Take a
moment and think of East 4th street.
If you’re
from Reno, then chances are I could guess what thoughts just went through your
head; thoughts of homeless shelters, drugs, and prostitutes (or to put it more
poetically, homeless hookers on heroine).
That’s
what East 4th street in Reno has made us think of for years, even
generations. So what are the odds that
we could change that image? What would
it take for the people of Reno and our future generations to have a more
positive image in their minds when they think of that neighborhood? How can the image of that neighborhood be
revitalized? The answer, in short, is
You.
The question
on the minds of a group of business owners along East 4th street and
the surrounding areas is, “How do we get You to come down here?” Some of the businesses are old standbys, ones
that have been there for decades, while others are only a month or two
old. Under the Rose Brewery is one of
those newer businesses. It’s built
inside the old Nevada Welding Works building.
The
back part of the building, which was originally a welding and iron working
shop, is large and open. The sides of
the room are lined with brewery equipment that is constantly operating,
creating new batches of their delicious beer.
The front part of the building is a bar, with the usual bar games of
darts, foosball, and ping pong, but also the unusual fixture of a bocce ball court
set up along one side of the room. Try
to name another bar where you can drink a quality craft beer while enjoying an
indoor game of bocce ball.
Scattered
throughout the neighborhood is a nightclub, another brewery (built INSIDE the
old SPCA building. For those of you that
spent time with me there during my four years of working for the shelter, it’s
pretty awesome to see.). There’s Louis’
Basque Corner, over a dozen artist studios, The Reno Bike Project, a handful of
eclectic shops, and other unique businesses.
But
still, despite some new businesses moving in, a huge number of the buildings in
the neighborhood are sitting empty. I
won’t lie to you; the majority of the neighborhood does still feel somewhat
destitute. That’s where we come in…
This
neighborhood is full of nothing but local business, and every single one is
just as creative and unique as the next.
This neighborhood is only the latest one to join in the movement of
revitalizing Reno’s culture. Before now
there has been the Riverwalk, Midtown, and a handful of others. So far, those other neighborhoods have been
successful. But none of them have had to
fight against the stigma that comes along with East 4th street.
Nonetheless,
Reno’s cultural footprint is changing.
We’re abandoning the old stereotype of Vegas’ dirty, little
sibling. We’re leaving behind the
thought of old, smoke filled casinos and a different vice around every
corner. Instead, throughout town,
individual neighborhoods are sprouting up, filled with local craft breweries,
unique restaurants, and shops, the like of which you won’t find anywhere
else.
Reno is
developing in to something new altogether.
It’s somehow maintaining its small town persona while managing to grow
in size. It’s almost as if Reno is
striving to become the southernmost point of the cultural behemoth that is the
Pacific North West.
The
district of East 4th street is simply the newest area to step up to
the plate and help Reno change its image.
But it’s also the neighborhood that has faced the largest challenge in
doing so thus far. So I implore you to
go out, meet the owners of these new and old businesses, and spread the
word. Get out and see what Reno is
becoming, and see what you can do to help it.
Every
day that passes, Reno is more and more in the national spotlight. With tourism growing, large businesses from
across the country flocking here (come on Tesla, you know you want to build in
Reno), and local businesses booming, we are growing in to something different
and something new right before the world’s eyes.
So help
me leave behind the tired old facade of the Divorce Capitol of the World, and
let’s shape this town in to what WE want it to be. If we want the world to view us differently,
we need to do so first.
