Maury Riquelme
Self-employed
I just walked through the downtown alleys by the casinos, and it smelled like garbage. It didn’t make me feel good. It reminded me of Portland! The best smell in Reno is the restaurants on the Riverwalk. The seafood place smells delicious. Also, the smell of beer—who doesn’t like beer?
Frank Korshoff
Computer-aided design drafter
The worst smell is when it’s hot, and the river is at its lowest. All the algae comes up, and it smells like you’re driving behind a farm-animal delivery truck. The best smell is Food Truck Fridays at Idlewild Park. I love the smell of Korean-fusion barbecue. My favorite is the smell of the shrimp skewers as they cook on the barbecue.
Meg Kent
Retired
The absolute worst smell in Reno is the smell of festering baby diapers that someone left on the sidewalk. I’m grateful that I don’t have babies. The best smell is that of a cannabis dispensary. It smells like my youth and reminds me of smoking weed down by the river.
Crystal West
Author/poet
The worst smell is people’s brains while they try to come at me. It smells like raunchy caca. The best smell in Reno is petrichor, the smell of the rain and the smell of the earth after the rain. It brings happiness to the table. Also, the smell of sonder: It’s the people who you see on the streets, when you and realize that they have a life, too, just like you do.
Lia Griffen
Government worker
The worst smell is the B.O. of the people at the airport—the stench of people who are getting off a plane after being stuck on the tarmac for a few hours. It reminds me of the smell of Burning Man. The best smell in Reno is lilacs in the springtime; it’s eternal. They were gorgeous this spring, just lovely.