Vegas vs. Reno?

No contest, so you say?

I will say both cities excel at what they do best.

On Saturday I woke up in Reno---flew to Vegas in the afternoon and spent a great day in both cities.

I love the sense of community in Reno. Las Vegas does not have that to the same degree. RenoFest was a fun event downtown and I love the area they have built downtown where the Truckee River flows through. If you have the chance to spend some time there, check it out. Family fun by the river with parks, stages for concerts and plenty of good food. Tourists are there too, but this is mainly for locals.

While in the airport a young Reno gal told me she was considering going to school at UNLV, but wasn't sure what she would do with all her F-UNLV t-shirts. I had no answer, but have always understood that this inter-state rivalry is much more intense in the north.

Once in Vegas I went straight from the airport to the San Genarro Feast. Probably the best community event that Las Vegas has. Jam packed with locals, but this year held in a casino parking lot. Not the best place for a community event, but it was still a great event. We need more of these. My son, who lives in Reno told me they have similar events for locals nearly every weekend up north.

Bottom line---Las Vegas will probably never have the same sense of community as Reno. We seem to cater way too much to the out-of-towners, and spend little time on ourselves. It is what it is. Perhaps UNLV Basketball and the great teams of the 80's and 90's was the only thing that really brought the locals together in a common cause. That is missing now----here's hoping that feeling returns, somehow...someway. Until then, we can learn a few lessons from Reno.

For news tips and info--e-mail me at ron@LocalsLoveVegas.com