Clovis vs Portales (Cannon AFB: rentals, house, neighborhood)

[marmac]

according to city-data, the average crime rating of the United States is --321

Portales-----------------------------------------------------------------366
Clovis-------------------------------------------------------------------573

" of course Clovis is gonna have more crime"

Pepperslice----This is --crime rate----, not just number of crimes

[desert sun]

Originally Posted by New West 2020

Clovis has a few nice parts in the far north side about 30 minutes from Cannon, but about half of Clovis and all of the area near Cannon is crime-infested, dumpy and dirty. Portales is smaller, safer, cleaner and better educated but only 15,000 versus 30,000 people.

The south half of Clovis is NOT SAFE at night. Do NOT get out of your car at convenience stores or ATMs on Mabry Street in Clovis after dark, although on Prince Street north of Llano Estacad you are safe. There are also a large number of vicious gangs in Clovis, including Crips and Bloods from Texas. You will not see this in the paper, but Plains Medical Center employees will tell you honestly that they treat kids every other day who are beat up and stabbed in gang fights in Clovis. Stabbings, meth dealers, and other issues make south Clovis very scary.

The Clovis paper never publishes these stories because Clovis city government is run by a corrupt group of conservative rednecks known as the Shifty Fifty. They control the land use (there is no planning office in Clovis) and they let the entire south side of 15,000 people remain a gang-controlled ghetto. The Shifty Fifty are always after Portales, and will do anything to screw Portales. Its been that way for 50 years.

Portales has a much safer environment, prettier downtown, better schools, very little crime, better educated citizens, and Eastern New Mexico University with all the benefits of a small college town (students, events, plays, concerts, lectures, classes, etc.). Poeple walk and bike in Portales. Portales schools are brand new and school safety is much higher than in Clovis (less gangs, less fighting between races, etc.). The university offers advanced placement classes for Portales high school kids and one of the top campus child developmebnt centers in the region for pre-K. There is an awesome recrteation center class schedule in Portales and a country club for golf, a new swimming pool at the park, and no gangs or drug addicts hanging around like in Clovis parks.

Having said this, rthere are some podunk aspects of Portales, and not always the fastest service, but most of the servers at least finished high school and wash their hands, which you don't always see in Clovis restaurants.

As far as shopping goes, most Portales people would rather drive the extra hour to Lubbock (89 miles taking Highway 202 north of town) to shop, where it is cleaner, safer and where you have real culture, and all the really nice stores and restaurants that are far better than in Clovis. Cannon people who live in Portales can drive 12 miles to the base, shop in town and in Lubbock, and never have to even go to Clovis.

funny you mention the crime not getting reported, years ago I did a crime, not a serious one but one that when it happens it shows up on the local news stations here in ABQ or in newspapers. The people that it effected were people that were well known in the community and nothing was in the paper about my crime. I remember one of my managers in Portales saying "there is alot of stuff that goes on here that dosent get reported on".

[EDnurse]

I was stationed at Cannon AFB from 1994 to 1996. Although not my choice, I made the best of the assignment. I was able to rent a decent, newer house (3-2, central air, fireplace, fenced yard, brick, with 2 car garage) for under 800 dollars. I was able to find very good childcare at an affordable price (Barbara Ann's on 21st St.). My kids went to Sandia Elementary where the manners I taught at home were reinforced. They did well in school. At the time, you could go to "the mall" and leave your car unlocked in the parking lot and on your way out you'd find your car just the way you left it (that is no longer the case). Occasionally, you'd see a real cowboy (not the kind they have on CMT) ride his horse around Main street. I thought it was very picturesque. People were very friendly-especially the people at Real Estate office who managed the property I rented (that is no longer the case either-the guy looked at us like we were annoying him). Alas, I didn't drive to Lubbock every Saturday to shop. I figured if whatever I needed was unavailable on base or in town, I probably didn't need it. After I left, I never looked back and the only thing I missed were the friendships we had made in a very small church we used to attend. I never missed Clovis, per se.

As fate would have it, my husband recently found a job with a national company that assigned him to...Clovis, NM. Well, I recently visited Clovis looking for a rental. I was unable to find anything decent for 1000.00 per month (all I wanted was a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment) that allowed a dog. I was totally appalled by the amount of dilapidated, uninhabitable housing south of 14th street. The "downtown" area has decayed a lot also. I did notice new signs that say "Clovis, where character counts". What is that all about? The town has money for silly signs, but no desire to tear down uninhabitable structures? I find Clovis has grown since 1994, and it has changed. However, it has not been for the better.

