raise children? We have two preschoolers.

McQueen Highschool is apparently one of the best, but I don't know anything beyond that. Steer clear of Washoe high, for sure. I don't know anything about elementary schools or preschool, no help there. It really depends in what area you live in.

Is there a bad drug problem? I have seen some things about meth

Are you kidding? This is Nevada you're talking about.

What are the values generally? Conservative or liberal?

Conservative, but politics aren't that big here.

We are Christians and a church community is very important to us. What are your suggestions for a good church in town?

There are a lot of churches in Reno, a new one seems to be raising its ugly head every day now. No clue as for recs, but there is a particularly hideous looking concrete church along the 80.

[Nirvanagurl]

But yes I think the wind actually bothers me way more on most days then Meth heads

Ok crime..
Sun Valley, which is a hood in Reno , you will see it on the news alot. When we first moved out here it was on the news every night. Unless you are buying Meth there should be no reason for you to have to be in Sun Valley in the first place, stay out of there, you will be just as fine as you would be in any city Reno's size.

Downtown Reno from the Casinos to the Riverwalk and Idlewild Park

Downtown Reno is neat, UNR area is neat, are they totally safe? nope, is any downtown area totally safe? heck no

I was in a small town in Kentucky once on the corner square and saw the only mugging I have ever seen up close and in real life and this town was only like 5000 ppl or something..

Is Reno worse then any other city it's size I have been too , crime wise, I have to say no, infact even with the Casinos and Clubs all scrunched together it's probabbly safer then a few others I have been too in the midwest, Like St. Louis and Memphis downtowns

Raising Children, now that is why we live in Carson City. And why alot of parents do end up in Gardnerville/Minden
Reno schools are alright but we choose to live in Carson because we did really like the small Jr high and highschool here as compared to Reno.
I went to school in big schools and hated it myself so I wanted to give my children a chance at smaller town schools.
And my kids do love their school and have made alot of friends and do well in them.
But as far as activities both Reno and Carson have alot going on, I think my kids just do feel safer and more down homey in Carson then Reno.
But sometimes we do still consider moving there ourselves just because we do end up going to Reno so often.
And public transportation just sucks in Carson..and Reno actually has pretty good bus system .


Another word of warning, make sure you like brown.
MAKE REALLY SURE you can handle living without the big old trees of the East Coast..
and without fall..

these are 2 things that sometimes really makes me want to move back home, I dont think it bothers the CA ppl as much, and the lack of bugs that we all know from back East sometimes is a real plus to not having trees

but I will tell you I was a city park , big old tree girl, and a Brick and Ivy girl, I loved things like that..big catholic churches, big brick buildings with Ivy, Fall colors, GIANT trees that hung down over the streets in summer
OK you will never see that here..lol
And that is my biggest whine about living here and I whine about it weekly since I moved here 4 years ago

I go home to IL every summer just to see trees and green
I would go nuts if I didnt get too atleast once a year I think..

but thats just me, but just a warning for others who may not realize just how brown it is here..sometimes the photos online dont tell the whole story of the wind and the constant dryness and dust you will live in

buy alot of lotion and learn to love to dust daily and if you love the color brown..well good for you!

The people
They are why I stay here, if it wasnt for some of the amazing ppl I have met here I would of moved , I would of ran back home or somewhere, I stay here because I have met some of the coolest, friendlyist, sweetiest, most down homey , loving ppl you could ever want to meet here
and they start to cry every time I get homesick and talk about moving and beg me not too..so yah this place can grow on you and when it does..GOD HELP YOU

LOL

and speaking of God
Ok I am not christian so I cant speak on that, but I am a spiritual kinda gal, basically Wiccan, and I dont want to scare you so I will just briefly say what I gotta say here, Carson atleast is a very spiritual little town, I have met more ppl of more different religons here then the midwest BY FAR..
and Reno has alot of things going on for people into spirituality, Law of Attraction, New Agey stuff, but I have a feeling thats not what your aimming for but I wanted to leave it out here for other ppl to read and to let you know that from my experince there are alot of in general spiritual folks here of all sorts of different paths ..

I will say I have met way more Mormons here then I ever ever ever did in the East and at first I wasnt sure what to make of that, but I have gotten to know alot of them and come to really respect their beliefs , way more then I would of maybe of thought on the East.
but there are alot of Mormons, I know that much!

But not as many catholics as where I grew up..
and the mexican Catholics seem to do things differently then I remember in my Irish Catholic home..

And thats another thing
St Patricks day is here is so not what it is in the east!

I have a feeling this is not important to most, but it really bugged me out when I first moved here and it still does..
Being Irish and loving a good St Patty's day blow out, I was really shocked that its not this huge street festival that I am used to growing up with in IL
where it was like the biggest day of the year almost!

But I hope this gives you and everyone who might read it a good feel for the area, the people are amazing, truely are, they are great, its really all about the people here , and when it rains there is a sage smell too it that is just so yummy and great,
and there is alot of sunshine..I will say that, it can be bitterly freezing cold and there is still sun

but it is cold..when I moved out here ppl tried to tell me Reno/carson has a mild winter..
mild my butt..

windy and ice cold air is more like it, yah it dosnt snow that much, but dont think its not bitter cold..
it will warm up during the late afternoon with the sun but the mornings and nights are just as cold as any winter in chicago..
its just that yah ..late afternoon warms up to a much more mild climate and atleast the sun is out..

[jess76]

Originally Posted by henry2481

My wife and I are looking to get out of Southern California to a slower town, close to the mountains/great outdoors (but with some big city amenities). Reno is on top of the list (outdoors, Mountains and no state income tax), but we have questions.

Here they are:

- I hear different stories about the wind. Some realtors have told me that it's important which way the house is facing. What is it REALLY like? In particluar, what it is like in Sommersett or Arrowcreek? Execissive wind would be an excessive bummer for us

- What is your overall experience of living in Reno?

- Is it a good town to raise children? We have two preschoolers.

- Is there a bad drug problem? I have seen some things about meth

- What are the values generally? Conservative or liberal?

- We are Christians and a church community is very important to us. What are your suggestions for a good church in town?

- A random question.....Are any of you boaters? If so, what's Pyramid Lake like? I heard it has a high salt content.

Any comments are welcome. Thanks for your time.

Well,I have been living in reno for about 12 years.I'm from cali also,I hope i can help alittle,lets see my overall experince i don't like it,it's windy all the time,theres really not alot to do here for kids.The schools are ok,it just depends on where you live,alot better than cali though,thats for sure.This is a 24 hour town,alot of drugs,alot of gambling.I'm leaving reno because i can't take it here any longer,IMO it's not a good family town.It's very cold it does snow here not alot but it does.I don't know about arrowcreek,but my husband did some work in sommerset and he said it's windy there alot,but again IMO it's windy anywhere in reno.It's a nice town to visit but IMO it's not a good town to raise a family.

[renoguy]

Don't forget that when it's not windy it's smoggy.

[jess76]

Originally Posted by renoguy

Don't forget that when it's not windy it's smoggy.

Ain't that the truth!wind in smog,oh gotta love reno,not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!