1. Still the 'Biggest Little City in the World'

Not too big. Not too small. That accurately describes Reno. We get the luxury of big-city living (plenty of events and festivals to attend) without the downside of traffic, pollution, overcrowding, etc.

2. Reno's four seasons

Look, it's snowing! Look, it's raining! Look, it's 80 degrees out and sunny! You can't put a price on having all four seasons of weather (sometimes all in the same day!). We get to taste all of the seasons without being overwhelmed by any of them.

3. Do you like sitting in traffic?

Nobody likes that. I have no idea how people spend two hours a day bumper to bumper idling in a car. Good thing we don't have to do that. Almost any Point A to point B in Reno-Sparks you can get back and forth one-way in less than 35 minutes. For most people, the commute is way less than that.

4. No State Income Tax

And, did I mention no state income tax?

5. We have Water!

If you've lived somewhere without a lake or river nearby you realize how important those things are. We, fortunately, have both. The Truckee River, resurgent after a wet winter, is downtown's centerpiece, with a beautiful kayaking park anchoring the Riverwalk District. If lakes are more your thing, we have one of the world's best. Lake Tahoe might not technically be one of the seven natural wonders of the world but it has to be close. People travels hundreds of miles to get to Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. We only have to travel 45 minutes to get there. Throw in Pyramid Lake and we have a trifecta of great water locations.

6. An event a day keeps the doctor away

We might not have an event a day, but we certainly have at least one cool event a week. We have Artown, Hot August Nights, Street Vibrations, the Reno River Festival, the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off; the Great Balloon Race, the Reno Rodeo, the Great Eldorado BBQ, Brews and Blues Festival, Burning Man, the Italian Festival, Food Truck Fridays, the Barracuda Championship, the American Century Championship, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Genoa's Candy Dance, the Virginia City International Camel Races ... I could go forever. Throw in the Pioneer Center, Nevada Museum of Art, Greater Nevada Field, the National Automobile Museum, Animal Ark, Discovery Museum, V&T Railway and the National Bowling Center and there are more events than weekends.

7. The Sunsets

Here's one thing I've learned over the years: everybody thinks they're a better photographer than they actually are. But you could be one of the world's worst photographers and still get a great shot of a Reno sunset. We get a majestic mix of purples, pinks, blues, reds and oranges on a nearly everyday basis. They are easy to take for granted but these sunsets rarely exist in other places. Sometimes I literally sit on my back patio at night and just stare at our great Northern Nevada sunsets (which might actually be a sad commentary on me).

8. Ski, fish, hike, golf, repeat

Houses are nice, but the outdoors is nicer, and Northern Nevada is one of the few places where you can ski (water and/or snow), fish, hike and golf all in the same day. Most people are lucky if they get to do one or two of those activities in a weekend. You could hit all four in the same day if you live in Reno without any trouble. Throw in great mountain biking and there are few places in America that offer the kind of outdoor recreation that we enjoy. 

9. An entrepreneurial spirit

Reno was once known for casinos and quickie divorces and for some it is still viewed that way, but that's so 1980s. In recent years, the town has become more defined by its entrepreneurial spirit and quirkiness, thanks in part to the development of midtown. After all, we do have a 164-foot climbing wall attached to a hotel in downtown. What other city does that? The addition of Tesla will only help create more innovation and UNR's Innevation Center - a collaborative space created to stimulate invention, entrepreneurialism, small business and startups - should be a big boon in that regard, too. Reno is a place you can come and build something unique and great. And did I mention no state income tax?

10. The University of Nevada

The state's flagship institution is a nationally ranked Tier I college and somewhere you can be proud to send your children. There aren't many campuses more beautiful than Nevada's. A number of Hollywood films were set on UNR's campus in the 1940s-50s because it was an idyllic, movie-quality location. That hasn't changed. The brick buildings - both those build decades ago and those added in recent years - are what you think of when you imagine Ivy League schools.