Want to move to NM, but not sold on any cities (Albuquerque: smog, crime)

[GreatSantaFe]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

I am a retiring New York teacher ( 64 days) . I have always wanted to try Santa Fe. But, Las Cruces sounds nice, too. Is there a big difference in ambience , style and price between the two ? Yes, right? Santa Fe is a lot more exdpensive. Is Las Cruces as charming, though? Would you recommend that I rent first or just plunge in and buy a small condo (and how much would they cost , would you think) . Thanks for any help.
nancy

Nancy - IMHO, and as a NYC native who has lived all over the country, I think you would prefer the charm, culture and beauty of the Santa Fe area, as well as its proximity to Albuquerque and its events/shopping/airport.
(Yes, I'm partial - you'll no doubt hear from ex-New Yorkers who are equally passionate about Las Cruces) There are affordable homes within the Santa Fe city limits, but if you don't mind being, say, 20 minutes from the historic Plaza (viewed by many as the central "mecca" of Santa Fe), you can find lovely houses on an acre or more of land with great views for reasonable prices - that is in the $400K range and up. Condos in SF city start in the high $100Ks and go up to whatever you want to spend - all depends on the neighborhood, proximity to the Plaza, amenities, size, etc. If you want, you can check out my website http://www.greatsantafe.com and search for condos yourself to see what's available....
New Mexico's a great place to live. Enjoy the process of researching and dreaming!

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by InTheDesert

We have TWO large cities in the entire state, that's it, take it or leave it.

Two? We barely have one.

[Pipeweld]

He thinks NM. people are boring ! The best I know of that came from Minnasota was The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and that was 30+ years ago. You talk about boring, Sven you want to go ice fishing or what. LOL!

[santafescribe]

I am a retiring New York teacher ( 64 days) . I have always wanted to try Santa Fe. But, Las Cruces sounds nice, too. Is there a big difference in ambience , style and price between the two ? Yes, right? Santa Fe is a lot more exdpensive. Is Las Cruces as charming, though? Would you recommend that I rent first or just plunge in and buy a small condo (and how much would they cost , would you think) . Thanks for any help.
nancy[/quote]


I agree: rent first. Even if you rent in Santa Fe and end up buying, your knowledge of the different areas will make a huge difference in the quality of your ultimate buying decision. As to pricing, you can get a nice 1 bed (450 sq ft) condo here for $140,000 - or a nice 1 bed condo for $800,000! Just like everywhere else, it's all about location - the closer you are to the East Side the more you'll pay. Realistically nowhere in town's more than 25 minutes from anywhere else, but once you see the phrase "walk to Canyon Road", you know you'll be paying premium prices... Me, I prefer being close to Trader Joes & the Santa Fe Baking Company than art galleries, but that's a personal preference ;-]

[Steve Hazzard]

Originally Posted by goon

I've always had a sort of longing to live in the desert, in NM in particular, but I've never been sold on any of its cities. I visited Albuquerque and there was absolutely nothing going on, and the people were not at all interesting. Santa Fe seemed a little better, but still pretty quiet.

Understand that I am coming from Minneapolis, Minnesota - a place overflowing with talented musicians and artists. Walking down the street in Uptown is an adventure. Always something new to see and do. I don't need to be in a place as big as Minneapolis/St. Paul by any means. In fact I like small towns, as long as there are things going on.

Anyone particularly fond of any specific cities?

IMO, you should check out Tuscon AZ, it's still a "wild west town" in many respects. Here is a page link to the Tuscon forum:
Tucson Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

[Pintada Kid]

The East Mountain area is my favorite for Activities and Summer Recreation throughout the Summer and Fall. And its Close to Smog Ridden and Traffic Congested Santa Fe and Albuquerque. These Cities are nice to Visit and Shop but they are getting too crime ridden and i prefer the country life. The East Mountain has cool summer temps sometimes getting the 40s at night but rarely get to 100 in July. Lots of hiking trails and ski areas around and lots of small towns and friendly people. And Talented Musicians and Artist. el pintada kid

[Sailaway50]

Originally Posted by Pintada Kid

The East Mountain area is my favorite for Activities and Summer Recreation throughout the Summer and Fall. And its Close to Smog Ridden and Traffic Congested Santa Fe and Albuquerque. These Cities are nice to Visit and Shop but they are getting too crime ridden and i prefer the country life. The East Mountain has cool summer temps sometimes getting the 40s at night but rarely get to 100 in July. Lots of hiking trails and ski areas around and lots of small towns and friendly people. And Talented Musicians and Artist. el pintada kid

This sounds like a lovely place. Is there a website we could go to for more info?

[santafescribe]

Smog Ridden Santa Fe? I don't think so, Pintada Kid - you need to check your facts. As to crime-ridden, again, it's not South Central LA we're talking about here.

To answer Sailaway50's question, the place Pintada Kid's talking about is at Disney.com | The Official Home Page For All Things Disney ;-}

No, really it's East Mountain Towns - A Sense of Place - Albuquerque's Environmental Story

[Sailaway50]

Originally Posted by santafescribe

Smog Ridden Santa Fe? I don't think so, Pintada Kid - you need to check your facts. As to crime-ridden, again, it's not South Central LA we're talking about here.

To answer Sailaway50's question, the place Pintada Kid's talking about is at Disney.com | The Official Home Page For All Things Disney ;-}

No, really it's East Mountain Towns - A Sense of Place - Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Thanks.

I agree -- there's crime/smog and there's CRIME/SMOG. I don't believe I ever thought of Albuquerque or Santa Fe as either, compared to a large city.

[casden]

Here's a couple of websites about the East Mountain Area (including the Estancia Valley - which slightly overlaps the East Mountain Area around Edgewood).

Albuquerque East Mountains Homes and Land

EVEDA Virtual Tour - The Estancia Valley