Dear Reno,
You surprised me. I came for to be near my family and stayed for the life you make possible: cultured, adventurous, beautiful, and wonderfully easy.
I love that the performing and fine arts flourish here, from inspired exhibitions at the Nevada Museum of Art to music, theater, dance, and festivals that give the city energy and imagination. I love that Lake Tahoe, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, is close enough for an afternoon escape, a lakeside lunch, or a spontaneous day enjoying the spectacular view of the open skies and the mountains.
Here, hiking trails begin almost at my doorstep. Winter brings skiing beneath brilliant blue skies, dressing the peaks in white while leaving the valley bright and (mostly) bare. Summer offers long, golden evenings; and the dry, sunny weather makes every season feel inviting.
Your airport is another luxury: small enough to be convenient and easy, yet large enough to connect me to the wider world without the strain of a sprawling metropolis. And the moment I return, the mountain panorama tells me I am home.
Reno, you offer sophistication without pretension, adventure without inconvenience, and natural grandeur without distance. I am grateful to call you home.
Love, Susan Palmer
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Dear Reno,
You were supposed to be a three-month stay. My wife’s travel nursing brought us across the country after living on the east coast our entire lives. Not long after arriving, we realized how difficult it would be to move on to the next city.
Concluding my three-day road trip across the country, I arrived here in the cover of darkness. It was not until the next morning when my eyes witnessed the beauty that surrounds this city. Living in DC for nearly 20 years, I marveled at the nation’s monuments on a daily basis, but waking up to your landscapes, I knew we were somewhere incredibly special. I could feel the mountains, Lake Tahoe, and every inch of your wilderness pulling on my heart. The idea of leaving Reno quickly became difficult to accept.
Beyond your sights, the people who call you home are in a class of their own. Arriving in any city as a newcomer can be overwhelming. You are essentially starting over. The way people of Reno invited us into their lives, however, made us feel like we’ve lived here for years. Everyone we have met is eager to introduce us to new friends and help in any way possible. My wife and I grew up in a small Amish town in western Pennsylvania. The way this city embraces small-town values like neighborly kindness reminds us of how we were raised. People are the heartbeat of any city, and your steady pulse has helped us realize that Reno is where we are supposed to be.
Since arriving in 2023, you have given us more than you can imagine, and we will be forever grateful for all you have provided. Professionally, my work has hit a new stride as I have gotten to explore and document cultures that I have always found so intriguing. These communities have nurtured my curiosity, giving me experiences that I will never forget.
You were the change we didn’t know we needed.
With endless gratitude, Willis Bretz
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Dear Reno,
I always think about why I decided to stay in Reno after graduating from UNR. There is really no one answer, my friends, my job, the ease of knowing my environment, all these have a contributing factor. But that right there is why Reno is such a magic place and why I love it.
Reno is an expanding community that is growing rapidly but it hasn’t lost the Reno charm. In that I mean Reno hasn’t lost the ability to nurture relationships and provide physical location to allow me to make amazing memories with the people I love. Look at downtown for example. Not only do we get to enjoy a coffee by the river but you are also steps away from good food, exciting new bars, and a night life that has supported me in all four years at University of Nevada, Reno.
Yes, this can be said about many cities across the country but Reno is different because of who is around you. This includes my friends but it is also someone I haven't seen in a long time or an old co-worker that I get to catch up with. Reno has a small town feel to it. For better or worse everyone knows everyone or is at most twice removed. In my opinion that is what gives Reno this special charm you can’t find anywhere else because everyone is in some way connected.
When I think about calling Reno home, I find myself realizing that this place is my home because of what it fosters. Reno you have given me a successful real estate career, a group of friends that are closer to family, and the ability to use your charm to build a life for myself. Thank you for being the frame that perfectly fits the picture of my life.
Always, Donny Welsh
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Dear Reno,
It’s more than a feeling, it’s how we live. I love Reno-Tahoe for me and my family, and as the place our daughter will define who she is as she grows up.
Reno-Tahoe did for me in a phase of life I didn’t understand, what a kind person does in gently welcoming a stranger. As a new mom at 48 at what I thought was the end of a 30-year marketing career, we did a crazy thing and relocated here for a change of everything without a plan.
I did not realize how I would become myself.
To reach out to groups of women I didn’t know when I was momming full-time for walks and camaraderie. To be invited to connect with women in a robust encouraging climate that helps female entrepreneurs rise. To provide community like a warm hug at a time when I never felt more alone not knowing a soul. To provide my family a testimony of faith surrounding us by the people who cherish a relationship with God. To give me evidence of a connection to feel welcome to participate in anything happening in the community. To give our daughter opportunities I didn’t think about with friendships, creativity, and sports instilling confidence. To look outside our window daily in awe of glorious mountains and landscapes not made by humans and explore them. To see progression in development, strategy and rejuvenation in a region I thought was tired and old. To show us what community looks like in practice through participating and building, not just words. To have the opportunity to demonstrate by my actions how to embrace people moving here as a real estate advisor.
It doesn’t have to be so complicated, it just has to make you feel good.
As the sixth state I’ve called home in my lifetime, it brings me great joy to live here. What you do defines who you become. Living in Reno-Tahoe I have become a better me.
Forever, Jennifer Pelfini
The way this city embraces small-town values like neighborly kindness reminds us of how we were raised. People are the heartbeat of any city, and your steady pulse has helped us realize that Reno is where we are supposed to be.