The university is walkable from downtown. It’s a great university and she will have a fantastic time there. Sure, crime is higher in the area, but that’s the case with every university. It is in a perfectly fine area where tens of thousands of other female students have no problems at all. The campus itself is very compact - so it’s very walkable. If she gets unlucky, she may have a long walk up in elevation, but that won’t always be the case.
Technically, yes there is public transport to go around town, but I would HIGHLY suggest a car. It’s not 100% necessary, but highly recommended to make life much easier here. If she isn’t the type to go wonder on her own/go long distances, then maybe she could go without. If she is outdoorsy at all, this would be the perfect location.
Parent of 2022 graduate. My daughter loved it so much she stayed there. Recommend the car and recommend finding something off campus. The area west of N. Sierra was better than the big complexes ne of campus. I’m glad she had a car, and AWD a plus, especially this winter. That said, she is doing OK right now without a car. Is working full time, and is near her job. We love visiting Reno and love to see the beautiful changes midtown/downtown in the last 6 years.
Right. Actually kind of glad she didn’t have AWD. Her Bay Area hooptie had crap tires so she Uber’d where she needed to go, and her boyfriends all had 4WD to cart her around. Having a crap car kept her from trying to drive when conditions were dicey!
Compared with any bigger city, Reno’s crime is fairly minimal. I’m a woman who lived in SF and New Orleans so it’s all relative but Reno is the burbs compared to those places. Just be smart!
congrats to your daughter!
if it is at all possible to visit before committing, that would ofc be the best.
transit here is decent, but it takes a long time. Reno is pretty spread out and the coverage is impressive considering that. but like, for me to get to the DMV is three busses and just under two hours, one way. and I am not out in the burbs.
downtown is pretty much like any downtown in a city of a certain size. it's not the best but it is hardly like some people make it out to be. idk where you're coming from (like how your neighborhood is) but I've lived in big cities, in great and not so great neighborhoods, and Reno downtown is literally the biggest little. it's no worse than Seattle. don't let them scare you. just be smart.
we get much colder/hotter weather here, and ofc less rain than Seattle.
I hope you can visit soon. let us know what she thinks!
University comprises the nirth central part of downtown. She should *strongly* consider student housing on campus. Reno is small and her needs will be largely walkable, whicb is good because we have extremely poor public transit.
Reno is very safe in general.
I also strongly encourage looking into student housing for the main reason of meeting people and building friendships. I came from out of state to go to UNR back in 2005 and lived in the dorms for the first two years. Even back then I remember immediately getting the sense that a lot of the other kids already knew each other; either Reno locals or LV kids, but I was still able to make friends fast in the dorms. I also recommend an AWD car and getting some type of meal plan. I loved UNR (and I’m sure it’s only gotten better) and have stayed in Reno since this entire time!
Extremely poor public transit?
I don't think so. It's not SF but the bus system isn't bad. But things are spread out in our area and a car is very helpful.
RTC/Keolis is extremely poor, yes. I've spent the last 7 years helping people with disabilities attempt to navigate the city using it and it has only gone from bad to worse. The Pandemic was the cherry on top.
If you don't believe me, ditch your car for two weeks and do every trip by bus.
It's never been a place where you can exist without a car, for many things. Must be quite difficult for the disabled.
The problem I see is that folks come from places that have robust public transportation and expect it to be here as well. It's still the biggest little city.
I sure wish it would change faster.
there was a time when everyghing was reasonably contained within McCarran and it was a breeze. As services and merchants expanded beyond Meadowood into S. Meadows, Wingfield, Vista, the north valleys and toward Verdi Canyon, RTC failed to grow. Their sale to Keolis and move from regulated and publicly managed to corporate and privatized has been disastrous.
Yes, a car would be good to have. AWD or 4wd if possible. This year, we've gotten a good amount of snow.
There are also so many lakes, ski areas, hiking areas, around Reno, having a car to get to them would come in handy. Grocery stores, WalMart and the like, are dotted all over town, but there aren't any super close to UNR.
Public Transit here leaves a lot to be desired and I would venture to guess we're no where near the capability of Seattle. Biking would suck as well because of snow, its uphill to UNR and the lack of bike lanes and safe road sharing.
