This is part of a series of essays with photos on the last motels still standing in Reno. We previously had a series on the last motel residents of Reno. Motels, initially conceived for tourists, increasingly became a last housing option for many, due to bad credit, not enough money for deposits, or not wanting to deal with a multitude of bills and complications, or a first housing option for residents coming out of homelessness. Many motels are now being torn down, after being bought out and razed by slow to act developers, with many vacant lots now dotting the downtown landscape.
take care of yourself
i haven’t been sleeping much
there weren’t any people around this motel, even though it has twice the amount of guests as the swan inn
it was so quiet
no one in the office
no one in the back room
no one looking out on their balconies or hearing tvs blare from open windows
i haven’t been eating much
the shadows that this motel casts are what i loved most about this place
they’re so deep and rich, and stretch up and over everything
it’s almost like this place was left behind by people, but everyone's belongings were still there
the plants in the office seemed well taken care of
i wonder who is doing that
this motel has a lot of charm to it
it’s the biggest horseshoe i’ve ever seen
there’s so many little things that add up or go unnoticed every day
i wake up to a sinking pit in my stomach almost every morning
the dusty red car hidden within the garage window made me laugh
the cigarette butts and ash trays crowded the dashboard
it wasn’t until i was walking away i could hear a child start to cry from a room
and a parent trying to comfort them
but i had everything i needed for the night