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I love the desert and I will say driving the Trans Mountain Road out of El Paso was stunning! And West Texas seems to have some cool destinations around Big Bend and Guadelupe mountains. I'd love to see Marfa and the evolving art community there. But as a city El Paso really did give me the creeps.
Corpus Christi was on my radar and I did think of it, after I added the poll of course, mods take notice.
I've heard that El Paso is one of the safest cities in America. I think El Paso was actually more dangerous in the 80s and early 90s from stories I hear. Today, not so much.
I have family that lives there. One of my cousins is a principal at a middle school there and she says it is very safe but the locals just as well as visitors do feel a bit of discomfort coming from the city across the border. I don't think, however, that this should give you the creeps. I was there back in 2006 when my uncle passed away. I don't know how much a city can change in 4.5 years but when I was there it was pretty laid back.
What I find most interesting about El Paso is its many influences of Mexico, New Mexico and Texas. It's the locals that make the city a great place and that is why I find El Paso to be the most unique and interesting city of Texas. There is many folklore, or urban legends. that goes through the town... very similar to how it was when I used to live in Las Cruces, NM. (only about half an hour from El Paso) Like the story of that one guy who went missing and when they found him he was naked on the border line of Mexico and US. His brain was fried after taking plenty of acid. This was like in the 90s. Just a story I heard. But it's these kinds of things I like about El Paso. Such a mysterious place with all the desert surrounding it. I love that city! (ok, maybe that's why it gave you the creeps?) lol
Too bad we can't visit Juarez like we used to when I was a kid. Those were some great times.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84
I've heard that El Paso is one of the safest cities in America. I think El Paso was actually more dangerous in the 80s and early 90s from stories I hear. Today, not so much.
I have family that lives there. One of my cousins is a principal at a middle school there and she says it is very safe but the locals just as well as visitors do feel a bit of discomfort coming from the city across the border. I don't think, however, that this should give you the creeps. I was there back in 2006 when my uncle passed away. I don't know how much a city can change in 4.5 years but when I was there it was pretty laid back.
What I find most interesting about El Paso is its many influences of Mexico, New Mexico and Texas. It's the locals that make the city a great place and that is why I find El Paso to be the most unique and interesting city of Texas. There is many folklore, or urban legends. that goes through the town... very similar to how it was when I used to live in Las Cruces, NM. (only about half an hour from El Paso) Like the story of that one guy who went missing and when they found him he was naked on the border line of Mexico and US. His brain was fried after taking plenty of acid. This was like in the 90s. Just a story I heard. But it's these kinds of things I like about El Paso. Such a mysterious place with all the desert surrounding it. I love that city! (ok, maybe that's why it gave you the creeps?) lol
Too bad we can't visit Juarez like we used to when I was a kid. Those were some great times.
New Mexico gave me the impression that there are a lot of myth, superstitions, folklore, and legends. Like La llarona. This must be rooted in Mexican culture. It's interesting for sure. I'll give El Paso the benefit of the doubt next time I visit which I'm sure I will since I'm moving to New Mexico. In all fairness I drove around a few downtown blocks in El Paso, came through on I-10, and sawt less than savory sights from the Patriot Freeway/54 and was only around it for a few hours. There are a lot of cities where I've peeled back the layers, gotten to know and had them grow on me. I'm sure meeting the locals would shift my opinion. For what it's worth, the airport employess were nice and I got good customer service there, better than most. Come to think of it all over the state I've Texas I've gotten a very high standard of Customer Service.
el paso and the ppl that live there (and all the hot mexican american/mexican women) were dope IMO. would do both again.
its a shame that juarez is bad right now. when i was there it was bad but not THAT bad...or at least i was just oblivious to the situation. when i was there they did find a priest or two shot dead in the middle of the street and they had just discovered a lot of bodies and stuff but nobody knew why. the drug cartel stuff wasn't mainstream yet and i don't think ppl put two and two together (at least outside of northern mexico and across the border).
the women there were dope tho...wooo...and the weather was mad hot so you know everybody was in skin tight everything.
It's funny, I lived in Texas for 8yrs and never been to El Paso. It always looked nice and distinct from the rest of Texas. Like a TRUE Southwestern city. I'd like to visit.
New Mexico gave me the impression that there are a lot of myth, superstitions, folklore, and legends. Like La llarona. This must be rooted in Mexican culture. It's interesting for sure. I'll give El Paso the benefit of the doubt next time I visit which I'm sure I will since I'm moving to New Mexico. In all fairness I drove around a few downtown blocks in El Paso, came through on I-10, and sawt less than savory sights from the Patriot Freeway/54 and was only around it for a few hours. There are a lot of cities where I've peeled back the layers, gotten to know and had them grow on me. I'm sure meeting the locals would shift my opinion. For what it's worth, the airport employess were nice and I got good customer service there, better than most. Come to think of it all over the state I've Texas I've gotten a very high standard of Customer Service.
The legend of La Llarona is famous all over the Western US. From Texas to California, and anywhere with a large Mexican population. There are plenty of Mexican superstitions, folklore, and stories in Texas. That's one of the many things I love about Texas.
It's funny, I lived in Texas for 8yrs and never been to El Paso. It always looked nice and distinct from the rest of Texas. Like a TRUE Southwestern city. I'd like to visit.
You're not alone at all, polo. Most Texans know little to nothing about El Paso. That's New Mexico.
For what it's worth, the airport employess were nice and I got good customer service there, better than most. Come to think of it all over the state I've Texas I've gotten a very high standard of Customer Service.
Where are you originally from? I think I read once you saying you were from California. I've just moved to San Francisco about two weeks ago and I'm barely adjusting. One thing that I miss the most is that Texas was more generally friendly.
But yes.. certainly do give El Paso another shot... there's also plenty of great mexican food. It's very different from Central and East Texas mexican food because of its many influences of New Mexico style.
It's funny, I lived in Texas for 8yrs and never been to El Paso. It always looked nice and distinct from the rest of Texas. Like a TRUE Southwestern city. I'd like to visit.
I hope that Ciudad Juarez eventually becomes safe again and El Paso would start gaining some better reputation. El Paso is a great city and I find the hispanics living there to be generally speaking more educated than say in Houston or Austin. My cousin's tried getting me to move there because it's a great place for artists as well. UTEP is there so its also a college town. The lead singer and guitarists of the Mars Volta are originally from there. El Paso certainly deserves more credit than it gets and I'm all for it. Plus the proximity to New Mexico, Mexico, the desert and Marfa... what's not to like?
The only downside about El Paso I can think of is that Richard Ramirez is originally from there.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,745 posts, read 23,804,636 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by migol84
Where are you originally from? I think I read once you saying you were from California. I've just moved to San Francisco about two weeks ago and I'm barely adjusting. One thing that I miss the most is that Texas was more generally friendly.
But yes.. certainly do give El Paso another shot... there's also plenty of great mexican food. It's very different from Central and East Texas mexican food because of its many influences of New Mexico style.
I'm originally from Massachusetts, lived in Seattle for 5 years (hence my alias), and I'm moving to Albuquerque before the end of the year. I thought about moving to Austin for a while and really enjoyed visiting there but untimately decided I've outgrown the 20-something collegiate party vibe that's there. I decided on Albuquerque because of the weather, location/topography, and great people & food, I really hit it off there. I'm sure being there I'll have plenty opportunties to visit Texas and El Paso. I'd like to go back to San Antonio again and also see South Padre Island.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 04-22-2011 at 01:57 AM..
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People loving San Antonio and El Paso...why?! lol
