Is Las Cruces my kind of town? (Albuquerque, Santa Fe: apartment, theater)

[happychappy]

Hi all! I have been reading through all of of the posts here, and wow, what a helpful forum.

I am from Seattle and have lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life, and I love it. However, next year I'm graduating from college and looking for a change. From what I've read here and from surfing the net, Las Cruces seems like my type of place, but I wanted to run a few things by you all! Sorry if a few of these questions are similar to others already posted here.

1. Is Las Cruces good for young people, not just university students? Not just in terms of bars/music/nightlife, but is it easy for a young person who hasn't grown up in NM to make friends here? (I am 22 years old and consider myself a pretty friendly individual!) Also, I'm interested in moving to a place where people don't take themselves too seriously...sometimes the pretentious-hipster vibe of Seattle can grate on me a little bit...what is the general "feel" of Las Cruces?

2. I am interested in working with immigrants and refugees, and Spanish-speaking populations in general. Being from Seattle, the Hispanic/Latino population is not as prevalent as in New Mexico. I wanted to find opportunities to utilize my Spanish, either in a volunteer or paid position. Are there ample opportunities working with these populaions in Las Cruces?

3. I LOVE the outdoors, but being from Seattle I am a little bit of a whimp when if comes to the heat! Do you think the transition would be unbearable for someone from a humid, very green climate?

Thanks for your help!

[funkymonkey]

First off, you definitely need to visit first to decide if this is the place for you.

Also, I'm interested in moving to a place where people don't take themselves too seriously...sometimes the pretentious-hipster vibe of Seattle can grate on me a little bit...what is the general "feel" of Las Cruces?

In general it is very laid back, there is very little pretentious-hipster vibe going on.

There is a pretty big university so there is a lot of young people. After college, though, many leave the area due to lack of jobs. I imagine making friends would be as hard/easy as anywhere else.

2) I imagine it wouldn't be difficult to find something in this genre.

3) I think you were as hot as we were this summer! I would imagine the humidity-dryness factor would be a bigger difference for you. It is generally hotter here, but it's also much drier so doesn't necessarily feel as much hotter. After your first summer or two you'll adjust.

[ApartmentNomad]

I have no first-hand experience of Las Cruces (so some people probably would say I shouldn't be commenting at all, which is an understandable position), but from what I've seen and heard, there's not all that much to do there that would offer an opportunity to meet and make friends. (People often talk about going to El Paso for this or that.) Have you considered Albuquerque? It sounds like it might fit your needs better. You would still have an unpretentious town with a large Hispanic population (including immigrants, etc.), but there's more going on here (which to me is a factor in how easy it is to make friends, though perhaps others wouldn't see it that way). Also, the climate in Albuquerque is somewhat less extreme than what you would find in Las Cruces (although moving from Seattle to anywhere in New Mexico is going to be a big change in climate conditions, obviously). If heat is a concern, you might want to look at the northern part of New Mexico, although the choice tends to be between small towns where it might be hard to meet people or Santa Fe, where I'd say the pretentiousness factor is a little higher (and where the cost of living is undoubtedly higher).

Visiting is a good idea too. Maybe you will fall in love with Las Cruces. Maybe you will find you hate New Mexico in general. Who knows?

[TigerLily24]

Originally Posted by ApartmentNomad

I have no first-hand experience of Las Cruces (so some people probably would say I shouldn't be commenting at all, which is an understandable position), but from what I've seen and heard, there's not all that much to do there that would offer an opportunity to meet and make friends.

I never understand where this perception comes from. There are all sorts of things to do here that provide the opportunity to meet people and make friends. Some examples:
Volunteering - a resounding 'yes' to the OP's point #2
Attending church regularly - several of the churches here have services geared towards college-aged people
Getting involved with local politics, conservation groups
Attending classes
Joining a gym
Playing a sport
Participating in community theater, chorus, etc.

People are extremely open and friendly here. If you truly want to find people with like interests, you will find them.

[happychappy]

Thanks all of the responses!

Yes, I think it is definitely a good idea to visit...for some reason I have this very romantic idea of NM in my head, even though I have never been there. I was also considering checking out the law school at UNM in Albuquerque, so maybe I can make a trip of it. It is a little overwhelming and exciting to be graduating from college and have so many options ahead of me, hoping I pick the right one! Actully visiting the state might dispel some of my romantic visions of the Southwest and narrow things down a little bit....

I will also have to make a point of trying all of the food I've heard so much about, this definitely could be a make-it-or-break-it factor for me.

[tecpatl]

It won't be like your romantic visions (what is??)....but it's a nice place.
You can get used to the sunshine...as my sister-in-law from Portland OR has discovered. She won't let a winter go by without spending at least a few weeks in Mesilla. Summer might tax you a bit...but its far more comfortable than Phoenix/Tucson/Palm Springs type heat.
Come visit and good luck.

[funkymonkey]

Definitely check out Albuquerque as well. You may find that it fits your needs better than Las Cruces. Then again, it might not. The only way you'll know is to visit both.

[Xpat]

If you don't like extreme heat and want easy access to the wilderness, try Albuquerque, Flagstaff, or someplace along the Wasatch in Utah.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by happychappy

I am from Seattle and have lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life, and I love it. However, next year I'm graduating from college and looking for a change. From what I've read here and from surfing the net, Las Cruces seems like my type of place,

You really need to come visit.


Rich