re: Anyone here been to Reno or Sparks for something other than gambling?

I wouldn't go only there for vacation. That said, it's a pretty good place to live. If you're just looking at the downtown, yes, it's junky compared to Vegas. And it's a bit of a cookie cutter suburban area. That said, it's just a really good jumpoff point to do a lot of outdoor activities, and much cheaper than Tahoe or most places in California (though Californians came in and ran up the house prices about ten years ago because it was so cheap). San Francisco is only like 3.5 hours away, too.

I can't speak to Sparks, but there are some really nice neighborhoods on the south edge of town, just off Mt. Rose Highway.