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Have you or do you live in Las Cruces and did you/are you leaving - why? I'm more interested in hearing about why you left for personal choices rather than "got a job transfer" or "got married" or something. Was it local economy? The people? The local government? Comments, please.
I moved here over a year ago. I absolutely love New Mexico and the desert regions. I've lived most of my life in Western/Southwestern states. Hey, I started the "Why I Love Las Cruces" thread. But yes, there are other factors involved, and I'm beginning to contemplate leaving. I'm totally unsure at this point, so would appreciate any feedback. Please - no racist or degrading comments, as I (for the most part) enjoy the Hispanic culture and what it brings to the area.
When I moved here I had dreams of helping to bring the Downtown Mall back to life - it's not going to happen. I look at pictures of the downtown LC in the 50s and earlier, and it's so sad. What a loss. If you plopped that Downtown Mall in Portland, OR or San Francisco it would be HOPPING - bars, cafes, bookstores (hang on, Coas!), and various independent shops. In some places, pedestrian malls are a big hit - here everyone seems to flock to Walmart in their car and that's it. What kind of life is that?
Sometimes I get discouraged with the attitudes here toward nature, conservation, and sustainability. There's a lot of trash here (both literally and figuratively) and it gets me down. I try, in my own way, to make it nicer here, but I often feel overrun. That's probably the biggest roadblock for me. I moved here for the open spaces and temperate climate. If I could move away from the city or to a smaller town, I would. Maybe I'll find a way.
I guess I'm looking for some hope or encouragement. I feel I could bring a tiny element of positivity to Las Cruces - but if nobody cares, why bother?
Have you or do you live in Las Cruces and did you/are you leaving - why? I'm more interested in hearing about why you left for personal choices rather than "got a job transfer" or "got married" or something. Was it local economy? The people? The local government? Comments, please.
I moved here over a year ago. I absolutely love New Mexico and the desert regions. I've lived most of my life in Western/Southwestern states. Hey, I started the "Why I Love Las Cruces" thread. But yes, there are other factors involved, and I'm beginning to contemplate leaving. I'm totally unsure at this point, so would appreciate any feedback. Please - no racist or degrading comments, as I (for the most part) enjoy the Hispanic culture and what it brings to the area.
When I moved here I had dreams of helping to bring the Downtown Mall back to life - it's not going to happen. I look at pictures of the downtown LC in the 50s and earlier, and it's so sad. What a loss. If you plopped that Downtown Mall in Portland, OR or San Francisco it would be HOPPING - bars, cafes, bookstores (hang on, Coas!), and various independent shops. In some places, pedestrian malls are a big hit - here everyone seems to flock to Walmart in their car and that's it. What kind of life is that?
Sometimes I get discouraged with the attitudes here toward nature, conservation, and sustainability. There's a lot of trash here (both literally and figuratively) and it gets me down. I try, in my own way, to make it nicer here, but I often feel overrun. That's probably the biggest roadblock for me. I moved here for the open spaces and temperate climate. If I could move away from the city or to a smaller town, I would. Maybe I'll find a way.
I guess I'm looking for some hope or encouragement. I feel I could bring a tiny element of positivity to Las Cruces - but if nobody cares, why bother?
Well, jeez fnord...I'm sorry you are feeling so down in Thanksgiving. After a year in LC you might be feeling that transition from what you thought or dreamed LC and your place in it would be, to what IS. That can be troubling, I know.
The only thing that can save the downtown mall is to tear it down as fast as possible. It never worked, and only served to gut the heart of the town. It's gradually going to go away...but I wish it was happening sooner. When it's a downtown street again I think you'll see life spring anew there, as more folks find their way down there and more businesses spring up to both take advantage of increased traffic and also attract the people neccessary to make it fly.
I'll agree that LC is rough around the edges...Dona Ana is a very poor county and LC reflects that in many ways. And all the posh suburban type development doesn't really seem to have much effect on the city as a whole. But lots of good things are going on here, and more are on the way.
