Reno can be gritty and filled with loud noises, casinos and bright lights. It can be hard to find peaceful options. The northeast suburb of Spanish Springs offers that choice.
Its population is about 17,000 and is much smaller and quieter than other parts of Northern Nevada.
My family moved here in 2018 from Wingfield, a nearby neighborhood in Sparks. It was during my high school years, and I made plenty of memories as a Spanish Springs High alumni. McDonald’s and Starbucks are within walking distance of the high school, so it was a tradition every Friday to walk down.
Driving around the area, you wouldn’t think 17,000 people lived there. It’s slowly expanding, but your options out here are pretty slim.
In terms of education, Spanish Springs High School and Shaw Middle School are both located in the area. Spanish Springs Elementary School and Alice Taylor Elementary School aren’t too far away either.
There are a few small shopping centers, including two gas stations, a few fast food spots, a Walgreens, and two grocery stores. An ER was most recently built, big bonus points for that.
Besides that, there’s a lot of open land. There’s the Andelin Family Farm, which hosts several events throughout the year such as a pumpkin patch and corn mazes in the fall.
A bit further down Pyramid Highway, which connects Spanish Springs to the rest of Sparks, you’ll reach my neighborhood of Autumn Trails.
A map of Autumn Trails and nearby neighborhoods.
This neighborhood is still fairly new, as my house was built the year my family and I moved in. It was the first house built on Smoke Wagon, the name of my street.
People get a kick over my street name. If I’m ID’d or filling out paperwork, a small laugh or mocking tone over the name “Smoke Wagon” will usually follow. I’ve always lived on originally named streets, so the jokes cause me to eye-roll from time to time.
Slowly but surely, the rest of the street was built and families began moving in. Driving through these neighborhoods made me feel like I almost didn’t belong because of how elegant the homes were.
About every house has at least two-plus acres of backyard space. Many have even more space with small white fences to cover their ranches. Horses, goats, and chickens can usually be seen walking around in their owner’s backyards.
The entryway of Autumn Trails
It’s hard to not sound snobby when talking about my neighborhood, but the hard reality is people and families with money live here. Almost every home, mine included, is valued at over $1 million. According to CalNeva Reality, the average house in this area is listed at $1.16 million.
Another reality is that a majority of Autumn Trail residents are white. The longer I’ve lived here and the more I’ve grown up, the more I’ve seen how predominantly white the neighborhood is.
Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. Living in more of a countryside ranch-type area where it’s usually quiet will consist of that. Many residents are either retired or have established families and careers.
But, as one of the few minority families living in the area, it’s easy to notice. My family is of Latino descent, coming from both parents. As I mentioned before, you usually won’t see others like my family in the area. There’s definitely some, but it’s not the majority.
It’s also easy to notice how residents are not afraid to spend their money on luxury. About every other house on my street owns either a sports car or a car/truck bought brand new very recently. I can’t judge when I own a 2018 Camaro and my mom owns a 2023 Hybrid Hyundai.
The holidays are another time when you can notice the money. Most residents will put up their own Halloween or Christmas decorations, but some will pay to have companies install them. Most of the neighborhood has fancy phone-controlled house lights that can make any color or pattern appear.
It does make the neighborhood look great during the holidays, however. Streets illuminate every night with tons of lights and decorations. Most houses will even leave their Christmas lights on all day (not worried about the electrical bill I suppose.) Halloween is filled with kids on the streets to check out the self-made haunted houses and loads of full-size candy bars.
Speaking of holidays and money, residents in Spanish Springs love to own and give each other expensive toys. ATVs, dirtbikes, and quads are everywhere. The neighborhood is mostly quiet, but now and then you’ll be driving by and hear the loud rev of an ATV go by.
They’re even more common during the holidays. Halloween in this neighborhood doesn’t see kids walking around the streets. Instead, parents will drive them around on ATVs or in self-made wagons pulled by their pickup trucks.
The same can be said for Christmas, when families decorate their rides, make floats out of trailers, and drive around looking at Christmas lights.
The money also shows from the amount of home improvements residents do. My family and I have done a LOT to our house, so I’m not calling anyone out. But, it seems like every other week there’s a house with construction workers in the backyard and different types of rock piled outside.
Whether it’s adding stone to the backyard, putting in a firepit or hot tub, or re-doing the driveway, home improvements are always happening. It makes sense why almost all of these homes are selling for over $1 million when constant renovations are done to jack up the value.
I’m in no way trying to make up a stereotype about the residents who live here. But, it can be quite funny reading posts from neighbors on the Ring app.
Being straight up, people like to be nosey. I can’t say that I’m not curious about what’s going on, but sometimes it can be a bit much.
“Screenshots of the ring app, showing neighbors posting about coyotes in the area”
Posts I see a lot are about coyotes in the area. I understand if the intent is to give a heads-up to homeowners with smaller pets or children, but Spanish Springs is filled with them. The coyotes were here first, and the whole community doesn’t need to know when you see one just minding its own business.
There are always plenty of posts saying “Did you feel that earthquake?” (Yes, everyone felt it.) “Did anyone hear a loud banging sound? It almost sounded like a gun.” (They were just fireworks and you could see them in the sky.)
Lots of animals go missing as well which of course is a sad event. More times than not, the pets get returned to their rightful owners. Lots of packages seem to get misplaced or even stolen at times as well.
“Screenshots from the Ring app of neighbors posting about missing animals and missing packages”
Overall though, there’s not much to complain about my neighborhood. People are proud to live here and aren’t afraid to show how they have money.
When the Spring/Summer season hits and the sun is out, you’ll see people everywhere walking, running, or taking their dogs on a walk. You’ll see those fancy sports cars in the driveways being hand-washed or yard work being done.
I feel blessed to be able to reside here, and I’m sure many people feel the same way. It’s a great, safe, and quiet neighborhood, and it’s a place you look out on and can say “I made it” if you live there.