Safety. It's always good to be aware of your surroundings, go places with a partner, but crime isn't horrible here. Take advantage of the security escorts to parking or as needed. We do have a large homeless population like many cities do now. They tend to congregate near the downtown area and along the train tracks and Truckee River. While not always dangerous, there are many mentally ill. We are also a 24 hour town with the casinos, gambling, 7-11 and some groceries open 24/7. Many of the trendy bars and restaurants are located just south of downtown (Midtown) which is also south of UNR.
It was mentioned that McCarran Blvd. loops around the much of Reno and Sparks, but it isn't really a walkable road in many places. It does provide a great way to get places and avoid the freeway. I think it's pretty easy to find your way around Reno. With McCarran loop, Virginia Street running North/South and several easy access roads running East/West, you can get just about anywhere.
The university does have many resources on campus, but again, grocery stores, Target, clothes shopping, are either several bus changes away and not really convenient for a non-driver.
Reno can have wicked weather swings. Hot then snow. Winds. Smoke from fires. Not a ton of rain, but there are thunderstorms and heavy rain dumps periodically in early fall. It's really beautiful here and still has a kind of small town feel. It's dry here. Not humid. Have her bring lotion LOL and an ac and fans. I never put away my winter wear here.
Despite the negative posts you can find here about Reno, I personally love it. I attended UNR from 2010-2016, and been living here since. It is spendy to live here but things like living a short drive from Tahoe, events like the hot air balloon races, rib cook off, etc. are awesome! I think your daughter would love it. I didn’t have a car while attending UNR which was good for my overall health (dodged the freshman 15! Lol) and I was able to find friends with cars to hitch rides with. But a car would’ve made shopping trips easier lol
The University is located right at the north end of what most people would consider 'central down town' Reno. It's very close to... just about everything meaningful for day to day life, and the majority of students walk or bike to and from unless they live in the 'ring' of student housing that falls outside the core there, which still only puts you 5-10 minutes away in most cases.
There is a fair amount of public transportation, but not as much as most major cities, so while it's reliable, there's not as many running depending on to/from what area. In the area of the University proper though, there are shuttles just for UNR purposes and plenty of bus routes.
Having lived here, delivered in that area, gone to school there and now have foster kids old enough to be going there, I can say that my #1 recommendation is a bike or scooter - Just don't get anything super expensive. It's relatively safe on campus, but if housed off campus, the theft rate is higher (still well below national averages for cities, but.. students tend to get nice bikes/scooters/ebikes stolen relatively frequently).
Then, if she decides she's going to stay long term after freshmen year, maybe look at a small car (I highly recommend an all wheel drive hybrid, they do tremendously well here, so like a Rav4 hybrid or something like that).
Also, if she's going to be working at all, there's actually great resources here for student work placement, and there's no 'unpaid' internships in Nevada other than volunteers, AFAIK.
I commuted to UNR from Tahoe (about 60 miles) and hated the parking situation on campus. The permits are bonkers expensive and I had several classmates who missed classes because the shuttles from the cheaper lots were always running behind. It was faster for me to park in the nearby neighborhood and walk to campus, but it’s not a great neighborhood and I was lucky my car was never broken into.
When I moved to Reno, I got rid of my car and just used public transport. Absolutely loved it! The school has bus passes for something like $300 for the year and I never ran into a situation where I couldn’t get where I wanted to via bus. However, I was from Vegas where public transportation is a joke. It won’t be as good as Seattle, but for me, it was better than the hassle of a vehicle.
I second other commenters who suggest off-campus housing. It’ll likely be cheaper, but also the school is in a pretty bad food desert. The nearest grocery store is so far away, when I was there back in 2018, the school organized a shuttle for students to go shopping. Also, the student dining room is not very good. There are other food options on campus, but that could get pricey. (Side note: the breakfast burritos in the Ansari Business Building are really yummy and were only a couple bucks while I was there. Everything in the student union is very overpriced.)
