Southwest Vegan Friendly Cities? (Albuquerque, Santa Fe: real estate, low crime, to buy)

[ErinSmerin]

My husband and I would like to move to the southwest in a couple of years but don't know much about the area. We're vegan animal lovers with no plans of children, and are looking for a somewhat progressive city. We have no religious affiliations and enjoy city life rather thar being out in the country. Cost of living is also important, low to medium is good.
We are considering Albuquerque and Santa Fe, or even Arizona or southern Utah. Any one have any suggestions?

[ggabq]

I think Albuquerque-Santa Fe would be perfect for you

[ErinSmerin]

Thanks! I appreciate it!
When would you say is a good time to visit?

[Santa Fe]

First weekend of October is usually good for leaves which we have in some places.

Unhappily I would not describe Santa as low to medium in cost of living. For NM it is high -- in comparison to rest of US I would say it is a little bit above medium.

It is the housing that drives up the cost of living here. If you are not looking for a big place, then housing cost might not be so important to you and Santa Fe would be more reasonable.

If you do want Santa Fe, this is a good time to buy.

[nmnita]

probably anytime would be good, but from Dec to March it can be a bit on the chilly side and maybe snowy as well. Fall is the nicest time of the year, spring is pretty but can be very windy.

You mention AZ and Utah as places to research as well, I really don't think any part of Utah would fit your personalities or what I preceive as what makes you happy. There are no parts of Utah that are not influenced by the Morman church. This is not a knock on the church by any chance but Utah and progressive can't be used in the same sentence without people raising their eye lids.

Parts of Phoenix would be considered progressive, but agin, the state overall is conservative and probably not quite what you are seeking. Sante Fe (minus the low cost of living) sounds like just the spot for you. It isn't a huge city I would add, but certainly has everything else going for it.

Nita

[ErinSmerin]

Thanks for the info in Utah, Nita! That's unfortunate since it looks beautiful. I'm sure Santa Fe is too, though!

Santa Fe, thanks for the housing info. I'm in real estate right now, so I totally understand!

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by nmnita

There are no parts of Utah that are not influenced by the Morman church. This is not a knock on the church by any chance but Utah and progressive can't be used in the same sentence without people raising their eye lids.

To preface: I am NOT LDS (Mormon) and in fact am agnostic.

I lived in SLC for three years and spent much time there prior to moving there. While the statement about the Mormon influence isn't incorrect, it also colors the issue of living in Utah as a non-Mormon. I can't think of a more eclectic city for churches of all denominations than SLC. And other large cities such as Ogden, Logan etc. have non-Mormon churches as well.

One of the greatest pluses (IMO) about the Mormon influence is the sense of "community" that exists. And the low crime rate is a bonus, along with the overall strong moral ethic. It is hard for a non-Mormon to have friends who are practicing Mormons since they have so little time for activities outside their church. But there are plenty of non-Mormons (or non-practitioners) to make up the difference. I loved living there and would still be there were it not for extenuating circumstances.

I didn't consider it for retirement because I would never live in a large city by choice, and air quality is often as bad as that of Denver in the mountainous regions. But there is no finer city when it comes to cultural activities and quality of infrastructure.

[Radicat]

ErinSmerin, I find it interesting that you mentioned "vegan" in your original post. Maybe you wondered how that would affect the type of responses you'd receive. It's a sad commentary that it's like a red flag to some who want to make something of it. And, as a person who does not eat the flesh of anything that grows hair or feathers and the father of a lifelong vegan, I am aware of what so-called meat-eaters think and say. A progressive city will not be concerned with your dietary choice. I know of no reason why you will not feel welcome in the cities suggested. And, I think you'll meet more vegans than you imagine.

[Santa Fe]

Vegans are of course welcomed in Santa Fe. Even here in the more traditional Pojoaque Valley (20 miles north) the local restaurant is adding vegetarian choices to the menu because the influence of American Sikhs and others in the area.

It is hard for me to think of Phoenix as progressive. Did anybody see this:
Armed men seen outside Barack Obama event - Telegraph

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Radicat

ErinSmerin, I find it interesting that you mentioned "vegan" in your original post. Maybe you wondered how that would affect the type of responses you'd receive. It's a sad commentary that it's like a red flag to some who want to make something of it. And, as a person who does not eat the flesh of anything that grows hair or feathers and the father of a lifelong vegan, I am aware of what so-called meat-eaters think and say. A progressive city will not be concerned with your dietary choice. I know of no reason why you will not feel welcome in the cities suggested. And, I think you'll meet more vegans than you imagine.

Well, I did find the question rather curious.....I guess I just don't understand why anybody would even care about someone else's dietary preferences.

I'm a carnivore-omnivore from the word go, and from a beef-producing state to boot, and I've never seen any antagonism/animosity toward vegans or vegetarians.

Do people really get hostile about that?!?