Moving 'cold' to Las Cruces-Have lots of questions :-) (Mesquite: environment, relocation)

[jaroodude]

Hi, I have to say this is one of the coolest forum's I have seen anywhere! And am I glad because I have lot's of questions about Las Cruces and I hope someone knowledgeable might help.

I am moving to Las Cruces; hopefully at the end of this month. At the very latest by the end of December. I am coming in "cold", that is I have never been there, I have no friends or family in Las Cruces. I have no job, no where to live yet and little money. Oh and I'm towing my 16 year old son with me. So as you might imagine I have lots of questions I need answered so I can make a responsible and relatively painless move :-)

I don't suppose everyone will be able to relate to what I am trying to do, moving into Las Cruces on the "cheap" but any advice or ideas you are willing to share would be appreciated very much.

Priorities are:

A. Ideally: Arrange a cheap place to live (if even temp or to share) so we have a space when we arrive and I have somewhere to ship our stuff ahead of us. If I can't arrange a space to live before getting there, a storage facility in a neighborhood close to where we are going to arrive, so I can ship stuff (a small pick-up loads worth) ahead of us and get to it easily after we find a place.

More permanently a cheap (reasonable) rent for a one or two bedroom place in a lower income area, within walk/bike to Mexican markets, some walmart type stores (is this asking to much :-) video, barber, liquor, 99cent, etc. Near bus routes... Mi hijo y yo hablamos español (well he does anyway, I still struggle :-)

B. My son in school. I am disabled so I don't have a vehicle. We're coming by bus. So I am looking for a neighborhood which is close to a high-school (and ideally close to the vocational/tech high school also.

D. Work. They say that Las Cruces is growing quickly and that there is work there. So that's why I am moving. I'm a jack of all trades (really:-) from computers to washing machines, sales & customer service to writing policy & procedure manuals, construction/manufacturing to knife sharpening, labor or kitchen. Don't care about a rate as long as its enough to maintain an apartment :-) I'm kinda old and have given up empire building years ago :-) Now I would like to enjoy my mundane life, watch my kid build his and not sweat the bills for all the "stuff" every month :-)

Where's the greyhound bus station located? Is that a good neighborhood to consider moving to?

Is there some type of work in Las Cruces, where you show up and they hire you? Or what type of work would be the easiest to get and which neighborhood would it be in?

Is Las Cruces very good for selling stuff ? (ala garage sales, swap meets, etc.) Craigs list looks a bit under untilized. Is it a good place to buy used stuff (TV, washer, pots n pans, etc)

Thanks for your consideration,

Jared

[domino]

Las Cruces is not an expensive place to live, and I'm sure you could find a job with little effort. However . . . I think transportation will be a big issue. Las Cruces is spread out, so to find a high school, Greyhoud bus, Walmart, job, and affordable apartment all within walking distance may be a challenge. Public transit is extremely limited. Is a bicycle an option?
Greyhound depot is downtown.

[jaroodude]

Originally Posted by domino

Las Cruces is not an expensive place to live, and I'm sure you could find a job with little effort. However . . . I think transportation will be a big issue. Las Cruces is spread out, so to find a high school, Greyhoud bus, Walmart, job, and affordable apartment all within walking distance may be a challenge. Public transit is extremely limited. Is a bicycle an option?
Greyhound depot is downtown.

Domino,
Thanks for the quick response. Sounds very encouraging. I will check out the locations of school, bus routes, walmart and downtown and that should ruffly define some areas to consider. One of the problems I have is I don't know the neighborhood names and character. Do you know where I can get info like that? Otherwise I will try to get back with areas and the streets they are bordered by.

Affordable rent, centrally located near whatever bus route there is, I suppose would be the highest priority. Walmart isn't critical :-) That's one of the reasons I like lower income areas, as they generally contain lot's of small business' providing all kinds of services to the neighborhood. As opposed to some neighborhoods which are designed around cars and driving 2-3 miles to larger centralized shopping centers and stores.

Bicycle is very much an option. Riding has been my #1 mode of transport for over 3 years. Someone told me that being on a bike is not nearly so severe a stigma in Las Cruces as in some other places (like where I live :-( in Arizona) That the city is actually encouraging people to ride by building paths and promoting the idea. I noticed a person riding a bike in a photo on the City's promo brochure on the website.