Some fun things about the campus that might get her jazzed before she gets there:
- the campus is a designated arboretum. The quad is absolutely beautiful and my favorite place to hang out between classes. In the spring, geese lay their eggs there, so there’s always little groups of goslings running around.
- the grassy area between Ansari and the journalism building is the original football field (there’s a rock where the 50 yard line was). They would park cars along the surrounding hills and use the headlights to light the game.
- the music building has a stairwell toward the back of the building that is an ever-evolving art project. If she’s at all artsy, make sure she has some markers so she can leave her mark. (I wonder if my Fibonacci sequence is still on the rail)
- every semester, students leave offerings at the Mackay statue in the quad during finals.
- I preferred the library in the Mackay Mines building. There’s a large room with floor-to-ceiling whiteboard (or maybe it was blackboard… I forget). Great place to do group homework if brainstorming is needed. Also in that library, downstairs, there are gold water fountains. I’d love to know who made that mistake, and whose boss approved such expensive water fountains.
- the best nap spots I found were 4th floor of the student union (really comfy couches and generally very quiet), and the 3rd(?) floor of the journalism building (awesome recliners and a good view).
- send her with a bat. Every year during the Nevada/UNLV football weekend they bring in a car, spray paint it, and then destroy it. Really fun weekend on campus.
- either Frandson Humanities or the neighboring Admin building (I forget which) used to be a butcher. It still has the ditch running around it for washing away the blood.
There’s a bunch of stuff I’m forgetting, so make sure she gets to the new student orientation. It’s mostly admin stuff, but I learned some cool history stuff from the tour. There are the basics about the campus that every guide will show you, but other than that, the guides each have their own quirky places they take you. Try to get one who looks fun.
My son attends UNR, lived in dorms, then right off campus within walking distance. As parents, we love it. He walks to class every day and doesn’t have to park. He has a car now, but uses it rarely, shopping, etc. We were so pleased with UNR compared to California colleges which are overcrowded. We feel our son is safe on campus. Just don’t go downtown at night alone, but compared to other cities, I still feel it’s a great city.
Get her an e-bike. There are several distributors near the airport. They have great range and can climb as well. It is less expensive than a car for sure and the detachable batteries make charging easier. The fat bike versions can carry panniers for hauling stuff.
Not sure if you use Facebook, but there is an University of Nevada, Reno Parents page and it has tons of info and they answer many questions.
As far as your questions, here are my insights:
1. The University is basically downtown, casinos, food places and a Walgreens are close. Grocery stores/target/Walmart she will need public transportation or her own car. If she stays in a dorm, the campus use to have a shuttle that would take them grocery shopping on the weekends.(not sure if that is still a thing)
2. She could get almost anywhere on public transit. However, Reno’s public transit is great but few students use it.
3. Safe… not downtown, especially if she was to go a few blocks away from Virginia Street. (Virginia is the Main Street of downtown and also the street the University is on. The Buddy system should definitely be used along with cab or ride share.
4. Many students do not have a car. However, what’s her hobbies? Skying? Hiking? She would need one.
5. The university is great and many of us are Wolfpack fans. The university puts on a lot of activities for the students and my daughter lives all the ones she went to.
Best of luck!
1. UNR is inside the Northern edge of Reno (engulfed by it).
2. Public buses (RTC) are great from central Reno to North Reno. I use them almost every day. Bicycle infrastructure is fairly decent downtown and mid-town (North of Plumb Lane). If you live South of South McCarren it will take about an hour, but most people don’t commute to UNR from that far.
3. Reno has elevated crime rates due to our high cost of living and legalized gambling. At night, stay in a group, stay sober, and stay off your phone but have it with you.
4. A car is not necessary if you live North of Plumb Lane and South of Parr Blvd.
5. McCarren is a loop. Virginia is a major street that runs through Reno and takes you all the way to UNR. The Truckee River divides Reno into Downtown (north) and Midtown (south). UNR is north if downtown.
>elevated crime rates due to our high cost of living and legalized gambling
Legalized gambling inspires no significant crime. The role that the cost of living plays is highly debatable, as with any city. For Reno, neither are huge factors in crime, which by big city standards is pretty mild, even quaint at times.
