East of the Airport is where all the cool auto shops are at. Summit racing warehouse is there, bunch of hot rod shops. Keep going more east and you run into Tire Rack and the Tesla Gigafactory
Most of Reno is a very modern suburban city now. Downtown is where the seedy stuff is. If you stay on McCarren blvd which circles the city thats where most of the restaurants and stores are located. Head south to Carson City for a nice drive, Virginia City east of that for a fun drive. Truckee and Tahoe are 30 minutes away too. Lots of super nice homes strewn about the hills.