Making sense of the Las Vegas Valley can be a daunting task. Most of us have “Las Vegas” on our mailing address, but not everyone lives within the official city limits — and the names of smaller towns and neighborhoods are barely referenced unless you’re scrolling through Google Maps. With that in mind, let’s see if we can figure out Sunrise Manor and what it’s all about.
⛰️ Where Is It?
Sunrise Manor is east of the Las Vegas Strip, defined by boundaries that brush up against the Boulder Strip, Nellis Air Force Base, and Frenchman’s Mountain.
🏘️ How It Came to Be
The area’s population boom was fueled by the construction of Boulder Highway, connecting Railroad Pass (near the Hoover Dam) to Downtown Las Vegas and the presence of the Las Vegas Army Airfield, which later became Nellis.
North Las Vegas planned to claim the territory as its own, but the move was blocked by Clark County and Sunrise Manor was formed in 1957, although it remains technically unincorporated to this day.
👀 Iconic Landmarks
Until a second one is built in Lone Mountain, Sunrise Manor has the only Las Vegas temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s also home to Las Vegas High School, the oldest continuously operating high school in Southern Nevada. The current campus opened in 1993, although the original Downtown location dates back to 1930 and is now the Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts.
🎰 Things to Do
Sunrise Manor is a diverse mix of residential and business areas with older, well-worn parks and golf courses sprinkled in. The southwest border includes locals-friendly casinos Boulder Station and Sam’s Town, but oddly enough, not Arizona Charlie's, even though all three are on the Boulder Highway.
Hiking the Frenchman Mountain is described as an endurance test, but the camel-like double summit is a unique point that offers views of both the Strip and Lake Mead. It’s beauty worth preserving and a movement is underway to designate the mountainous terrain as the East Las Vegas National Monument.
😋 Places to Eat
Game On is one of the newer additions to Boulder Station. The sports bar has a clean, wide-open layout and a few surprises on the menu like Shepherd’s Pie and sliders with horseradish mayo. The Angry Butcher is an underrated, approachable steakhouse in Sam’s Town, just steps from Mystic Falls — a free attraction so cool, even punk rockers love it.
Craving Filipino food? You’ll enjoy the BBQ bites of Oming’s Kitchen and the combination of sweet and savory dishes at PhilHouse inside the Island Pacific Market.
🙏 Long-Term Challenges
The area has struggled with crime and was one of the hardest hit areas in Vegas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Eastside Cannery still hasn’t reopened after the 2020 lockdown. A few years earlier, Sunrise Manor considered merging with Whitney to form the incorporated City of East Las Vegas, but the idea never gained traction.
- Could the approval of the East Las Vegas National Monument make a difference? [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
