Neighborhoods

Best electric avenue

Wells Avenue

If you want to learn about the history of the Wells Avenue neighborhood, the person to talk with is realtor and historic preservation activist Barrie Lynn. She gives tours of the neighborhood for the Historic Reno Preservation Society during the summer months, and she can tell you all about the wonderful old homes that line the streets between Holcomb and Wells Avenues, and Ryland and Cheney Streets. Did you know that the Virginia and Truckee Railroad once ran on Holcomb Avenue, or that trolley cars used to run from downtown along Moran Street and Wells? Sure, the Wells Avenue neighborhood fell on hard times when people left for suburbia in the ’60s and ’70s, but it’s been making a comeback for more than a decade now. Historic preservationists and neighborhood residents worked to get the area designated a conservation district so the history and architecture there can be preserved. Go check it out. The businesses on Wells Avenue—from Spectre Records to La Milagrosa—are seriously cool. And you can drop into Speedy Burritos for pupusas and carnitas.

Spanish Springs

It may be suburbia, but Spanish Springs is actually a pretty nice place to live. It’s close to parks, schools and shopping centers, but it’s still far enough from the city to get a sense of open space (that is, before more housing developments fill up the valley). It can take 20 minutes or longer to get into town when traveling on Pyramid Highway—and it isn’t going to get much better until the Pyramid/McCarran intersection improvement project wraps up sometime in 2018—but the views of the valley, surrounding hills and the Pah Rah Range make the commute a little more bearable.

Best neighborhood

1. Old Southwest Reno

2. Midtown District

3. Northwest Reno

Best neighborhood for garage sales

1. Old Southwest Reno

2. Hidden Valley

3. Midtown District

Best neighborhood for green living

1. Midtown District

2. Old Southwest Reno

3. Northwest Reno

Best neighborhood for historic homes

1. Old Southwest Reno

2. Midtown District

3. California Avenue

Best neighborhood for kids

1. Old Southwest Reno

2. Northwest Reno

3. South Reno

Best neighborhood for new businesses

1. Midtown District

2. Downtown Reno

3. West of Wells Avenue

Best neighborhood for parties

1. University of Nevada, Reno neighborhoods

2. Midtown District

3. Northwest Reno

Best neighborhood for people watching

1. Downtown Reno

2. Midtown District

3. Old Southwest Reno

Best neighborhood for retirees

1. Sierra Canyon by Del Webb

9185 Summertree Court

2. Old Southwest Reno

3. Caughlin Ranch

Best neighborhood for trick or treating

1. Old Southwest Reno

2. Caughlin Ranch

3. Wingfield Springs

Best neighborhood for young professionals

1. Midtown District

2. Riverwalk District

3. Old Southwest Reno

Best neighborhood park

1. Idlewild Park

2. Rancho San Rafael Regional Park

3. Wingfield Park

Best neighborhood to avoid

1. Neil Road

2. Sparks

3. Sun Valley