Reno has a compact clutch of big casinos in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada. It has a reputation for being a 'poor man's Vegas,' but while in some ways that shoe fits, we're here to set the record straight: Reno is so much more. Beyond the garish downtown, with its photoworthy mid-century modern architecture, neon signs and alpine-fed Truckee River, sprawls a city of parks and pretty houses inhabited by a friendly bunch eager to welcome you.