Trinidad, what's really wrong? (Pueblo: school, community college, closing)

[penny1969]

I don't know if you call this necessarily a "problem" but I've noticed that customer service in what few stores are there, whips, bites and sucks in that order. It's got that typical "small town of only 6,000-something so everyone knows each other" thing going, and there will be like, two cashier lanes open at Safeway EVER and both lines long and the cashier having some kind of "family reunion" thing going with the customers in front of you!! I may be the only person here who doesn't have ALL DAY to wait in line while my milk turns into cottage cheese, waiting to pay for it!! That would be more acceptable if this Safeway had self checkout lanes like Wal-Mart does to circumvent this phenomenon.

Also there seem to be a lot of drug addicts around - now granted, some of that is legal now in Colorado so I have to keep that in mind. They don't call it "dope" for nothing but they are legally stoned. Plus which there might be other things besides pot - I'm not about to inquire as to find out, because as a public school teaching license holder and an attorney (OK in this state, make that "law degree holder licensed in another state") I don't just "need to know" everything. I don't need to know what other people around me are "on" unless they attack me or otherwise do something to ME. That's how I cope with living in "affordable" areas. Ignore "it" unless it affects me directly. Of course, little things like: my front license plate (Massachusetts) was already stolen off my car in Pueblo, but I digress.

Anyway, back on point: this small-town mentality seems to mean that customer service pretty much SUCKS. I'm still waiting to actually claim a couple of packages that were delivered to the front door of the hotel, which read "delivered today" in the USPS online tracking system and also in the text I received of "delivery updates." Someone said they saw the packages outside the front office door earlier today, and now they're gone, and the door is locked, and nothing. Apparently the only other person who may have seen them, I don't know what, is IGNORING me standing outside waiting for my packages or something? I don't like to be rude and pound on doors or anything like that - it's just, this time, a shipment of textbooks and a pair of shoes. But I will chalk this up as a reminder to put notes in anything I order online through the mail, to send it "registered signature required" if it's something important like prescription eyeglasses or my Passports. Why I say this is a matter of "customer service sucks" is the same reason I said that about Safeway. Even people at hotels and motels in this town seem to all "know each other like forever" and will spend their time in what I call "family reunion time" rather than doing things like ringing your groceries up or fetching someone's packages.

Now, granted, at least some of this might be because I'm a minority and this is a majority-white racist town. I swear, I get better service from the Hispanics here (and of course what few of my fellow Native Americans are on this side of the state line) than -- but wait, what I'm about to say is "MOST of the population." Honestly, Raton was better!! And God forbid I say that out loud, because it elicits the inevitable "oh are you FROM Raton?" idiotic nonsense out of they who assume that any place that comes out of one's mouth MUST be where one was BORN and RAISED. Idiots. Morons. "Middle America" nincompoops. That was bad enough in New Mexico (except, for the most part, Gallup). Now the fact that Colorado is doing that too makes me long for New Mexico!! But no, I have to go ON. Onward and upward. Onward, to a PhD program in a country where higher education is free...University of New Mexico decidedly did NOT have Computational Biophysics, so that's why I'm en route to leaving.

And when I say "Middle America nincompoops" like that it's because of this: whenever I get back to Massachusetts in whatever car I've bought WHERE THE F*** EVER bearing whatever state's license plate that is, no one there goes "are you FROM (insert state here)" they go "oh you bought the CAR (insert state here)" Even if they don't "know me." It's a whole world of difference in terms of mentality. The middle of the country is "mental."

And then there are the weird-os who may or may not be high "on" something striking up senseless conversations and sounding like they're off on some tangent about conspiracies and such. Again, "small town" mentality. I can't wait to get the bloody hell out of this part of the country. Meanwhile. I need to learn to pretend I'm deaf and stop talking to people.

[penny1969]

Originally Posted by Eddyline

-Cheap housing near a walkable small town historic downtown.
-Much lower cost of living than the Front Range.

There's a REASON for that. You're at least 180 miles from any JOBS (Denver area). If I were seriously going to STAY here, the only jobs that would give me the time of day would be in AURORA. And even that's a definite "maybe." But the only way you could have a room to yourself in the $395-$500/month range in anything near Aurora would be...pretty much NOT. You'd still have to share a room, even in Aurora, to get it for that kind of rate. Or it would be a room in a private house with all the potential drama and problems that THAT entails, living in somebody else's house.

[Eddyline]

Originally Posted by penny1969

There's a REASON for that. You're at least 180 miles from any JOBS (Denver area).

You need to re-read, I was discussing cheap housing for retirement.
Most retirees are not moving to find a job.
Retirees moving to a town CREATE jobs.

[debbie at bouontiful]

My concerns would be social interaction from not being from there. Living on the Santa Fe sub on the Raton pass. I already live 30 minutes ftom a do nothing town being on a ranch and our kids are several hours away in the CIty. I do not want yo relocate to a CIty but hope to find friends and somewhat of a social life. Those are my concerns about Trinidad.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

And I'll point back at you and say "warm climate to you". An average January high/low of 49/19 doesn't seem warm to a lot of us.

What do you expect from a town that sits over 6,000 feet?

[HusBea]

My wife and I have been to Trinidad a few times, just stopping by to eat and wander the downtown as we pass through. In our opinion, the locals are somewhat unfriendly. You go into a chain restaurant/store and you get no greeting, no smile, but "what do you want?". I agree with Penny1969 who wrote previously; that is, it is a small town attitude.

And we also lived for a couple of years in Gallup while we built some schools for the BIA. Folks there were friendlier, much friendlier, and your skin color mattered less (we are Asian).

[JohnCurtisEstes]

Originally Posted by AnthonyJ34

What do you expect from a town that sits over 6,000 feet?

I know, just like Co. Springs!

[debbie at bouontiful]

I just got back from Trinidad and even though I love the area it has changed in the last year. I could handle last year when I saw a pot shop but I counted 9 and a real estate lady thought there was 11. She (real estate lady) was hoping New Mexico would okay pot so some would move out of Trinidad to Raton.

Anyway, I've never seen so many homeless people. Homeless people with dogs to feed too! That was a first for me. Stoned people asking for food. I still am interested in the subdivision Santa Fe Ranch on the Raton Pass but I was turned off by the new poverty from last year to this year.

Black Jacks has opened Yea! Although, I preferred it when it was a steak house instead of Mexican food. Lost a little of the wild west feel to it this time.

As far as friendly, I have always found everyone friendly. But, maybe it is just because I feel so good at higher elevation and dry climate.

[wilberry]

The blues festival in Trinidad is great every year but I would not live there , maybe Walsenburg or Pueblo ...

[pewood0923]

My wife, daughter, and I moved to Trinidad 3 months ago. We really like the simplicity, and being away from large cities. The town has its quirks and oddities but coming from a small town I know most have their own ways. The people have been very nice, we have not felt judged based on our family structure or coloration as we felt in TN. It's not for everyone, but it certainly has much character, and beauty.