The patio of the Chapel Tavern in Reno, Nev. New lounges, gastro pubs, craft breweries and cocktail bars in the Midtown District represent a continuation of a boozy nighttime tradition and a break from Reno's seedy past.

As Nevada’s second city, Reno was once a boomtown of gambling, vice and quickie divorces. The city struggled as tribal casinos proliferated in neighboring California in the past decade, sapping the demand for just-across-state-lines slot machines and blackjack tables.

Never as cosmopolitan as its “Biggest Little City” motto suggests, Reno has long had a night life dominated by second-rate casinos, strip clubs and the diviest of dive bars. Those days, however, are disappearing.

Nowhere is that change more apparent than in the Midtown District, a modest neighborhood south of downtown where a half-dozen lounges, gastro pubs, craft breweries and cocktail bars have recently opened. This Midtown, as such, has existed for only a handful of years. Previously, the district was known as the Bungalow District for its many small Craftsman homes.

The making of this new Midtown was the work of the small-business owners behind Midtown District Reno (midtowndistrictreno.com) — vintage boutique, hardware store and tattoo parlor owners. Another group, the Creative Coalition of Midtown (creativecoalitionreno.com), was started this year to host events and bolster the area’s creative community.

“It has taken off,” said Amber Solorzano, a 31-year-old artist and coalition co-founder. “We saw a hole, with the Midtown growing so fast, and it becoming a place where people want to be, where people want to live, where people want to come to hang out.”

At the top of Midtown and one block east of the area’s main artery, South Virginia Street, 3-year-old Old Granite Street Eatery (243 S. Sierra St.; 775-622-3222; oldgranite streeteatery.com) is an advantageous starting point for an evening out. The weekday happy hour includes the restaurant’s entire list of craft beers, a well-considered selection of wines by the glass and a menu of satisfying three-for-$10 small plates.

Brasserie Saint James (901 S. Center St.; 775-348-8888; brasseriesaintjames.com) opened in a nearby historic building in 2012. Its massive, high-ceilinged interior has been converted into a microbrewery with a roof deck that’s hard to resist on a clear desert night.

On first glance, Craft Wine and Beer (22 Martin St.; 775-622-4333; craftreno.net) is, in essence, a glorified liquor store. With a 9 p.m. closing time, a bedroom-size walk-in beer refrigerator and wooden bins of wine from around the world, Craft is more bottle shop than bar. But this being Nevada, the usual rules don’t apply, and this shop is actually both.

For something stronger, walk south to Chapel Tavern (1099 S. Virginia St.; 775-324-2244; chapeltavern.com). There’s a lively pool table and a D.J. station for late nights, but more than anything, Chapel is an enthusiast’s cocktail bar.

A bit more affected, Death and Taxes (26 Cheney St.; 775-324-2630) is the newest project by the owner of the popular Midtown Eats restaurant. The bar is dark, with elaborate chandeliers and superb drinks — and the stiff prices and aloof service to match.