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Reno's Rocking Midtown District

The center of Reno, Nevada, is crammed with unique shops and hearty fare.

Two chandeliers hang over Death and Taxes ornate black bar, image
Step up to the bar at Death & Taxes for an unexpected twist on your favorite cocktail.
Courtesy Underwood Photography / Death & Taxes

Stretching south from the excellent Nevada Museum of Art, the once sketchy district is now the heart of Reno’s revival, a creative corridor of shops, eateries, and colorful murals.

Natural Selection

The animal specimens, carnivorous plants, nautilus shells, delicate butterflies, and other oddities at this curiosity shop are as carefully curated as the 1920s music playing in the background. Learn about taxidermy or get tips on potting plants in the back studio.

Sundance Books and Music

The owners of Sundance Books and Music have filled every nook of the 116-year-old Levy Mansion with new and used books, CDs, vinyl, magazines, and more. With chairs in each room and a self-service espresso machine, the place encourages customers to curl up and relax.

Brasserie St. James

Southern and Old World flavors mix freely at this gastropub where favorites include buttermilk Dixie chicken and duck confit cassoulet with pork belly. Pair them with one of the award-winning brews, best quaffed on the rooftop deck at sunset.

Death & Taxes

At the stylish speakeasy, “spirits educator” Ivan Fontana crafts an outrageously good cocktail and then explains why your mouth loves it. Sign up for a bartending class and learn how to mix your own concoctions. 

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This article was first published in October 2015 and last updated in March 2022.