Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If by "the Heart of Santa Fe" you mean the area that generates the breathless phrase "Walk to the Plaza!!!" in its real estate listings, then, no -- I don't live there. I would love to. It would be fabulous. It's just not in the cards for me price-wise (400K for a 2/1 casita?) or dwelling-wise ("A 2/1 casita? Where do we put the bari sax and the dogs and my other pair of shoes?").
If you mean the center of "town" in the greater sense, encompassing the entire SF metro, then I live pretty much smack in the middle of all that, near the intersection of St. Michael's and Cerrillos. I like the location. It's convenient to everything a working SF resident might need, and no more than 10-15 minutes to either the Plaza, or the far end of town (where the newer Wal-Mart is).
My girlfriend and I are planning a move from Brooklyn to Santa Fe this coming November and, like many others before me, I have come to seek advice. The problem with most pre-existing threads on this subject are that they're concerned with things I'm not concerned with such as 'culture shock', difficulty finding housing, etc. I'm trying to nail down specifics so that I can start budgeting now.
My first concern is how much a moving service will cost to move my 1 bedroom apartment's worth of belongings from here to Santa Fe. Many places offer free estimates, but this comes after an involved home visit which I am no where near ready for. If anyone has made a similar move recently, can you give me an idea of what movers cost you?
My second concern is employment. Though we'll have enough savings to get us through a few months, I'd rather find a job as soon as possible. At present, I am a bar manager and my girlfriend is a florist. Here in New York, both of these jobs pay enough to afford our monthly rent of $1575. We're shooting for much lower in Santa Fe (and with much more space...so excited!), but I'm not familiar with the local hospitality business. Anyone out there who's familiar with the industry, can you give me an idea of job availability and a range of what to expect for weekly take home? I know this question is very specific, but any answer, even if it's something you heard from a friend of a friend who over heard two waiters complaining last time they ate out, helps.
I moved from NYC to Santa Fe three years ago. I didn't have a moving service per se. I paid the Hong Dong guys (are you familiar with them?) a certain amount (would have to look it up) to load up a Uhaul that I rented in Queens, which I then drove to Santa Fe and unloaded myself. I think the move cost about $1,100 total, including gas and truck rental.
I don't have good information on your employment questions. I will say that there isn't a really vibrant bar scene here.
Save money and U-Haul it if you can.
The hospitality business is one of the largest employment sectors here. You shouldn't have a problem finding jobs. Minimum wage is $10.59/hour if I remember correctly. I don't know what the take-home pay is, perhaps you can call around to some of the places with large bar and restaurant business (Geronimo, Drury Plaza Hotel, Georgia, El Farol, Hotel Santa Fe, Inn at Loretto, Cowgirl, etc.) and just ask. I'll bet they will be honest and up-front with you.
Rental rates are skyrocketing, but if you can do okay in a one bedroom, then you're probably looking at around $1000/mo. - if you can find a place (there's only a 3 - 4% vacancy rate for rental properties now).
You wouldn't have any trouble finding work, OP, but the flower business isn't big around here. She might have to find another line of work, or try to start her own biz, and find a niche, like supplying flowers to the hotels, or something. There are very few florists in town. But I guess since she has a fair amt. of experience, she'd be very competitive when/if a spot opens up at one of those few.
Hey. I am in the process of moving from Boston to Santa Fe, so I can only comment on the cost of moving my belongings. I used PODS to move my one bedroom apartment, and I am completely glad I did or I would be in a hot mess. PODS cost me just under $2100 to ship my belongings, and I have the container for 30 days, and for every additional 30 days it is another $154. You load and unload it, they do the rest. I had an accident while I was in the processing of moving (long story short, I broke a rib and busted up my knees so travel is out of the question right now and thankfully both jobs are accommodating me). So my belongings have made it safely to New Mexico, and it is being kept at a storage facility until I get the clear from my doctors to travel down there.
My suggestion would be to not accept the first price, always haggle with the companies. I looked at prices for a uhaul, and the first quote I got was for over $3000 and penske was about $2800. I was able to pit those two against each other and got penske down to 1900, but I would have to pay for the cost of gas, tolls, and towing my car....for me, that was too steep. With PODS, the first offer I got was $4200 and than upack was 3800 (gas and tolls are included in the price). I pitted those two against each other and actually got upack to go down to 1900. I went with PODS b/c I liked the fact I would have the container for 30 days vs 7 with upack. Otherwise, I would be out all that money since I am still stuck up in Boston and only have a temporary housing when I move to santa fe, which is a room rental.
Good luck, hope your move goes smoother than mine.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Moving from New York City to Santa Fe, NM
