Whats so great about Deming? (Albuquerque, Las Cruces: real estate, buying a house, buying)

[designer]

I keep reading on this forum about people raving how wonderful Deming is.
I also read about how many wonderful restaurants there are there and there
are so many things to do. I live in New Mexico and I have to been to Deming
many times and I guess I have missed all the wonderful things they are talking
about. I know they have a McDonalds and a Wendys there but so do many
other towns. I'm not trying to bash Deming but I would like to know what it
is that I have been missing when I am in Deming. It seems to have a cute
little downtown with a few shops but it's not really very large. I have heard
that the Italian restaurant is good but I have not tried it. Anyway I have
a friend who lives in a really cute & quaint small midwest town who is interested in moving to Deming and she wanted me to check it out for her. Maybe some of the residents could enlighten me about the positives and negatives of Deming. I already know about the wind in the spring.

Thanks

[pinusconus]

On a recent visit to Deming, I found nothing wonderful except Country Club Estates which is a lovely retirement community. Otherwise, Deming has nothing to offer unless you enjoy desolate, dreary and depressing.

[tomcat]

Pinusconus,
I disagree with your assessment of Deming,desolate. depressing you got to be kidding.I have been to Deming in January for four days,looking at real estate, and what the town has to offer,as well its people in general. I being from New York found Deming to be a charming town, a town that is growing in population, a town that is expanding 15,000+, a town that is growing with four new charter schools, a hospital expansion project, a twenty million dollar state of the art court house where the old farmer's market use to be, a new third judgeship added. Also a Texas developer along with the town of Deming in partnership is now building a six screen movie theater and a large bowling alley, and entertainment complex. Real estate prices are on the rise, Deming's close proximity to Polamos, Mexico affords everyone its a low cost quality. Eye care pharmaceuticals/dentistry. I purchased a five acre corner lot, five miles off Florida St. It is off the Columbus highway with a beautiful Florida Mountain view, with power. Theres available hunting, rock hound state park,gaiala cliff dwelling and many other things to do. A town with a bright future ahead of it.

[Trump]

Pinusconus - Sounds like you have an axe to grind about Deming. We spent a little time there a few months ago and found it anything but dreary and depressing. It may not have a diverse topography as neighboring Silver City or the amenities of a larger city like Las Cruces but it's a very nice town with seemingly friendly people. There are numerous and very obvious signs of growth as tomcat mentions.

designer - Yes, be sure to try the Italian restaurant downtown. We stumbled upon it entirely by accident and really enjoyed ourselves. Be sure to also give the coffee shop immediately to the South of the restaurant a visit. Great relaxing way to finish off a meal.

[cloud dweller]

Dear Tomcat and everyone.Growth means clutter,trouble,pollution,racial tensions etc.Why not go to...oh Los Angeles,Phoenix or Miami.The aforementioned cities were pure Paradise in the 50's and 60's-Heaven.Now go for a walk around say Los Angeles,downtown or south of central and see what Growth will do for a city.
Better yet,come to Pittsburgh,no growths but all the trimmings.
I admire Americans who live in small/medium towns with lots of sunshine and very modest growth.We were not meant to live on top of one another.

[fatcat4009]

I’m not really sure why any likes Deming. I lived in Deming from 1991 until 1998. I was in high school at the time and graduated in 1998 to go to college at NMSU in Las Cruces. Deming is not the worst place in the world, but I really don’t think it has much going for it. Here is a list of things that I liked about Deming:

• Access to Gila Forest area and the open space (I miss that in Texas)
• The one-of-a-kind Mexican food (Si Senor! more please!)
• Umm…that’s it

