Best of the City 2023: Henderson

Apr 06, 2024

Purists may have a bad feeling about this, but the Henderson Symphony Orchestra’s collaboration with Disney Concerts was for everyone else. The orchestra performed John Williams’ score for a screening of The Empire Strikes Back at Dollar Loan Center in a May the Fourth event attended by 3,000, many in costumes. Eschewing a lightsaber as a baton, music and artistic director Alexandra Arrieche conducted. The evening was a fun portal for their families to enjoy live music in a casual venue. PS | hendersonsymphonynv.org

Henderson’s family-friendly reputation is no coincidence — take its abundance of parks and other outdoor spaces. Perhaps the best-known, and tastiest, spot for kids — and kids at heart — is the Ethel M. Botanical Garden (ethelm.com), attached to the famous chocolate factory, which allows visitors to meander among more than 300 species of towering cacti.

Another all-ages favorite is Wetlands Park (clarkcountynv.gov). Bike one of the all-levels trails, visit the immersive exhibit gallery, or spend a quiet morning watching for herons, ducks, egrets, and songbirds around the streams of water that flow year-round.

And farther south, Boulder City’s Hemenway Park (bcnv.org/facilities) is a panoramic option for families hoping to interact with nature. The long drive is worth it: The park boasts spectacular views of Lake Mead (even in its depressingly diminished state) and roaming desert bighorn sheep you simply can’t see anywhere else. AD 

Aged meats are old news in Las Vegas — at least aged beef found at virtually every steakhouse on and off the Strip. But at his Henderson chophouse, Matt Meyer goes a few steps further, dry-aging not only beef (much of it sourced in Nevada) but also duck, pork, and fish, mellowing the flavor and drying the skin to promote crispiness (duck), adding a sort of beefy funkiness (pork) and concentrating flavor, maintaining moisture, and removing overly strong aromas (fish), rendering all three unlike any you’ve had before. HKR | 138restaurant.com 

We miss their wings with watermelon barbecue sauce, which were just the right balance of sweet and spicy, piquant, and tame. Still, these are the real thing (John McGinty himself hails from Buffalo, after all), meaty and shatteringly crisp, and they’re available in eight other flavors, including suicide and garlic-Parmesan. This 40-year-old Henderson spot with brick walls, a massive buffalo head, and sports on TV is also known for pizzas, burgers, subs and salads. HKR | johnnymacswings.com

The layout makes it more of a sanctuary than a spa. Throw in some bohemian decor, soothing sounds of the ocean, and the faint scent of jasmine, and this becomes the refuge you had been seeking. Enjoy the serenity of a massage package with aromatherapy and facial treatment before you inevitably return to the city’s hustle and bustle. BJ | thenowmassage.com/henderson

Nestled in our barren, arid valley is an oasis of luscious tropical greenery. The greenhouse features a diverse collection of flora and fauna, but this is so much more than your typical plant shop. Sheep bleat in the back, dogs frolic around, and koi fish (which are available for purchase) glide in the pond while you search for your new plant pick-up. And for anyone with a less-than-green thumb, Botany offers plant rentals and maintenance services. Plant lovers unite every month for the Half Moon Market, which features local vendors and community activities. BJ | botanylv.com

In one of Green Valley’s oldest strip malls, Desert Art Supplies has served the creative community for years. This supply depot long predates the mega-mart — the original location opened on Charleston Boulevard 66 years ago. Spools of canvas, rolls of velum, and papers of every imaginable weight and tooth fill the narrow aisles. Metal shelves explode with utensils for sketching, painting, drafting, printing, carving, and molding along with inks, paints, and dyes in a dizzying array of hues and chemical composition. You’ll find polymers, clays, and curious shapes and lengths of wood, metals, and plastic. While you won’t score a pair of socks or tonight’s dinner, you can walk out with a pica pole (look it up) and Letraset transfer type — while supplies last. SL | desertartsupplies.com