Those leaving El Paso, or who have left El Paso. Do You Have any Regrets? Where did you move? (Houston: condo, tax)

[unnativeelpasoan]

Seriously, lipbalm, what is your point? You just felt the need to interject something pointless in there to make yourself feel important?

[unnativeelpasoan]

And, yeah, VirginiaNative, I actually DO have a question. Why are you so defensive about all this?? I am not stopping you from living here, and I'm not trying to make an enemy of you, I am only pointing out that El Paso may not really offer the lifestyle that seem to want, but obviously, you will have to decide that for yourself.

As far as where I got my numbers, I think you misunderstood. I was comparing the city of El Paso's population density (which is comparable to that of Fort Worth) to the population density of the entire D.C. Metro. Not exactly a fair comparison, I know, but my point was that someone like myself who lives in the inner city of El Paso might actually have much less breathing room than someone living in a D.C. suburb. I mean, I have lived in suburban and exurban and inner city areas in other places and I feel sort of crowded where I live now. I also don't feel like I have any connection to nature here whatsoever and I have sort of been dreaming of a nice, genuinely rural life myself lately.

Anyway, you still seem to have ignored what I said about El Paso and Juarez actually being one metro area. Juarez, like I said, has a population that is about three times that of El Paso, and there are obviously a lot of people from Juarez here at any given time. I do not think that one can ever actually talk about El Paso realistically while ignoring the presence of Ciudad Juarez, which lies just a few feet from here. (Sometimes I am convinced that El Paso is just an American suburb of Juarez.)

And I don't believe I ever described El Paso as this big, awesome city, like you seem to imply. I said it wasn't a small town, especially not what I would call a small rural town. I mean, it's not like I look out my window to a nice, pastoral landscape. More like a lot of blacktop. And everyone has their own definition of what constitutes a small town or a big city, depending on all the places they have been and spent time, because these are usually all just comparative terms. Personally, I would call El Paso a medium sized city. That's just how I would define it, as someone who has been in very large cities AND tiny little towns.

So... any questions?

[VirginiaNative432]

Yes, why are you so defensive about someone wanting to move to El Paso--someone from an actual big city, where there are complex roads, a subway system, crime, tones of traffic, high expense? I thought your point was dumb, and wouldn't have bothered until you brought up some "fact" that doesn't square with the facts.

It's not a big deal, just don't pretend that El Paso (or cities like it), aren't more livable than big metro areas, of which, yes, DC is one (as the stats show). You are welcome to move here...it has a lot to offer, but not a place I'd raise kids.

Are we good now?

[unnativeelpasoan]

Wait a second, VirginiaNative, do you think that I am denying that the D.C. Area is actually a very large city? Because I am not, and I am well aware that do so would be dumb. Also, I don't think I am defensive about someone wanting to move here, but it does seem to me that you have an unrealistic ideal of what it is like here, and it seems to me that you somehow think you apparently have a better idea of what it is really like here, as opposed to me, someone who has lived here for almost seven years, because you are from an "actual big city". And, yes, I do find this offensive. (And I am not from a small town. I grew up in the 16th largest metro area in the country, with almost 3 1/2 million people, and not El Paso.)

And as far as where I got my data, that you say doesn't square with facts? Well, I simply googled the population density of the D.C. Metro area (as opposed to D.C. proper) and received an answer of less than 1,000 ppl. per sq. mile from four (yes, four) sources including Wikipedia. You can look up Washington Metropolitan Area on Wikipedia if you don't believe me, which actually states only 962.9 ppl. per sq. mile. Being fair, and looking at the other data showing total land area and population, I assume this estimate to be slightly out of date, the actual number probably being more like just over 1,000 ppl. per sq. mile.
Now, City-Data (which is somewhat more accurate and up-to-date than Wikipedia) puts the current density of the city (proper) of El Paso at just over 2,600 ppl. per sq. mile. So, what I stated earlier is not incorrect. It is clearly not an apples to apples comparison, but what I was saying is that, ostensibly, a person living in an inner city area of El Paso is most likely living in a higher population density area than someone living in a suburb of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. You may think that this point is "dumb", and that is fine, but it is not incorrect!

HOWEVER, because I am fair and honest, I would like to correct myself in stating that the population of Juarez as being three time that of El Paso, as I have been told.
According to the latest (2010) statistics (and sources including Wikipedia) the population of the city of Juarez is over 1.3 million and the population of the Juarez metro area alone is just over 1.6 million. (And, according to Wikipedia, the city of Juarez has a population density of over 19,000 ppl. per sq. mile. Yes, nineteen thousand.)
Now, you may think that these numbers for Juarez would not make a difference for someone living in El Paso who never crosses the border, but they DO matter when you consider the very large amount of traffic in El Paso from Juarez.
And all in all, you are talking about a metro area of 2.4 million people. (Juarez metro area's 1.6 mil + El Paso metro area's 0.8 mil.) Yes, this is still much smaller than the entire Washington D.C. Metro area (and most certainly far less cosmopolitan, poorer, and with less sophisticated infrastructure) but I really do not think it constitutes small town living.

