Quote:
Originally Posted by malamute
Did you visit during those 19 years being away?
If not -- what was your first impression when you first came back?
It sure got big didn't it! For me that's not a positive, I liked it smaller and think it was better smaller.
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We came through town twice during those 19 years but spent time with friends and didn't really look around much.
First impressions? In some ways its just the same but in some others, its like El Paso has moved up a weight class.
The traffic is much thicker than before and the congestion reminds me of Phoenix, Albuquerque, or Vegas. People are still very friendly and will go out of their way to help you and it (thankfully) hasn't taken on the attitude you find in bigger cities like Phoenix.
The drive over Transmountain is as beautiful as ever and I'm glad to see Chico's Tacos is still going strong. There seem to be brand new schools, hospitals, and libraries just about everywhere, not to mention block after block of new homes stretching west and east. I've been travelling through other parts of the country recently where the tension and unease over the economic situation is palpable but not in El Paso where its an island of positive growth.
The new retail space on the far east side looks like Scottsdale and the new ballpark is a great addition (can't wait to go to some games). We've only been back for three days so we still haven't seen all the growth at UTEP, downtown, out to see some live music, or in the new Northeast.
I just wish we had known about the Miner's b-ball game last night!
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