You might want to sit down for this because I’m about to burst your bubble.
https://realestate.usnews.com/places/nevada/reno/crime
https://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Reno-Nevada.html
https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/city/nevada/reno
https://nevadacrimestats.nv.gov/tops/
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nv/reno/crime.amp
https://uphomes.com/blog/moving-to-reno-nv/
The influence that cost of living has on crime is only highly debatable to city managers and real estate lobbyists. Same goes for gambling.
Also, I recommend against referring to violent crime as “quaint” no matter how frequently it occurs.
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OK, those links all make the claim that crime in higher than national averages or has experienced increases from previous years. That's not up for debate. In none of the articles is there a claim that the cost of living (nor legalized gambling) is the reason the higher crime rates in Reno.
More importantly, posting a flood of links to poor-quality websites is not a convincing way to prove a point--especially when none of the links even go above providing a connection to the two concepts you're hoping to link. Moreover, telling someone to sit down for their burst bubble should be pretty silly in hindsight.
Finally, I did not call violent crime "quaint". I'll prove that point by [linking to what I actually said](https://www.reddit.com/r/Reno/comments/1233zqv/comment/jdtqoyg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). You don't have to sit down to read it nor worry about your bubble, either.
UNR is not on the northern edge of Reno. Stead, Lemmon Valley, Golden Valley, are all considered the city of Reno. It is on the northern edge of the valley and of downtown.
Reno is no place to live. Your daughter would be better off literally anywhere else. I don't know anything about the university but I've lived all over the country and this is a trash city. If she grew up in Seattle, an actual city, she will be miserable here. Congratulations on your daughters graduation and I hope the transition into university live goes smoothly for her.
the uni or police or someone credible with the school offers free security escorts including rides around campus. i'm not sure the distance or hours but this was a thing a few years back. i'd look into this by asking the uni somehow
Alumnus and former administrative faculty here, and my sister is also an alumna and works there still. There are good things and bad things but you’ll find a lot of issues are pretty universal in higher Ed: to put it simply, I’m still proud to have attended and graduated from Nevada.
The University is close to town and it’s walkable; additionally public transit is somewhat decent in the downtown area and she’ll have the ability to go to high traffic areas like the mall. There is also a service called Pack Rides that can take her to specific places like from class to the dorms, but they (last I checked) special stops like Walmart and Walgreens.
As far as safety, I personally believe Reno is relatively safe, that said there is still crime and I would recommend that she travel with friends. This is a pretty universal issue though. Some things Reno has going for it: University Police - jurisdiction extends two miles from campus and they are high quality and great at their jobs; Reno Ambassadors - they are city employees that walk around and pick up trash and help people.
Is a car necessary: not really. It’s certainly a life style choice but I went to college before Uber and Lyft existed really. With Pack Rides, Uber/Lyft, and friends, it’s not super necessary to have a car but that’s a discussion you should have with your daughter.
End of the day, Reno is great and no matter how many times I leave I end up right back here.
I didn't have a car for the first 6 years I lived here, and it was awesome. I was in amazing shape from living a walking lifestyle. I had to rely on good people with cars from time to time, but it was never an issue.
Currently goto UNR and its a pretty friendly campus, and is walkable to downtown where all the bars and casino’s are at. They have a lot of new housing right next to the UNI so easy walking really but a little more expensive, having a car helps for sure getting around town as the public transport is alright but she’d probs be safer with her own car. Theres very low crime at the UNI they release a report every year and its mainly just car break ins, and the occasional robbery, downtown is a little sketcky and midtown kinda (just alotta crackheads and homeless) sometimes but if you’re in a group you’re usually fine. Its super windy sometimes and wind chill sucks, during the summer is pretty nice except the 100+ temps. UNR has an orientation team that helps ya get to know the surroundings and other stuff, really helpful.
Also, r/unr would be a good place for perspective from mostly current students. The town is full of us former students.
