Things I Love About Las Cruces (Roswell, Clovis: city hall, renting, mobile home)

[fnord]

There is endless banter about why Las Cruces sucks, and while I can agree with many of the complaints it's rare to hear the good side or positive thoughts. Here are some things I can quickly come up with, please add to the list. If you want to turn it negative, start a new thread - I'll probably post in that one, too.

-- I love the aroma of roasting green chile in August. My neighbors two doors down have a roaster and the smell permeates the neighborhood.

-- I love that I am renting a 3BR house with a large yard just south of downtown for $450/mo.

-- I love the movie selection at the downtown (and only) library in town. I borrow four DVDs a week, for free. It would take me years to exhaust their selection.

-- I love hearing the neighbors play Mexican mariachi music when I'm working outside on the weekends

-- I love the clear, cool summer nights when I can leave all my windows open to air out the house

-- I love the bargains and unique items at Big Daddy Flea Market, and that
I usually have to speak Spanish to communicate with vendors

-- I love the unique cloud formations over the Organ Mtns (called lenticular clouds)

-- I love the wide open spaces outside of town and the lack of human contact when exploring various hiking trails

-- I love seeing tractors driving on major city streets

-- I love being able to drive out to use the shooting range, for free, and nobody is there

-- I love having so many beautiful geographical areas within close distance (White Sands, forest, City of Rocks)

-- I love the farmers markets and all the surrounding farmlands

-- I love the mix of Mexico/America (I'm probably alone here)

-- I love the summer monsoons

-- I love the preserved history and adobe structures in downtown Mesilla

-- I love the levees along all the irrigation canals as they provide excellent routes for bicyling without having to deal with the car traffic (that I don't love)

-- I love Coas bookstore and support them as much as I can

-- I (mostly) love that there is really only *one* of certain things (eg: one Thai restaurant, one homebrew supply store, one Indian restaurant) It makes decisions so much simpler.

What am I leaving out?

[domino]

Before anyone else says it . . . I love the hot summer days!

[TigerLily24]

I love your list

I also love the mix of cultures. It feels uniquely 'American' to me.

I love that movies stay in the theaters a long time here.

I love that the library has all the fiction books in one section arranged in alphabetical order by author - new, old, classic, fantasy, mystery, whatever - all shelved together.

I love the nativity that sits on top of the Billy the Kid gift shop at Christmas time - totally incongruous, but, perfect somehow.

I love that things are accessible and affordable - shows at the Rio Grande Theater, exhibits at the art museum...

I love that you can drive all around the city in very little time.

I love the hot summer days.

[clairz]

I love hearing Spanglish spoken

I love going to basketball games at NMSU

I love looking up at the Organ Mountains, even if they do look like the painted backdrop for an old cowboy movie

I love the smell of fireplace fires in the winter

I love the plaza in Mesilla when it's decorated for Christmas

I love the celebration of los Dias de los Muertos

I love hot summer evenings just after the sun goes down

I love sitting out on the patio of a restaurant, drinking cervezas, looking across the river and up at the mountains and listening to the birds

I love the smell of rain in the desert

I love thinking about moving back there again someday (but I'm a little worried that our lists will make everyone else want to move there, too)

~clairz

[anomoly]

First, let me congratulate and thank fnord for starting a positive thread like this. Good job!
I've been considering Las Cruces for quite awhile, after 3 years travelling around in my RV. I love So. NM, and have been idling in TrC since October, until I figured out exactly when and where I want to settle.

I am buying a "Park Model" here in TrC, and plan to move it to Las Cruces in a couple of months. Park Models are large living trailers that arent intended to be moved around (as opposed to a travel trailer), yet more mobile than a 'mobile home'.

So, my job now is to spend some serious time investigating Cruces, in terms of RV/trailer parks, good/bad areas, and everything else I have to look forward to in Cruces. This thread will be an asset to me, and I recognize some of the posters here, and enjoyed your postings in other threads.

