[mekitcat]

Hi everybody, I'm hoping someone can help me. Me and the hubby want to move to somewhere warmer. I have been searching on the net for quite awhile now. And I found Altus and I need to know about the town.

Does anyone that's on here live or lived there, how is it? Is it safe for kids 13 and under? I see the school system is high in the rating of good schools statically but are there any Moms/Dads out there with a real opinion of the schools?

I didn't see to much info posted about it and what I have read was mixed. We are on a fixed income to move so we would be renting when we got there, how is the renting there? I seen that it's cheap by their newspaper but is that cheap rent in a bad area of town? Is it a clean town? Are the people friendly? Is it safe? How is the job market (blue collar, retail)



Anything that you guys could tell me would really be appreciated.

And also I was looking in NM. Truth or Consequences area, the schools aren't as good as Altus but I want that kind of weather my hubby liked OK. I liked NM. but am open to both areas. So if anyone knows anything about T or C that too would really be appreciated. With the same questions as above.

Thanks in advance

BTW does anyone have any picture of either place that they can show me?

[StillwaterTownie]

I haven't lived there before, but when I drove through Altus, it struck me as rather runned down, weather worn town. In other words the whole town looked like it needed a paint job. But then, I've seen worse looking towns in Oklahoma, such as Broken Bow. And during the summer Altus frequently is the hottest place in Oklahoma, so you'd have to put up with all that heat. You could do better in Oklahoma, such as Ardmore.

Actually, the drive on the highway west of Lawton was the most memorable thing about going to Altus. The numerous mesquites along the road and the the rocky hills off in the distance was totally unlike what I had seen previously seen of Oklahoma.

[Odie]

I've been to Altus many times and although its a bit run down, its a small tight community. Everyone knows everyone...a bit like Mayberry I imagine .
People are friendly and crime is relatively low. It does get hot hot hot there in the summer though. Overall, it's nice. HTH

[StillwaterTownie]

Now come on, Altus has over 20,000 people in it. It's simply impossible for everyone to know everyone, such as on a first name basis. Where does this myth come from that everybody knows everybody, anyway? It's far from the case in Stillwater. I sure don't know who all lives on the opposite side of town.

I once worked at a manufacturing plant that employed around 1000 people. I never learned everybody's first name.

[eddie gein]

Altus is a typical small southwestern town you would find in west Texas. It has a courthouse square (which is not all that common in Oklahoma) and it has a nice old downtown. Quartz Mountain, Lake Lugert, Steed lake are close by and the Wichita mountains are not that far away.

TorC New Mexico obviously has better weather and the Elephant Butte Lake (which is huge) is right there. But TorC was actually a gas station/post office town until the last 20 or 30 years. It is mostly trailer houses and completely lacks character. It has a drag, but no downtown. It is situated in some real rocky desert with very sparse vegetation. It has a very transient population.

If you want a more traditional setting I would go with Altus. If you want a better winter weather, a giant lake and proximity to some really beautiful mountains then I would go TorC.

With kids, I think I would pick Altus.

[Mattie Jo]

My DH wanted to check out Truth or C., but for the reasons you just gave eddie, I said I wouldn't live there. I saw photos of the area and learned some negative things about it, but I don't recall just what anymore. I would pick anywhere Oklahoma over TorC. Even Altus sounds better to me. But my husband still likes Las Cruces, NM after seeing it. I thought it sucked, but if you like deserts. Now Borrego Springs, CA is a beautiful desert town, and it really gets hot.

What is warmer to you?

P.S.

I went to google and typed in Truth or Consequences, NM, and then I clicked on images. You will get pages and pages of photos. It doesn't look so bad in some. I just don't care for deserts, so if I were you and your husband I would take a drive to all of these places that you think of moving to first. That is what we did, but then I knew I couldn't handle the desert for health reasons, so we didn't go there.