The new Bosque by the Mesilla bridge is going to be a great thing. If you're an art or photography person you might check out the new and quite amazing Preston Art Center just off Avenida de Mesilla Preston Contemporary Art Center It's a world class place, and just opened a few months ago. I'm looking forward to learning a lot more about digital photography there. There's nothing better in Santa Fe or LA.
Speaking of Mesilla (and I do, often ) you can catch films at the Fountain Theater that you can't even find in El Paso or Albuquerque.
I'm not saying there aren't plenty of disappointing things about LC...there are. The low standards set by most in the restaurant trade is one that gripes me. How can a town the size of LC have such few real choices (outside of enchiladas)? But, it's improving...slowly....but I still wish there was decent Thai or Chinese food here.
The fairly low level of culture sometimes gets to me...but I've realized I just need to look harder, try harder to find what pleases me, what I need. It's there...but requires a bit more effort and energy to locate it.
May I suggest that you're needing to dig into something more deeply? That the surface is wearing thin and is distressing you. It happens to me. Maybe find a group of people involved in something that interests you...dig in.
I'm generally very positive about LC/Mesilla, especially Mesilla cause I live there most of the year, but sometimes it grinds at me, too. Sometimes I need to sit back and remember what I liked and why I liked it here...and put some effort into rediscovering and expanding on that. What's good enough during that first interesting and exciting year isn't always good enough for year two and beyond.
I don't know you... I can't presume to tell you what to do...so I'm talking mostly about myself, but I wanted you to know that others struggle a bit with the same sort of feelings I sense in your post. And also to let you know there are ways and means to deal with it and get back on the positive side. Good luck and happy Thanksgiving.
Good points, tecpatl - and I have thought of getting more involved in activities here. There is actually quite a bit going on for such a small town and I suppose it's up to me to get out there. The area here is beautiful and the climate is what brought me here - it's just discouraging to go out for a bike ride and get honked at or have beer cans thrown at me. Or to take a walk and have men shout comments at me from their car and see trash strewn everywhere along the roadsides and see neighbors hitting their dogs with 5-gallon buckets. Sigh. Usually I'm pretty good at tuning out the bad side of things, but sometimes it's overwhelming and I just want to flee.
I better go re-read my post about Things I Love About Las Cruces...
I hope that if/when the Mall is gutted, two establishments are preserved: Coa's bookstore and Day's Hamburgers.
If I weren't a vegetarian, I'd be supporting Day's Hamburgers as well. Nonetheless, I hope they hang on.
No reason to gut the mall. Lots of worthy structures and spaces there - they just need the right tenants to move in. Some buildings even look like they could develop apartment units above the business. If I had the money and resources, I'd go for it.
Looks like they're finally tearing down some of the awnings near the south end of the Mall. Eyesores. I wonder if the Farmer's market would relocate if the Mall became non-pedestrian? One of the enormous expanses of parking lot could certainly be transformed into a park area to support a bi-weekly farmer's market.
Have you or do you live in Las Cruces and did you/are you leaving - why? I'm more interested in hearing about why you left for personal choices rather than "got a job transfer" or "got married" or something. Was it local economy? The people? The local government? Comments, please.
I moved here over a year ago. I absolutely love New Mexico and the desert regions. I've lived most of my life in Western/Southwestern states. Hey, I started the "Why I Love Las Cruces" thread. But yes, there are other factors involved, and I'm beginning to contemplate leaving. I'm totally unsure at this point, so would appreciate any feedback. Please - no racist or degrading comments, as I (for the most part) enjoy the Hispanic culture and what it brings to the area.
When I moved here I had dreams of helping to bring the Downtown Mall back to life - it's not going to happen. I look at pictures of the downtown LC in the 50s and earlier, and it's so sad. What a loss. If you plopped that Downtown Mall in Portland, OR or San Francisco it would be HOPPING - bars, cafes, bookstores (hang on, Coas!), and various independent shops. In some places, pedestrian malls are a big hit - here everyone seems to flock to Walmart in their car and that's it. What kind of life is that?
