The Value of Volunteering in a Preseason Great Reno Balloon Race Outing

On July 7th, 2023, I took a chance to volunteer with the GRBR (Green Reno Balloon Race).

I met Ken Azevedo, who pilots the Gooberfish balloon, along with other friendly volunteers. I was so nervous to interact with people I didn't know but willing to try something new! I am incredibly grateful that I could take flight on my first day as a new volunteer. 

I felt a deep sense of peace when we ascended over my community, and I saw the vibrancy of the sunrise pouring over all of the green trees. I had an excellent conversation with Ken throughout the flight. I felt like I was levitating like Criss Angel. 

Our flight ended when we landed in the field of Traner Middle School, where I was a student. I was so happy to greet families in the neighborhood and staff members as we stored the balloon. I learned so much in just a few short hours. 

I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. 

The Great Reno Balloon Race at Rancho San Rafael will always remain a positive memory for me, especially one I hold dear with my mother, who died when I was in kindergarten in 2003. We lived impoverished in a studio apartment next to the 7-11 on Virginia Street before she died, and I remember spending one morning at the park together watching the hot air balloons. It was one of the most beautiful days and a rare memory of her genuine smile. 

After 20 years, I decided that I wanted a proper internment for my mom’s ashes, and we finally laid them to rest in her hometown of Stockton, California, in June 2023, after staying at different relatives' homes over the years. Her birthday is July 8th, just one day after my flight on Gooberfish. 

I was raised by my father who struggles with severe mental illness and went to middle school and high school in one of the most stigmatized communities in Reno at both Traner Middle School and Hug High School. I am the first in my family to graduate from the University of Nevada, and I’m now an adult navigating the repercussions of developmental trauma. 

If you’re reading this, please know that you are so valuable because of your past and any of your current struggles with mental illness because you are still here with us, marching on. Please know that you deserve to enjoy your community, and you can have good days!!

Thank you! 

Citizen’s Forum Contribution by Sierra “Renegade” Stevens

Note: Minor modifications were made to original text for clarity.

An Ode to the Truckee River

Each and every person at the river's edge in Reno has their own stories, and all see the Truckee River in their own different and unique ways. 

For some, the river provides an escape, a chance to take the day to relax and fish — or maybe it is their adrenaline rush for the day as they brave the torrent of water on a measly raft.

Some come by to share their love of music, softly tapping out a beat on drums as people pass by. 

Another guy is seen trying to escape the police by leaping into the dangerous water. 

The rocks hold the battle scars from the relentless current, constantly pulling at them.

The Truckee River carries along its history in the water that once was snow, telling its story to those who care to listen.

Essay and Photos by Kesley Morris shared with Our Town Reno

From the Bay to the Biggest Little City, a Comparison

POV. You just moved here from the Bay, and you have no idea of what to expect from Reno.

If you’re like me, you would be completely culture shocked for a while. However, as someone who has lived here for about six years now, I am here to say that it eventually grows on you. 

Once you get over the initial dread of the fact that this is NOT the Bay Area in the slightest, you begin to enjoy and love Reno for what it actually is; The Biggest Little City. 

Growing up in Oakland, I have always been surrounded by metropolitan areas. There are so many surrounding cities that make up the Bay, and because everything is relatively close, you are able to discover a new spot in the Bay almost every single day.

This factor alone made me have a bit of trouble grasping the concept of Reno. I will admit however it is cool and reassuring to know that you can’t really get lost out here simply because of how McCarran boulevard is structured. 

Coming from the Bay or anywhere in California to Reno is a bit of an adjustment, however you learn to enjoy what is here. 

For one, you have to at least try to explore the beautiful nature. Take a hike! Or walk along the Truckee river to truly take in the beauty that this place has to offer. I still have to go up to ski, but that should also be an activity on your radar. We don’t have snow-capped mountains in the Bay, so take advantage of what is here at least once in your Reno stay. 

If you are here during the summer, try to check out the Rib cookoff. When I say delicious, I mean DELICIOUS.

If ribs are not your thing, try to also check out Food Truck Fridays. They have loads of different food options. You can bring a picnic blanket and take a seat on the grass while enjoying food and warm weather. 

If you are trying to find a community, try searching local Instagram, Facebook or Tik Tok pages to see if there are others out there with the same hobbies/ interests.

Since this is Reno, it is very likely that there is a small group out there somewhere that shares the same hobbies as you. For me, I joined different organizations that were involved in community activism, arts and culture, and from there, I was able to find people who were passionate about the same things that I was. 

If there are no visible communities with your interests, you can also start one yourself! There are so many niched Reno organizations that have started by posting and reaching out on Instagram. If it is not represented yet, step into that leadership role! It may be intimidating, but who knows, there could be someone out there looking for the exact form of community that you can provide. 

Honestly Reno is different, and it is indeed a little weird, but overall, it has been a place of growth for my friends and I.

We have all been pushed out of our comfort zones just by living here, but we have grown into a tighter community of individuals because of it, and I think that is truly the beauty of Reno.

Citizen’s Forum contribution by Arianna Pride

Living on 9th Street , Near the Freeway and Train Tracks, Amid a Housing and Fentanyl Crisis

Growing up in southwest Reno I almost never went to downtown or Midtown. This was for a few reasons. The first being that Midtown wasn’t really developed then, and downtown didn’t have much to offer me.

But secondly, many people in Reno don’t venture very far from their home. South Reno people stay in the south and north Reno people stay in the north for the most part.

Two years ago, my freshman year of college, I moved out of southwest Reno for the first time into a quite unique neighborhood. 

I live right next to the University of Nevada, Reno campus, and specifically right next to the new HERE apartments. My street is filled with sounds of cars driving and sirens blasting as it looks directly over I-80. And if the cars are quiet, the train rumbling down the tracks is quick to fill the silence. A street over from me is Roller Kingdom, which weirdly attracts both suspicious characters and children, a strange combination.

Fence that separates  I-80 and E 9th St. and the train tracks that run through the street. Photographed by Macie King

Any student at UNR understands the tricky dynamic of having a campus near downtown, which in our case has casinos, hard on their luck gambling addicts and drifters. Living in my neighborhood amid an affordable housing crisis and a fentanyl epidemic has allowed me to witness these issues very closely.

I have been able to see a homeless camp grow from two tents to 20 in less than a week. Cars that were once abandoned are filled with clothes and blankets the next.

As I mentioned before, Roller Kingdom brings in quite the crowd. Behind the building you can find clothes, suitcases, needles, and occasionally a person overdosing. Ambulances and police are often making visits over to the bright pink and blue building. 

The only thing separating my street from the freeway is a chain link fence. And often this fence is climbed through by the unhoused to set up camps surrounding the freeway. The view out of my front window is typically tents and trash scattered around the landscape surrounding the freeway.

