Reno 360°: A blog for those who love Reno and aren't afraid to admit it

Megg Mueller, editor, reno.com and tahoe.com , mmueller@TahoeRenoOnline.com
October 8, 2007

This town .. what is it about this town? It's gritty, sassy, chic (sort of), edgy and fun. I don't know another city that has such a split personality as my hometown. Or is it just the people who have split personalities?

A recent article in Esquire magazine espoused the greatness of our fair city, as part of its "annual register of emerging ideas, trends, discoveries, products, people, and obscene gestures you should know about before everyone else does." Reno made it to #12 on the list, under the title The Dirtiest Secret in Nevada. The story/review covers one man's view of Reno and why he loves it more than Vegas. He writes of his dislike for Sin City, and then he writes "So I go to Reno, the deeper adventure, the smaller city, the real deal."

The writer gets into the nitty gritty of Reno; he has 30 little freebie cocktails during his stay; he's up all night gambling; he's looking for breakfast in the afternoon, unaware of the time of day. He talks about Louis Basque Corner, the casinos, bowlers, Lake Tahoe, brothels ... and he doesn't sugar coat it. It's here, it's part of us, and it's real. And he loves it; it's why he comes here. We're real, we're cool, we're not jerks.

Our local paper ran a story about the story (find it here if you must), however, and while it notes that there are those who are "giddy" with the exposure the city got from this national magazine, it runs mostly quotes from people who object to a) the language in the article and b) the portrayal of our seedier side.

And this is what's wrong with Reno. You can't have it both ways, folks. All you who want Reno to get classy, to polish up and become a little California refugee camp, well, forget it. This is Reno as it's been since I was a kid. Sure we're more elegant; we have Artown, Sierra Summit, fancy high-priced condos and all that. But we also have a rawness that makes this town so much fun. There's bikers and bowlers; beauty queens and beehive hairdos; Sol Jibe and Debbie Reynolds.

We have Beaujolais Bistro, a fabulous French restaurant next to one of the most popular gay bars in town, 5 Star. In the same neighborhood with the amazing kayak park and a high-rise condo. We have places of worship and tattoo parlors galore. You want it, we got it. But you know what? We're in jeopardy of losing it, because too many people want to ignore the grit and funk that makes Reno such a kick-ass place to live.

I'm not saying I want meth freaks and hookers everywhere, but you know what Mr. Mayor, to say that the brothels aren't a part of Reno because they're "10 to 15 miles away" is ludicrous. We are one of the last wild west towns and we have nothing to be ashamed of. The Reno of the Esquire article is the Reno I love. It's authentic, diverse (ish) and amazing. It's my Reno. Is it yours, or do you hope we become Californicated, like most of this country?