[Goodpasture]

I love Oklahoma, but I would choose Hot Springs over Altus any day of the week. WAY better fishing, better chili, Las Cruces is not that far away, El Paso is not that far, San Antonio is close.......and I spent a large part of my teen years hunting on the Mckittrick Range and the Guadalupe Mountains east of White Sands......not to mention Ruidosa, the White Mountain Wilderness, Ski Apache, Inn of the Mountain Gods, and the Malpais.

[highdesertmutz]

T or C, is located about 70 miles south of socorro,nm, and about 72 miles north of las cruces, nm, and about 110 miles north of el paso, tx.
basically in the middle of nowhere. things to consider. ICA tried putting the brakes on a new Walmart store already built here, but it is suppoed to open in August 2008, if there are no further injunctions. there's not much in T or C. 2 grocery stores, a handful a convenience stores & gas stations, hot mineral bath houses, 2 dollar stores, a few second hand stores, some specialty shops downtown and art galleries, and many, many rv parks. T or C is best suited for: retirees, persons with disabilities, the elderly, person with certain medical problems, travelers and semi-permanent dwellers. the climate is very mild, and moderate, very dry and ideally suited for people whose bodies cannot tolerate humidity any longer. winters are very mild, temps in the daytime reach the 50's, while at night, they drop to the 30's or upper 20's, very little if any snow. Very little rainfall / precipitation except for the months of july and august, when we do sometimes get substancial rainfall. july and august are best known in T or C as the monsoon season for the area. Sierra County Seat is located in T or C. Nearby Elephant Butte Lake is a recreational lake for boaters and fishermen, along with campgrounds at the state parks. T or C has a more or less laid back atmosphere, and is not really suitable for teens or the young aged 20's crowd considering that there's not much going on here. It is sort of a retirement community. T or C has been noted as being a tourist town due to the attraction of the lake at Elephant Butte, the Rio Grande River, The Old Geronimo Indian Trail Museum, and The Hot Mineral Bath Houses, formerly known as hot springs until the name change in 1950. T or C has some untidy tidbits about it which I will not mention in this post. The average crime rate for a town of this population and location is very low. I have pictures of areas surrounding T or C on my web page index (broken link) . you can post or contact me if you need specific information.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by highdesertmutz

T or C, is located about 70 miles south of socorro,nm, and about 72 miles north of las cruces, nm, and about 110 miles north of el paso, tx.
basically in the middle of nowhere. things to consider. ICA tried putting the brakes on a new Walmart store already built here, but it is suppoed to open in August 2008, if there are no further injunctions. there's not much in T or C. 2 grocery stores, a handful a convenience stores & gas stations, hot mineral bath houses, 2 dollar stores, a few second hand stores, some specialty shops downtown and art galleries, and many, many rv parks. T or C is best suited for: retirees, persons with disabilities, the elderly, person with certain medical problems, travelers and semi-permanent dwellers. the climate is very mild, and moderate, very dry and ideally suited for people whose bodies cannot tolerate humidity any longer. winters are very mild, temps in the daytime reach the 50's, while at night, they drop to the 30's or upper 20's, very little if any snow. Very little rainfall / precipitation except for the months of july and august, when we do sometimes get substancial rainfall. july and august are best known in T or C as the monsoon season for the area. Sierra County Seat is located in T or C. Nearby Elephant Butte Lake is a recreational lake for boaters and fishermen, along with campgrounds at the state parks. T or C has a more or less laid back atmosphere, and is not really suitable for teens or the young aged 20's crowd considering that there's not much going on here. It is sort of a retirement community. T or C has been noted as being a tourist town due to the attraction of the lake at Elephant Butte, the Rio Grande River, The Old Geronimo Indian Trail Museum, and The Hot Mineral Bath Houses, formerly known as hot springs until the name change in 1950. T or C has some untidy tidbits about it which I will not mention in this post. The average crime rate for a town of this population and location is very low. I have pictures of areas surrounding T or C on my web page index . you can post or contact me if you need specific information.

Good, informative post. Thanks. I do know the weather in T or C New Mexico is more tolerable than Altus (ie. lower humidity) but has colder Winters (I believe).

New Mexico is one of my favorite states. Lots of beauty there. Of course, my favorite state is good ol' Oklahoma.