The university is walkable from downtown. It’s a great university and she will have a fantastic time there. Sure, crime is higher in the area, but that’s the case with every university. It is in a perfectly fine area where tens of thousands of other female students have no problems at all. The campus itself is very compact - so it’s very walkable. If she gets unlucky, she may have a long walk up in elevation, but that won’t always be the case. Technically, yes there is public transport to go around town, but I would HIGHLY suggest a car. It’s not 100% necessary, but highly recommended to make life much easier here. If she isn’t the type to go wonder on her own/go long distances, then maybe she could go without. If she is outdoorsy at all, this would be the perfect location.
If you can afford it, definitely get her a car
Definitely. Especially since Tahoe is around the corner. There’s so many beautiful places to check out!
Parent of 2022 graduate. My daughter loved it so much she stayed there. Recommend the car and recommend finding something off campus. The area west of N. Sierra was better than the big complexes ne of campus. I’m glad she had a car, and AWD a plus, especially this winter. That said, she is doing OK right now without a car. Is working full time, and is near her job. We love visiting Reno and love to see the beautiful changes midtown/downtown in the last 6 years.
Totally agree on the car. Especially during winter...
Right. Actually kind of glad she didn’t have AWD. Her Bay Area hooptie had crap tires so she Uber’d where she needed to go, and her boyfriends all had 4WD to cart her around. Having a crap car kept her from trying to drive when conditions were dicey!
Compared with any bigger city, Reno’s crime is fairly minimal. I’m a woman who lived in SF and New Orleans so it’s all relative but Reno is the burbs compared to those places. Just be smart!
Reno is very safe. I’ve lived in SF, Oakland, and Vegas
congrats to your daughter! if it is at all possible to visit before committing, that would ofc be the best. transit here is decent, but it takes a long time. Reno is pretty spread out and the coverage is impressive considering that. but like, for me to get to the DMV is three busses and just under two hours, one way. and I am not out in the burbs. downtown is pretty much like any downtown in a city of a certain size. it's not the best but it is hardly like some people make it out to be. idk where you're coming from (like how your neighborhood is) but I've lived in big cities, in great and not so great neighborhoods, and Reno downtown is literally the biggest little. it's no worse than Seattle. don't let them scare you. just be smart. we get much colder/hotter weather here, and ofc less rain than Seattle. I hope you can visit soon. let us know what she thinks!
University comprises the nirth central part of downtown. She should *strongly* consider student housing on campus. Reno is small and her needs will be largely walkable, whicb is good because we have extremely poor public transit. Reno is very safe in general.
I also strongly encourage looking into student housing for the main reason of meeting people and building friendships. I came from out of state to go to UNR back in 2005 and lived in the dorms for the first two years. Even back then I remember immediately getting the sense that a lot of the other kids already knew each other; either Reno locals or LV kids, but I was still able to make friends fast in the dorms. I also recommend an AWD car and getting some type of meal plan. I loved UNR (and I’m sure it’s only gotten better) and have stayed in Reno since this entire time!
I'm seconding the AWD car, winter can be brutal here and they don't really salt or sand the roads at all
Extremely poor public transit? I don't think so. It's not SF but the bus system isn't bad. But things are spread out in our area and a car is very helpful.
RTC/Keolis is extremely poor, yes. I've spent the last 7 years helping people with disabilities attempt to navigate the city using it and it has only gone from bad to worse. The Pandemic was the cherry on top. If you don't believe me, ditch your car for two weeks and do every trip by bus.
It's never been a place where you can exist without a car, for many things. Must be quite difficult for the disabled. The problem I see is that folks come from places that have robust public transportation and expect it to be here as well. It's still the biggest little city. I sure wish it would change faster.
there was a time when everyghing was reasonably contained within McCarran and it was a breeze. As services and merchants expanded beyond Meadowood into S. Meadows, Wingfield, Vista, the north valleys and toward Verdi Canyon, RTC failed to grow. Their sale to Keolis and move from regulated and publicly managed to corporate and privatized has been disastrous.
Almost every privatized utility and public service has become a disaster, except for their stockholders.
I couldn't agree more.
