Get to Know Reno History, Fun Facts, Home Prices

I love living in Reno. Trademarked as the Biggest Little City in the World” Reno has evolved from a rough and tumble frontier town into a modern city with diversity in lifestyles, businesses and economy. Named Reno 1868, farming, ranching gold and silver mining drove the economy. In the 20th century, fame came from gaming, tourism and availability of “quickie divorces”.

These days, high-tech, distribution and creative companies broaden the job opportunities here. Major corporations, entrepreneurs and startup ventures have created 50,000 new jobs in the last 10 years. Yet, it is still a very livable city. Locals joke about our rush “15 minutes” of traffic in the morning and evening.

Fun Fact: Reno was named for Civil War Union General Jesse Reno — who never actually visited this area.
Fun Fact: On the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 4,500 feet, Reno boasts an average of 250 to 300 days of sunshine annually.
Fun Fact: Reno has as many as a dozen “micro-climates,” meaning temperatures and rain and snowfall can vary widely from the wetter west side to the drier eastern edge.

I love being able to be on the ski in the morning then bike in the afternoon. People in the valley with south-facing driveways, rarely have to shovel snow! Great free events, accessible music/plays special performances and an interesting array of restaurants. Here are a few of my favorite reasons for living here:

Culture and Sports

Widely diverging events attract people from around the world visit Reno. Some of the biggest events:

Great Reno Balloon Races: Don’t miss Dawn Patrol!

Reno Rodeo, Hot August Nights and the National Championship Air Races. July is “Artown” — a month of music, arts and cultural happenings. My favorite: The Great Reno Balloon Races in September.

Many special events center around or near the Truckee River. The Truckee flows from Lake Tahoe east through downtown Reno, ending up at Pyramid Lake.

Downtown hosts minor league professional sports teams: Aces baseball and Reno 1868 FC USL soccer club both play at Greater Nevada Field. Museums abound, including the Nevada Museum of Art, Discovery Museum and the National Automobile Museum. Local music, arts, acting and singing organizations showcase local talent and draw national acts to Reno. Parks, trails and recreation opportunities abound.

Education: Local high schools graduates attend universities, colleges and skilled trade programs throughout the country and the world — including top tier and Ivy League schools. Some might argue that being from Reno helps get them noticed! In town schools include University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC). Nearby: Western Nevada College in Carson City and Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village. UNR also has a medical school and nursing school.

Business Opportunities

So much is happening here, this post would be out of date the minute it goes live. Economic development organizations from the state, regional and city levels coordinate efforts to diversify the business base in every community. Non-profit groups, venture capitalists and business incubators support entrepreneurs in all stages of development and growth. The goal: Jobs creation. It is working. These efforts interesting people with creative minds and incredible drive to northern Nevada. Learn more at EDAWN.org

Lesser-Known Fun Events: Discovery Museum and the Nevada Museum of Art and the hold “adult only” nights throughout the year. Both offer terrific opportunities to mix, mingle and see the e
Kids learn to ski at the non-profit Sky Tavern Jr. Ski Program.

xhibits.
Unique Sport Opportunity: Sky Tavern Junior Ski Program — volunteer run, weekends only, just for local children to learn to ski at a very reasonable price. In summer, Sky Tavern runs ropes and bike programs. Unique to this area.

Full disclosure: I am a Realtor. This blog is on a real estate website, so here’s the scoop on housing: Home prices are on the rise — especially in the entry-level price bracket.

Real Estate Prices for Homes sold from January – June 2019

Sold Single-family Homes: 2002
Median price (half sold for more/half sold for less): $400,000
Lowest price $75,000
Highest price: $4.5 million

What does $400,000 buy? Here’s a look at the stats from homes that sold for $395,000 – $405,000:

Smallest: A 952-square-foot home built in 1947 with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and a 1-car garage, located in the popular Old Southwest near downtown.
Largest: A 2,881-square foot home built in 2005 with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2-car garage in the Clear Acre Lane area north of McCarran Boulevard
Middle size: 1,900 square feet, 3-bedrooms, 2-baths, 2-car garage in at least six different neighborhoods.

Next blog: Inside scoop on Sparks!

Holly O’Driscoll of Chase International Real Estate, is a Realtor, journalist and entrepreneur. NV. License# S.0176271.

Wonder what your house might sell for? Click here to check value of any address in the USA at this link Have a question about living here or about real estate? Send an email: [email protected]