Sometimes I get discouraged with the attitudes here toward nature, conservation, and sustainability. There's a lot of trash here (both literally and figuratively) and it gets me down. I try, in my own way, to make it nicer here, but I often feel overrun. That's probably the biggest roadblock for me. I moved here for the open spaces and temperate climate. If I could move away from the city or to a smaller town, I would. Maybe I'll find a way.
I guess I'm looking for some hope or encouragement. I feel I could bring a tiny element of positivity to Las Cruces - but if nobody cares, why bother?
You are making judgments of other lifestyles based upon your own values. There are many whose culture is very different. You cannot expect them to fit into your neat little mold. You need to love and appreciate people for their differences and not make judgments based upon cultural bias.
If they do not think that conservation and sustainability and having a charming little walking mall downtown is important; and if you are not happy with that kind of environment then perhaps you need to move to Portland or San Fran. where there are people who share your ideals.
There is no right or wrong and I am not slamming your point of view or any one else's. It is just that all too often I have heard disparaging remarks about people when in fact, they are simply misunderstood.
You are making judgments of other lifestyles based upon your own values. There are many whose culture is very different. You cannot expect them to fit into your neat little mold. You need to love and appreciate people for their differences and not make judgments based upon cultural bias.
If they do not think that conservation and sustainability and having a charming little walking mall downtown is important; and if you are not happy with that kind of environment then perhaps you need to move to Portland or San Fran. where there are people who share your ideals.
There is no right or wrong and I am not slamming your point of view or any one else's. It is just that all too often I have heard disparaging remarks about people when in fact, they are simply misunderstood.
20yrsinBranson
Agreed, but the Downtown Mall is more or less a laughing stock amongst everyone who lives here. The city planners totally ruined what was once a lively center of commerce and the downtown core has been abandoned since the early 1970s. The root of the problem is the average person just doesn't care because there's a Walmart down the street, so they just go there. Walmart doesn't care either - they're making a fortune with the lure of their cheap products and cheap prices.
There's no misunderstanding here. Local attitudes and interests have proven that having a "charming little walking mall downtown" is less important than having a 100,000 sq ft retail box that crushes community commerce. That's just my observation, and change happens all the time.
If I weren't a vegetarian, I'd be supporting Day's Hamburgers as well. Nonetheless, I hope they hang on.
No reason to gut the mall. Lots of worthy structures and spaces there - they just need the right tenants to move in. Some buildings even look like they could develop apartment units above the business. If I had the money and resources, I'd go for it.
Looks like they're finally tearing down some of the awnings near the south end of the Mall. Eyesores. I wonder if the Farmer's market would relocate if the Mall became non-pedestrian? One of the enormous expanses of parking lot could certainly be transformed into a park area to support a bi-weekly farmer's market.
The pedestrian mall in LC has never worked...ever. Most businesses closed when it was built or gradually moved away afterward. Lots of new ones tried and failed. Despite the museums, etc located there, people just don't go there and never have. When the cheesy steel awnings and stuff are removed and it becomes a nice little old fashioned Main St. with sidewalks people will come back. I firmly believe that. People yearn for a place with individuality and personality, but when you go to a mall or strip center you can be in LC, LA, De Moines, Atlanta, Philly, Miami or whereever...it's all the same cookie cutter. A real heart of a real town will lure people back down there, and it will be a great opportunity for entrepreneurs.
I don't think many or any buildings are slated for demolition...there's already been too much of that. There will be space for the Farmers/Craft market, live performances, historical displays and more. I can't wait.
Do a little searching online for Las Cruces Downtown and you'll see plans and illustrations of what was, and what can be again.
You are making judgments of other lifestyles based upon your own values. There are many whose culture is very different. You cannot expect them to fit into your neat little mold. You need to love and appreciate people for their differences and not make judgments based upon cultural bias.
If they do not think that conservation and sustainability and having a charming little walking mall downtown is important; and if you are not happy with that kind of environment then perhaps you need to move to Portland or San Fran. where there are people who share your ideals.
There is no right or wrong and I am not slamming your point of view or any one else's. It is just that all too often I have heard disparaging remarks about people when in fact, they are simply misunderstood.
20yrsinBranson
Amen to this post!!!
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