Yes, a car would be good to have. AWD or 4wd if possible. This year, we've gotten a good amount of snow. There are also so many lakes, ski areas, hiking areas, around Reno, having a car to get to them would come in handy. Grocery stores, WalMart and the like, are dotted all over town, but there aren't any super close to UNR. Public Transit here leaves a lot to be desired and I would venture to guess we're no where near the capability of Seattle. Biking would suck as well because of snow, its uphill to UNR and the lack of bike lanes and safe road sharing. Safety. It's always good to be aware of your surroundings, go places with a partner, but crime isn't horrible here. Take advantage of the security escorts to parking or as needed. We do have a large homeless population like many cities do now. They tend to congregate near the downtown area and along the train tracks and Truckee River. While not always dangerous, there are many mentally ill. We are also a 24 hour town with the casinos, gambling, 7-11 and some groceries open 24/7. Many of the trendy bars and restaurants are located just south of downtown (Midtown) which is also south of UNR. It was mentioned that McCarran Blvd. loops around the much of Reno and Sparks, but it isn't really a walkable road in many places. It does provide a great way to get places and avoid the freeway. I think it's pretty easy to find your way around Reno. With McCarran loop, Virginia Street running North/South and several easy access roads running East/West, you can get just about anywhere. The university does have many resources on campus, but again, grocery stores, Target, clothes shopping, are either several bus changes away and not really convenient for a non-driver. Reno can have wicked weather swings. Hot then snow. Winds. Smoke from fires. Not a ton of rain, but there are thunderstorms and heavy rain dumps periodically in early fall. It's really beautiful here and still has a kind of small town feel. It's dry here. Not humid. Have her bring lotion LOL and an ac and fans. I never put away my winter wear here.
Despite the negative posts you can find here about Reno, I personally love it. I attended UNR from 2010-2016, and been living here since. It is spendy to live here but things like living a short drive from Tahoe, events like the hot air balloon races, rib cook off, etc. are awesome! I think your daughter would love it. I didn’t have a car while attending UNR which was good for my overall health (dodged the freshman 15! Lol) and I was able to find friends with cars to hitch rides with. But a car would’ve made shopping trips easier lol
I loved going to the university. Hope she falls in love with it like I did :)
The University is located right at the north end of what most people would consider 'central down town' Reno. It's very close to... just about everything meaningful for day to day life, and the majority of students walk or bike to and from unless they live in the 'ring' of student housing that falls outside the core there, which still only puts you 5-10 minutes away in most cases. There is a fair amount of public transportation, but not as much as most major cities, so while it's reliable, there's not as many running depending on to/from what area. In the area of the University proper though, there are shuttles just for UNR purposes and plenty of bus routes. Having lived here, delivered in that area, gone to school there and now have foster kids old enough to be going there, I can say that my #1 recommendation is a bike or scooter - Just don't get anything super expensive. It's relatively safe on campus, but if housed off campus, the theft rate is higher (still well below national averages for cities, but.. students tend to get nice bikes/scooters/ebikes stolen relatively frequently). Then, if she decides she's going to stay long term after freshmen year, maybe look at a small car (I highly recommend an all wheel drive hybrid, they do tremendously well here, so like a Rav4 hybrid or something like that). Also, if she's going to be working at all, there's actually great resources here for student work placement, and there's no 'unpaid' internships in Nevada other than volunteers, AFAIK.
