Reno, Nevada, has always been a constant in my life. I remember Reno feeling so big as a child. I would look out into the city from the car window on I-580 and be shocked by its size. In all fairness, it was far bigger than my hometown of Manteca, California.
The casinos of GSR and Atlantis standing lonesome against the sky enthralled me. I even remember Downtown Reno feeling massive compared to any other place I had experienced. It felt like there was such a variety of things to do and places to eat in the city.
My grandparents moved to Susanville, California, in the early 2000s. I’ve always had a close relationship with them, always visiting them multiple times a year. Living in Central California for most of my life meant we’d cross through Reno to make it to Susanville.
Seeing the city after swaths of green and never-ending winding mountain roads, was like finding an oasis in the desert.
Stopping in Reno always felt like the main event of that long car ride. Whether that was grabbing food at my family’s favorite restaurant in town, El Paisano, or playing in the GSR arcade while my parents gambled. Reno felt so different and interesting compared to anywhere else I had experienced as a kid.
I think I’ve eaten at El Paisano more than any other restaurant in my life, specifically their location near Costco. My family would often stop here before we drove to Susanville. My Susanville family often eats here when they come to Reno for groceries.
Even though I was staying in Susanville once I arrived at my grandparents, taking the hour and ten-minute drive to Reno with them felt so exciting. Going into Reno to get groceries at Costco or Sam’s Club with my grandparents was always a highlight of my stay there. Perhaps it was the contrast between the small-town American values of my grandparents’ Northern California country life versus The Biggest Little City.
As a child, that title Reno holds proudly baffled me. I would think back then, “How could this place be little? It feels so much bigger than anywhere else I’ve seen.” My aunt would then explain that Reno was no larger than many of the smaller cities back home. I never fully understood what she was saying and Reno still felt larger than life.
It’s funny how my perception of Reno somehow stayed the same, even as I grew older and visited more places. While I started to understand Reno’s small population size in such a secluded area, the city didn’t stop fascinating me. There was something special about Reno.
When I moved here in August of 2022, I think that’s when I truly started to understand Reno as a city. I realized you could get to most places in the city within a 15-minute drive. I would buy groceries at Winco or one of the countless Walmarts. I would feel closer to my grandparents than ever by only being a short hour and 10-minute drive from them.
Little by little, with each mundane activity, I would feel closer to the city through its simplicity. Most importantly, I slowly discovered the community Reno has.
Each month I lived here, it slowly felt like everyone knew everyone. Small business and restaurant owners carried a sense of pride in their establishment being here. It almost felt like people I spoke to who lived here, especially for a long time, truly loved living here. They were genuinely happy to be in Reno.
That strong sense of community Reno shares is still what I admire most about this city. I’m grateful I’ve been able to experience a sliver of that, even as a California college transplant.
The buffet at Atlantis was one of my last dining-out meals before the Covid-19 lockdowns. I remember eating there with my grandparents just days before the world stopped. It was also one of the first meals at a restaurant after Covid-19 restrictions loosened up.
During that time of slowly falling in love with Reno, a part of me also began to see its flaws. While Reno’s size was incredibly convenient for getting around and created a small-knit community, it also created many downfalls. There was a lack of diversity I started to miss, especially coming from the melting pot of California. I started to miss the many ethnic food offerings I simply couldn’t find in Reno, especially certain Asian foods. This flaw is made clear by looking at the city’s racial demographics.
The apparent lack of things to do in the city began to take its toll on me. In the first few months, it felt like I had already done every activity any travel website or person recommended. The beauty and outdoor appeal of Reno are great, but the main critique I’ve always felt is that it feels so singular. The argument could be made that Reno is only designed for outdoor lovers but in my opinion, cities should have something available for everyone. Skiing or snowboarding nearby seemed to be everyone’s favorite pastime but I always thought, “If I’m not a snow sports person, what is there to do here?”
My frustrations with Reno came to a head when I started visiting Las Vegas because of a change to long distance in a personal romantic relationship. Reno and Vegas couldn’t feel more distant from each other, literally and figuratively. For me, Reno is defined by its harsh, cold, and bitter winters. On the other hand, Vegas is defined by its dry, hot, and extreme summers. The two most populous Nevada cities could not feel more different from each other.
I spent a lot of winter breaks and three-day weekends at GSR growing up. My siblings and I would bowl and play at the arcade while my parents gambled.
I had been to Vegas a few times as a kid but only experienced it from the tourist’s perspective, spending our family vacations mostly on The Strip. I’d say I hadn’t truly experienced Las Vegas as a city until I started visiting it frequently in January.
The more and more I experienced Las Vegas, it answered all my concerns about Reno. The size of Vegas compared to Reno was staggering, but it still felt calmer and less congested compared to California cities. The city offered so much more.
The sheer amount of different and fantastic Asian food offerings in Vegas astounded me. Vegas’s Chinatown made me wish Reno had something even remotely similar. It felt like there were endless things to do in Vegas. While Vegas also offered its own version of outdoor appeal, it didn’t define the city and seemed like anyone could live there.
With my love for Vegas growing, there was still a warmth I felt each time I saw The Row from my uncomfortable Spirit Airlines seat. It sounds incredibly cheesy, but Reno still felt like home, no matter how much room I saw for improvements in the city.
It’s been hard to gather my thoughts and feelings about Reno as I plan on graduating next semester and moving to Vegas after. As I near the end of my time here, Reno will always hold a special place in my heart.
I’m glad Reno’s sense of community bleeds into the rest of the state. There are a lot of preconceived notions about Nevada; I don’t think people mention or realize the community we share here enough. We’re a small but proud state. I’m fortunate that spirit will still be waiting for me in Vegas.
For all of Reno’s pitfalls, I think its uniqueness and community are why people love it here. I’m thankful I’ve been able to experience that sense of belonging, and I’ll deeply miss it when I leave.
Our Town Reno Citizen’s Forum by Elijah E Dulay