To the right of my house are train tracks. Which also brings in a large unhoused population. Let me be clear though, people experiencing homelessness have never tried to harm me or any of my roommates. They stay to themselves and are really just looking for a place to sleep.

And I would say my neighborhood has been a wonderful place to live while attending college. Mainly because I’m saving $500 a year in parking passes. But also because it’s allowed me to squash my previous mindset about those experiencing homelessness and living in a neighborhood that’s not always sunshine and rainbows. I’ve also learned to be more appreciative of life in general. Seeing a person live in a tent with Reno’s weather during the winter is never easy to see and pushes me to invest time in my community and help whenever possible. 

Our Town Reno Citizen’s Forum by Macie King

Op-Ed: Jim Fleming Blasts Recent Shifts on Fentanyl Related Legislation for Nevada

Following last minute shifts last week, a companion bill to another bill which would enhance fentanyl penalties was significantly amended to the ire of Jim Fleming who wrote the below letter to David Orentlicher, Sarah Peters, Leslie Cohen and Greg Koenig, members of the Assembly Health Committee. Here below is his letter republished in full from his LinkedIn:

You people on the health and human services committee and the lobbyists who convinced you to choose expediency and hand-washing over the lives of addicts--you have turned in a piss-poor day's work here. The original version of this bill would have saved lives. Would have fixed Nevada's worst-in-the-nation cause of death stats. Instead we are choosing butt-covering. 

To be clear, with this amendment, this committee is CHOOSING willful ignorance, choosing not to honor hundreds of dead young folks by refusing, literally refusing to learn from their deaths. Refusing to go back through cases, confirm that our analytical tech and practices lag behind all other states and academic facilities for determining chemical cause of death. 

I'm ashamed of you and my home state-- not only are we refusing to actually review overdoses, but this bill negates progress, sucks up valuable resources, and in facts shuts down investigations that would have taken place throughout the state. Science, hypothesis testing, asking the right questions, humbly reviewing past cases and maybe gently pointing out where somebody screwed up, empiricism and honoring the deaths of fentanyl overdose victims by learning from them-- all those concepts, the obvious course of action to any child or anyone giving a shit, those are not allowed in the room, or in most of the state.  If you aren't going to help, get out of the way.

Big edit and update....there's a solid argument that the State of Nevada WILL BE FINANCIALLY LIABLE FOR EVERY FENTANYL OVERDOSE if this gutted, do-nothing version of AB132 gets passed.

And yeah I know legislators are immune from lawsuits in NV, but oh shooky dookies, turns out a couple people....in a position to know...will not carry the state’s water in a hypothetical deposition situation or whatever.

1. the committee itself wasn't pulling the strings when it was finally amended and voted upon.. The legislative process, counter to the public benefit, was subverted by pressure from etc. etc.

2. NV HHS has known for a long time that their response to the fentanyl crisis is at best incompetent and negligent. They were repeatedly told this...
a. implicitly by the published overdose stats of neighboring state agencies.
b. the CDC, and in fact there is a resident CDC overseer placed in Nevada because of the incompetence with overdose stats.
c. a consultant report by Mercer, paid for by HHS which goes into great detail about what in the states epidemiology reports is wrong, and how to fix it.
d. national data collection projects like SUDORS which every state except Nevada has figured out how to contribute meaningfully to.
e. Report from NV Minority Health Committee also showing that Nevada is dangerously negligent with regard to fentanyl AND that that cultural incompetence at all levels of HHS is literally killing people.
f. Formal complaint to Dept. of Justice demonstrating fraud waste and abuse of a SAMSHA block grant for substance abuse amelioration and study.
g. Virtually any statistician can show dangerous levels of incompetence by NV HHS analysts, specifically failure to identify a left censorship problem in overdose toxicology data that any child could have recognized as the result of fentanyl analyte insensitivity in various medical examiner labs.

AND THESE PROBLEMS WERE ALL REPORTED BY EXPERTS FOR YEARS WITH NO RESPONSE BY HHS.

3. AND finally....the coup de grace....we have the original draft of bill 132. Legislators understood the necessary steps to get ahead of the crisis. Comprehensively, and with all the expert input. And the bill was "gutted", their word, and amended down to nothingness. They had the knowledge, the means, and the ability to institute improved overdose response and chose to do the opposite. It’s a matter of public record.

4. Nevada instituted no monitoring, no insight, has no street game, no community contacts, no quick response system, and no tracking of changing adulterants in the supply.

5. thousands of victims' families who have been heartless[ly'] gaslit by NV HHS when it failed to ID the real cause of their accidental deaths.

6. The AG can't blame the victims after accepting the settlement from big pharma and tacitly blaming pharm for all the addiction.

I hope they bankrupt this state.

Op-ed by Jim Fleming shared with Our Town Reno

Note: The view’s expressed in this op-ed are entirely from Jim Fleming, as no edits were made to his letter.

Hilary, From Covid to the Cares Campus

Hilary was residing at the Cares Campus when I met her this Winter.

“My experience has not been so lovely,” she said.

She filed discrimination charges with a local housing authority. She admits this with a small, nervous laugh. She trails off, asking how much of her story I’d like to know. She’s been trying to have her story heard for a long time. 

Hilary has resided in Reno since 1984, briefly leaving to go to college. She returned to raise her now eight-year-old son by herself. That’s when she built her massage business. “I also was a goldsmith,” she says.  “I traveled to Washington and I did jewelry repair once a month. I traveled back and forth and my folks helped me with my son.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic happened Hilary said her entire life collapsed.

“(It) slowly deteriorated my existence.” she said. 

A car passes by as we sit on rocks outside of the Cares Campus. “Especially in this town… it’s been really awful.” 

In April of 2020, Hilary says her Section 8 voucher was approved as part of COVID-19 relief programs. But then she says it was abruptly cut off. Around the same time, she says she received a note on her door saying they were raising her rent by $500. Hilary was facing approximately $2,400 due. 

“At that point in time I was between vehicles-”

What sounds like a muscle car burbles along and she falls silent until it passes. 

“-and so I didn’t have a vehicle and, oh my God, it was everything all at once.”

She let go of her massage business. This is when she turned to Amazon for a potential source of income. 

Amazon promised her a $1,000 sign-on bonus. “It took them four months for them to get the background check. I have no idea why. They said it was because I moved a lot in my twenties. Which I did.” But when her background check was finalized, Hilary was already living on the streets.

She had her son stay with her mother. 

“I’ve been homeless almost an entire year. This was my worst fear. I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” She began to cry. “I’ve been fighting. All that really matters is my son’s future. The three main things that matter are community, unity and agriculture. We are in a climate crisis. People are going to kill people because we do not live in unity at all. America is not united. We don’t live by the Ten Commandments.”