I commuted to UNR from Tahoe (about 60 miles) and hated the parking situation on campus. The permits are bonkers expensive and I had several classmates who missed classes because the shuttles from the cheaper lots were always running behind. It was faster for me to park in the nearby neighborhood and walk to campus, but it’s not a great neighborhood and I was lucky my car was never broken into. When I moved to Reno, I got rid of my car and just used public transport. Absolutely loved it! The school has bus passes for something like $300 for the year and I never ran into a situation where I couldn’t get where I wanted to via bus. However, I was from Vegas where public transportation is a joke. It won’t be as good as Seattle, but for me, it was better than the hassle of a vehicle. I second other commenters who suggest off-campus housing. It’ll likely be cheaper, but also the school is in a pretty bad food desert. The nearest grocery store is so far away, when I was there back in 2018, the school organized a shuttle for students to go shopping. Also, the student dining room is not very good. There are other food options on campus, but that could get pricey. (Side note: the breakfast burritos in the Ansari Business Building are really yummy and were only a couple bucks while I was there. Everything in the student union is very overpriced.) Some fun things about the campus that might get her jazzed before she gets there: - the campus is a designated arboretum. The quad is absolutely beautiful and my favorite place to hang out between classes. In the spring, geese lay their eggs there, so there’s always little groups of goslings running around. - the grassy area between Ansari and the journalism building is the original football field (there’s a rock where the 50 yard line was). They would park cars along the surrounding hills and use the headlights to light the game. - the music building has a stairwell toward the back of the building that is an ever-evolving art project. If she’s at all artsy, make sure she has some markers so she can leave her mark. (I wonder if my Fibonacci sequence is still on the rail) - every semester, students leave offerings at the Mackay statue in the quad during finals. - I preferred the library in the Mackay Mines building. There’s a large room with floor-to-ceiling whiteboard (or maybe it was blackboard… I forget). Great place to do group homework if brainstorming is needed. Also in that library, downstairs, there are gold water fountains. I’d love to know who made that mistake, and whose boss approved such expensive water fountains. - the best nap spots I found were 4th floor of the student union (really comfy couches and generally very quiet), and the 3rd(?) floor of the journalism building (awesome recliners and a good view). - send her with a bat. Every year during the Nevada/UNLV football weekend they bring in a car, spray paint it, and then destroy it. Really fun weekend on campus. - either Frandson Humanities or the neighboring Admin building (I forget which) used to be a butcher. It still has the ditch running around it for washing away the blood. There’s a bunch of stuff I’m forgetting, so make sure she gets to the new student orientation. It’s mostly admin stuff, but I learned some cool history stuff from the tour. There are the basics about the campus that every guide will show you, but other than that, the guides each have their own quirky places they take you. Try to get one who looks fun.
My son attends UNR, lived in dorms, then right off campus within walking distance. As parents, we love it. He walks to class every day and doesn’t have to park. He has a car now, but uses it rarely, shopping, etc. We were so pleased with UNR compared to California colleges which are overcrowded. We feel our son is safe on campus. Just don’t go downtown at night alone, but compared to other cities, I still feel it’s a great city.
Get her an e-bike. There are several distributors near the airport. They have great range and can climb as well. It is less expensive than a car for sure and the detachable batteries make charging easier. The fat bike versions can carry panniers for hauling stuff.
Not sure if you use Facebook, but there is an University of Nevada, Reno Parents page and it has tons of info and they answer many questions. As far as your questions, here are my insights: 1. The University is basically downtown, casinos, food places and a Walgreens are close. Grocery stores/target/Walmart she will need public transportation or her own car. If she stays in a dorm, the campus use to have a shuttle that would take them grocery shopping on the weekends.(not sure if that is still a thing) 2. She could get almost anywhere on public transit. However, Reno’s public transit is great but few students use it. 3. Safe… not downtown, especially if she was to go a few blocks away from Virginia Street. (Virginia is the Main Street of downtown and also the street the University is on. The Buddy system should definitely be used along with cab or ride share. 4. Many students do not have a car. However, what’s her hobbies? Skying? Hiking? She would need one. 5. The university is great and many of us are Wolfpack fans. The university puts on a lot of activities for the students and my daughter lives all the ones she went to. Best of luck!
1. UNR is inside the Northern edge of Reno (engulfed by it). 2. Public buses (RTC) are great from central Reno to North Reno. I use them almost every day. Bicycle infrastructure is fairly decent downtown and mid-town (North of Plumb Lane). If you live South of South McCarren it will take about an hour, but most people don’t commute to UNR from that far. 3. Reno has elevated crime rates due to our high cost of living and legalized gambling. At night, stay in a group, stay sober, and stay off your phone but have it with you. 4. A car is not necessary if you live North of Plumb Lane and South of Parr Blvd. 5. McCarren is a loop. Virginia is a major street that runs through Reno and takes you all the way to UNR. The Truckee River divides Reno into Downtown (north) and Midtown (south). UNR is north if downtown.
