11.11.2012 - Entry #17: Northline in the Neighborhood - 236 North Virginia Street

Route from Cal Neva to 236 North Virginia Street

"All the old places from that era are disappearing. I guess nothing stays the same...Most people think this is an ugly town. I mean, that Harold's Club sign and the Nevada Club sign, they're beautiful to me. I don't know, but I really think they are." - Northline, Pg. 191

It's an open plaza now, the spot where Harold's Club stood. It's really just a place for people to loiter now, with no signs of the casino that used to be there. I choose this spot as my final destination because I wanted to get an understanding of what was going through Dan Mahony's mind. Reading that passage, I felt a sense of loss. The loss that comes with the changing of one's home- from what I understand, Harold's was a defining part of this city for many locals. It was a place that had withstood the test of time for many decades. And yet, as our society demands, the old must eventually make way for the new.

Harold's Club was demolished in 1999, over a decade ago. There are people alive today, including some of my peers, who remember its presence. For those that can remember, either fond memories or disdain are associated with it. Memories of either walks taken by it or food eaten within its walls, or disdain for its outdated appearance and hinderance upon the progress of the city.

For those of us who have never seen Harold's Club however, a sense of mystery overwhelms us. What was it like? Was it worth tearing down? Looking at that open plaza, I wondered what it would be like if it still existed. But more importantly, I wondered what it would've been like if I had been there when it was demolished. To see a building that you've known for your whole life be torn down in front of you would make someone feel incredibly old I imagine.

11.11.2012 - Entry #16: Northline in the Neighborhood - Cal Neva

Route from Eldorado Casino to Cal Neva

"The Cal Neva Top Deck restaurant re-hired her and when they did, she asked to be put on graveyard shift...The drunks were there, but a security guard and a manager walked the floor and together they made sure the customers stayed in line." - Northline, Pg. 90

I used to frequent the Terrible's Casino and Hotel back home with my family, especially whenever my grandparents came to visit. It'd be the same thing every time- we'd enter, walk through the somewhat occupied casino floor, go up the escalators, and get brunch at their buffet there or the cafe across from it where we were always served the same kind of food. It was comforting somewhat, despite the fact that I didn't particularly like my grandparents. It was the same thing with Grand Cafe at Sunset Station; at least once a week, twice a week this past summer, my family and I would drive head there around 2AM every night when my dad got off work from his other job at MGM for their late night steak & eggs special. We'd always sit at the same table, have the same waitress, and would generally order the same food.

That's the impression I have of the Cal Neva Top Deck Restaurant as described within Northline. Allison's descriptions of her regulars and her daily routine is resonates with my own experiences. The appearance of the casino fits well with the somewhat cheesy themes I'm familiar with. It's unfortunate that I didn't have the time to frequent the actual restaurant, but the outside appearance is enough to give me the impression of a place of a different kind of comfort food, familiar only to Nevadans and their casinos.

11.11.2012 - Entry #15: Northline in the Neighborhood - Eldorado Casino

Route from UNR to Eldorado Casino

"It was past nine and the two women left the Curt Vacuum office and walked towards the Eldorado Casino and its dessert buffet...The streets were nearly empty and they walked in silence." - Northline, Pg. 153

The first time I went through the Eldorado casino was when my friend and I parked in its parking garage during our visit to the Little Nugget Casino. As I went through it, I was reminded of the casinos downtown on Fremont Street back in Vegas. A place frequented by regulars instead of a crowd of new faces, its greatest appeal came from the rich food it advertised at low prices.

Tonight, as we drove by it on our route to view the Cal Neva casino and the location of the now demolished Harold's Club, the streets around it were just as empty as the night Allison and Penny walked it. The entire downtown area always seems to be this way though, this late at night. Reno's a city where people sleep at a reasonable hour, and the only people out in the streets past 9PM are usually only cops or people looking for a bit of trouble.

My impression of the Eldorado from Northline matches well with my impression of the Eldorado I've witnessed in real life. The area within it and around it are mostly barren, occupied with people with stories filled with more lows than I've experienced and shadowed with pasts shadier than what most would've liked. There's a reason why people are advised not to walk around downtown by themselves; it's easy for something bad to happen around there.

11.08.2012 - Entry #14: Northline in the Neighborhood - Little Nugget Casino

Route from UNR to Little Nugget Casino

"The one on Virginia, just down the street. The little Nugget. They have a diner in the back that has the greatest burgers, it's cheap, too. The home of the Awful Awful burger." - Northline, Pg. 120

The Awful Awful is a burger who's fans, both real and fictional, rave about. To many Reno newcomers, the Awful Awful is just one of those items that ends up on your, "Things To Do In Reno" list. While you can find it at the Wolf's Den near the University of Nevada, Reno, many locals to whom I've talked to will insist that the Awful Awful is best enjoyed from its original birthplace, the Little Nugget Casino.

First, true to its name, the Little Nugget Casino is indeed little. However, it wasn't as empty as described within Northline; in fact, it was pretty busy. Nor was it as hidden as it seemed; in fact, as evidenced by the many signs posted throughout the diner proclaiming its participation in "Food Wars" or "Burger Wars" its reputation seems to have expanded beyond local lore and is now a frequent destination for tourists. However, there's still a certain charm to it, a charm that only a place frozen in time can give off. The Little Nugget isn't like the big casinos of today, mutli-storied and filled with many modern accommodations. Nor does it fit with the sleek, modern style of recent casinos such as the Aria on the Las Vegas Strip. Its carpeting is old, arcade games outdated, and most importantly, it's cash only.

The burger is as cheap (for the amount of food given) and delicious as described however. Again, it's from a time that's separate from our current culture of quick, preservative-laden food. It's good food, made right when you order it not just reheated in a microwave and kept warm 'till someone wanders in and buys it. It's a burger that anyone who's spent time in Reno can be happy to have tried and proud to have consumed it completely.