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Old 11-30-2013, 10:28 AM
 
50 posts, read 74,442 times
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and came away with two thoughts.

1. El Paso IS Mexican food. Wow. No other city even comes close.

2. You guys really have a traffic problem.
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Old 11-30-2013, 10:35 AM
 
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I found the Mexican Food excellent but thats about it. I saw alot of pan handlers and illegals selling water down town. Area by airport is a mess but some of the burbs were very nice.
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Old 11-30-2013, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Where I live.
9,191 posts, read 21,829,788 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by upswept View Post
and came away with two thoughts.

1. El Paso IS Mexican food. Wow. No other city even comes close.

2. You guys really have a traffic problem.
You got that right. My last trip through EP made me NEVER want to ever drive through there again. Ever.

I should have checked construction delays before I left northern NM, but I was in the process of moving, tired and had a lot of things on my mind.

So when I ran into the closure of Transmountain/I-10 in early October--that was a total surprise and worse nightmare. I got stuck in a long interminable line of trucks, it was hot as hell and it cost me probably an hour.

Then when I stopped for gas, I was pushed out of the way by two other drivers at two different pumps. One b***ch would have rammed me had I not let her have the damn pump.

I've been driving through EP for many years, and almost moved there in '95.

Now I may go the other route (a little shorter distance-wise, but a lot of trouble with slowdowns and lots of stops and turns) the next time up.....that was NOT fun.

Last edited by Cathy4017; 11-30-2013 at 11:12 AM..
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Old 11-30-2013, 07:57 PM
 
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I too just returned from a trip from El Paso for Thanksgiving and wow how things have changed!! I almost couldn't recognize the West side from Transmountain to the Interstate. Also the entire Woodrow Bean road in the Northeast in front of the Wal Mart I couldn't believe all of the changes they have made! Completely different than the last time I was in town. Still have to say though El Paso is a very nice town, and am already missing the weather and mountains now that I am home.
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Old 12-02-2013, 07:51 AM
 
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The weather is still nice. Yes that traffic has gotten beyond ridiculous. So many thousands of people have moved in, construction everywhere. Crowded housing subdivisions are going up everywhere you look.
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Old 12-04-2013, 02:07 PM
 
Location: TX
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The highways/freeways are being built too slow for how fast El Paso is growing....
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Old 12-05-2013, 02:01 PM
 
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Originally Posted by AJsMOM83 View Post
The highways/freeways are being built too slow for how fast El Paso is growing....
Oddly, freeways alleviate traffic temporarily but only add to congestion in the long-run. They encourage even further outward sprawl and are already hitting capacity by the time they are finished. It's sad to see that El Paso is getting toll-roads and connectors and loops, etc. They don't fix congestion, they cause it. Just look at Dallas. We have tons of complicated freeways and toll roads, and traffic is a nightmare because growth keeps getting pushed toward McKinney and the exurbs.
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Old 12-07-2013, 02:00 PM
 
47,525 posts, read 69,570,473 times
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Originally Posted by kidicarus89 View Post
Oddly, freeways alleviate traffic temporarily but only add to congestion in the long-run. They encourage even further outward sprawl and are already hitting capacity by the time they are finished. It's sad to see that El Paso is getting toll-roads and connectors and loops, etc. They don't fix congestion, they cause it. Just look at Dallas. We have tons of complicated freeways and toll roads, and traffic is a nightmare because growth keeps getting pushed toward McKinney and the exurbs.
Yes, I think you make a very good point. The central area of El Paso now seems to have many boarded up homes but the new subdivisions are miles from town and tons of drivers go from near Canutillo to the far east and northeast and vice versa.

For those people who moved here from Los Angeles or Houston, the traffic might seem normal but it used to be so much better. Bigger isn't always better. Sometimes bigger is just bigger and more congested, more hours spent in traffic, more time wasted, more fumes inhaled.
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Old 12-08-2013, 11:00 AM
 
2,258 posts, read 3,488,027 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute View Post
Yes, I think you make a very good point. The central area of El Paso now seems to have many boarded up homes but the new subdivisions are miles from town and tons of drivers go from near Canutillo to the far east and northeast and vice versa.

For those people who moved here from Los Angeles or Houston, the traffic might seem normal but it used to be so much better. Bigger isn't always better. Sometimes bigger is just bigger and more congested, more hours spent in traffic, more time wasted, more fumes inhaled.
Yup, agreed. Can't believe how many friends I talk to after buying houses, and the conversation goes along the lines of:

"Hey, so why'd you buy a house way out in the Eastside boonies when you work downtown/westside/etc?"

"Oh, we looked everywhere, but only found houses in whatever new subdivision"

Then I'm driving somewhere in central or Sunset Height and there are tons of beautiful bungalows and other homes just dying for a little cosmetic work to return to their beautiful selves, all with 'For Sale' signs posted up. I don't get it.

And I can guarantee with those new connectors built on Zaragosa/Montwood will only cause the sprawl to be flung out even further east.
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Old 12-08-2013, 02:32 PM
 
5,976 posts, read 15,232,526 times
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Default A case of 'The Grass Is Greener...'

Quote:
Originally Posted by kidicarus89 View Post
Yup, agreed. Can't believe how many friends I talk to after buying houses, and the conversation goes along the lines of:

"Hey, so why'd you buy a house way out in the Eastside boonies when you work downtown/westside/etc?"

"Oh, we looked everywhere, but only found houses in whatever new subdivision"

Then I'm driving somewhere in central or Sunset Height and there are tons of beautiful bungalows and other homes just dying for a little cosmetic work to return to their beautiful selves, all with 'For Sale' signs posted up. I don't get it.

And I can guarantee with those new connectors built on Zaragosa/Montwood will only cause the sprawl to be flung out even further east.
I would say 'White Flight', but not many whites to flee in El Paso in that area. I've seen it happen here in Houston. When I first arrived here, there was a part of town that was old, lots of old bungalows, Victorian's, Foursquares, just nice old houses. The area is called Montrose. The residents that lived here had long moved to the other newer and desirable neighborhoods... concrete foundations, larger lots/homes. The homes gave way to immigrants, mostly Latinos' and gays and lesbians. All that combined made it a seedy area, and many homes were abandoned.

Then gentrification set in; and because of the gay and lesbian community, the neighborhood became one of art. Lots of writers, artists and musicians moved in, the housing was plenty and cheap. New stores, bars and restaurants opened to cater to those folk, especially the gay and lesbian crows. It soon became the cool and hip area of town.

Not only was it hip, and always happening, it also had straight bars, and clubs, so it was a mix that everyone could live with, but more importantly, it bordered downtown Houston; it was next to the universities, the zoo, park and medical center. It was no brainer, this was a great location, and again, houses were cheap.

Then as part of the gentrification, people moved in the old homes, they fixed them up, but most were raised. New residents were more affluent, they were people who worked in downtown, or the medical center. The values of the homes increased, the density increased and even more restaurants and bars moved in.

The neighborhood is now one of the most sought after, and in the top four, or five most expensive neighborhoods inside the loop of the city.

The point is, this is how these things happen... it may take longer in El Paso, and you may be rolling your eyes, but if I were living there, I would buy up as many houses as I could afford and rent them out. If you are young, and in your twenties, buy 15 to 20 of these homes, rent them out for what it costs, plus a little more for taxes and in 20-30 years, you will have a monthly income of 30-40K. This plan works, trust me.
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