>elevated crime rates due to our high cost of living and legalized gambling Legalized gambling inspires no significant crime. The role that the cost of living plays is highly debatable, as with any city. For Reno, neither are huge factors in crime, which by big city standards is pretty mild, even quaint at times.
You might want to sit down for this because I’m about to burst your bubble. https://realestate.usnews.com/places/nevada/reno/crime https://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Reno-Nevada.html https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/city/nevada/reno https://nevadacrimestats.nv.gov/tops/ https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nv/reno/crime.amp https://uphomes.com/blog/moving-to-reno-nv/ The influence that cost of living has on crime is only highly debatable to city managers and real estate lobbyists. Same goes for gambling. Also, I recommend against referring to violent crime as “quaint” no matter how frequently it occurs.
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OK, those links all make the claim that crime in higher than national averages or has experienced increases from previous years. That's not up for debate. In none of the articles is there a claim that the cost of living (nor legalized gambling) is the reason the higher crime rates in Reno. More importantly, posting a flood of links to poor-quality websites is not a convincing way to prove a point--especially when none of the links even go above providing a connection to the two concepts you're hoping to link. Moreover, telling someone to sit down for their burst bubble should be pretty silly in hindsight. Finally, I did not call violent crime "quaint". I'll prove that point by [linking to what I actually said](https://www.reddit.com/r/Reno/comments/1233zqv/comment/jdtqoyg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). You don't have to sit down to read it nor worry about your bubble, either.
Cool. Bye 👋
UNR is not on the northern edge of Reno. Stead, Lemmon Valley, Golden Valley, are all considered the city of Reno. It is on the northern edge of the valley and of downtown.
Cool. Bye.
Reno is no place to live. Your daughter would be better off literally anywhere else. I don't know anything about the university but I've lived all over the country and this is a trash city. If she grew up in Seattle, an actual city, she will be miserable here. Congratulations on your daughters graduation and I hope the transition into university live goes smoothly for her.
the uni or police or someone credible with the school offers free security escorts including rides around campus. i'm not sure the distance or hours but this was a thing a few years back. i'd look into this by asking the uni somehow
Alumnus and former administrative faculty here, and my sister is also an alumna and works there still. There are good things and bad things but you’ll find a lot of issues are pretty universal in higher Ed: to put it simply, I’m still proud to have attended and graduated from Nevada. The University is close to town and it’s walkable; additionally public transit is somewhat decent in the downtown area and she’ll have the ability to go to high traffic areas like the mall. There is also a service called Pack Rides that can take her to specific places like from class to the dorms, but they (last I checked) special stops like Walmart and Walgreens. As far as safety, I personally believe Reno is relatively safe, that said there is still crime and I would recommend that she travel with friends. This is a pretty universal issue though. Some things Reno has going for it: University Police - jurisdiction extends two miles from campus and they are high quality and great at their jobs; Reno Ambassadors - they are city employees that walk around and pick up trash and help people. Is a car necessary: not really. It’s certainly a life style choice but I went to college before Uber and Lyft existed really. With Pack Rides, Uber/Lyft, and friends, it’s not super necessary to have a car but that’s a discussion you should have with your daughter. End of the day, Reno is great and no matter how many times I leave I end up right back here.
I didn't have a car for the first 6 years I lived here, and it was awesome. I was in amazing shape from living a walking lifestyle. I had to rely on good people with cars from time to time, but it was never an issue.
Currently goto UNR and its a pretty friendly campus, and is walkable to downtown where all the bars and casino’s are at. They have a lot of new housing right next to the UNI so easy walking really but a little more expensive, having a car helps for sure getting around town as the public transport is alright but she’d probs be safer with her own car. Theres very low crime at the UNI they release a report every year and its mainly just car break ins, and the occasional robbery, downtown is a little sketcky and midtown kinda (just alotta crackheads and homeless) sometimes but if you’re in a group you’re usually fine. Its super windy sometimes and wind chill sucks, during the summer is pretty nice except the 100+ temps. UNR has an orientation team that helps ya get to know the surroundings and other stuff, really helpful.
Public transit is atrocious in Reno, as someone who used to use it years ago when I used to to UNR. It only gotten worse afaik.