One of her friends Michael comes up to us to ask for a cigarette. “He’s got like twelve different personalities, God bless him,” she laughs; a more cheerful laugh. 

She got a car again but then she says it was stolen.  A woman involved in the theft asked Hilary to take her to a store where she, the thief, removed the key from the ignition. They went into the store. The thief “proceeded to fill a shopping cart with clothes and shoes and whatnot and bailed and took (the) car with her.” 

Hilary says her car was returned to her “because I was also familiar with a lot of people on the street.” Problems didn't end there though.

“My catalytic converter was stolen out of it," she remembers. "From then on I don’t know who, what, how, when, why, where but I started having a lot of people follow me… in white vehicles. I was stalked out by what I think was human trafficking.”

We are interrupted by someone asking if she has a phone they can use. She replied “I don’t. I’m sorry. Mine’s dead.”

“I was at my friend’s house and kept seeing a signal. It was a light and it would turn on. A white car would go around me twice. This was still when my catalytic converter was still on. And then I sat in there and I saw a light flicker on again. And another white car encircled me twice. And about four different white cars encircled me. The fourth one was a humongous car with these really big, bright beams. Which was very unusual. I haven’t even seen cops have beams…”

My phone rings. I am on my way to meet a friend.

Our interview ends. 

I email her about this article. Hilary replied and she seems to be okay. She didn't want to do a phone call though so there won't be follow up questions for the immediate future.  

Reporting and photos by Dani DeRosa shared with Our Town Reno

A Local Mother Fighting for her Kid's Right to Recess

Emily Gonzales, the author of this op-ed, has worked as an early childhood educator here in Northern Nevada for over 10 years. In June 2022, she obtained a Child Development Associate credential through UNR, sparking an independent journey into exploring the intersection of neuroscience, play, and holistic approaches in human development. She says she plans on continuing to advocate for children's rights to play, indefinitely. Her son who goes to a local publicly funded charter school is in the 4th grade, where she says, he repeatedly gets punished and prevented from getting his recess time. Her post below is about why she thinks this is a big mistake:

What if you started your first job only to discover that if you don't meet your work quotas, your boss will deny you your 10-minute break or cut your lunch short? Not only would this be against federal law, but it would also likely diminish your productivity and make you contemplate quitting.

Thankfully, in the United States, workers have rights that safeguard their well-being. However, when it comes to children in Nevada, the same cannot be said for their essential, brain-nurturing break: recess. The absence of policies protecting the right to recess not only disregards the crucial role of play in child development but also leaves behind the very children who need it the most, potentially leading to educational setbacks.

Consider the case of my son, who, due to a cycle of academic struggles and subsequent recess deprivation, experienced a devastating impact on his overall well-being. The high-energy nature of his personality necessitates physical, active play to release excess energy and get his brain ready to learn.

As an only child, and having been suddenly homeschooled during the COVID-19  pandemic, he craves the social interaction of his peers and wants very badly to build meaningful friendships.

However, when he failed to complete regular assignments, he was subjected to recess detention. This punitive approach only compounded his difficulties, leading to a lack of focus, disruptive behavior, and subsequent social exclusion. The negative effects escalated, resulting in depression, crippling performance anxiety, a complete disinterest in attempting schoolwork, and an earnest desire to leave the school environment altogether.

In Nevada, the Charter School Authority maintains a misguided stance that fails to recognize the neuroscience-backed evidence supporting the significance of play in learning.  The authority's position contradicts the findings of numerous studies and even the policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2013. The AAP emphasizes the vital role of recess in children's cognitive, social, and emotional development, stating that it should not be withheld as a form of punishment and that physical education cannot substitute for recess.

Neuroscientific research supports the assertion that play is a powerful means of self-regulation and brain "resetting." Play allows children to process information effectively and enhances their capacity for learning. Moreover, the benefits of play extend beyond academic performance. Socially, play provides a platform for the development of crucial social-emotional skills and the formation of meaningful relationships. By excluding children from play, we perpetuate a distressing cycle that undermines their holistic growth and stifles their potential.

It is worth noting that longer recess periods have demonstrated positive correlations with improved scores on standardized tests. Additionally, the post-pandemic reduction or elimination of recess in many schools disregards the social and emotional needs of children in an already socially awkward generation. The limited nature of adult-led physical education classes cannot adequately compensate for the multifaceted benefits of child-directed free play.

To address the pressing issue of recess deprivation, we must embrace innovative grassroots initiatives.

One inspiring idea is the implementation of a before-school "play club," a concept brought to life in some schools through the Let Grow Project, founded by visionaries like Lenore Skenazy and Peter Grey.

By opening the grounds for boisterous, uninhibited playtime before the formal start of the school day, children can enjoy unstructured play, fostering social connections, promoting physical activity, and nurturing their overall well-being. Such initiatives, rooted in the belief that play is essential for learning, empower children and encourage a culture that values the inherent benefits of play.

Recess is as fundamental to the process of learning as is a balanced, nutritious lunch. State laws protecting recess rights have been enacted in some U.S. states, acknowledging the importance of play in children's lives.

Nevada, with its low academic rankings, must recognize the urgency of valuing play and ensure that recess is no longer treated as a dispensable luxury. Educational institutions and educators who continue to employ the low-hanging fruit of methods, negative discipline- which is proven to be easy-to-use for adults but ineffective at achieving the desired outcome of creating life-long, self-driven learners- need to reach higher, practice restorative discipline and offer students more meaningful choices.

No longer can we afford to value test scores over student well-being, and any refusal to re-evaluate this strict, anti-childhood stance must be challenged. Policies that prioritize and protect recess should be implemented in all educational institutions. 

Parents can also play a crucial role in supporting the right to play by encouraging play at home and advocating for play-based programs in their children's schools. By fostering a collaborative effort between parents, educators, and policymakers, we can ensure that play is recognized as a fundamental right for children and incorporated into their learning experiences.

In conclusion, the deprivation of recess in Nevada's schools not only disregards the evidence-backed benefits of play but also hinders children's overall development and academic progress. We cannot underestimate the power of play in nurturing cognitive, social, and emotional skills in children.

It is time for Nevada to reevaluate its policies and prioritize the well-being of its students by implementing comprehensive recess policies, challenging harmful stances, and embracing initiatives like before-school "play clubs." Recess is not a dispensable luxury but a critical component of the learning process. It is a fundamental developmental necessity, therefore an inalienable right. Let us advocate for change and ensure that the right to play is protected, reflecting the way that we value the work of children in both policy and practice.  

Citizen’s Forum Contribution by Emily Gonzales

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

The Songs of Sierra Street

The startling horn from a fire truck sounds in the early hours of the morning as the engine pulls onto Sierra Street, a two-minute drive from the station. Shortly after, the wails of a REMSA ambulance join in harmony as it emerges from Saint Mary’s Hospital.

