The messages on this board are depressing!

[Mike Horrell]

I think both Santa Fe and Albuquerque are actually fairly diverse; just not at
first glance. Santa Fe is so loaded with Spanish / Indio-colonial history that at
first it's hard to see past that. I think if you are new to SF you either have to
have an acquaintance in one of the "ethnic" communities or to spend a bit of time
exploring to begin to see them.

No Chinese gate though...

[SultanofBling]

Headed there this weekend to look around. I understand "Spanish Market" is this weekend, or some other festival that seems to be quite popular. Thinking about looking at the Railyard area and El Dorado, based on rec's in older threads on this board. Very excited about it.

I appreciate the input in this thread and am looking forward to seeing the city that has inspired so many great discussions on this board.

[katefrisco]

Just got back from Colorado and northern New Mexico. Like most places around the US, Santa Fe has changed. Some of it I like, some of it I just want to roll my eyes. But with that said anywhere I go I do try and stick to the positive aspects of the city in which I am visiting.
Santa Fe is a fun place to go window shopping. I am not going to drop big $$$ at Packards or Ortega's. If I want jewelry there are places outside of Santa Fe. This year I went to the Tesuque flea market just north of town. I have never gone to it before.I found one booth with a lady who had an amazing assortment of beads from all over Africa. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Her booth was the only one I purchased items at while there. In the 70's when I first started coming to Santa Fe, I don't think I would have found that so readily available.
I have to say that I don't limit my visit to just Santa Fe. I love going to Taos, Albuquerque and other small towns in northern New Mexico.
I am so happy to be in the state right next door, Texas. Because when I get tired of the north Texas prairie (which I sometimes do), I can always hop on an inexpensive flight out to New Mexico and see some beautiful scenery.

[newmexicogal]

I have lived inthe Santa Fe area for almost 15 years and yes, you can find other cultures present but they don't jump out at you, if you seek, I guess you can find. The city is a tourist spot, and so there you have it! The city will always (as it should) have a native/hispanic flavor. If you are looking for diversity, the kind you find in larger cities, this is simply not the place for you.

[Santa Fe]

I am a newcomer who has already said some bad things about Santa Fe -- so I apologize if I have been too negative.

One negative I will stick with though -- the politics are corrupt and therefore depressing because there are problems in the whole state that should be dealt with and are not -- e.g., education. It is sad because the politicians are preying on their own people.

But Santa Fe has great beauty and incredible cultural opportunities for a city and county of 140,000. The air is incredibly clear and the wide open spaces are wide and open. It has a unique history, architecture and cuisine which certainly distinguishes it from other parts of the US.

If you want to compare us with say New York City then of course we can look bad because Santa Fe City is smaller than many NYC neighborhoods. Chinatown in Manhattan has more people than Santa Fe City and the Chinatown in Queens is bigger yet. So how can anybody expect us to somehow squeeze in a Chinatown, a Little Italy, etc.?

But if you accept Santa Fe as a small city, then it is a fairly amazing place.

[Towanda]

Santa Fe,

I notice you are new to City-Data and the New Mexico forum.

WELCOME!!!! We need more posters in the Santa Fe area to keep the flow of information going.

[Santa Fe]

Thanks

[deserttreasures]

Towanda, I always enjoy your posts since they are always quite accurate, IMO! SF is not for everyone, but what city is?

[Lilla_R]

Originally Posted by mortimer

My impression, but not a scientific survey, is that in all of the NM forums, the people that just post most of the negative stuff tend not to contribute very much and just come on with 'one-zies' and 'two-zies' posts about how bad stuff is.

A lot of them have obvious chips on their shoulders about how misunderstood they are and how hostle others are to them.

I would take those attitudes with a grain of salt. I would think that the anonymity of an internet message board brings out the cynical/bitter/judgmental side of people.