[malamute]

El Paso may have once had a small town feel --- it no longer does.

El Paso at one time seemed more like 5 small towns bumped up against each other -- each section of town had it's own feel which was kind of nice. You could feel you were visiting another town when you went to the other side of town.

A small town would have far less traffic, far less concrete everywhere. There are some quiet enough neighborhoods but that's how it is in any large city.

[rccorral1117]

Originally Posted by 1979

I'd like to hear from people who are leaving El Paso, or are thinking of leaving, or who have left El Paso. What reasons did you have for leaving? Where did you go? Do you have any regrets about leaving?

Both of my parents went to Bowie High School in the second ward.... I was born in the second ward in 1968 - lived by El Paso high school up thru Winter of 76..... I went to Lamar elementary - was a proud Longhorn.... I remember my mother packing my first school lunch - T Bone Steak and Potato - she even placed a real steak knife in the lunch bucket - teachers never said anything negative1 My, how times have changed in our American culture! A child today even with a plastic knife would be charged with attempted murder! Yikes! I remember the Kress building during Christmas and the Popular - the best times of my life were spent downtown! Anything you see today - IS NOT EL PASO: it is a product of Korea with a sprinkle of products from China! I left for Oregon in 82 - visited in 09 to see my father and other relatives...... I loved Coney Island hot dogs / Chico's and the Capri theatre with the godzilla movies! I never have moved back however, now at the age of 44 have a very strong desire to go home...... It will have to wait until my children are grown...... I am in Colorado now however, to those who call El Paso home - I hope this note finds you and your families enjoying a frosty new year! : )

Roberto -
Westminster, Colorado
formerly of El Paso, Texas -

[kidicarus89]

Originally Posted by malamute

El Paso may have once had a small town feel --- it no longer does.

El Paso at one time seemed more like 5 small towns bumped up against each other -- each section of town had it's own feel which was kind of nice. You could feel you were visiting another town when you went to the other side of town.

A small town would have far less traffic, far less concrete everywhere. There are some quiet enough neighborhoods but that's how it is in any large city.

The Smart Growth planning that you'll see in the coming decades will reestablish something like what you're talking about. Town-center type plazas are already being planning along Airway, in the Northeast, and around the UTEP area. Places where city life in each respective side of town converges and gives a sense of identity to break up the modern day patterns of freeway, boulevard, big box store, gas station, repeat, repeat.

[David Pristupa]

El Paso is not a hipster town. That is a good thing. Austin, Seattle and many other cities have been gentrified and over developed. The prices have pushed out the working class. I'm making reference to those high rise glass tower condos
expensive restaurants and coffee shops. Liberalism is their religion. They are brats with a lot of money.

[kidicarus89]

Originally Posted by David Pristupa

El Paso is not a hipster town. That is a good thing. Austin, Seattle and many other cities have been gentrified and over developed. The prices have pushed out the working class. I'm making reference to those high rise glass tower condos
expensive restaurants and coffee shops. Liberalism is their religion. They are brats with a lot of money.

They've done great jobs at renovating dilapidated areas of town, but in the process priced poorer folks out of those areas. I think El Paso is a much grander downtown experiment than those cities because we already have a far more diverse populace around the downtown area, and projects like the Magoffin Villas very specifically ensured that they included affordable housing in many of the units to preserve that mix. Taking a neglected area and giving it to rich developers to make expensive high-rises for other rich folks isn't a challenge; renovating your central area to make it a living/working space for ALL taxpaying citizens, that's harder. Plus, with Juarez right next door, gentrification on the scale of SF and Seattle would've never worked. Our city planners are recognizing that part of a healthy downtown area is ensuring that you don't exclude different socio-economic groups. Hopefully we see this idea reinforced in reality.

[fristis]

I left El Paso and moved to Houston in 1990. Have since moved to Sugar Land. My reasons for leaving EP were economic. It really isn't a good city for gainful employment. Aside from that, it's a great place to live and it was a great place to grow up. I'm from the north east side of town......Andress...
The main thing I miss about El Paso is the food! I'm talkin' Chico's Tacos and Kiki's Mexican Food. I'm fortunate enough to be able to go back one or two times per year. Chico's is so bad that it's fantastic! And Kiki's.......that's just the best TexMex there is period. One thing I don't miss is the dust and wind...and I must admit....it is nice to get rain on a regular basis.....that was something missing from EP.