A few regulars join in on the soundtrack like the chatter and laughter of students on a Thirsty Thursday (by far the loudest night the street experiences) and the revving of a modified Honda Civic racing down the hill at 2 a.m.

Special artists are featured on rare occasions, a memorable one being the loud crash and subsequent bang of a truck rear-ending a car and its bumper tumbling into the opposite lane. The fire truck and REMSA came together to form another classic, iconic harmony to finish out that song. Another fan favorite, at least for my neighbors, is the sudden cracks of fireworks (or at least what I hope are fireworks).

Even in the quiet mornings, the beeps of the lights on the crosswalks protect students on their way to an early lecture, which includes summermester when classes start even earlier,

A classic Dutch Bros run taking Sierra Street instead of the freeway.

Sierra Street was my favorite street in Reno when I first moved here during my freshman year. It allowed me to get from my dorm to Dutch Bros in a reasonable amount of time while avoiding the highway. Living in a small town my whole life, I had never driven on the highway before much less the horrors of the Spaghetti Bowl.

Sierra Street was comfortable, familiar, and I only managed to go the wrong way on the one-way section once—an honest mistake.

However, moving from a small town to one of the busiest streets in downtown Reno was a shock. I lived on a dirt road in my hometown, the only traffic being from my few neighbors. I rarely heard sirens from any emergency vehicles and now I live less than a mile from a hospital and a fire station.

Not to say that I did not have nosy neighbors growing up, and that the birds didn’t get pretty intense at sunrise. The streets could also get crowded in my hometown, as Sierra Street gets every morning and evening. Perhaps because the cows did not have the flashing crosswalks as we do here.

My old neighbors looked a little different than who I encounter daily on Sierra Street.

The superstition surrounding downtown Reno and the older parts of the city point to a few ghost stories. My roommates and I like to believe that our apartment complex, as well as Sierra Street itself, is haunted. There is little to no information about what existed on the property my apartment complex stands on today.

Rumor has it that there used to be a cemetery in the same exact location, which is believable because there are two others close by.

A couple of ghost stories did not mean much to us until we picked up the call phone that allows us to buzz guests in and heard creepy, mechanical laughter. At first, we thought someone was playing a trick on us at the microphone downstairs or it was the wind perhaps. Then the maintenance man mentioned that our phone has not worked in a couple of years and does not connect to anything.

We do not touch the phone anymore

The phone even looks haunted which should have been the first red flag.

Research on Sierra Street brought mostly tragedy to my attention. Hit and runs or pedestrians versus vehicle incidents over the years took up a large portion of the news coverage involving Sierra Street. The installation of the crosswalk flashing lights in the early 2000s has given drivers a great tool to help see students going to and from campus at all hours of the day.

The City of Reno also implemented a new “Pedestrian Safety Zone” on Sierra Street between Third Street and Ridge Street which lowers the speed limit to 20mph. The fines for traffic violations in this area are also doubled to encourage drivers to be safe and watch for pedestrians. This area of the city had a high number of pedestrian versus vehicle incidents which is why it became a Pedestrian Safety Zone.

The most shocking tragedy that I came across was the 1957 natural gas explosion that occurred on Sierra Street and First Street. This was caused by leaking pipes under the city and killed 2 and injured 49 others. This incident also burnt down 5 buildings.

Paterson’s Men’s Store is engulfed in flames following a gas explosion on Sierra Street in 1957. Photo via Old Reno on Facebook

Learning of the gas explosion in 1957 came right after my apartment complex experienced what could have been a similar tragedy. During the Spring semester, at one point, I was jolted from my mid-morning nap to the defeating blare of the fire alarm. A notice was slipped in our door a week prior warning of fire alarm testing in the coming days but this had already passed.

Thinking it was most likely a continuation and smelling no smoke I did not think much of it. Then the thundering of boots barreling down the hallway brought me outside to see firemen in full gear searching apartments and walkways. Two fire engines were parked in front of our complex, their sirens off but lights flashing. The silence was defeaning as confused residents tried to make sense of what was going on.

After 10 minutes they left. No explanation.

Management did not reach out to explain and no one knew really what happened. The mystery continued until I found a review on an apartment rating website that said the fire engines were there and found a gas leak. The leak had been reported but nothing was done about it so residents called 911.

Gas leaks are only the icing on the cake of chaos that is the apartment I live in on Sierra Street. Molding window frames and leaks are reported frequently and even more so now due to the wet weather Reno went through this past winter. I recently had to throw away a handful of books because they were sitting on my windowsill and started growing mold because of the horrible seal.

I will be vacating the premises and Sierra Street as a whole at the end of my lease term.

Our Town Reno Citizen’s Forum by Emily Richards

The Pros and Cons of Living North from Reno near California

Just off state route 395, northbound, about half a mile northwest of Swan Lake and less than a 10-minute drive from Stead airport sits a brand new housing development built by KDH homes.

Affordable housing is a hot commodity in these current times, and with interest rates still rising, homes in this modest middle-class neighborhood are flying off the market like hotcakes.

Most residents are first-time home buyers or people from out-of-state yearning for new opportunities for their families.

With most of the developable land in Reno already utilized, one logical choice for developers is to expand outwards into Stead, and northern areas close to the stateline with California. However, with any new changes comes staunch opposition to development by existing residents.

Like everywhere there are pros and cons. If your job is in downtown or south Reno or you are going to school at UNR or TMCC, it’s a bit of a drive and still high gas prices are no laughing matter. Encroachment on public lands with wildlife is another concern.

One pro is certainly more housing options for the growing population. People feel safe and in tune with nature here. On any given morning, residents can enjoy their coffee on their morning walk while viewing the peaks of the Peavine mountain range. In addition, morning runners and walkers have many options for sidewalks and paths to work up a sweat before jumping into their day.

One of the most excellent perks of living in the NV Flats community is the accessibility to BLM land, which sits on the neighborhood's edges.

With Nevada being known for its vast desert landscapes open for activities at any given moment, residents can go from garage to hills on foot, in an ATV, or even in their vehicle. Since this is a relatively new community, little is known about what is to come regarding home values and accessibility for new homeowners. In addition, the potential for renters will always draw concern for long term residents.

To put things in perspective, I have moved nine times in the last nine years, mainly due to my military travels, so when it came time to find a more permanent residence, comfort, and safety were at the forefront of my mind. In addition, I also have a Belgian Malinois, which, if you know anything about the breed, has an energy that can last hours, so finding a prime location in which she can run without the fear of cars or massive crowds of pedestrians has become another selling point.

I occasionally get the middle finger flipped at me from the other side of the street, which houses people who have lived in this area of the North Valleys for decades, so winning them over is not really in the cards.

