reno

a city in nevada where you can ski and play golf on the same day.

grand theft auto reno

hosted both clark gable's and marilyn monroe's last completed film.

(see: the misfits)

the biggest little city in the world. host to hot august nights, a car show event which attracts international visitors.

reno is the largest city in washoe county, nevada, located in the western part of the state. the city has a rich history dating back to the mid-19th century.

the area that is now reno was originally inhabited by the paiute and washoe tribes. in the 1840s, european settlers arrived in the area and established a trading post called lake's crossing, which was named after the nearby truckee river.

in 1868, the central pacific railroad chose the site of lake's crossing as the eastern terminus of its transcontinental railroad, and the town was renamed reno in honor of union general jesse l. reno. reno was incorporated as a city in 1868 and quickly became an important transportation hub for the region.

in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reno became known as a center for gambling, divorce, and other forms of vice. the city's reputation as a wild and lawless place earned it the nickname "the biggest little city in the world."

in the 1950s and 1960s, reno experienced a period of rapid growth and expansion. the city's economy diversified, and it became a major center for tourism, with the construction of several casinos and hotels. in the decades since, reno has continued to grow and evolve, becoming a diverse and vibrant city with a thriving economy and a rich cultural heritage.

reno's wildest flood? gotta be the one from 1997. it wasn't just a bad storm. it was chaos.

back-to-back warm pacific storms hit right after heavy snowfall. rain melted snow fast, and the truckee river couldn't handle it. water levels peaked at 13.9 feet in downtown reno. that's major flood stage.

the stats?
• over $1 billion in damages across nevada and california
• reno's downtown underwater for days
• more than 1,500 homes and businesses damaged
• thousands evacuated
• unr and the airport shut down

bridges were submerged. roads turned to rivers. even the casinos took a hit. fema had to step in. locals still call it the "new year's flood" because it hit just as 1997 started.

the aftermath pushed reno to rethink flood control completely. today, the truckee river flood project is a direct response to what happened back then.

imageimageimageimage

it's the colloquial shorthand for renault cars—for example, "i'm driving a reno 5." the first car i drove was a renault fairway; it's a lightweight vehicle but has an incredibly stiff steering wheel because it had manual (non-assisted) steering.

this city has almost the same latitude and similar hot dry summers and cold winters as ankara, türkiye. it feels oddly familiar after all those years i lived there between 2008 and 2017.

although it lags behind las vegas in terms of gambling and entertainment, it's a paradise for those who love to spend their weekends on outdoor activities, thanks to having mountains on one side, a desert on the other, and lake tahoe in one corner. the i-80 highway running through the city connects san francisco to new jersey. it's almost merged with the city of sparks. while not necessarily a tourist destination, it's a solid choice for living.