Is El Paso Pretty? (San Antonio, Spring: unemployment, schools, stores)

[tany123]

Originally Posted by spark

I knew asking locals would be way better than looking at satalite photos! El Paso seems more appealing to me all the time. And for green, there's always house plants. Half of my house plants are cacti anyway. It's still not set in stone where we will live once we move, but my heart is in El Paso. Thank you all for your kind replies. If we move there, I am really looking forward to seeing the mountains and meeting the locals, and having that dry, sunny weather year round.

El Paso is beautiful to me.
(( )) Shannon

Hope you love mexicans, most are local and a lot from across the border who do not speak any English. The mexican food is the best. Summers are now hot and humid for the most part. So if you don't mind living with 99% of the population (or close to) being hispanics and hot weather, then this is the place for you!

[mistabinks]

Not quite 99%

Also, there are a lot of Hispanics here. American Citizens. Yes, some Mexicans live in El Paso but the high percentage you are referring to is about Hispanics, not Mexicans.

El Paso is a bordertown. Mexico is literally within walking distance. Spanish will always be an issue. How big of an issue is up to you. You will encounter Spanish speakers if you go Downtown or to the lower valley. Just a fact of life here. You can either throw your hands up in the air and ***** about or you can embrace it. Most people will try and communicate with you. Some will switch to English. You will not know unless you give an effort.

If you come from a community that is 99% white, then yes, El Paso will surprise you. If you are open minded, you will find a lot of great people and tradition here. If you feel America is white, and only English should be spoken 100% of the time, then you will not be happy here.

[XChucoresident]

El Paso is pretty to me because that is where I grew up and all of my family is there as I write this..It is dry and getting expensive..I live in North Texas where there are trees there..and I can understand why people that are NOT from there would consider it ugly..I have also been to Florida also..I will always love ELP because that is where my roots are

[Caltep]

If you come from a community that is 99% white, then yes, El Paso will surprise you. If you are open minded, you will find a lot of great people and tradition here. If you feel America is white, and only English should be spoken 100% of the time, then you will not be happy here.[/quote]

Hmmm....I believe also if you come from a more diverse community than El Paso will surpirse you. If you come from SF, LA, NYC, the lack of diversity will be noticeable right off the bat. And yes I have heard folks say ELP is diverse...but I will always beg to differ.

[mistabinks]

I prefer to claim we are a melting part more so than diverse. Anyone, of any race, can live anywhere in the city. There is no white part of town (no, not even the westside), there is not black part of town (no, not even the ne), people live where they want without any hassle.

[Caltep]

There is not enough of any other culture/race to have a Black, Asian, PI or any other ethnic based "part of town"? Not enough Chinese to have Chinatown or Japanese to have J-town as in other large metropolitan areas. As a non-Latino/Hispanic/Mexican and also non-white, I don't think there is any option but to melt in (not that I would live in an enclave of just folks from my background).

Originally Posted by mistabinks

I prefer to claim we are a melting part more so than diverse. Anyone, of any race, can live anywhere in the city. There is no white part of town (no, not even the westside), there is not black part of town (no, not even the ne), people live where they want without any hassle.

[Wilshire81182]

I love El Paso, but the beauty there is rugged and outdoorsy. You have to like the desert, then El Paso is pretty scenic because it actually interacts with the mountains and has various scenic spots throughout the range. The demographics do not phase me at all, I like the culture.

[mistabinks]

You don't have to have a large number of any demographic to make my point. In a lot of cities, regardless of numbers, all Blacks stay in one part of town, all Asians in another, all Hispanics in another. In El Paso, regardless of race or color, you can live anywhere you want w/ no hassle or trouble. Try doing that in Oklahoma or Central Texas.

[armywifeandmom]

I moved to El Paso a little over a month ago. It is beautiful, and it's one of the more beautiful places I have ever lived.

The landscape is so different to anywhere else I have lived and the colors are more muted, and I agree if you are used to a lot of green (trees, lawns..etc) then it might take some time to adjust your eyes in order to see the beauty.

But it's beautiful. The dessert plants are amazing and very eye catching with their pop of color. I love the muted reds, greens, tans and grays and yellows. I especially love the Franklin Mnts. looking at them from either my own back yard or going to the top and looking out over El Paso/Juarez at night.

We like it so much here that we are discussing the possibility to return once my Husband retires and live here.

[utelpaso88]

During the monsoon season, the Franklin Mountains turn a very nice green. When you are driving through trans-mountain during this time, it makes you think you're not in El Paso anymore. The poppy fields near the Franklins are also very nice. Thats if we get some decent precip in the winter.