However, I can jump on my dirt bike and hit the hills after a stressful day which is a privilege that has never been afforded to me, and even better, I can park my car next to the sidewalk without fear of getting a parking ticket or without fear of losing my parking space which again is something I have not enjoyed since moving to Reno.

1st Person Contribution by Brad Vincent for Our Town Reno

Hoping My Favorites in Midtown Reno Don't Disappear

Reno has always been a part of my world. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins have lived here as long as I can remember and I grew up coming to good ole Reno, Nevada, for most holidays and random weekend trips here and there. Every time someone would mention Midtown growing up, one of the adults would always say it was a sad situation that it had become run down.

Then as I grew older the conversations began to shift, “Midtown is on the up and up '' they would say, or “it’s slowly getting better.” When I decided to come to Reno for university, I had lots of friends that would want to spend our Friday or Saturday nights in Midtown so I figured I'd give it a shot. 

I remember one of the first times I drove through Midtown, it was during the winter and I was deeply regretting my decision to come to Reno for school when I used to live in California, where there were no winters.

So, in the height of my Reno blues, I happened to drive through our little Midtown. And Midtown made me fall in love with Reno all over again.

It was hustling with all sorts of people- the kind of cool mountain people that tend to flock to Reno. I could see the blend of the past and the present coming together. There were vintage liquor store signs next to hip vegan restaurants, old brick buildings housing modern bars, clothing stores and restaurants. 

Midtown has become one of my favorite places in Reno. 

My favorite restaurant (probably of all time) is Great Full Gardens.  My cousin and I go to My Favorite Muffin for cute Saturday morning dates.  One of the coolest bars I’ve ever been to is Press Start. on Center street, where you can play arcade games and pinball machines.

There truly is something for everyone in Midtown. For me, it is the perfect mix of mountain and weird that all brought me here to Reno in the first place.

1st Person Citizen’s Forum Essay shared with Our Town Reno by Bethany Bodine  

The End of an Era at Tommy's GrandStand

I didn’t grow up playing baseball or softball, but my friends certainly did.

When I was about eight years old, I vividly remember watching my friend practice at an indoor batting cage. I could remember the sound, the feel, the smell of the place.

Little did I know that walking into Tommy’s GrandStand this week, its last week of operations, would unlock this memory tucked into the back of my mind.

“The full service, grill and deli, with baseball batting cages, private baseball training tunnels, and automated golf driving range, serving the Reno & Sparks area …” as Tommy’s place describes itself on its website was filled with the chatter of children, the thwacking of baseball bats, and the sweet aromas of food that made you feel like you were seated during the first inning of a game.

Walking in, I was an outsider to this world, yet I could still remember the vivid and lively atmosphere I had been exposed to as a child. I could only imagine what type of love and nostalgia exists for this place by someone who spent a quintessential part of their childhood here. Well, I got a taste of that significance as soon as I started talking to the people who filled up the place.

It was clear Tommy’s bustling batting cages, bar and grill was an intergenerational experience. Grandparents, parents, and children were all invested in some part of the process. Some kids were there with their families, some with their group of friends. Adults seemed equally as consumed by the stimulating environment as they offered a watchful eye to their children’s batting stances and even closer eye to their youngest ones running around the arcade. Girls, boys, moms, dads, friends or family, every single person there knew the ins and outs of Tommy’s GrandStand. This wasn’t just a place for these people, it was a sense of home. A sense of community. A sense of childhood. 

That is what Tommy’s Grandstand is all about. But as its website indicates: “We are sorry to say, as of May 7, 2023, we will be closing our doors, after 35 + years. Words will never describe how much we appreciated our Customers and the many who have become regulars and Friends.”

1st Person Essay and Photos by Vanessa Ribeiro for Our Town Reno

Heading out from Reno into the Desert for a Spring Stargazing Trip

The cold night air bites my face as I help my friends, Matthew Flowers and Emily Rogerson pack the car for a recent stargazing trip.

Once the car is packed, we head inside to wait for our friend, Brendan Constantino. Constantino is running late, as always. As we wait, I look at my sleeping bag and snacks in the corner. Resting beneath them are card games, blankets, and my shoes. I’ve never been stargazing before, so this should be fun.

Brendan finally arrives 20 minutes after the initial rendezvous time we set. As he raps his knuckles on the door, my friends and I go silent. I quietly make my way to the door, my hands are digging in my sweater pocket for my phone. I ready the camera as I open the door. Brendan waits outside, bewildered by my phone, which faintly cries “click” with every photo I take. After the initial shock, Brendan smiles; “Didn’t know paparazzi was here to catch me arriving fashionably late,” he starts as he heads into the house. “I would’ve brought my good sweater!”

Cheez-Its, Chips Ahoy, and Uno; all the essentials you need for a great stargazing trip.

My friends warmly greet Brendan with hugs and jokes before shuffling him back outside and into the car. As we back out of the driveway and take off toward the freeway, I look up and catch a layer of clouds hovering over Reno. I sit in the car, quietly thinking to myself when we should expect to arrive at the site we chose. We were nearly thirty minutes off from our original time schedule. If we were to stargaze at all, we would have to drive fast.

My friend speeds down the freeway in the farthest-left lane. The car’s engine roars loudly in my ears, even though I’m wearing air pods. I look at the dashboard; the red line of the speedometer steadily rises to 65, then 70, then 75, and finally resting at 80 mph.

After nearly and hour in the car, the doors are opened, and we begin setting up the blankets. My friend, Alvin Leung, sits in the back of the car and begins opening the box of chips we brought.

Natalie enjoys her Cheez-Its while Emily lies next to her. All of us were pretty cold, even with blankets and coats.

I shiver slightly from the cold. Since we left Reno, the temperature dropped to near freezing. Matthew’s breath comes out in big white clouds as he looks up at the magnificent stars above. I look around and practically stumble over Natalie and Emily, who have bundled together on blankets to fight the cold.

I find a spot on the blankets and start looking for constellations. As I lie down and look up at the sky, directly above me is the Big Dipper! I quickly pull out my camera and take a photo. My hands jittered from the cold as I tried to focus the camera; I just barely got the photo before having to put my hands back underneath the blankets to warm them.

Right above me was the big dipper, almost looking like a question mark.

I look around, trying to find other constellations. My friends huddled behind Matthew as he points out Orion, named after a hunter in Greek mythology, with a noticeable belt.

I look off to the right of our site and barely make out the mountains that surround us. I grab my phone and look at the mountains through it. My camera slowly detects the light from Reno and Sparks, providing me a wave of light looming over the mountains like a fog. I take the photo and stare at it in awe, thinking the light looks as if it’s the heavens itself, cascading over the mountains and shining on the Earth. I lie back and stare once more at the stars, content with how wonderful nighttime can be out in the deserts of Nevada, a quick drive from my home in Reno.

