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Met someone visiting here from Santa Fe and so negative about it. Here are some of the complaints:very expensive, ridiculously strict building codes, pretentious people, drunk driving problems, lack of good medical, seems the list was endless. I have only visited but loved it and yes plaza area overpriced but it is what it is a tourist mecca rest seemed okay. I did see some overdone Santa Fe looking folks but assume there are normal folks too. The rest I don't know about. The only positive I got was natural beauty and accessibility to the outdoors. Have thought about S.F. or Abq. as final retirement destination but left wondering after all the negatives I heard. Hopefully not as bad as portrayed.
"ridiculously strict building codes"? They do more good than harm. You don't want building codes, go live out in some of the areas where there are none...
We live in Rio Rancho, adjacent to Albuquerque. We came here for work, it is now our retirement location.
I have read similar complaints on forum but first time hearing directly from a person who lives there. I am a building code advocate too, this was in reference too "has to look Santa Fe" which in my mind is what makes it look so special.
There's nothing wrong with the building code imo as it helps gives the place character and charm. I would say the place is overpriced for what you are getting. Santa Fe is nice, but not quite worth the almost East Coast property values considering the shoddy schools, relative lack of employment opportunities, and availability of services. If I was going to raise a family and dish out $500k for a house in the area, I'd do so in Los Alamos where I'd at least have access to top schools for my kids and get to live around "normal" people.
Since I won't have kids in schools not a personal issue, except all children should have access decent public schools, but why are they so bad lousy state funding or other reasons? Skipping schools, the overly expensive plaza area and the uber Santa Fe fashionistas is it a nicer place to live than I was told?
Have thought about S.F. or Abq. as final retirement destination but left wondering after all the negatives I heard. Hopefully not as bad as portrayed.
Ten years ago, I was torn between retiring to Santa Fe or the Albuquerque and ended up choosing the latter. I settled in Placitas because real estate was more reasonable than it was in Santa Fe and because I had access to more abundant medical care. Rio Rancho, which is close by, is turning into a medical facility mecca.
By my unofficial calculations, cost of living in the Abq. area is 10% to 15% lower than what it is in the S.F. area. There's a much greater difference in difference in real estate prices.
I moved here from Shallow Alto, CA, where a lot of folks have an arrogant demeanor. To a lesser degree, this also exists in Santa Fe. My Placitas neighbors, without exception, are pleasant, down-to-earth people. Granted, it took a while for them to warm up to me (as a newcomer), but I'd describe the friendships as being solid.
Id agree with everything except the building codes and medical as I have no clue about it. I always hated going to Santa Fe except one place for breakfast that was nice.
Yesterday, on the Huffington Post, they had a blog on the "snobbiest cities in the United States" - and, Santa Fe was on the list! Have no idea if this is true.
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