Pioneer Meadows - Sparks, NV

Sparks’ roots began in the early 20th century. The Southern Pacific Railway Company chose to build a station east of Reno to accommodate more travelers hoping to move out West. Previously in Wadsworth, the station set up in Sparks, where railroad workers lived for years as the population in the city slowly grew. Sparks locals, along with those in Pioneer Meadows, appreciate their town’s distinct identity.

The Sparks Museum and Cultural Center displays a schoolhouse and an old-time steam locomotive back from when Sparks still functioned as a railroad town. Pioneer Meadows locals interested in art go to downtown Reno to view a few art galleries, such as A an Art. Both the Sparks Marina and John Ascuaga’s Nugger, Sparks’ large casinos, put on regular events and festivals year-round.

People in Pioneer Meadows, located between Spanish Springs and Sparks, have a few options when they decide they need a drink or food out in the neighborhood. Most popular restaurants north of Reno center on Sparks and the Los Altos Parkway commercial area, which houses diners, grocery stores and more. Most eateries feature Chinese, Mexican and American food, and a few breakfast places draw in regular morning patrons.

Squeeze In, a breakfast joint on the western edge of Sparks, serves large portions of omelets, pancakes, bacon and more. Squeeze In has a few locations around Reno and Truckee as well, and the restaurant distinguishes itself with its interesting names of original plates like the Quintana Foo and the Manly Morris. Try a healthy Skinny Rednecker, or go for Rigo's Spanish Benedict for a zesty spin on the eggs Benedict.

Pizza fans like to visit True NY Pizza off Vista Boulevard to get some takeout or simply enjoy a New York-style pizza. Hungry patrons love the stuffed meat pizza for a monster meal worthy to fill anyone's stomach. Make sure to taste the garlic knots, a well-appreciated side that many pizza lovers need to have with their New York pizzas.

Many Chinese restaurants can be found scattered around the Sparks area, but locals rave about China King, close to Pioneer Meadows, for the walnut shrimp and the crispy chicken. Those who need a filling lunch come in for the Mongolian beef lunch special, complete with rice and an egg roll.

Those looking for drinks in Pioneer Meadows travel to Sparks to a few pubs and bars. Blind Onion Pizza & Pub serves up pizza as well as drinks, and Great Basin Brewing Company serves its own drafts for everyone's tastes. Residents can head downtown to see live bands regularly at Davidson’s Distillery or enjoy a truly impressive array of beer and whiskey with fresh popcorn at Ceol Irish Pub.

The easiest way to get around Pioneer Meadows, Spanish Springs and outer Sparks proves to be driving. Residents who don’t own cars out in those neighborhoods find themselves at a big disadvantage, since Washoe County’s RTC Ride does not travel up to many of those neighborhoods. Residents who live near Wingfield Hills Road can walk to a few restaurants, but most of them need to drive to get anywhere significant.

Renoites and Sparks locals find Pioneer Meadows to be several miles away from Highway 395. Most people in the area take Pyramid Highway, or Highway 445, to go south to Reno and Sparks or north to Pyramid Lake. The relative isolation of Pioneer Meadows allows for easy parking in the neighborhoods.

Bicycling can be an alternative to driving in some parts of Pioneer Meadows. The flat roads and bike lanes allow cyclists to get some exercise in good weather or to ride to shopping plazas, but the hot weather and long distances make it somewhat impractical.

Most residents don’t have many transit options outside of biking and driving. RTC Ride provides services to central Sparks, but not to many areas outside that neighborhood. Pioneer Meadows inhabitants can benefit from taking a cab, but lack ridesharing options such as Lyft and Uber.

People in Pioneer Meadows benefit from life in open land, and a few parks nearby accentuate the feeling of living in Nevada nature. Sports fans love Golden Eagle Regional Project, a public works project featuring baseball and softball fields, as well as a large football field. Visitors can hold sports tournaments or other gatherings at Golden Eagle, where they can enter for free. People cannot bring their dogs inside, but they can take them on a walking path outside the gates.

Another close and popular park to Pioneer Meadows, Sparks Marina, gives locals a chance to play near a large lake. Swimming, windsurfing and sailing become popular activities in the summer near Sparks Marina. Others choose to walk around the park with their dogs, or bring their pooches to the dog park to run around. Sparks locals go to the marina for its yearly Adventure Day events, as well as charity barbecues.

Sparks, like Reno, has a bit of a higher cost of living than the national average. Though public transit does not run up to Pioneer Meadows, locals can expect to pay $2 for a one-way bus trip out of Sparks Marina. Drivers in Pioneer Meadows typically pay 4 percent more for a tank of gas than the national average.

A one-bedroom apartment in Pioneer Meadows costs, on average, about $880 a month to rent. A beer drinker in Sparks pays about $3.50 for a typical glass.

Pioneer Meadows locals generally do the bulk of their clothes shopping at Outlets at Sparks, where they can also catch a movie at the IMAX theater or eat a meal at one of the restaurants. Stores include Gap Factory Store, Vans Outlet, Banana Republic Factory Store, and LOFT Outlet.

One of the closest boutiques to Pioneer Meadows, The Niche Boutique displays accessories, trendy clothes and home decor items for a French Country style. Sparks shoppers like to stop by the store to see the new, ever-changing styles. Toy collectors and anime fans like K/D Empire on Pyramid Way, where they can buy Japanese action figures and other hard-to-get toys.

Pioneer Meadows inhabitants have a few choices of grocery stores. Raley’s, Walmart, Grocery Outlet and more stores sell food items and produce for reasonable prices in Nevada. Some residents favor specialty grocers such as Carniceria Samber, a Mexican store that sells traditional ingredients, as well as meals prepared in the grill at the back.

Most farmers markets in Reno sell organic produce, cheese, honey, gifts and other specialty items. The Village Center Farmers Market and the Sands Farmers Market downtown cater to healthy eaters and other interested shoppers with a variety of homemade goods.