As for what I didn’t like…well that list is a lot longer

• Land is cheap, but all you get is a patch of dirt. Our two acres west of town by Red Mountain could barely sustain any plant life even when my parents dumped tons of water.
• Climate is mild, but you have to love WIND, hate rain and not mind the occasional dust storm. I hate the feeling of getting excited about the possibility of rain only to be bathed in dust.
• No restaurants, shopping or community activities. The duck races or "the fair" in the fall doesn’t count! You pretty much will have to shop at Walmart (fun) or some other high priced local place like “Peppers”. Don’t count on that Movie theater. I worked at the old Deming Cinema III from 1994 till 1998. The business failed from lack of support. The bowling alley failed due to lack of support. If a business can't be supported by farming or interstate traffic the local economy doesn't have the funds to support it!
• Nearest major town is Las Cruces or El Paso and they are at least 1 hour away. You will find yourself visiting them frequently and ignoring most local merchants.
• Poor medical facilities. Have you seen the hospital? $$$ = quality of care. The poorer families in that area can’t afford good care so why would the hospital lose money and try to provide it? Unless it was a dire emergency everyone I knew (myself, mom, dad) went to Las Cruces Medical Center
• Very poor city infrastructure. The city streets were always bad. County roads were NEVER repaved. They simply lay down a tar slick and dump gravel over the top to repave a road. Then wait for all the drivers to pack it down. That sucks!
• Schools are mediocre (I am a graduate and both my parents are former teachers) My wife is from Albuquerque, NM and the differences in educational opportunities we received are staggering.

I don’t want to say to many bad things, but I honestly left as fast as I could. Including myself and my 4 best friends from high school we now live in the following places: New York, Kansas City, Dallas, Austin and Pensacola. Really the only reason I respond is I just don’t understand what is so appealing. Four days, a week or a month really can’t show you what the area is like.

This is what I would recommend for anyone thinking of moving to Deming:
• Visit during March-May to experience the relentless wind and dust storms.
• Also visit during late July to experience 100 degree heat and < 10% humidity
• Take a walk in the desert and think about walking around on this every day, dust everywhere.
• Visit parts of the city North of I-10. The poverty there is staggering.
• Remember that there is quite a bit of drug/illegal alien activity heading north from Palomas. We had frequent visits from thirsty illegals in the middle of the night after they walked accross the desert for work. We lived west of town on Hermanas RD.

If anyone has specific questions let me know.

Thanks,

Fatcat

[designer]

Fatcat I tend to agree with you from what little I know about Deming. I do
live in New Mexico and have for several years and before that I lived in
neighboring AZ, but everytime my neighbors tell me they are moving to Deming I ask why. What is going on down there that is so great. I also find
it interesting on this forum that many or even most of the folks that chime in
have never lived in any of these places but made a week visit and found
paradise. I'm not trying to cut them down and I think first impressions are
important but until you have lived there for a year or more it would be impossible to know what it will be like to be a permant resident there. I am
looking at a number of other smaller towns in NM to relocate to but I want
to really check them out before buying a house. So far I really like Raton but
it is just to cold and to much snow for me. Maybe Alamogordo is worth checking out. I would add that I think Deming is located fairly close to some
interesting cities and towns like LC, Silver City and Tucson.
Thanks for the replies they all offer some insight.

[6 FOOT 3]

Been thru Deming many many times in my life and i have no problem with it one way or the other but to each their own. I guess the same could be said when i travel I-10 from El Paso to San Antonio and i think to my self who could live here in Van Horn or Ft.Stockton or Ozona etc...but if they love it out there or in Deming or Lordsburg then enjoy.....

The ''City of the Rocks'' are pretty cool out that way between Deming and Silver City.......

[designer]

I think you are right harry o. I have traveled all thru the west for years
and have lived in the west for years and I always wonder why would anybody
live here or there but there must be a reason. I live in T or C now and it might be the first town where I don't feel like I really belong. It's really not
a bad place and in fact I like a lot about it but I also like meeting new people
and what I have found about small towns is, it seems like you meet up with
the same people day after day. To me thats the apex of boring. Now if I
had a lot in common with those people it might be different but it now seems
to me that most folks in small towns are less educated than in the larger and
more expensive towns. I guess Santa Fe might be one example in NM. Plenty
of wealthy white collar folks up there which works for me but I can't seem to
afford it plus it's to cold for me. I think if you connect with some of the people where you are living you could learn to like almost anyplace. Las Cruces is nice but I don't find it very cosmo at all. The architecture is mostly
the chain business types that you see in any fast growing town but I find
the people interesting in LC.

[6 FOOT 3]

Designer....i think i read correctly in your other posts that you used to live in Phoenix.....Thats a hecka of change from Phoenix to T or C. do you have relatives there.....I remember when i lived in Florida and of course everyone wants to be close to the beaches but there were these little towns across the Panhandle region (lake city, live oak etc..) and i'd think why would anybody be in Fla and live in these swamp towns in the Boonies and not on the coastline but again one persons trash is another persons treasure. So true......later