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I am an Albuquerquean, so I am coming somewhat with the "Albuquerque region" perspective, however, I am very familiar with the Middle Rio Grande coridor through Las Cruces/Anthony, and also Santa Fe.
What I love about New Mexico (the list is long and predominates my side of this):
-Sunrises/sunsets
-Uniqueness (culture, topography, history)...New Mexico is truly one of the very few truly "unique" states in the U.S.
-Size/variation...New Mexico is so large geographically, and is so diverse. The north has huge mountains with snow/pine-like climates, Los Alamos and Santa Fe are mountain cities with breathtaking views, Albuquerque-to-Las Cruces is largely desert with mountainous vistas and the Rio Grande, Carlsbad and Ruidoso are both beautiful and near each other but amazingly different, eastern New Mexico is more like the panhandle of Texas, etc. While other states vary here and there, overall state-wise they are generally much the same. New Mexico's difference between Angel Fire and Las Cruces is night-and-day.
-The ever-present sunshine
-The vast, bright blue skies
-The food! (New Mexican cuisine is hard to beat)
-The laid back nature of residents in the state
-Sandia Peak (and the Sandias being so near the city)
-Albuquerque's and Las Cruces' near-perfect year-round weather with seasons
-The dry air...very few mosquitoes...in elevations 5,500 feet and lower (from Albuquerque down) generally very little snow (except for this past Dec-Jan!)
-The summertime intense, dry heat
-Albuquerque's springs...they come very early (start seeing blossoms and blooms in late Feb/early March) and stick around a while.
-The golf courses!
-Albuquerque International Sunport (perfect size, and that it is named the "Sunport")
-Green and red chile
-Open, quiet, amazingly beautiful, sometimes "haunting" drive, hike, and run opportunities
-The ability to be outdoors almost every day of the year - winter, spring, summer, and fall
-The less materialistic, less frentic nature of people
-The architecture
-Old Town in Albuquerque and Isotopes' Park in Albuquerque
-The ABQ Int'l Balloon Fiestas (and corresponding breakfast burritos and hot chocolate on crisp mornings)
-The aroma of pinon wood burning
-Cacti
-Roadrunners (my out-of-state friends are intrigued at these creatures)
-The Pit
-The unique restaurants
-Low property taxes
________________________________
What I don't like about New Mexico:
-Albuquerque's recent "big government" attitude / city council
-Rising house prices in Albuquerque and Las Cruces (and insane prices in Santa Fe)
-Not many lakes/rivers (although...that is what makes much of the state desert, and that is what provides the perks like the blue skies, sunshine, dry air, etc.)
_________________________________
Overall...New Mexico is one of the best places you could hope to live in the U.S., in my opinion.
I feel the best thing about New Mexico are the places that most people don't know about. I'm talking about back-country hiking. A great place to go is Apache Box. This is a canyon located just five miles from the Arizona border, and the nearest "town" is Mule Creek, which is near Cliff, which is near Silver City. I recommend this area only to the more experienced hikers because it's not so family-friendly. There are no trails, and the drive out there is even hard to find. Pretty much the only you might find it is if you or someone else you know who can tell you the exact directions has been there.
I am an Albuquerquean, so I am coming somewhat with the "Albuquerque region" perspective, however, I am very familiar with the Middle Rio Grande coridor through Las Cruces/Anthony, and also Santa Fe.
What I love about New Mexico (the list is long and predominates my side of this):
-Sunrises/sunsets
-Uniqueness (culture, topography, history)...New Mexico is truly one of the very few truly "unique" states in the U.S.
-Size/variation...New Mexico is so large geographically, and is so diverse. The north has huge mountains with snow/pine-like climates, Los Alamos and Santa Fe are mountain cities with breathtaking views, Albuquerque-to-Las Cruces is largely desert with mountainous vistas and the Rio Grande, Carlsbad and Ruidoso are both beautiful and near each other but amazingly different, eastern New Mexico is more like the panhandle of Texas, etc. While other states vary here and there, overall state-wise they are generally much the same. New Mexico's difference between Angel Fire and Las Cruces is night-and-day.
-The ever-present sunshine
-The vast, bright blue skies
-The food! (New Mexican cuisine is hard to beat)
-The laid back nature of residents in the state
-Sandia Peak (and the Sandias being so near the city)
-Albuquerque's and Las Cruces' near-perfect year-round weather with seasons
-The dry air...very few mosquitoes...in elevations 5,500 feet and lower (from Albuquerque down) generally very little snow (except for this past Dec-Jan!)
-The summertime intense, dry heat
-Albuquerque's springs...they come very early (start seeing blossoms and blooms in late Feb/early March) and stick around a while.
-The golf courses!
-Albuquerque International Sunport (perfect size, and that it is named the "Sunport")
-Green and red chile
-Open, quiet, amazingly beautiful, sometimes "haunting" drive, hike, and run opportunities
-The ability to be outdoors almost every day of the year - winter, spring, summer, and fall
-The less materialistic, less frentic nature of people
-The architecture
-Old Town in Albuquerque and Isotopes' Park in Albuquerque
-The ABQ Int'l Balloon Fiestas (and corresponding breakfast burritos and hot chocolate on crisp mornings)
-The aroma of pinon wood burning
-Cacti
-Roadrunners (my out-of-state friends are intrigued at these creatures)
-The Pit
-The unique restaurants
-Low property taxes
________________________________
What I don't like about New Mexico:
-Albuquerque's recent "big government" attitude / city council
-Rising house prices in Albuquerque and Las Cruces (and insane prices in Santa Fe)
-Not many lakes/rivers (although...that is what makes much of the state desert, and that is what provides the perks like the blue skies, sunshine, dry air, etc.)
_________________________________
Overall...New Mexico is one of the best places you could hope to live in the U.S., in my opinion.
Once again EnjoyEP proves as to why he is the most POSITIVE Poster and my Favorate on the New Mexico and West Texas Threads. The New Mexico Tourism Dept would do well to hire you !! Keep up the good work !!
I don't think there are lots of negatives other than way too much drunk driving and the crazy speeding drivers.
The other things it doesn't have are just my preferences but not what I would call negatives. I've discovered that I'm more of a big city girl and I just don't get that from Albuquerque even though there are so many really nice things about New Mexico.
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