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Grants is about 75 miles west of Albuquerque and has a cooler climate in the summer and many local recreational sites for hiking, biking, camping, and more within a short 1/2 hour drive. Many recreation areas here are free to the public like access to Cibola national forest, El Malpais national monument, and Mt Taylor. Camping in the Zuni mountains is a challenge for those that like desert camping. The area has mule deer, elk, black bear, and turkeys. There was even a moose sighted in the area about 4 years ago. Bird watching is best near cliff areas.
Grants is under-serviced in many respects in part by the fact that local business people go to Albuquerque for work leaving local business phones off their hooks. There is a Walmart, everyone's favorite place to shop, and a hospital. So staying healthy, fed, and clothed is not an issue. We have a Tru-Value hardware and ....well...Walmart. It's a small town. What do you expect?
That aside, there seems to be an aversion to the area. I'm interested in hearing what you all have heard that makes Grants the place to avoid. So make it upbeat, make it fun, and make your reply to GrantsHomemade.
> There is a Walmart, ... a Tru-Value hardware and ....well...Walmart.
> That aside, there seems to be an aversion to the area. I'm interested
> in hearing what you all have heard that makes Grants the place to avoid.
I assume that it is just because it is not shiny and new that people don't like it. Many enjoy dining out regularly and having your choices so limited makes it undesirable.
I don't know what the average education level is, but I assume it is lower than in Albuquerque, so many consider themselves too good to mingle with such folks.
Just last night, the low temps in Gallup and Grants were about -5 vs 13 in Albuquerque. This is a common winter differential, so that's another factor. You don't get the benefit of a milder summer either since daytime highs are similar to Albuquerque (but the evenings are cooler).
If you were in the prison industry, I think a job in Grants would be much more desireable than one in around the hot desert of the Phoenix area.
I think you really have to like the outdoors. For hunters and hikers, there are gobs of easy-to-get-to venues.
If you search through the history of Grants threads many start off their posts with some sort of racial paranoia because they have a friend who heard something from a friend that [all of them] hate whatever group the poster happens to in.
There's a possibility that Grants might come back economically from a possible boom in nuclear power over the coming decades. There are also areas to the West that are likely well suited for solar and wind energy farms.
For now, I can't imagine what could cause an economic comeback. I go there a few times a year for the hike, but all I might do is fill up with gas and buy a sandwich. There is nothing there that I know of that would make me want to spend any time there.
You may have something there about "not shiny and new." Grants has a definite rural appearance. The main drag has seen better days but property owners have let the buildings slide and now they aren't even worth salvaging. Just a little TLC and Santa Fe avenue would look 200 percent better. The city has planted street trees and median planters, added benches and banners but the property owners aren't keeping up their curb-fronts, much less the allies.
There are some good restaurants here. The La Ventana is arguably the best in service and food. Some others include 1st Street Cafe, El Cafecito in Grants, and WOW Diner in Milan, not mention the ususal burger-bests like Blakes. Nothing cosmopolitan like sushi bars, or big-box types like Cracker Barrel or Outback. If you like a good regional cuisine with New Mexican-flare, then try one of these restaurants.
The education thing is a pointed stick in the county's eye. But as you have observed the state is a mix of three major culures, anglo, hispanic and native American. It's, education thing, not just here. And people are people, they have a disposable income and the usual needs but in a small town setting. The best thing that could happen to Grants is to get more interested people to live here. My hope is that this blog will have some positive effect.
I personaly like Grants and the people there. It has been over a year since I have visited but it sounds like the city needs to get with the program.
Tell the building owners, either clean it up or tear it down or the city will do it for you and send you the bill!
We moved to Grants almost two years ago and love it here. But we enjoy the small towniness. My favorite parrt about Grants is the national forest and parks. We don't have the S. Fe crowd or the Albuquerque traffic. I can get to work in ten minutes and live 10 miles from town.
I'm moving to Grants for a year. Any ideas on the best hotel to stay in while I find something more permanent? Also any other tips will be much appreciated. I will be working as a nurse. How is the local hospital?
I'm moving to Grants for a year. Any ideas on the best hotel to stay in while I find something more permanent? Also any other tips will be much appreciated. I will be working as a nurse. How is the local hospital?
The local hospital has been having ALOT of issues with the county commission here recently. Mostly political garbage from what I have read.
If I were headed back to Grants and needed a place to stay I would look at one of the motels on the East end of town, right off I40 at exit 85
Good luck to you.
At least Grants is on a major interstate, which SHOULD mean it's seeing more growth than so many towns in the state of similar size (and smaller) that have seen no growth or negative growth. Answering the question as to "why" Grants isn't seeing more growth goes to the heart of the problem for all of these other small places. Watrous, Wagon Mound, Deming and Lordsburg are good examples of several small places located on major interstates that seem to just hold their own.
Other examples, NOT with Interstate access: Willard, Vaughn, Duran, Ft. Sumner, Carrizozo, Corona, Magdalena, Reserve and even the Silver City area is struggling to "survive," if not "revive."
My memory of Grants was set during a cross country motorcycle trip. I was sleeping outside with only a blanket (it was at the beginning of July) and I like to froze in Grants. The 40 deg morning was a great example of the overnight desert cooling I had read about. Other than having a very good breakfast with lots of HOT coffee I don't have much memory of the town.
Go there and spend a week or so in the summer and winter to see what you would be getting into.
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