Citizen’s Forum Photo Story by Samuel Mouradian shared with Our Town Reno

Washed Up Buried Alive, a Zine Obit for Richard

Images and Text by Ilya Arbatman shared with Our Town Reno

Promising Results For Whom?

Earlier this month, the Reno Gazette Journal ran an op-ed titled “Ending homelessness in Washoe County an audacious goal — but it's starting to work”, written by a local developer named Par Tolles, who is also the Chairman for the Fundraising Committee of the Cares Campus. In his piece, Tolles suggests that the many concerted efforts to end homelessness in Washoe County are yielding promising results. 

Promising results for whom?

In his essay, Tolles states that “unsheltered homelessness has been reduced by 42%”, and that on average 30 people per month are moved into permanent housing, but the hyperlink provided sends readers to a general information page on Homelessness from the City of Reno. I was unable to verify those statistics with the information provided on the City Reno and Washoe County websites. 

Tolles then challenges the skeptics like me, imploring, “If you don’t believe me, come see for yourself!” 

So I did. 

On a Monday morning, I took this series of photos to highlight the ways that unhoused people are surviving outside of Cares Campus and the network of outreach organizations. Some might look at these images and think that I was seeking to catalog blight, but that is not what I see in these photos of tents, motorhomes, sleeping bags tucked into nooks and crannies, and shopping carts containing all of someone’s worldly belongings.

I see survival. I see human beings who have been cast aside and left to fend for themselves, languishing on the streets outside the gates of a multi-million dollar, tri-agency money pit, trying to sleep and be safe in the corners and small spaces around the 501c orgs and industrial businesses.

When Tolles talks about the problem of homelessness, he is discussing an economic problem, not a systemic social failure causing untold human suffering and death. In this type of worldview, unhoused people are an impediment to prosperity. Their violent removal presents an opportunity, both in development of formerly blighted areas and in the nonprofit sector. 

I think it is very important to say that I believe Mr. Tolles and the many dedicated people he names in his op-ed are making some positive impacts and approach their work with sincere good intentions. I think it is also very realistic to say that you’re not going to get the whole story by only speaking to CEOs and PR people. 

Public private partnerships create initiatives and initiatives become action plans and as those plans are implemented, channels and barriers are erected that some of the most distressed and malnourished and neglected people alive must navigate to get food, rest, and basic hygiene. 

What is now the ModPod section within the Cares Campus compound run by the Karma Box Project.

Many of the people living on the streets around E. 4th cannot do that, or say they feel safer outside the Cares compound. To me, this looks like a failure of both our economic system and the systems created to help people like them. 

Tolles’ editorial checks a lot of familiar boxes in the neoliberal messaging cannon: unrelatable rich friend anecdote, vague statistics without data sources, girl boss energy, incrementalism, the “don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good” classic riff, and some soft corporate speak which frames the violent, dehumanizing police raids to remove the unhoused from downtown as a benevolent measure taken for their safety. 

It’s not that Tolles is wrong about the services available, or that homelessness is an incredibly complex issue that requires buy-in from all of us. I am with him on that. 

The gated Hope Springs compound touted as one of the local success stories to helping the unhoused.

What I find troubling is the entire top-down approach in which business and government team up to address only the symptoms of the systemic problems they have created. This work generates a lot of PR and goodwill among the donor class, but provides only temporary solutions that help only some people. 

I would really love to be wrong in my assessment of these issues and I would love to have my cynicism destroyed by substantive results. It would be fantastic if Reno could be, as Tolles imagines, a shining example for the West in showing that collaborative efforts can secure affordable housing for everyone which greatly increases public safety. 

That would require doing things which are not happening here, like building dense affordable housing in walkable areas with services and transportation, rent control, raising minimum wage, and providing physical and mental health services to all. 

What we are doing now is warehousing extremely poor people in an industrial part of town and letting them freeze to death on the streets. We have razed the only housing that hundreds of people could afford and turned it into fenced-off empty lots. We have criminalized the basic behaviors of survival for those who don’t have money. 

I don’t believe there is cause for celebration yet. 

Opinion Editorial shared with Our Town Reno by Andrew Zuker

Looking into Current Midtown Moves and Empty Storefronts

For my 20 years of existence, I have called Reno my home. I’ve seen the places I grew up going to be torn down and replaced by high rise apartments. I’ve seen a sad and dilapidated Virginia Street become a thriving and fun Midtown. Places I once knew, Shoppers Square, Park Lane Mall, even my best friend’s apartment are no longer here.

It seems everyday I see something news, shiny, and ultimately expensive, arrive in Reno. But, when I think about this I have to ask myself, is this for the best?

My father has lived in Reno his whole life as well. 50 years ago, when he was a child living on Cheney Street, he would run through what we now call Midtown, playing cops and robbers and other games on top of the rooftops of empty buildings on Virginia and Center street. Now, these buildings are home to small businesses that make up the modern Midtown. Arguably, what we have now is better than what “Midtown” was 50 years ago. Right?

Yet, as I walk around Midtown, I can’t help but notice the rise in empty buildings. What happened to the Virginia Street Antique Mall? Why did Willie’s Pasta Shop never open? And, why was Midtown Eats so short lived? In most recent news, why is Recycled Records moving out of Midtown?

Obviously, the answers to these questions are not simple. There are so many factors that go into closing or moving a business. But, after looking further into these businesses through local media reports and social media announcements, I have found that higher rents and upended lease agreements seem to be a common denominator.

Recycled Records has been in Midtown since 2012. Now, all of the sudden, the beloved local shop is moving to the Crosswinds Center across from the Reno Convention Center.

As someone who grew up in Reno, Midtown is a much more desirable location. So why the switch? According to Channel 2 News, the owners attribute this change to a rise in rent, although they do not specify how much the rent has changed. Recycled Records is such a fun and unique place, I am sure it will thrive elsewhere. But, it is sad to hear they have to move out of such a cool location due to rent.

This is not the only business affected by rising rent costs. Virginia Street Antique Mall closed in 2019 after 26 years of being in business. On their Facebook page, they say the newest owner of the building did not want to renew the lease. In 2020, Midtown Eats was faced with a delinquent rent payment notice on the front door, the lease being terminated thereafter. If you’ve ever driven through Midtown, you’ve probably noticed the bright red exterior of Willie’s Pasta Shop. The announcement of this restaurant was back in 2018, yet five years later it is unclear whether or not the restaurant will ever open.

It is a bit disheartening to hear about local businesses having to either close or move away from preferable locations due to rent. These businesses make Reno a home for everyone, creating something more than just bars and casinos. 

It makes me think about the residents of Reno. If businesses can’t survive the rise in rent, how will residents? Personally, as a college student, I have to work two jobs to pay rent, tuition, bills and to just get by. How many other people live like this? Is this just a rough patch or the beginning of a deeper trend?