Jared

[tecpatl]

Jared.... before answering any of your questions I have one for you: Why, why, why would you pick up and move somewhere you've never even visited? Please, do yourself a favor and come over from AZ for a few days and take a look. Especially if you're bringing a 16 yo along.
LC is a fine place if you ask me, and I think you'll probably like it. A wide variety of housing choices in all (rent or purchase) price ranges, but if you want cheap and close in I'd probably suggest looking in the Mesquite district. It's a barrio that encompasses the original town site and has some modest historic adobe homes mixed with newer housing. It is also a neighborhood with a scattering of stores and restaurants, mostly locally owned in both cases. It's also very near downtown, but you should know that downtown LC is not exactly like most other downtowns. It hardly exists, thanks to a foolish urban renewal plan a few decades ago. A pedestrian mall was built and the Main St. closed off, which just about killed all the businesses down there. The stupid mall idea is currently being torn down and the street reopened, but that's going to take a while. There are a few shops and galleries, a butcher, the city museums and what is probably one of the very best used bookstores in the country: COAS Bookstore. The library is also pretty close by, so if you like to read that will be a good area for you. There's a bit of gang activity in Mesquite, but folks I know there say it's being handled pretty well by the LC police. One area for you to consider, anyway, and I think you'll find rents to your liking there.
LC is pretty friendly to bicycles, if all drivers are not quite so accomodating. There is a bus service, Roadrunner, that can get you around.
If you like to buy and sell old stuff there is a weekend flea market out on highway 50, but not one in town. There are also estate sales and garage sales to buy stuff for your house at cheap prices. The town is a bit spread out, so you might consider buying a car, even if just for occasional use.
As for jobs, wages are generally low for labor type jobs but there's lot of work for someone responsible and educated people, more the better.
Good luck!

[jaroodude]

tecpatl,

My apologies for the delayed response, things have been crazy here.

Thanks for the great post, its very helpful. I really appreciate you taking the time and effort to create an on target response. It's generated many more hours of productive research for me and I am honing in on the specifics at a rapid rate. Before long I might even have a clue what I am going to do and how and when I'm going to be able to do it :-)


Jared.... before answering any of your questions I have one for you: Why, why, why would you pick up and move somewhere you've never even visited?


Oh, its a long, sad story, one I hope to chronicle some day after I have a happy ending for it :-) But in a word; money... I realize there is a "best" and most "responsible" way to do things and unfortunately that's often the most expensive way. I this case I need to do things as cheaply as possible :-(


Please, do yourself a favor and come over from AZ for a few days and take a look. Especially if you're bringing a 16 yo along.


It's funny I feel like I already know quite a bit about Las Cruces. My ex-wife and I researched moving there 25+ years ago. I was sorry we didn't move then and doubly so now! The more I look into Las Cruces the more I like it. And many of the things I am finding out are beyond the pale of the civic boosters. I have a unique set of criteria and requirements that I judge by and Las Cruces is coming up roses in virtually every category!


LC is a fine place if you ask me, and I think you'll probably like it.


If you like it I am certain I will :-)


A wide variety of housing choices in all (rent or purchase) price ranges, but if you want cheap and close in I'd probably suggest looking in the Mesquite district.


Bingo! That's what I needed to know. Mesquite it is :-) This information has allowed me to ask area specific questions to the people I speak with. I can map out distances to schools, stores etc.

I am having a spot of trouble determining how people shop for rentals there. Its not craig's list. The local paper doesn't seem to have online ads for rentals. Is there a local pennysaver type rag that people use. Just how is it someone would go about finding a rental in Las Cruces? Can it be done on the lower end of the market remotely? Or do I need to be there and look for signs posted?


It's a barrio that encompasses the original town site and has some modest historic adobe homes mixed with newer housing. It is also a neighborhood with a scattering of stores and restaurants, mostly locally owned in both cases. It's also very near downtown, but you should know that downtown LC is not exactly like most other downtowns. It hardly exists, thanks to a foolish urban renewal plan a few decades ago. A pedestrian mall was built and the Main St. closed off, which just about killed all the businesses down there. The stupid mall idea is currently being torn down and the street reopened, but that's going to take a while. There are a few shops and galleries, a butcher, the city museums and what is probably one of the very best used bookstores in the country: COAS Bookstore. The library is also pretty close by, so if you like to read that will be a good area for you. There's a bit of gang activity in Mesquite, but folks I know there say it's being handled pretty well by the LC police. One area for you to consider, anyway, and I think you'll find rents to your liking there.


Sounds like a little slice of heaven. I once lived in a city that had one of the best used book stores in the country, so I'll be right at home there :-) Library is a huge plus!


LC is pretty friendly to bicycles,


This is important to me, socially, environmentally, politically and physically. Speaks extremely well for Las Cruces!


There is a bus service, Roadrunner, that can get you around.


More plus'! And at 50 cents the fares are downright civilized compared to the $2-3 dollar range of most large cities.


