Chama? What it is like? Crime? (Santa Fe, Silver City: apartments, how much, buying a house)

[Leilani]

Hi,

I am looking for information on Chama. I looked it up on a site and it says the crime is high.

Is this an up and coming town? Lots of growth and opportunity?

Thanks!

[Crackerjack]

You wouldn't want to live in Chama, trust me. There are no jobs, nothing to do and it is very cold in the winter there. It is a small town that isn't growing. The area is very pretty but the town isn't. Hope this helps.

[Leilani]

Thanks for the response. Do you know if the crime is bad there? I looked it up and it showed high numbers but someone told me that wasn't the case and it is just because the population is so low that if one crime is committed, it makes it look bad for statistics.

I keep looking but I haven't found any good reason to chose that area to live. LOL

[_yb]

That county has a herion and meth problem. But what counties in the US don't? A very small place not that much crime.
Not many jobs there. Good hunting and fishing opps though.

[Crackerjack]

The area as far as scenery is very beautiful but the town is not very nice and very small and not any opportunities for jobs or even basic things to do. I would recommend if you like the mountains, look at Durango, Colorado. It is growing and has lots of jobs right now and there is a lot to do there. There are lots of apartments too.
Also Silver City, NM is a nice place but on the small side but if you can get a job there, it is a reasonable place to live. Another town to look into is Red River, a nice town but very small so limited on jobs and places to live.

[Leilani]

Thanks for the replys. At least this gives me a better idea of what Chama has to offer or should I say lack thereof? LOL Thanks

[shades_of_idaho]

My husband and I were just talking about Chama this morning. Thanks for this information. The place sounds like the PERFECT place for us. We are looking for small town no jobs where no one else wants to be. Still trying to go back in time I guess. We are retired.

Cold winters and snow?? How cold and how much snow? We are Zone 4-5 here 3 to 4 foot of snow lows usually to zero a few times in the winter mostly in the teens. I have seen the low of 25 below here but only once in 12 years. It is the summers I HATE. Does it get really hot there?

Thanks Chris

[Crackerjack]

It can get to 20 below zero in the winter but more like usually around minus 10. Days are warmer about 30 to 40. Lots of snow over 100 inches of snowfall a year. It does have lots of sunshine, something like over 300 days of sunshine so that helps. Summers are great about 70 to 80 around there but nights can get pretty chilly even in summer. It is almost 8,000 feet elevation. The scenery is gorgeous but the town isn't. It is pretty isolated too but sounds like what you are looking for but also factor in having a good hospital. The best in the area would be Durango at Mercy Medical Center and that is a good 120 miles or Santa Fe something like around 100 miles or so but that doesn't mean you get there mph wise because the roads are curvy and slow. You might try setting up a yurt or something first and stay a summer before you make a commitment. That way you wont be out a lot for buying a house.

[shades_of_idaho]

Crackerjack, Thank you for the information or Chama. We live in a town population 360 . Thirty miles from a town of 5000 something.Fifty miles from Ontario Oregon and I have no idea what the population is there. We are used to isolation. Once we were 189 miles ONE WAY to a K-Mart. LOL Shopping was once every 6 months weather permitting. If there is internet up there then that is enough shopping for me.

The weather sounds wonderful. I love winter. HATE the heat which we are having now.

You say the town is awful. Is this because it is trashy or is it because there just is nothing there as far as services? If it is the lack of services that is no problem.

Guess we might have to take a look around the area.

Thanks Again Chris

[Crackerjack]

Shades of Idaho, Chama is both dirty and lacks shopping, hospitals, things to do like movies and such. The natural beauty is really the key feature. There is Pagosa which is in Colorado to do some real basic shopping but you would have to go to either Durango or Santa Fe or ABQ for good shopping. There is Alamosa, about 55 miles but you have to go over Cumbres Pass over 10,000 feet or Wolf Creek via Pagosa and if you have never done that, it can be quite scary in the winter so many go into Durango or Santa Fe, which is easier to get to then Alamosa. The population is about 1200 people.