I like to stay optimistic, though. Hopefully soon we will see more local, all age businesses move into these empty spaces, continuing to make Reno a more welcoming city. Hopefully, rent will stabilize for the residents of Reno. But, for now, I drive through Midtown and reminisce on what once was. 

1st Person Essay by Josie Hester shared with Our Town Reno

An Ode to Late April Snow in Reno

The amount of snow in Reno - and specifically when it’s going to stop - is a hot/cold topic. Most of us probably saw the remains of the snow that fell last night. The continuation of it into April has left many feeling frustrated - and definitely cold.

For followers of the Reno subreddit, there seems to be a post every month either hating on the snow or wondering when it’s going to end. These posts often bring much debate in the comments.

The complaints that follow the snow will probably continue until it ends. There might be literal celebrations when it does.

However, it should be said that complaining only goes so far. Sure, you can blow off some steam and post about it, complaining about the accidents on I-80 and how the snow plows never seem to make it into your neighborhood. The real question here is, what is any of that going to accomplish?

The reality is that our city is at a 4500’ elevation. We’re right next to mountains that are famous for skiing and snowboarding. Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe got from 519 to 658 inches of snowfall this season, according to estimates. Donner Pass, the place that is literally named after an event in which people died because of the snow, is not that far from us.

We’re going to get snow and we’re not going to stop getting snow. Every time someone begins to complain about the snowfall in Reno, or the accidents that happen on the highway, I roll my eyes.

I’m not saying that the weather doesn’t bother me at times. It’s just that you can only hear people complain so many times in the span of two or three months about the weather before it gets old.

Instead, choose to embrace the unique weather that Reno experiences. This will probably bring you more joy than being upset over something none of us can control.

Photos and Essay by Ember Braun

Remembering Growing up Free Near Oddie Blvd.

I grew up in a neighborhood quite close to Oddie Blvd. Aside from the street my house was actually on, it was the only other street I had memorized as a child and knew where it was located. I always thought if I ever got lost I could find my way back home as long as I could find Oddie. 

In my head, Oddie is associated with summer. Whenever I could escape on my bike claiming I was simply going around the block I would ride to the 7-11 on Oddie and Sutro. I would go to buy some ice cream to cool off or simply to stash a snack for later since my mother prohibited junk food. Sometimes I would walk my dogs with my sister and cousin. Each one of us had a leash in hand for the three dogs. I was always afraid to tie my pup outside while I went into the store for fear of someone stealing him.

I suppose it was the fear my parents instilled in me of the area being dangerous. Especially since the notorious Pat Baker Park was around, which before its renovation was a hotspot for crime. Or the shady gas station across the street on Sutro which was constantly changing for some reason even now. I guess it’s called GoMart now, it was a Sinclair before. 

Across the street from the 7-11 was the Livestock Event Center, where the rodeo was held. I never went as a child but I could always hear the cheering and the fireworks all the way from my house. This was another reason Oddie reminded me of summer. The 7-11 there would put out the same rodeo horse mannequin around rodeo season. 

Continuing down Oddie you’ll run into a plaza with stores called Silverada plaza. There’s a Dollar store which I have the faintest memory of it being a 99 Cent Store sometime as a child. There’s a Goodwill, Goodwill bins, a McDonald’s and the empty warehouse that used to be my Dad’s favorite store; Lowe’s. After sitting abandoned for a while it is now the Oddie District. 

Growing up pretty low-income my family had a lot of business to conduct there. I used to be so embarrassed to thrift but now it’s so trendy and people’s opinions changed about it. Later as a teenager, I got my second job working as a cashier for Goodwill. I can for sure remember telling people a thousand times we were located on Oddie and Silverada. Back then it was the only Goodwill in Reno.

While Oddie still extends quite a lot longer going towards Sparks, my Oddie Blvd ended at Teglia’s Paradise park and Paradise Plaza. I have the faintest memory of when the water was clean when I was in preschool and playing in it believe it or not. I believe this was around spring for my preschool graduation. My stronger memories of course are associated with summer. Where we would park in the parking lot for free to get into the Rancho Swap Meet on the weekends since my Dad didn’t want to pay for all of us. Within time, the park became what it is now a park filled with geese and geese poop and murky waters. 

However, it was ever so present even into my adolescence when my middle school High Desert Montessori would take us to do PE since the school didn’t have its own gym or a suitable space to do PE. We would take the infamous Oddie bridge which has recently been destroyed to get to the park safely. 

Meanwhile, every August fairs would be set up in the empty space in the Paradise Plaza. You knew the fair was in town when you would drive down Oddie and see the rides from far away. Since the rodeo was a no-go in my family this was one of the only summer activities to look forward to.

My parents are still in the area and it looks like they don’t plan to go anywhere soon. So I still visit Oddie every day. It’s an area I have memorized like the back of my hand. The surrounding streets were the first streets I learned to drive in. So yeah of course I’m comfortable around them. Even now that Oddie is changing, I’ll hopefully be around to witness another one of its evolutions. 

1st person Essay by Nancy Vazquez shared with Our Town Reno

Me and My Cat Living on Wells Ave. And Avoiding Some Alleyways

I moved to Reno in September of 2022 to start graduate school at the University of Nevada. It took me months to find the perfect one bedroom apartment in my price range.

After countless Zillow searches I finally found the right place for me, located on Wells Avenue. I signed the lease without even seeing the apartment let alone understanding anything about the neighborhood. Now I feel at home living in one of the many alleyways of Wells Avenue.  

In the last six months of occupying this space me and Bad Bunny—as I affectionately named my cat—have experienced the Wells area which feels eclectic, interesting and alive. But to some, like my mailman, Wells avenue can be overwhelming and confusing. 

According to media reports I’ve come across, Wells Avenue is one of only two historic conservation districts in Reno. The Wells Avenue Neighborhood contains some of the oldest homes in Reno south of the Truckee River. It was first developed around 1900 when Sheldon Wells’ sheep ranch was subdivided by his son-in-law, Samuel Wheeler. By 1907, Charles Burke had purchased and subdivided adjacent ranch land and the neighborhood began to take shape.

The history of Wells is rich and while I see the beauty that has developed over the years, the area has been known to be home to some seedy characters. This could be why my mailman, who declined to be interviewed for this article, seems weary during his postal route. Take for example the DUI class located two blocks from where I live, with men always loitering in front smoking cigarettes and—ironically—drinking beers. One day while walking past a particular group of men I hear “Listen dude, I would let you ride my bitch before I let you ride my Harley.” This has made me avoid that side of the street entirely.

