For Staci Linklater and James P. Reza, living and working downtown truly meant coming home. The two Las Vegas natives who grew up near the center of town initially purchased a new home on the edges of the fast-growing city as the most economically feasible path to ownership. In the late 1990s after eight years in the suburbs, they returned downtown to open their first storefront, Globe Salon.

"We enjoyed our time in Summerlin, but it was a little like living on a movie set," says Reza. "Everything was brand new. But something is only new for a brief moment, and after that, you start looking at how people take care of the old."

Reza and Linklater spent 18 months looking at homes in various central neighborhoods, eventually buying their 1954 Mid-Century Modern Ranch home in McNeil Estates near Rancho and Charleston.

Reza, who helped launch Scope Magazine (now the Las Vegas Weekly) in 1992, was captivated by the manner in which other cities had reclaimed their downtowns as centers of culture and commerce. He made it his editorial mission to write about the potential of downtown redevelopment, a mission hyper-focused at Vurb magazine,  a short-lived urban living magazine that he and two partners published. He and Linklater shared the dream of a Las Vegas downtown that would once again be the vibrant shopping, business and nightlife district they recalled from their childhoods.

Finding a downtown spot for Globe Salon evolved from a dream to a mission. In July 2008, that mission was accomplished when a new Globe Salon opened in the retail base of Sam Cherry's Soho Lofts tower, near Las Vegas Boulevard and Charleston.

"It's been a crazy two years," says Linklater, who is the Salon Director. "The recession has affected every neighborhood and every business in Las Vegas, and ours are no different. But we live in a great neighborhood with old Vegas roots, and Globe Salon is now in an awesome downtown location with a dedicated, professional team who 'gets it'. That makes me happy to go to work every day."

Others have taken notice. In 2009, Globe Salon was named a "Salon of the Year" by Salon Today, and, in August 2010, Elle Magazine released its list of "America's Best Hair: Top 100 Salons." Globe Salon was on it.

"It's nice to be recognized for our ten years of effort," says Linklater. "But it's also nice to help create a tangible part of the rebirth of downtown, something so many others are doing as well. I love being able to walk a block or two and see art or have lunch, or bop down to East Fremont for a cocktail after work. I love being able to look out the salon's front windows every day and see downtown. I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if we were still in a strip mall."

Photo:  Staci Linklater and James P. Reza at home by Ryan Reason