Everyone knows that trying to get around town without a car can be a challenge, and that is particularly true of cities in the American West that traditionally do not have a mature public transportation infrastructure as many town along the eastern seaboard enjoy. While Reno, Nevada residents have the services of Washoe County’s Regional Transportation Commission, which operates a fleet of buses throughout the region, bus service is intermittent to outlying areas and the schedule is often subject to significant time delays.
That being said however, for house hunters deciding where to live in Reno without a car, there are numerous neighborhoods that are well situated to access public transportation, but are also immensely walkable districts in their own right with ready access to grocery stores and other amenities. If you were looking where to live in Reno without a car, any of the following neighborhoods would prove an ideal solution to getting around without a car.
The section of town clustered around the University of Nevada, Reno is variously known as the University district or Northwest neighborhood. Tailored for a student population that may not have a functioning vehicle, the University district provides ready access to buses running along the front of the campus along Virginia Street. The neighborhood plays host to a number of sandwich shops and fast food eateries, while there is a Raley’s Supermarket conveniently located to the neighborhood, while several drugstores and pharmacies have residents covered regarding any sundry purchases. Additionally, located just up the hill from the downtown section of town, it is a short ten or fifteen minute walk to the gaming tables of the casino district. Buying a home in the Northwest section of Reno will serve as a great base of operation when deciding where to live in Reno without a vehicle.
Just south of the downtown area lies one of Reno’s best-kept secrets. The Midtown area affords ready egress to an array of shops, restaurants, taverns, coffee shops and more within easy walking distance from resident’s homes. In addition to charming neighborhoods crisscrossed by tree-lined streets, the neighborhood is bifurcated with several major traffic arteries that run along the RTC bus routes including the two busiest arteries: Virginia Street and Plumas Street. In addition to being the nexus point for small businesses operating in Reno, the area is also conveniently located to a Safeway Supermarket on the neighborhoods southern boundary, but residents can easily access all the services they need from dry cleaning to Laundromats to an all night doughnut shop for those late night sugar urges. If you are looking for where to live in Reno without a car, the Midtown neighborhood of the Biggest Little City in the World is bound to please.
Known as the Bungalow District, if you are deciding where to live in Reno without a car, the Wells Avenue Corridor should certainly top your list of placed to explore. Adjacent to, but to the west of the Midtown district, the Wells Avenue Corridor is home to immensely walkable neighborhoods that provide ready access to all the services and amenities you might need for your home. In addition to a string of fast food eateries, the area plays host to variety of convenience stores, small bodega shops, Laundromats, and banks to facilitate day to day living without a car. For larger shopping excursions, Marketon Supermarket is located at the southern end of Wells Avenue with enough goods available to fill the larders of your new Wells Avenue home. While much of the neighborhood is not necessarily convenient for accessing public transportation, a ten-minute walk in any direction will bring you to a connecting bus route to get you where you need to go in Reno.
One of Reno’s older neighborhoods, and certainly one of its most charming, the Old Southwest section of town is located south of downtown and west of the Midtown area, and the presence of local shops and services means that residents will not be unduly burdened by not having a vehicle. In addition to a Safeway located essentially at the epicenter of the district, the neighborhood supports a cadre of businesses from the ubiquitous local Starbucks to pet grooming shops to kitschy thrift shops bursting at the seams with a myriad of one of a kind item. Getting from Point A to Point B in the neighborhood is relatively easy, and getting from Point A to Point Z is a mere walk to the local bus stop. As mentioned, bus service in parts of town are somewhat spotty, but if you were to purchase a home in the Old Southwest part of town, you can expect to access public transportation within a twenty minute walk of your front door.
Situated immediately west of the downtown area, Idlewild Park is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Reno, and the district’s denizens have easy access to a host of amenities that also include the entire downtown area for entertainment. Straddling the meandering course of the Truckee River, Idlewild Park residents are served by an array of businesses located in strip malls throughout the neighborhood. Two Safeway Supermarkets provide all the necessities of life, and are within easy walking distance of most homes in the area. If you are choosing where to live in Reno and you do not have a car, the Idlewild Park section of town is an excellent choice owing to its ready access to services and amenities.