Anonymous Contribution to Our Town Reno

Finding Community and Recharging with Self Love at the Holland Project

In February, I had the opportunity to sit in on Alison Szarko’s (@GlobalSelfLoveClub on Instagram) self love workshop at the Holland Project. For three hours, we dedicated ourselves to learn how to manage stress and burnout, all the while being vulnerable with each other. When we think of self love, oftentimes we think about doing face masks, and running bubble baths. While these are beautiful forms of taking care of yourself, the idea of self care also runs much deeper. 

Alison Szarko, a doctoral candidate at UNR, who has been studying behavioral psychology, practices ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) which has been used to help many manage burnout and stress. Self love from an ACT perspective means practicing “value based living”, which means, “1.)identifying what one truly wants their life to be about or what’s truly important to them, and 2.) once one knows what matters to them, giving them the psychological tools they need to pursue value-based actions, even in the presence of unavoidable or hypothetical stressors.”

“I work in the process improvement department at Renown, and our big focus is productivity, but we constantly forget about the human factor and the human element that goes into productivity,” Szarko said. 

“Everyone is burnt out. It’s not an individual problem, it’s a cultural problem because we’re all moving too fast now,” she added.  “So I guess the big takeaway is reminding people that we’re humans and not robots and we need rest, and we need time to reflect, and also that work is just one part of our life but it's not an entire part of our lives.” 

After the workshop, I was also able to speak with Alisha Funkhouser,  the director of education and youth programs at the Holland Project. I started off by asking her how the volunteer driven all ages venue survived through the pandemic. 

“It’s been tough, a big part of Holland is music and shows,” she said.  “It really forced us out into the community even more so than before. It’s kinda helped us learn how to pivot, and become more flexible with things and I think we’ve become stronger coming out of it. We are working with a lot more communities that we’re really grateful to be a part of now. The pandemic really showed us what the needs were in the community, and the communities that maybe weren't being served. So I think that it kinda helped us in that aspect, [to] figure out what we could be doing and what we could be doing better.”

With pivoting in mind, I also asked what new additions were being added to Holland. 

“We’re doing a lot more things with younger kids now which is cool. Before it was mostly like older teens to young adults but yeah it's been nice to be able to bring in some of the younger kids into the fold and provide things for them to be able to do and get involved and introducing Holland to them at a younger age. And then, with that obviously you have families that are now becoming more and more involved which is really cool to see. I love that kind of stuff.”

A Spring Kid Craft camp for the last week of March is an example of attracting younger patrons.

“Also something that we are always thinking about even pre-pandemic but I think even more so as the city changes so much and so rapidly is just like considering our neighborhood that we are physically in,” Funkhouser said. “Who are the people who are in this neighborhood, who need this neighborhood, and making sure that we’re doing things that are supporting them and supporting the neighborhood vs like taking from them you know?” 

“Our main goal has been to provide access. Access to arts, access to music, access to workshops like we did today to people of all ages,” Funkhouser said of the Holland Project. You can find their updates @hollandreno on Instagram.

Funkhouser who was raised in Reno said there was no equivalent when she was growing up.

“It was hard to find anything to do as a young person that wasn't just like loitering at a casino or like trying to go see a band at a bar that I’m not allowed to go in you know? Or like convincing my mom to drop me off at someone's weird basement to go see a band play. I think the main role of Holland is again providing that safe space for people to feel like they can come get involved, feel like they are accepted and a part of it. Whether that's like creating their own event and bringing community together or just coming and being a part of something.”

I genuinely loved every part of the self love workshop I attended, and I truly appreciate the act of accessibility when it comes to sharing mental health resources.

Reporting by Arianna Pride shared with Our Town Reno

Park Place Diaries Part 3: "Luxury" Housing is the problem, not the solution

When I first moved to Reno in 2020, you could drive down North Virginia Street and it was mostly empty dirt patches and pieces of the university campus. You could see the sun and the sky shining through your window. It was peaceful and dare I say for Reno, it was cozy.

Now, the 12-story apartment complex, The Dean Reno, blocks every inch of sunlight shining on a large section of Virginia Street, right across the way from the E.L Wiegand Fitness Center.

The new complex is one of several now towering over UNR’s campus, casting a large shadow on all beneath it — there’s got to be a metaphor in that intimidating image somewhere.

It’s depressing to drive through that road now, permanently seeing what is deemed officially as the “UNR Crane,” hearing the early morning blare of construction and avoiding rubbing your car side mirrors against grimy orange blockades extending all the way down the road. When will it all be finished so we can live a peaceful life again?

The answer seems to be never.

Among “luxury” student housing, Park Place became ready for move-in last year, while HERE Reno just started leasing this year and yet another complex The Edison is expected to open its doors in 2023.

Further away from the university, but still close by new buildings all have the same luxurious claims: places like The Onyx 695, The Retreat Luxury Apartments, Vida Luxury Living Apartments, Summit Ridge Luxury Apartments, The View Luxury Apartments, The DeLuxe Apartments and Sierra View. “Luxury” is used so much it just feels like a filler word that’s being used so apartments can start their rates at $1000 a month per person.

As a previous resident of Park Place at Reno, I can say the amenities did feel luxurious — there was a large common space on the roof with a pool table, a movie theater, a gym, tanning booths, study rooms, a pool, two hot tubs, a basketball court, etc. 

However, paying $905 to live with four other people and have a parking space that wasn’t guaranteed was dreadful. Not to mention, the complex required students to live in Circus Circus for roughly a month to two months before they even got to move in. And as a resident that lived there the first year it was being built, I got the luck of the draw with the “brand new, luxury” feel.

And trust me, I tried looking elsewhere that was near campus. Rates at another complex Identity were scratching the $1000 per person mark for a four bedroom apartment. Uncommon was knocking a $900 rate and Canyon Flats was smack dab in the middle of a risky part of town, something I had to consider as a female student who walks everywhere.

So I lowered my standards of apartments, looking for non-luxurious ones farther away from campus. The Republic and the YOUnion had roughly the exact same amenities as Park Place — I guess it’s not so luxurious at all. 

At one point people probably thought the Republic and the YOUnion were luxurious apartments, and now students refer to them as the “cheap” apartments. They are less than a decade old.

What’s going to happen when the word “luxury” is used so often that it doesn’t start to sound as shiny?

However, it is not just students like me being priced out. Reno residents are struggling with finding affordable housing right now, and luxury housing complexes are not helping the problem.

Luxury apartments with prices starting at “the great price of $999” are not going to help people who cannot survive with a rent more expensive than three months of a car payment.

Maybe the goal of luxury apartments is to make the city better by making it prettier and bringing big money makers into the city to spur attention onto Reno. But what about prioritizing people already here?

Wake up and smell the roses, Reno, luxury housing is not the solution. It’s the problem.

Our Town Reno Citizen’s Forum contribution by Jaedyn Young