Santa Fe Named Best Small City in America for 2014 (Albuquerque: how much, house)
Santa FeSanta Fe County
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We are just a few months from retirement!! After running a cattle ranch mostly by myself ecause husband travels with job I think a condo in Santa Fe is the answer. Sounds wonderful to me. Taking cooking classes at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, working my looms and doing nothing sounds wonderful to me after chasing cows and horses all over the place.
The hospital in Santa Fe has been under new management for a few years, and all they've been doing is cutting back on nursing staff to the point that it's not safe for patients. Even doctors have been complaining, and there's a strike going on as we speak. There's another hospital about 1/2 hour north of here, I don't know what conditions there are like. All I know is they feed inpatients high fructose corn syrup daily. Neither hospital is one I'd want to end up in.
don't live and retire in Santa Fe if you are "hospital dependent".. this is not a good place. Doctors here? smell money.
Coming from New York, and other metropolitan areas that are far more sophisticated as well as competitive, i find the medical facility here sub par. Many patients complain about physicians giving them pills they feel are unnecessary, too many exams (especially x-ray, mri, ultrasound for the same thing), and billing that is exorbitant. But because this is a passive culture, they'll go along to get along. And because it's a small town - they're afraid because they can't go elsewhere.
Christus's ER department seems to keep hiring new PA's and doctors with little or no patient "hands-on" experience. I have seen this first-off as a patient. I sat in the waiting room for about 3 hours before i was seen by someone who took my blood pressure, temperature and of course, my insurance information. After that, I sat back down in the waiting room and was immediately sent to CT, then X-ray then ultrasound without ever seeing a doctor.
What's worse? The CT techs were extremely busy at 2:00 a.m. a tired looking ultrasound tech was called in at 2:30 a.m., for what i KNEW was really not an emergency. It could have waited until the next day. All i had was bad constipation. And i had YET to be seen by a physician. I refused my CT.
Also, why in God's name, would you call in people in the middle of the night, who've just finished up probably a 12-16 hour shift, because you, as a physician are too lazy to see a patient "in person" in the beginning? That is an accident waiting to happen.
The ultrasound tech was half asleep which was sad, i refused that exam as well. Christus's actions implied that if that TECH isn't up to snuff - even at 3:00 in the morning, that hospital would probably put THEM at fault. This i've seen so many times working in an administrative position. And i certainly wouldn't put it pass them.
When i did see the ER physician, i was not happy. He, apparently was sleeping during the shift while everyone was working, and being "called in" to do tests to bide his time. What if those technicians, and nurses, CNA's waited until that physician came home, and started calling him - just for the hell of it?
I was told by a friend who came there one busy afternoon that one of the PA's in the ER put his very own family member before him, and everyone else who was waiting to have x-ray and ultrasound exams done.
Apparently? blood's thicker than water there, and of course, this PA, never saw him until he had, yep, you got it, and X-ray, CT, ultrasound, labs, etc. Several hours later AFTER his niece or whatever she was - was seen first.
I made a mistake of just going there once, and from all of the horror stories, afterwards? I just go to Albuquerque. Just as someone had posted, this hospital doesn't take care of their staff. But i'm sure they take care of their doctors and PA's.
Hell, all you have to do every morning is just go down the street and see their own staff, picketing the place. The doctors aren't picketing, the PA's aren't picketing. And it's quite obvious to me that the ones that ARE picketing are replaceable, thus, the CEO doesn't gives a crap about them.. and it shows in their patient care.
i'll be heading back to NY as soon as the winter is over. What i've seen here, is shameful.
Last edited by femmemuscle; 09-02-2014 at 02:58 PM..
I heard on the news a couple of months ago that the tipping point has been reached: now more than 50% of people who work in Santa Fe commute there from somewhere else that is more affordable (mostly Albuquerque and Rio Rancho). Little has changed in the 25 years I've been in NM. Wealthy people from other states move to Santa Fe and raise the prices, putting the squeeze on the native population.
As someone approaching retirement myself after living in ABQ for 25 years, a smaller and more manageable place such as Santa Fe definitely has its appeal. But I know I can live much better in ABQ than Santa Fe. Neighborhoods I can afford in SF would be the kind where the houses are tiny and people use their front yard as a parking lot for 4-5 cars and trucks, or something that backs right up to the interstate. Where I live in ABQ is so much nicer and more spacious by comparison. I enjoy making a day-trip to SF about once a month or so, so I agree it is a fun place to visit but would be hard for me to live there. I do not need Santa Fe 24/7. Small doses work for me.
Sante Fe is beautiful, but what about water? Long before California's current drought, I'd been hearing that water and drought were big issues in Santa Fe. Are any locals worried about future water shortages?
There is a very big mentality of not wanting new people to move here, despite the fact that the people who visit and move here ARE our economy. This mentality has really drained me over the years. If you move here from CA, NY or TX, you will looked upon negatively even if no one ever tells you to your face.
I think it's funny (and very ironic) how this type of mentality always seems to exist in super liberal areas of the country. You know, where people are supposed to be liberal, accepting of new ideas/things, progressive, and open-minded.
I grew up in Lake Tahoe and it was the same type of mentality... "dumb tourists, get out! we don't want you here, but... make sure to shop at our shops to support our economy before you leave".
Originally Posted by GreatSantaFe a Real estate Agent says
And I'll bet if you compared the housing prices in the cities named in the rest of the top 10, Santa Fe would be the lowest in that regard - probably in property taxes as well - and maybe even in cost of living.
So what? Its already out of reach for the average person. Nominations like this do NOTHING to change that, and will only help exacerbate it. More people with money (the kind who read Conde Nast) will come in, and finding it less expensive than the exclusive places they live now will help drive prices even further out of reach for the average chump. This is great for real estate agents of course, but bad for most people.
So what? Its already out of reach for the average person. Nominations like this do NOTHING to change that, and will only help exacerbate it. More people with money (the kind who read Conde Nast) will come in, and finding it less expensive than the exclusive places they live now will help drive prices even further out of reach for the average chump. This is great for real estate agents of course, but bad for most people.
Sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about. What is "out of reach for the average person"? There are, today, 46 residential properties (not counting mobile homes) under $150,000 in the city limits, and 57 in Santa Fe County. If by the "average person" you mean someone who can afford, say, up to $250,000 for a home, then there are 153 in the city limits and 246 in the County. Everyone's situation is different; how much folks have for a down payment, what their monthly take-home pay is, etc. all contribute to what they can afford. For some, rent is the best option, for others home ownership is. These options are available for anyone who wants to live here - "average" or not.
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