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You see more poverty in New Mexico because traditionally this state has not had the housing segregation characteristic of many regions. Here, we have a 100 acre fenced estate and next door a trailer park. Tesuque, the wealthiest CDP in NM, has two trailer parks.
For better or worse this is changing in two ways.
1. Newer development that by zoning or covenants keeps the poor out.
2. Rising land prices that push out the poor by economic means.
Again for better worse, Santa Fe, with the highest priced real estate, probably leads on the second way. Other areas with higher growth are probably lead on the first way although certainly Santa Fe also has areas where covenants or zoning effectively keep out the poor.
I was surprised by my first visit to NM. The skies, landscape, and culture was very different from anything that I had experienced. I felt like I had landed on Mars. My first visit lasted only 3 days, but it stuck in my memory. We went for a second visit this summer. That was enough for me to seriously consider moving there. I did lots and lots of research on the Internet. I found out about cost of living, job outlook, educational opportunities, etc. Then, I used this information to convince my bf that we should move. I fed him tidbits about NM on a regular basis. The big difference is that he also loved NM from his first visit. My suggestion would be that you plan more vacations to NM. Last summer we spent 2 weeks in NM, but there is so much that we haven't seen.
On my first visit here last year, we spent a lot of time in the SW part of the city, using Bridge & Cesar Chavez to get around. Needless to say, that probably isn't the part of the city the Chamber would like you to see first. My second visit, I rented a car and drove all over the place....SW, SE, NE, downtown, NW, RR. It made a BIG difference in my opinion of the city, once I was able to see more of it and see the variety. I went from thinking "ewww" to "hmmm, cool". BIG attitude change. Any time you move, especially if it's a decent size city, you have to find the spot where you fit, or you'll hate the city from day one. It may be that your wife hasn't found her spot here yet. It only took me about a week to find my spot here, it took me about 18 months to find my best spot in Dallas, and I never did find a spot in Ft. Lauderdale. Try randomly driving all over the city next time.
I was rudely awakened around 4:30 with wind, lightning, and thunder but luckily, nothing severe even though we're under a tornado watch until 9 a.m. Ugh, I hate this stuff. My one dog was at my bedroom door with the first clap and of course, I was up with the first clap of thunder to see if I needed to hightail it down into my storm cellar.
At least the temperatures will be cooler today and no humidity. I am sweating to death right now in the house even though summer isn't even close to being here yet. I surely dislike humidity and storms and..........
I hate it too. I'm already looking forward to autumn! After another three months of stormy weather, three or four months of heat and humidity here in Ft Worth. My cats don't like the stormy weather either. I can't get to the mountains soon enough!
I first arrived in New Mexico as a 23 year old who had really been very few places outside of New York where I was born and grew up.
We approached Albuquerque from the east, on our way to live in ABQ where my husband was to be stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base.
I remember the EXACT minute I fell in love with the state. We were driving through Tijeras Canyon and I honestly felt breathless ... I was enchanted ... it was like no place I had ever seen before, and I have loved the state ever since that day in February 1970.
Tetto ~ I would wish for your wife that she could fall in love like New Mexico just like I did.
My first experience with New Mexico was brewing up a pot of coffee on the wall around the old White Sands National Monument parking lot and watching the sunrise over the Sacramento Mountains. That is when I said, "I want to live here."
Been trying to move, sporadically, ever since. Looks like another three years until I retire from this job. Then we get serious.
My first experience in New Mexico was quite an experience indeed. My family (my Dad was always adventurous) was exploring along the Colorado/New Mexico border over 40 years ago. We got lost on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation, eventually getting into Dulce, New Mexico (one might of thought that the Apaches would not have been too friendly to some lost, clueless Anglos wandering around their backcountry, but the ones we came upon thought it quite humorous and gave us directions to get us "un-lost"). Exploring that whole area was like stepping back into the 19th century. Among other things, the narrow-gauge railroad was still in place and hauling freight for Durango and Farmington through the area. (Here Rio Grande in the 60's is a site with photos from that era.) I remember the clerk in the grocery store in Dulce was tri-lingual--Eastern (Jicarilla) Apache, Spanish, and English. We drove into Chama, New Mexico--where we had the best New Mexican food I could ever imagine at Kelly's Shamrock Bar (anybody remember that place?). I believe Vera Alcon was still cooking there--I believe it was shortly afterward that she started Vera's Restaurant, which become a Chama institution until her death in 2005. Chama was pretty tense at the time--the whole Reyes Tijerina episode had just recently occurred down in Tierra Amarilla.
I fell in love with northern New Mexico on that trip as a wet-behind-the-ears teenager and I have spent a lot of time there ever since. I have found that New Mexico is very much indeed an acquired taste--most people either love it or hate it. I am in the former group, though I admit that I don't really like Albuquerque--but then, I really dislike any good-sized city, especially the sprawled blobs that characterize modern western cities.
Last edited by jazzlover; 03-05-2008 at 10:01 AM..
The first time I came to New Mexico was when I visited for a job interview in Santa Fe in 95. I lived in PA at the time. I remember going back to PA with an impression it was rundown and poor and after thinking about it, I realized it was because everything wan't paved over or covered with lawns--it was just different than what I was accustomed to seeing. It took living here for awhile before I really came to love the geography and missed it when I moved to WA state over four years ago. I'm glad to be back--feels like I came home, especially when I am seeing this from my backyard.
I think that part of the issue my wife had is with the looks of houses/buildings/landscaping; not very New England. It does take some getting used to I guess. We aren't judgemental as far as people/poverty, you can find all kinds anywhere you go.
My take on NM is the potential for exploration/camping/off road motorcycling (yea!) and awesome food, as well as the generally slower pace and quality of life. I'm unclear as to the cost of living in NM, CT is very high.
If we don't move there in the near future, it certainly is tops on the list as a place to retire, but that'll be in 25 yrs... I hope it doesn't change too much!
Thanks for the reply's and banter.
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Springtime, but not in the Rockies