What I don't understand is how a town that boasts about what a great place it is to raise kids can have so little civic spirit. Sure, the NE part of town is nice. But the rest of the city is either dead or decaying. It is down right depressing. When Cannon AFB came close to closing, Clovis and Portales both mobilized to keep it open. They succeeded. The committee of 50 pretty much owns and runs the town. Yet, there is no evidence of pride of ownership. Why can't the citizens of Clovis gather up the same zeal to clean up their town? They're still saying "Oh, but Lubbock is only 1 and 1/4 hrs away!" Why must they always look towards Lubbock? It seems like such a contradiction. They "love" their town, but you wouldn't know it by the looks of it. Also, real estate is way over priced. They can keep it. I will not buy a house in Clovis.

Totally frustrated, we decided to check out Portales. It is a lot smaller than Clovis. It still has that small town feel. Portales is very walkable. We were able to find a very nice townhouse within our budget and the dog is allowed.

Don't get me wrong. Portales can use a bit of sprucing up as well, but nothing of the magnitude that Clovis needs.

Portales may not be "better" than Clovis, but it looked cleaner to me. Portales lacks signs that exalt "character", but it has more character that Clovis. That's just the way it feels to me.














I don't understand how a

[Gabes4]

Originally Posted by EDnurse

I was stationed at Cannon AFB from 1994 to 1996. Although not my choice, I made the best of the assignment. I was able to rent a decent, newer house (3-2, central air, fireplace, fenced yard, brick, with 2 car garage) for under 800 dollars. I was able to find very good childcare at an affordable price (Barbara Ann's on 21st St.). My kids went to Sandia Elementary where the manners I taught at home were reinforced. They did well in school. At the time, you could go to "the mall" and leave your car unlocked in the parking lot and on your way out you'd find your car just the way you left it (that is no longer the case). Occasionally, you'd see a real cowboy (not the kind they have on CMT) ride his horse around Main street. I thought it was very picturesque. People were very friendly-especially the people at Real Estate office who managed the property I rented (that is no longer the case either-the guy looked at us like we were annoying him). Alas, I didn't drive to Lubbock every Saturday to shop. I figured if whatever I needed was unavailable on base or in town, I probably didn't need it. After I left, I never looked back and the only thing I missed were the friendships we had made in a very small church we used to attend. I never missed Clovis, per se.

As fate would have it, my husband recently found a job with a national company that assigned him to...Clovis, NM. Well, I recently visited Clovis looking for a rental. I was unable to find anything decent for 1000.00 per month (all I wanted was a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment) that allowed a dog. I was totally appalled by the amount of dilapidated, uninhabitable housing south of 14th street. The "downtown" area has decayed a lot also. I did notice new signs that say "Clovis, where character counts". What is that all about? The town has money for silly signs, but no desire to tear down uninhabitable structures? I find Clovis has grown since 1994, and it has changed. However, it has not been for the better.

What I don't understand is how a town that boasts about what a great place it is to raise kids can have so little civic spirit. Sure, the NE part of town is nice. But the rest of the city is either dead or decaying. It is down right depressing. When Cannon AFB came close to closing, Clovis and Portales both mobilized to keep it open. They succeeded. The committee of 50 pretty much owns and runs the town. Yet, there is no evidence of pride of ownership. Why can't the citizens of Clovis gather up the same zeal to clean up their town? They're still saying "Oh, but Lubbock is only 1 and 1/4 hrs away!" Why must they always look towards Lubbock? It seems like such a contradiction. They "love" their town, but you wouldn't know it by the looks of it. Also, real estate is way over priced. They can keep it. I will not buy a house in Clovis.

Totally frustrated, we decided to check out Portales. It is a lot smaller than Clovis. It still has that small town feel. Portales is very walkable. We were able to find a very nice townhouse within our budget and the dog is allowed.

Don't get me wrong. Portales can use a bit of sprucing up as well, but nothing of the magnitude that Clovis needs.

Portales may not be "better" than Clovis, but it looked cleaner to me. Portales lacks signs that exalt "character", but it has more character that Clovis. That's just the way it feels to me.














I don't understand how a

Clovis does not have any neighborhoods in the city dead or decaying..Sure there not ''rich'' like you wish they should be but they are not ''dead'' My brother lives in Clovis and in the ''ghetto'' but I will tell you one thing its not dying or decaying..Just about every house there is still occupied and still putting new businessess in the area along with new apartments ect..

