Best Places to Retire in Nevada
Profile
Reno (population approximately 190,000) is located in the northwestern part of the state, 32 miles north of Carson City, and 45 minutes from Lake Tahoe. This city, built on a high desert valley at 4,400 feet above sea level on the eastern slope of the Sierra Range, is a world-class tourist destination.
It has also been ranked among the “Best Places to Live in America” by Money Magazine, as the number one place for outdoor recreation by Rand McNally, and INC Magazine ranked it number four among the top small cities to start and grow a small business. No matter how you look at it, Reno has a lot to offer.
The history of Reno records that Charles Fuller built a bridge across the Truckee River in 1859 and charged a fee to pass over it on the way to nearby Virginia City where gold had been discovered. In 1861, Myron Lake purchased the bridge, bought up more land, and built a mill, livery stable, and kiln.
In 1868, as construction of the Central Pacific Railroad reached the California/Nevada state line, Lake struck an agreement with one of its principals. It ensured the railroad used his river crossing and there would be a depot at “Lake’s Crossing.” On May 13 of that year, the town was named Reno – after Civil War General, Jesse Reno. With its economy reliant upon the up and down fortunes of mining, Nevada found other means of support.
Reno earned the title “Sin City” for its legal brothels, offering of quick and easy divorces, and the presence of illegal gambling. The city continued to grow and develop and after World War II, the Mapes Hotel was constructed as the first high-rise hotel and casino. This prototype for modern day hotel casinos was finally demolished in 2000. Reno today is in at the heart of one of the fastest growing areas in the country – Reno / Sparks / Lake Tahoe – with a combined population of 270,000.
It offers a strong business climate, excellent healthcare facilities, strong educational institutions, excellent quality of life, and outstanding recreation amenities. For the adventurer, there is world-class skiing and snowboarding, great golf, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, and much more.
There are outstanding visual and performing arts and cultural activities, including everything from ballet, to classical music, to Broadway, or jazz. There are nightspots where you can dance ’til dawn, stage shows, gaming houses, and dining of every kind. With all this, Reno also boasts 300 days of sunshine a year and a moderate four-season climate, with warm days and cool nights. It is difficult to find what is missing.
Arts & Culture
Sierra Arts is a regional arts agency that has been in the business of promoting the arts and artists. Its mission is to provide a direction for promoting the arts. http://www.sierra-arts.org/
The annual Artown Festival is held in July. This month-long event offers days and nights of music, dance, visual art, historical tours, film, and theater. More than 60 arts organizations and businesses support these events, which occur in 50 locations throughout the city. Most of the events are free.
The mission of Theater Coalition is to foster excellence in theatre, arts, and education, and to ensure quality performance facilities for the performing arts in the area.
The Reno Chamber Orchestra performs the greatest works written for smaller orchestras. Performances are at Nightingale Concert Hall on the University of Nevada campus. http://www.renochamberorchestra.org/
Reno Philharmonic offers a MasterClassics series and other special performances. Its home is the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. http://www.renophil.com/
Nevada Opera has been performing for nearly 40 years. Its home is Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.
Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts presents its own Broadway Season series. http://www.pioneercenter.com/
University of Nevada offers the Reno Performing Arts series which includes some of the world’s finest performers. All concerts are at the university’s Nightingale Concert Hall. http://www.pioneercenter.com/
Recreation
National Bowling Stadium is an ultramodern architectural masterpiece with a 56-foot tall atrium entrance. It features 78 professional lanes. The building also houses a theater in the dome of the building, which features a screen four-stories high. Every presentation to visitors includes a specially produced film about the special events and attractions of the area. http://www.visitrenotahoe.com/meetings-conventions/facilities/national-bowling- stadium
There are 19 golf courses within 35 miles of Reno. http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Reno+NV
The Reno/Lake Tahoe area, with eighteen ski and snowboard resorts, has the highest concentration of such facilities in North America. There are more than 150 ski lifts less than an hour from Reno.
For outdoor adventurers there is mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, kayaking, ATV tours, rock climbing, kayaking, or a day at the beach.
If gaming and live entertainment are favored, there are 13 casinos in Reno and others in the nearby towns of Sparks, North Lake Tahoe, and Virginia City. http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/nevada-casinos/reno
Education
University of Nevada, Reno is a major institution with an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students.
Truckee Meadow Community College offers more than 50 degree and certificate programs. http://www.tmcc.edu/
Senior Programs
The Senior Division of Parks, Recreation and Community Services provides a wide range of programs and special events for seniors.
The City of Reno Senior Games
Hospitals
Washoe Medical Center is a comprehensive acute-care hospital with 529 beds. It is a Level II trauma center and has a pre-natal intensive care unit.
Washoe Senior Medical Group is a unique doctor’s office just for seniors. http://www.info.com/senior%20Medical?cb=29&cmp=3989&gclid= CMfMhbXt9p0CFQRM5QodL1TvqQ
VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) provides primary and secondary care to 20 counties in northern Nevada and northeastern California.
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center is a 380-bed acute care hospital. It is the only faith-based healthcare organization in the region. http://www.saintmarysreno.com/
Airport
Reno/Tahoe International Airport is served by 10 commercial carriers with an estimated 70 flights per day. http://www.renoairport.com/
Weather
Reno, at 4,400 feet above sea level, gets over 300 sunny days a year and just 12 inches of precipitation. At the same time there is an abundance of snow at the ski resorts in the nearby Lake Tahoe area. Average high temperatures for Reno in the January-March period are 51 degrees. The average low is 24 degrees. Average for the July-September period is a high of 87 degrees and a low of 47 degrees.
Newspaper
Reno Gazette-Journal – http://www.rgj.com/
State Taxes
Nevada Department of Taxation – http://tax.state.nv.us/ There is no state income tax.
Chamber of Commerce
http://www.reno-sparkschamber.org/
State Aging Agency
Distances
Carson City – 32 miles
Tahoe City, CA – 47 miles
Sacramento, CA – 131 miles
San Francisco, CA – 217 miles
Las Vegas – 447 miles