Boston to Santa Fe (Albuquerque: where to stay, real estate, rent)

[FLSTN]

Hello,
My wife and I are 50, have lived in Boston all of our lives and are considering moving to New Mexico within the next couple of years. We are planning on spending a week coming summer to visit both Albuquerque and Santa Fe so we can get first hand look at the area.

We have the following 3 questions:
1. What communites should we see as far as relocating to? We are looking for a 'nice' neighboorhood and as far as price range goes we're probably in the 400k - 500k area.

2. what areas we should visit while we are in both cities in order to get a feel for the area as a resident?

3. Any suggestions on what area (hotel) we should stay at this trip?

Thanks very much.

(I'm posting this question in both the Albuquerque and Santa Fe sections)

[Towanda]

Here in Santa Fe, I highly recommend my community of Eldorado, if you don't mind living 20 minutes outside of the city. Living away from the city DOES have it's advantages, if they appeal to you - more wide open spaces, great views in all directions, night sky that is fabulous for looking at the stars, quiet. There are many residents in your age category, and the prices fall within your requirements. The lots are large, the homes are wonderful, there are lots of amenities out here and it definitely qualifies as a "nice" neighborhood.

You can search the forum and find lots of posts/threads about Eldorado.

Eldorado information page at City-Data.com

I can answer specific questions.

A trip to New Mexico is definitely the best thing for you. ABQ and Santa Fe are quite different and you will need to see which one appeals to you the most. And as I have learned, New Mexico is not for everyone, and you will need to know if it works for you before you make a decision to move here.

As far as hotels, when we were visiting Santa Fe and house-hunting, etc. we usually stayed at the Best Western on Cerrillos -- the location was convenient to everything, and we had no intention of paying the highly-inflated hotel prices of the downtown hotels.

Good luck in your research!

[santafescribe]

Eldorado is a great option. Another would be the South Capital area, which is close to downtown and has some great homes full of character. On the northside, Las Estrellas subdivision is a great option for you.
Where to stay in Santa Fe? Inn of the Governors is downtown and good value - of course the best values are in the motels on Cerrillos Road. Check out the Sage Inn or El Rey Motel.
Happy to answer any more questions.
By the way, there's a great story in today's New York Times on a weekend in Santa Fe.

[GregW]

I suggest flying to Albuquerque and staying downtown at the La Posada hotel near the railroad station for a couple of days while you look around Alb. Then rent a car from a downtown location and go exploring.

[FLSTN]

Thank you for your replies ... We'll check out the locations you sggested prior to leaving on our visit.

[sidekick]

I too am considering SF after several visits (MA native). My final trip will be this Fall as it is the only season that I have not visited NM. Think NM is not for everyone, but seems right for me with open space, western lifestyle, sunny days and seasons. Think real estate prices are reasonable by East Coast standards. Concerned long term about water, but think it is regional issue, not just NM. Let me know your thoughts why NM...I have also considered the Pacific NW (have lived in Portland), AZ, Texas, WY, MT and a few others. Good luck

Hotels....I like the Hotel St Francis downtown!