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Taos, New Mexico
Taos, a stunningly beautiful mountain community located just north of Santa Fe, has earned a reputation for one of the country’s most captivating small towns. Although it is now known as a winter playground for its world-class skiing, and year-round getaway for the rich and famous, Taos retains its small-town feel while increasingly becoming an artistic hub. Santa Fe’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City has no doubt led to some spillover, but Taos’ beauty would attract artists despite outside influences. Majestic mountains, the kind of blue sky you only get at higher elevations (almost 7,000 feet – a good 1,800 or so feet higher than Denver and its “mile-high” moniker), and the desert climate all add to the traditional, Santa-Fe architectural style of the town’s center. The neighboring Taos Pueblo is a popular tourist destination and a designated National Historic Landmark.
(Credit: Andre Jenny/Alamy)
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Taos is indeed beautiful, it's got magic. Is this thread discussing Taos' beauty exclusively? Other NM towns & cities that are beautiful...
Las Cruces- The Organ Mountains are soem of the most striking mountain peaks I've seen anywhere, makes a stunning backdrop for Las Cruces.
Mesilla - Old Mesilla has a lot of charm, not overly refined though. Tiny little town with a nice plaza, a beautiful basilica church,and nice adobe homes surrounded by pretty farmland.
Albuquerque- situated on the Rio Grande valley with Bosques woodlands, the beautiful Sandias, the West Mesa with the volcanic peaks, this city was love at first sight for me.
Taking some time to think about this, I can't think of another town that qualifies as a "town" that is in a prettier setting than Taos, all things considered.
I'll toss into this pot Cloudcroft, which is rated as a village, not a town. It too sits in a spectacular natural setting with views that rival those of Taos. Cloudcroft is situated at 9,000 ft. and overlooks the Tularosa Basin to the west, with all that implies for spectacular sunsets year around. Driving the road from the desert to the village is another unique experience not to be missed.
Another dose of mass-media schlock, in my opinion. Forbes used to be a pretty decent journalistic magazine, but it is decsending more and more into the worthless "Best Lists" garbage that magazines like Money Magazine publish. Poorly researched BS, usually written by people who likely have never more than casually visited, if that, the places that they write about.
As for Taos, I consider it to have a very interesting history with some very significant remaining historical landmarks. Taos is in a pretty setting, but, by far, not the prettiest in New Mexico, in my opinion. All of that is, unfortunately, being overshadowed by it becoming, more and more, just another resort/suburbia spawled mess with a "strip" commercial district of the kind of American clap-trap development one can find just about anywhere. The sad thing is that they people writing these articles, like most Americans, are so used to seeing that ugly crap that they may think some town doesn't look "right" without it.
I don't think I'd use the word "pretty" to describe the beauty of any town in New Mexico. Our towns have grit, they can be starkly beautiful, stunning, colorful, earthy, surreal even, there is beauty in the austerity of the landscape. There is much more yang than yin.
I don't think I'd use the word "pretty" to describe the beauty of any town in New Mexico.
I'd say that about many neighborhoods, however.
I love looking around the neighborhoods surrounding downtown.
Their late 1800's early 1900's sprawl has turned into something nice.
I've recently had reason to ride my bike all around in Edo and love
the victorian - just like the Victorian a block over - that looks totally
different after all these decades and no rules like in the new suburbs.
If you venture along streets like Tijeras and Roma or Marble and Granite
from Downtown or RR tracks, you can find lots of pretty spots that make
you want to stop and look around.
Many valley locations along the old streets like 2nd, 4th, Edith are really pretty.
Other locations on those same streets are pretty industrial.
( Note how I worked the word "pretty" into that sentence? )
There are many blocks in the Ghetto and Nob Hill that
are pretty -- standing in one place -
and dumpy - standing just the next block down.
Ths can even be said of lots of non-historical neighborhoods in the NE Heights.
You could take a photo crew all through the neighborhoods of Albuquerque
and come out making the place look extremely pretty or just a total dump.
A lot of the views in the above neighborhoods and streets don't depend on the
Sandias or the volcanos to make them pretty. Some other neighborhoods do.
A good example is looking down Juan Tabo which below Montgomery is a strip.
It has a real nice view from around Montgomery - looking South - down many blocks.
When you drive up Menaul or Lomas in the late part of the day, as you get past
Eubank, the views with the mountains looming are quite nice.
Just about any view that has the three main volcanos in it will impress a visitor.
Another dose of mass-media schlock, in my opinion. Forbes used to be a pretty decent journalistic magazine, but it is decsending more and more into the worthless "Best Lists" garbage that magazines like Money Magazine publish. Poorly researched BS, usually written by people who likely have never more than casually visited, if that, the places that they write about.
As for Taos, I consider it to have a very interesting history with some very significant remaining historical landmarks. Taos is in a pretty setting, but, by far, not the prettiest in New Mexico, in my opinion. All of that is, unfortunately, being overshadowed by it becoming, more and more, just another resort/suburbia spawled mess with a "strip" commercial district of the kind of American clap-trap development one can find just about anywhere. The sad thing is that they people writing these articles, like most Americans, are so used to seeing that ugly crap that they may think some town doesn't look "right" without it.
Yahoo!
What a true and accurate description of Taos. It really isn't a 'town' anymore. It is a small city and should resign itself to be so. It is true about the sprawl and many strip malls on the south side of town. Maybe 20 years ago it was a nice town but now it is a nice small city with the problems that accompany it. Folks will argue but this isn't a quaint place anymore. If you ask the locals, they will agree. In 20 years or less, Taos will be like Santa Fe; more like New York or California. It's sad but that's how it is. Progress? I could pine for the good old days but then water wasn't so precious. The future scares me.
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