With Gambling in Decline, a Faded Reno Tries to Reinvent Itself

[alp227]

Apple? The outdoors? Bowling?

As Reno, that other city in Nevada, seeks to move beyond an economy and a downtown dominated for decades by mammoth casinos, it is grasping at various possibilities that have little to do with the industry that defined it.

Apple announced in late June that it would build a $1 billion data center here, even as Reno was cementing its reputation as one of the country’s bowling meccas by hosting several tournaments at the 78-lane National Bowling Stadium.

Meanwhile, an advertising campaign promoting the area’s outdoor activities is aimed at a diverse array of tourists, including, for the first time, same-sex couples. “What’s your passion?” asks the campaign, which has nearly no mention of gambling.

(...)

“Reno has had it easy until recently because it had a monopoly on things that were illegal in the other states,” said Alicia Barber, a historian at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the author of “Reno’s Big Gamble.” “But now it’s facing tough questions for the first time. It’s like a child star that still wants the world’s attention.”

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/us/with-gambling-in-decline-reno-struggles-to-reinvent-itself.html?pagewanted=all

[Politicalboi]

1. They left out

Reno 911.

I liked that show. Maybe it got more real to life for some.

[Bette Noir]

2. I like the car museum.

Other than that, I detest Reno. There's nothing to do but gamble, and the whole city smells like old cigarettes. At least Vegas has museums, shopping malls, and shows. Better ventilation than Reno, too.

[TeamPooka]

3. Nice ads. Kind of like advertising that a hooker will also...

do the shopping, cook and clean for you.
Because you already know what the baseline service is.