Silver City (Hurley: real estate, housing, rent)

[aguamarina4u]

Hi Everyone,

Could you please tell me what you like and dislike about Silver City. Hubby and I want to buy some land for retirement. We are looking at the Reno, NV area as well.

Thanks so much! :-)

[Steve97415]

When I lived in Tucson back in the 70's and 80's, it was a sleeply little college town. Now it has been discovered in a big way. Half of all home sales there are for the second home market, and real estate is escalating there at a time when many other markets are flat or falling.
Air pollution would have to be one of my concerns. At 6,000 ft. elevation, the air feels clean and dry. But according to the government scorecard, a Phelps-Dodge mine at Tyrone is in the country's top 30 for toxic emissions. In 2002 (the last year for which emissions data are available), more than two and a half million pounds of copper compounds and nearly half a million pounds of lead compounds were pumped into Grant County's atmosphere to be breathed in by residents of the Silver City area. I'm sure those that live there do not see or feel anything wrong with the air, but it's something to be aware of.

[aguamarina4u]

Wow thanks so much Steve, that's the kind of information I'm after. I'll see if I can find more details of this concern on the net.

[aguamarina4u]

Continued...went to the EPA site and found these stats concerning a Phelps-Dodge mine. Here it is:
comments anyone????

http://www.epa.gov/tri/

You'll need to enter the zip code on the bottom right.

[brian_2]

When I visited Silver City recently, I made sure to check out the mining operations. There are (at least) two humongous strip mine-like areas around Silver City. If you go you will see the sign on one that says "Reclamation area", and the locals are aware of what's going on with the mining issues - just ask around when you visit. On my way out of Silver City sat one huge strip mine area right before you begin to enter the Gila (pronounced He-la) Forest - it was huge. Be sure to camp in Gila - awesome, pristine wilderness out there - the air was so refreshing - cool and crisp - it felt like the best isolated forests in Colorado. I hope it stays that way forever.

My rant. Disengage your mind here if easily offended.

You bring up a good point about air quality near active mining operations, and people need to check out mining emissions - but also be aware that some more common types of particulate emissions are particularly dangerous to human health. I know vehicular diesel exhaust particulate is at/near the top of EPA's list with a direct link to heightened cancer risk (the diesel particulate is of a size that is readily lodged deep inside human lung tissue, and so-called "clean" diesels do not avoid this outcome) - hello RV'ers & other diesel users of c-h-o-i-c-e, not necessity - do you care about the health of your kids, seniors, your neighbors? Naw - you don't even give it a thought do you? Well now you know if you didn't before. Everybody should be helping where they can. I know some folks need trucks for their jobs, but I'd like to see my beloved country held less hostage to foreign oil, and also stay healthier so we can better contain heath costs - the s__ is really out of control.

[Steve97415]

Here's another link to look at (copy and paster, then scroll down):

http://scorecard.org/env-releases/fa...mical_releases

[Informer]

Just read a little article in the August issue of Sunset magazine.

Seems what is driving the housing market is people from California buying second homes in Silver City - which means escalating home prices. The average price for a new home is rapidly approaching 300k.

As for Reno, NV - may wife went out there about 2 years or so ago and while the area is beautiful it is not really affordable for the average person. Reno real estate is being driven by its close proximity to the big Cali...the locals really hate what the influx of people escaping from Cali did to the real estate prices. Lots of animosity towards ex-Californians out there, so if you take the plunge be prepared.

[Crackerjack]

I too am disgusted with the US attitude toward allowing pollution when it is not necessary. If we'd take the full plunge to get off foreign oil, coal burning and diesel, and work toward alternative fuels with a whole heart, we could do it. It is like the US is only putting a finger in the water. Places like Silver City are too nice to ruin. Gila Forest is wonderful and needs to be preserved. I can only hope they can close the strip mines down and replace it with parks. I would live north or northwest of Silver City if I lived there where the air is much more pure and clear. I wouldn't live down near Tyrone or Hurley.

[micrguy]

I lived in Silver City in the early 90's for about three years and it appears just before it got expensive. I rented a fully furnished one bedroom apartment in an 1890's building for $175 a month. At least back then the town was a good mix of hippies/artists, miners, ranchers and people who worked at the college. Because no group was big enough to run things and the town small enough that you run into everybody all of the time, it seemed that there was good give and take on everyone's part.

The weather was great and there are some great restaurants in town. Overall I thought it was a good place to hang out and get away from it all for a few years.

What they won't tell you at the Chamber of Commerce and I got this from one of the town doctors at a party are these little tidbits. This information is about 15 years old but I doubt it has changed much. The county that Silver City is in has the second highest rate of alcohol consumption in the country, only McKinly County in northern New Mexico beats it. When I first moved into town and went grocery shopping I noticed that a lot of people had 2-3 cases of beer and a couple bottles of liquor in their carts. Thought nothing of it because it was Labor Day weekend and figured that there are a lot of parties being planned. But when I saw the same thing every week and confirmed it with a couple of friends, there are a lot of pretty serious drinkers in Silver City.

Also, the teen birth rate is pretty out of hand. This doctor told me that the average age for having a first child in Silver City is 16 and that something like one out of every 3-4 students at the high school is currently pregnant. So if you have kids around high school age be careful, there is not much to do except drink and have sex.

So I think Silver City is great if you have no kids. Lots of things to do outdoors-wise and because of the college you occasionally get touring companies that do opera, classical music and other things in the fine arts.

[azloafer]

Originally Posted by aguamarina4u

Continued...went to the EPA site and found these stats concerning a Phelps-Dodge mine. Here it is:
comments anyone????

http://www.epa.gov/tri/

You'll need to enter the zip code on the bottom right.

I went to this site and entered several of the zip codes that google lists for Silver City. No EPA reports were listed. ???