Just wanted to add that I 'repped' fnord for starting this thread, especially noticing he/she is a new member to CD forums, and I encourage others to acknowledge new members who make City Data such a great place.

Do you all live in Las Cruces? I will be looking forward to more of your thoughts here.
Thanks, fnord, and everyone else for giving just what I needed--at just the right time!

[desert sun]

I love the mix of people there and the Mexican/New Mexican feel of the city

I love the palm trees and all the other desert plants

I love the size of the city,small enough to feel like a small town but had most everything you need

I love the smell and feel of the air.

If I were to leave Abq,Las Cruces is the first place in NM I would go.

[terra nova]

Im glad I found your thread. I may be moving to Las Cruces. I live in Denver. I'm tired of snow and being in gloomy cold all winter long. Tell me more. How many health food stores are there? I need to find out all I can.

[uforoswell]

After 3 years in NM, (relocated from Sacramento CA) I can agree that there is much to love about this state. I ended up in Roswell because my pro list was much longer than my con list. However, in 3 years both lists have grown substantially. Last weekend was my first visit to Las Cruses (3 hour drive and $160 in gas) and it was worth my time and money (also did some shopping at Lowes). Has everyone reviewed CLC’s web site. It is the best organized official city web site in the entire state. I love everything about the Roswell environment and struggle with everything about City Government here. I have already talked with LCL city personnel and there seems to be a more positive attitude. LCL is also going through some progressive changes and I like what I have found. The new city hall downtown will continue to re-vitalize that area of the city and the new propose swim center will also be downtown and that too will continue to improve the inner city. Under all this love for the city, it probably has its issues like any other city, but it appears to me that it is growing in a good direction.

[clairz]

I've been thinking a lot about this thread because even though I live in eastern NM right now I'm a big Las Cruces fan. Here are some more things I love about LC:

...shopping! I'm not even a shopper but I do like to shop in Las Cruces. I love the funky places along Picacho (they'd still better be there). We bought a crazy chicken cabinet from Mexico there that we've dragged all over with us ever since.

...more shopping! All the little shops down in Mesilla, and especially that wonderful book store with all the little nooks and crannies.

...that great vegetable and fruit store [somewhere in the middle of town] where we used to fill up several bags for only $10--all kinds of produce, including a bunch of stuff we didn't recognize.

...sitting on that dirt road at the base of the Organs and watching the sunset. Then dragging our eyes away from the incredible sky to find we were surrounded by curious cattle.

...driving up to "A" Mountain at night to look at the stars.

...going to that strange butcher with the sharp teeth to buy the most incredible meat we've ever had, before or since.

---eating at Peppers Cafe in Mesilla, sitting by the fountain and gazing at the bougainvillea growing up against the skylight.

...appreciating the choices represented by the different residential areas--from brand-new subdivisions to the tree-lined streets of Mesilla Park to the lovely older adobes down in the Alameda.

...doing business at a well-organized, friendly, and efficient Motor Vehicles department (sorry, Clovis).

...living in an open-minded environment where people are accepted even though they might be different (sorry again, Clovis!!!).

...driving to work before the sun has come up over the top of the Organ Mountains, hearing the sprinklers going, and smelling the incredible morning air.

...flowers blooming in February (sorry, New Hampshire).

~clairz

[anomoly]

Originally Posted by clairz

All the little shops down in Mesilla, and especially that wonderful book store with all the little nooks and crannies.
Yes, I'm craving interesting shops! Not just 1 or 2 open 3 days a week!
...sitting on that dirt road at the base of the Organs and watching the sunset. Then dragging our eyes away from the incredible sky to find we were surrounded by curious cattle.
Ahh, we appreciate the same silly things!
...going to that strange butcher with the sharp teeth to buy the most incredible meat we've ever had, before or since.
...yup, same sense of humor!
...appreciating the choices represented by the different residential areas--from brand-new subdivisions to the tree-lined streets of Mesilla Park to the lovely older adobes down in the Alameda.
..I love diversity of all kinds!
~clairz

Had to pick a few favorites that made me laugh and look forward to moving!