Retirement in Silver City? (Las Cruces, Deming: property taxes, housing, rent)

[WyoRetiree]

I've been reading all the chatter for a few months now and I am beginning to think Silver City may be the place for my wife and I. Its got all the good stuff like a good hospital, university, museums, art, etc. Even though I now live in Wyoming (Jackson - don't even start on me) I originally came from SoCal and really enjoyed outdoor gardening. Pictures I see of Silver City look like all sagebrush and junipers. What can I look forward to growing in this area?
I also enjoy woodworking, but would love a school that offered classes on same for adults. Anything like that in the area?

[Cali-girl]

Originally Posted by WyoRetiree

I've been reading all the chatter for a few months now and I am beginning to think Silver City may be the place for my wife and I. Its got all the good stuff like a good hospital, university, museums, art, etc. Even though I now live in Wyoming (Jackson - don't even start on me) I originally came from SoCal and really enjoyed outdoor gardening. Pictures I see of Silver City look like all sagebrush and junipers. What can I look forward to growing in this area?
I also enjoy woodworking, but would love a school that offered classes on same for adults. Anything like that in the area?

Hello!

I would put Silver City in the same CA zonal category as Pinon Hills, Tehachapi, Bishop, and to a lesser extent, the Antelope Valley (west-end out by Quail Lake). Sunset magazine has a very reliable zone map for home gardeners that may help you out. You didn't specify vegetable gardening or ornamentals, but Sunset is a good reference for both. Not sure at all about woodworking, but you may want to contact Hobby Lobby in Las Cruces and see if there is a hobby group you can join.

~Cali-girl

[catman]

Silver City sounds great for me to retire in, but I fear that too many people know about it now.

[hopefaith]

I'm also interested in hearing about Silver City and Deming in New Mexico for possible retirement. Currently live in southern Calif which is too expensive and extremely crowded. Impt factors for me to know would be the crime stats and if the people are friendly.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

[rilke]

I've lived in Silver City for the last 15 months and on the whole find it a great place. I find the people to generally be some of the most genuinely friendly I've encountered. Housing prices have increased substantially over the past few years (like most everywhere), but are still much lower than other retirement hotspots in the West. Decent homes start around $150,000. If you can afford $200,000, quite nice options become available. My mother is in the process of buying a nice 1,800 sqare foot home with good views on two lovely forested acres in town for $225,000. There are significantly cheaper towns within 15 minutes of SC, but there would be quite a trade off when it comes to charm and appeal. Property taxes are very low. My taxes this year on a $120,000 house were $400.
I believe there is a higher than average property crime rate, but on the whole the town feels very safe and unaggressive. In a nicer residential area, crime shouldn't be much of a concern. There is a significant amount of poverty and a methamphetamine problem, but these wouldn't cause the average retiree any worries.
Silver City, like all of New Mexico, is heavily Hispanic. I've noticed very little racial hostility, and everyone seems to get along just fine. Most of the Hispanics have been in the area a long time, and nearly everybody speaks fluent English. Otherwise, the town isn't especially racially diverse. There are very few Asians and African-Americans.
In my opinion, SC has some of the best weather anywhere. Today for instance was around 60 and sunny. Like anywhere in the inland West there are big temperature differentials between night a day. Tonight will probably be around 30 degrees, and lows into the mid-teens can be expected a few times per year. There are generally a few mild snowstorms per year, but most of the snow tends to melt off by the afternoon. Summer highs range from the mid-80s to the upper-90s. A few days above 100 are possible. The temperature extremes work out well in the summer, though. A day that's 95 will probably cool off into the upper-50s at night. Summer is the rainy season. It is generally welcomed ,and much needed.
The landscape around Silver City is very beautiful, if you have a taste for the high desert. The area to the south of the city is very barren but to the north it becomes quite lushly forested (for a desert). There are millions of acres of National Forest and Wilderness around the area, which makes for excellent hiking and camping possibilities. The choices are more limited if you love the water. What people around here refer to as the lake, to me appears to be a big green pond. And that's still an hour's drive away. My point of comparison is Lake Tahoe, however, since I grew up in Reno.
For a town this size, there are good medical facilities. For very specialized care one would likely need to go to Las Cruces or El Paso. Shopping is a bit limited, and many people take monthly trips to Las Cruces (around a two hour drive) to stock up on things. This is by no means a necessity, though. All the basics are available here.
Middle-class jobs tend to be lacking, but this shouldn't be such a concern to a retiree. The town as a whole tends to be left-leaning politically, with quite a few older activists and ex-hippies. But people are for the most part very mellow, and people of all political persuasions should feel comfortable. There are many artists about, and around 15 galleries in the downtown area. Dining options are good for a town this size, but not really extensive. There are no Indian or Thai restaurants, for example. Lots of good Mexican food, though. The University is a nice resource, although it doesn't compare to a major state University. I believe there are around 2,000 students. Seniors can take classes very inexpensively. It's free to check out books from the University for any community member.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Hope this has helped.

[catman]

Silver City sounds better and better to me. My taxes on a $106,000 house this year were about $2800!

[WyoRetiree]

Thanks rilke! Now that'a a response. How about cell phone coverage? Good all over or only spotty. I'd love to drop the land line. Are there any movie theatres in Silver City? How many? What's downtown like on a Saturday night? Are there activities for the kids or do they just drive their cars out to a canyon and party? What kind of recreation is there for us senior types? I like swimming, hiking and, if its not too hilly, biking. Outside of town, whats the water situation as far as wells?

[micrguy]

I lived in SC back in the early 90's before it really started to boom. My rent on a one bedroom furnished apartment was $150 a month, last time I looked at my old apartment complex the rent was now $750 a month. Though it looks like they fixed it up a little.

SC is a great place for hiking and cycling, the reason I lived there was to ride my bike. But, it is very hilly and windy. A calm day for wind is when it is only blowing 15 miles an hour. You quickly learn which way to ride your bike so that you are in a headwind going out and a tailwind coming back. Nothing was worse than being outside of town and having the wind change. Not only do you have to fight the wind, but everyway back into town has a hill to climb. So the last few miles are uphill in the wind. Mountain biking is great in the area as well, but again very hilly.

[ChairborneRanger]

Can I get a few recomendations as what the good restaurants are in the Silver City area---Thanks!

[mdz]

Don't know if it's still there, but my wife and I spent 3 nights in Silver City two years ago and our favorite place was called "Shevek & Mi". We went there the first night, went somewhere else the second (some sorta-OK Mexican place) and then went back to Shevek the 3rd night. Excellent food, really good and different flavors with the different entrees. Nice wine list as well. We're spoiled living in Chicago in that oftentime we go to different places around the country and feel the food isn't as good as we have at home--Shevek & Mi was outstanding.