I never thought much of Reno until I lived here. We would stop on our way to San Fran sometimes and didn't think much of the city. But living here is another story. This is a great little town. It has the casino life if you like that, but it is not invasive in day to day life. The schools are generally good to very good/excellent. There are a ton of activities within 1/2 hour of Reno, not just Tahoe. The weather is great. It gets cold and some snow in the winter, but nothing like Utah (as a point of comparison, the Ogden/SLC area). Here it is always 10-15 degrees warmer in the winter at a minimum. Reno has a generally longer summer but without the 100 degree days in Utah. Our hottest time here is shorter than in Utah and 5-10 degrees cooler. So outdoor activities are far more pleasurable with milder weather. It is like other high-desert cities with not a lot of greenery, although on the east bench it gets into the Sierra Nevadas like SLC bumping up against the Wasatch. The city has relatively little crime and has been a great place to raise kids, very family friendly, but still with a thriving nightlife if you want that. We really like it here and plan on staying here long-term, career- and economy-willing.
What in your travels would make you think Reno is such a crappy city? I never got that impression of the city even before we lived here and I was just passing through.