If you like to buy and sell old stuff there is a weekend flea market out on highway 50, but not one in town. There are also estate sales and garage sales to buy stuff for your house at cheap prices. The town is a bit spread out, so you might consider buying a car, even if just for occasional use.


Thank goodness for garage sales :-)


As for jobs, wages are generally low for labor type jobs but there's lot of work for someone responsible


This is the primary mover for me. The community I live in is rather insular and if you are outside of the expected norm (like you ride a bike) you're not going to work, simple as that.


and educated people, more the better.


I really, really like that there is a major (and well regarded) university down the street.


Good luck!

tlazocamati!

Jared

[nm_photojournalist]

You should be able to find more suitable information at this website.

Relocation Las Cruces NM New Mexico, Moving + Jobs - City Guide

Good luck with your move.

[jaroodude]

Originally Posted by nm_photojournalist

You should be able to find more suitable information at this website.

Relocation Las Cruces NM New Mexico, Moving + Jobs - City Guide

Good luck with your move.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the resource!

Jared

[tecpatl]

I hope I've been of some help to you. There is a weekly paper the Las Cruces Bulletin, that might also have some rental listings, but if the Sun News doesn't have For Rent classifieds online you might have to just show up and look. There are some pretty cheap motels along Picacho Ave west of Valley that have weekly and monthly rates for their rooms and efficiencies.
I understand you might have some reasons that preclude a pre-move visit to LC, and didn't mean to imply that you were clueless or something for not doing so. We all do what we can.
Good luck in your move and your new life. Bienvenidos a Las Cruces!
Tecpatl

[jaroodude]

Tecpatl,

Thanks for your help, it's great! And no I didn't make up any implications in your post. I took it to mean you were concerned and trying to be helpful. I appreciate it.

My research goes well. There are some great resource available. I'll tell you one thing; the city of Las Cruces website is one of the best I have ever seen! No kidding. They do a bang-up job of presenting useful information. You can tell they care about it and work really hard at it :-)

Thanks again for your help!

Jared

[DesertPeace]

Originally Posted by jaroodude

Hi, I have to say this is one of the coolest forum's I have seen anywhere! And am I glad because I have lot's of questions about Las Cruces and I hope someone knowledgeable might help.

I am moving to Las Cruces; hopefully at the end of this month. At the very latest by the end of December. I am coming in "cold", that is I have never been there, I have no friends or family in Las Cruces. I have no job, no where to live yet and little money. Oh and I'm towing my 16 year old son with me. So as you might imagine I have lots of questions I need answered so I can make a responsible and relatively painless move :-)

I don't suppose everyone will be able to relate to what I am trying to do, moving into Las Cruces on the "cheap" but any advice or ideas you are willing to share would be appreciated very much.

Priorities are:

A. Ideally: Arrange a cheap place to live (if even temp or to share) so we have a space when we arrive and I have somewhere to ship our stuff ahead of us. If I can't arrange a space to live before getting there, a storage facility in a neighborhood close to where we are going to arrive, so I can ship stuff (a small pick-up loads worth) ahead of us and get to it easily after we find a place.

More permanently a cheap (reasonable) rent for a one or two bedroom place in a lower income area, within walk/bike to Mexican markets, some walmart type stores (is this asking to much :-) video, barber, liquor, 99cent, etc. Near bus routes... Mi hijo y yo hablamos español (well he does anyway, I still struggle :-)

B. My son in school. I am disabled so I don't have a vehicle. We're coming by bus. So I am looking for a neighborhood which is close to a high-school (and ideally close to the vocational/tech high school also.

D. Work. They say that Las Cruces is growing quickly and that there is work there. So that's why I am moving. I'm a jack of all trades (really:-) from computers to washing machines, sales & customer service to writing policy & procedure manuals, construction/manufacturing to knife sharpening, labor or kitchen. Don't care about a rate as long as its enough to maintain an apartment :-) I'm kinda old and have given up empire building years ago :-) Now I would like to enjoy my mundane life, watch my kid build his and not sweat the bills for all the "stuff" every month :-)

Where's the greyhound bus station located? Is that a good neighborhood to consider moving to?

Is there some type of work in Las Cruces, where you show up and they hire you? Or what type of work would be the easiest to get and which neighborhood would it be in?

Is Las Cruces very good for selling stuff ? (ala garage sales, swap meets, etc.) Craigs list looks a bit under untilized. Is it a good place to buy used stuff (TV, washer, pots n pans, etc)

Thanks for your consideration,

Jared

Dear Jared, We are doing the same thing, and I too am disabled,my hubby works in hotels.Our hearts say that NM is the place to go and Las Cruces is our chioce too.Listen to your heart.Joanne