What do you like about Reno/Sparks area? (Gardnerville, Minden: houses, job market)

[KarlaT2]

I see many posts about what people don't like about the area. How about what you do like? There have to be people happy to live there. Speak to me please! LOL.
I'm currently in SoCal desert area. I'm giving thought to moving to either Reno/Sparks area or back to Oregon as I have family in both areas. I hate rain though, so am leaning more to Reno. I love to be outdoors - Biking, horses, hiking, boating, fishing, camping etc. Is the Reno area a good place for that? Have an elementary school age child so schools are also important. Love to hear from anyone with positive feedback please. Thanks!!!

[Tim Currie]

Ok shoot.... I don't live there. Buuut..my mom lives right outside of town and I'm pretty familiar with the area.

First of all, it's waaaay different than So Cal life. And that's one of the things I like. I used to think it was a dirty old small town with a bunch of casinos. But it has grown a lot in the last 10 years. Now there is a ton of new retail and housing. Most of the big chain retail and restaurants are in Reno these days. There's also a ton of people from California that moved in. So I guess what I mean is it is much more like Ca than it used to be.

What I like:

- the natural terrain. i really like the scenery of the high desert, maybe just cause it is very different than Northern Ca/Sacramento where I live.(though real similar to SoCal)
- not as crowded/crazy paced as Ca, less traffic, etc.
- friendly people. some might consider them "redneck" or "backwards" (like my upity sister from the Bay Area....) but I think that's pretty ignorant. They're generally a lot more traditional and conservative than Ca folks. and a lot friendlier.
- weather. very much similiar to Northern Ca but a little bit cooler overall and a little bit of snow in winter. well, and dryer.
- I like the Western...."wild west" feel to Northern NV, I think its "neat"

And you say you're into the outdoors and don't like rain. Well you'll get lot's of sunny weather in Reno and a ton of places to explore outside.

Hiking, camping, biking, fishing, horses (my mom gets wild horses...cool), you can do plenty of that, waay more opportunities and better places to do all those in Reno than So Cal. You've got the eastern Sierra Nevada RIGHT there, easy access to Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, Truckee River, and the vast open places to explore in the high desert if you go east or north.

Don't know about schools I dont have kids.

Anyway, I really like the area and like that my mom is there so I can visit. I might consider living there but I'm younger and have no kids and want a bigger city to live in at this point in my life, and Reno does not provide that.

Do you like the look of this?

View of the hills/mtns to the east of Reno/Virginia City
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k127/timmys88Z/view.jpg (broken link)

Looking west towards the Sierra Nevada... Reno is to the right of the picture.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k127/timmys88Z/hills.jpg (broken link)

Pyramid Lake...all to yourself.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k127/timmys88Z/lake.jpg (broken link)

[KarlaT2]

Tim-
Thank you for the pictures and the reply. That looks beautiful. It reminds me of eastern Oregon, which I guess would be similar climate.
I'm originally from Oregon (the rainy side, LOL), but moved to Tucson AZ about 10 years ago, and a couple of years ago to Cal. I'm not really a city girl, so what you described sounds very appealing.
Can you jet ski in that lake, or any others around there? I've been to Tahoe, which is so beautiful, but not much else around there.
Does anyone know what the job market is like in the area? I found several on Careerbuilder I found interesting, but wondered what the competion was like, and such. Has there been many tech/electronics/ect companies moving over there due to proximity to San Fran area?
Thanks for the reply again.

[mimi2007]

Karla, I'm sorry I had not responded to the private message you sent about Reno, but I hope you don't mind if I reply on this thread. I hope by now you have read all of the various Reno posts. It will give you a better idea of the pros and cons of the place. Just remember, everybody has different tastes and reasons for wanting to be in one place or another. Why don't you plan a visit to your aunt in the area so you can get a firsthand view of whether or not you would like it. She must like it....that's why she (your aunt) is living there.

Personally, I don't know what the job market is like in your field. People told me that anyone can find work there, but I suspect that many of the jobs are lower paying. I personally found some interesting Social Service type jobs available (they don't pay much), but I would be interested in working a couple of days a week as something interesting to do for awhile, not so much for the money. International Game Technology has its headquarters there...check out www.igt.com I just checked their website, and they seem to have quite a few jobs available.

Really, you just need to go there for yourself to see if you would like it. As part of a soon-to-be retired couple, our reasons for wanting to live there would be completely different from yours. Do you have vacation time available so you can take a trip? Do you have some savings to get yourself started? Can your aunt put you up if you visit?

Mimi

[KarlaT2]

Mimi-
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I do plan on visiting there later this summer, but I wanted to hear others opinions to get a better picture before that time. I'm still in the analyzing stage (which with me could take awhile, LOL), and I like to hear what other people have to say to help that.
I found several companies on the web, but there is always that feel for an area that you can only get by living/working there. I did see IGT, as well as Sierra Nevada Corp which both look promising. Really I'm just trying to get a feel for what industries other than the obvious (gaming, tourism, etc) are strong there.
I appreciate all the input. Any more pictures would be wonderful.
Thanks!

[PureHapa]

Here's a pic of the Truckee river just east of downtown.

Wild horses in the suburbs.

Okay, I have to throw in one of Lake Tahoe for you!

[Tressa]

Great pictures Purehapa, I too look forward to my move there from Alaska next year actually 125 miles north of Reno. Very exciting and a new adventure for my husband and I not only being retired but moving to a complete different area than our last 32 years.

[renoguy]

There are many industries here. A lot of warehouses and manufacturing. Purina has a factory east of town. Starbucks has a roasting place in Gardnerville or Minden I think. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing is made here. Sally Beauty Supply has a warehouse out in Stead. JC Penny has a huge mail order warehouse in Stead as well. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

No place is perfect but Reno is nice.

[goodvedderbest]

It's very similar to eastern Oregon- high desert.

Some of my favorites-
Can easily get to Tahoe in a matter of minutes based on where you live.

If you have the right vehicle, there are plenty of cool off-road trails to explore all over the area.

Being a 24 hour a day city, there's always some form of entertainment going on.

Plenty of camping/outdoor options nearby in the Sierra's.

[lvbernard]

LIKES:
I've always liked the mellow pace of life there, the not-too-high cost of living (compared to the Bay Area), ease of transportation (airport, rail, and, since I don't own a car, a reasonably good bus system), and the university (I graduated from there and worked there for six years as well, so I admit a bias).

DISLIKES:
The people aren't terrifically friendly (especially the rednecks or less-educated types), the police not that effective, and really the major lack of culture (the town doesn't generally attract the kind of people who value culture, though that's very slowly changing).