I agree with you that Portales has a Cleaner look..but once you cross those train tracks its a different story

[Fish70]

I am moving to New Mexico to work at Cannon AFB in July. I can't believe the housing costs in the area. I am working at Hurlburt Field in Florida right now and the housing prices near Cannon have been adjusted to the point that it costs more to live in po-dunk NM than near Destin and Navarre Florida which are vacation hotspots on the ocean. I plan on living in Portales if I can find a small rental home for around $800 a month but the prices I have seen on the internet don't make me optimistic. How can the people who work in the nearby towns afford to live there?

On the plus side I am excited to be moving out west again. I grew up in southern Colorado and went to school in Fort Collins. I have been trying to find a decent job out west for almost 10 years and now I have one.

[desert sun]

Originally Posted by Fish70

I am moving to New Mexico to work at Cannon AFB in July. I can't believe the housing costs in the area. I am working at Hurlburt Field in Florida right now and the housing prices near Cannon have been adjusted to the point that it costs more to live in po-dunk NM than near Destin and Navarre Florida which are vacation hotspots on the ocean. I plan on living in Portales if I can find a small rental home for around $800 a month but the prices I have seen on the internet don't make me optimistic. How can the people who work in the nearby towns afford to live there?

On the plus side I am excited to be moving out west again. I grew up in southern Colorado and went to school in Fort Collins. I have been trying to find a decent job out west for almost 10 years and now I have one.

they can afford to live there cause prices just went up when Clovis found out they were keeping the base, then everyone went money hungry and started renovating houses and upping that price tag pretty good.

Clovis and Portales have always been 2 of the cheapest places to live in NM up untill a couple years ago, I should know I grew up there.

[EDnurse]

Originally Posted by Gabes4

Clovis does not have any neighborhoods in the city dead or decaying..Sure there not ''rich'' like you wish they should be but they are not ''dead'' My brother lives in Clovis and in the ''ghetto'' but I will tell you one thing its not dying or decaying..Just about every house there is still occupied and still putting new businessess in the area along with new apartments ect..

I agree with you that Portales has a Cleaner look..but once you cross those train tracks its a different story

I stand by what I said, but I won't argue with you. I compared the Clovis I lived in from 94 to 96 and the Clovis I saw about 2 weeks ago. I will take pictures when I return to Clovis in a couple of months and I will post them.

When a structure has broken windows, a rotted roof, peeling paint and overgrown weeds it is dilapidated. I believe a lot of people who live in those structures are renters and the landlords have let those properties go.

You do not have to be rich to pull weeds, take out the trash and slap some paint on a small house. The NE is thriving, but not so downtown. A lot of businesses are boarded up and business activity in the area around the old Hotel Clovis has declined considerably to say the least. I used to walk around and shop in that area. Even the old pet shop with the parrot painted on the wall is closed. I used to love that place. I remember I bought some snap turtles for my daughter there.

Later.

[nategdh]

Originally Posted by EDnurse

I stand by what I said, but I won't argue with you. I compared the Clovis I lived in from 94 to 96 and the Clovis I saw about 2 weeks ago. I will take pictures when I return to Clovis in a couple of months and I will post them.

When a structure has broken windows, a rotted roof, peeling paint and overgrown weeds it is dilapidated. I believe a lot of people who live in those structures are renters and the landlords have let those properties go.

You do not have to be rich to pull weeds, take out the trash and slap some paint on a small house. The NE is thriving, but not so downtown. A lot of businesses are boarded up and business activity in the area around the old Hotel Clovis has declined considerably to say the least. I used to walk around and shop in that area. Even the old pet shop with the parrot painted on the wall is closed. I used to love that place. I remember I bought some snap turtles for my daughter there.

Later.

I was born here grew up here and I am here still..and I agree with both of you..there are buildings boarded up but not like its all over the city like you made it seem..downtown has alot of business and yes they dont look like there is one in the ugly buildings but there is..And in the ghetto the houses with over gron weeds and broken windows and ect believe it or not ppl still live there..Sure there are some buildings that need to be fixed or demolished I agree with that.

But we are trying to compare and contrast Clovis and Portales
..not how bad Clovis is

[New West 2020]

Portales: Fresh peanut butter and farmers driving 32 miles an hour. Clovis: Bud Lite and Cruisers driving 32 miles an hour.

[New West 2020]

And those dilapidated overgrown houses are simply "local charm" if you ask the realtors, and there are some cheap old houses that are in perfectly good areas (block by block, sometimes in both towns) but it is good to come back at night and see if the residents are farm workers or meth lab technicians before you buy.