Santa Fe surrounding areas (Rio Rancho, Espanola: rentals, low crime, houses)

[RelocatingToSantaFe]

I'm relocating to Santa Fe and have a family with small children. In reading the postings on Santa Fe it sounds like housing is expensive and that there's a bit of a crime problem.

What are the nice towns/areas outside of Santa Fe with low crime rates and better housing prices. I would like to be within a half an hour of Santa Fe.

It would be nice to find a town/area with some nice parks, conservative/laid back atmosphere, not a yuppie or rich area, but more middle class where people take care of their yards.

I will be moving soon, so any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[wanna_get_out_of_NM]

Hi
Trust me I live in NM and Santa Fe is the city with the nice parks, nice people etc... People are very laid back here in NM. NM and especially in Santa Fe there is a lot of people who go there to retire.

The architecture is beautiful, and there is so much culture and history. People from all over the world are amazed by its history.

As far as the crime goes, you are talking petty crime the majority of the time. A lot of "smash and grab" type crimes, but that can obviously be prevented by not leaving important valubles in your vehicle. All petty stuff. Sure there are unfortunate cases of violent assults or even homicides but trust me, rarely is there a case where somebody is violently attacked for no reason.

NM and obviously Santa Fe is a very quiet friendly place to live. Nothing much happens here which is good and bad but mostly good compared to all the other crime and problems other cities have.

I think you would fit right in!

I would stick to living in Santa Fe. Its the most beautiful place in NM!

Let me know if you would like to know more.

Let me tell you too that as bad as I want to move out of NM to a place with more oppurtunity, I still cant ignore the fact that I feel so safe here for my son and my husband and I. I feel incredibly comfortable and safe in NM.

[Julia2sf]

I can't say there isn't a crime problem here, but it's not something I'm personally aware of. It certainly doesn't feel like an unsafe city, but that just may be me. (Oblivious and all.)

All things being relevant, Santa Fe is expensive. Eldorado, which is a bedroom community of Santa Fe about 15 minutes to the southwest, is a bit cheaper, you get a better bang for your buck, lots of kid families, good school, and two shopping centers. (Nice to not have to run back into town when you need coffee!)

Cochiti Lake is MUCH cheaper, but it's about 35 minutes to the south and has no grocery facilities. (I live in FEAR of running out of coffee.)

I like La Puebla and La Mesilla a lot, which are small communities that are about 20 to 30 minutes north. But that's just because it's such pretty country. That said, I don't have the first clue about what it's like to actually live there and if would be a good kid place. You might work in Santa Fe, but the shopping and schools would be Espanola Valley, and that you'd have to research.

[Towanda]

We will be moving to Eldorado just southeast of Santa Fe within the year.

I would recommend it to anyone ~ but especially someone with the needs you have.

In my many visits there over the years and a monthly newsletter we receive ... Eldorado seems more like a small town than a subdivision ... for all the reasons Julia mentions.

I like the quiet, the views of mountains in three directions, the night sky, the size of the lots (none under an acre) which puts your neighbors a little further away than in some housing areas, the building restrictions which keep all the houses close to the ground and adobe colors and style which blend into the environment. There are stores and a few restaurants ... and Harry's Roadhouse and Bobcat Bite (two awesome restaurants) are nearby. Eldorado also has a lot of community events and a library, senior center, community center, pool, hiking trails, horse stables, dog park, and its own fire department. I like it that it is a short drive into Santa Fe for all the city amenities.

The only thing that may put you off is the cost of homes. You will find very little in the $200s, most of the houses are in the $300 - 600,000 range. There are many available, though, and it is a buyer's market, with some sellers willing to drop their asking prices some.

Santa Fe proper is a wonderful city, and I say that knowing that a lot of people do not agree with me. I have never experienced any of the elitism and snobbishness that I hear the city is known for, and I don't know about crime ~ it is a city in which I have never felt unsafe.

Let us know what you decide.

[RelocatingToSantaFe]

Thanks for the posts. It sounds like Eldorado might fit the bill. I found some homes for rent on craig's list in Eldorado that I will check out when I get there.

I will be flying out to Santa Fe after Thanksgiving and need to find a place within a week or two. I hope I can find a place that quick .

I'll update the post on what happens.

Thanks again.

[Julia2sf]

Check out Santa Fe Vacation Rentals | Taos Vacation Rentals | Kokopelli Properties NM. They've got two rentals in Eldorado that are available.

[Zoidberg]

Can also try La Cienega, Pecos, or the unincorporated areas east or northwest of the city limits.

I hate traveling in Santa Fe: its congestion and traffic are the worst in the state, as are its drivers (usually the ones with out-of-state plates). A confusing spaghetti pile of streets, nowhere to pull off to get directions, lack of signage, and plenty of other cars who can't go around you make for a very frustrating drive.

Also, it seems like they did a study on all the lights on Cerrillos Road, figured out the timing to optimize traffic flow, and set them in opposition to that so that traffic hits every light red.

[Livin'inRio]

Originally Posted by RelocatingToSantaFe

I'm relocating to Santa Fe and have a family with small children. In reading the postings on Santa Fe it sounds like housing is expensive and that there's a bit of a crime problem.

What are the nice towns/areas outside of Santa Fe with low crime rates and better housing prices. I would like to be within a half an hour of Santa Fe.

It would be nice to find a town/area with some nice parks, conservative/laid back atmosphere, not a yuppie or rich area, but more middle class where people take care of their yards.

I will be moving soon, so any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Rio Rancho is about 30 minutes South of Santa Fe, however, people in this city can be very rude. As far as crime rates, they have risen but for the most part have not affected our city's safety much. Rio Rancho has many parks and most people take care of their yards, however, there are those few who don't care.

Pojoaque, Tesuque, Cuyamungue are small communities that are also about 20 to 30 minutes North of Santa Fe. People are friendlier and crime rates are low. No parks in these communities, these are rural communities.

Hope this information helps you.

[jsc23]

Originally Posted by RelocatingToSantaFe

It would be nice to find a town/area with some nice parks, conservative/laid back atmosphere, not a yuppie or rich area, but more middle class where people take care of their yards.

I will be moving soon, so any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Depending on where you're moving from, you may not immediately recognize "cared for yards" in Santa Fe county. If the yards in the neighborhood are expanses of manicured green grass, you are either on a golf course or in a neighborhood way more affluent than middle class

[RelocatingToSantaFe]

Thanks again for all the information.