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.
You do realize that comparisons involve subjective opinions, right? You may feel those aren't even close, but a former resident of Antigua, who's a friend of mine, felt immediately at home in SF, and said it was reminiscent of Guatemala's old capital.
I do - and having spent time in both extensively, your friend is somewhere around 20 bricks short of a full hod. There is simply NO comparison between the two, either environmentally or architecturally, sorry.
No place is perfect, but I think perhaps the low diversity and terrible restaurants are deal breakers for us. Your mileage may vary. What is your view of these tradeoffs?
You have been to Santa Fe, and made your conclusions. Those are your opinions. There is nothing to really discuss. My first visit to Santa Fe was probably the Summer of 1968. And trips followed over the years. My wife and I have lived in Rio Rancho, NM for past 15+ years.
Two days ago I put my Wife, Daughter and one of my Daughters visiting best long time friends on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express at Bernallio, NM. For a day trip to Santa Fe. They all had a good time. They all loved the Train. And some of them will make the trip again. Yes, they could have driven there a bit faster. They rode the two sets of free buses to go to various parts of the city. They came back that same day happy and with bags of gifts, etc. My wife said once again, "I will do it again!"...
I do - and having spent time in both extensively, your friend is somewhere around 20 bricks short of a full hod. There is simply NO comparison between the two, either environmentally or architecturally, sorry.
I've visited both Antigua, Guatemala and Santa Fe for several decades. I agree with both Ruth4Truth and TexasRedneck. Antigua, a city whose center contains centuries-old Spanish colonial architecture, is set in a green, fertile valley and is wreathed with volcanoes. Santa Fe, a city whose center features Pueblo architecture, is situated in a high desert and is surrounded by mountains. So topographically and architecturally, Santa Fe and Antigua seem at first quite different. However, both of these unique, immensely charming cities share a similar ambiance that's described best not by me but by English author John Fowles in his novel "Daniel Martin":
"Santa Fe is one of the most humane of American cities; by some miracle it has so far managed to ban the skyscraper, and the literal low profile there extends to other things ... most American downtown architecture is an attempt to create distance between people -- to crush ordinary humanity and all its proper scales out of sight. Perhaps because it has opted out of the high-rise rat race, and has attracted a huge arts-and-crafts colony, Santa Fe is noticeably relaxed; provincial, perhaps, but proud of it. The Spanish Colonial adobe buildings with their pretty patios, the sweet-pungent incense of the pinon logs that pervades every New Mexican dusk, the marvelous light and air of the high desert, the cottonwoods, the old colonnaded shops around the sleepy central plaza, the cathedral bells chiming through the night ... it's not at all the America of the European myth ..."
Minor details aside, Fowles succinctly pegs a certain feel of Santa Fe that I've also found in Antigua. I might also add Santa Barbara, California to these two cities. All three exude a very pleasing combination of soft air, benign climate, beautiful topography, exquisite architecture, and a sense of low-key, intimate, human-scale livability that is intensely pleasurable, and natural. (And yes, I'm well aware that each city faces some serious and worsening problems.)
As visitors to SF over the past 20 years, I had to reread the OP's comments several times to ensure we were speaking of the same town. SF isn't a large city, and as such to expect all the amenities seems to be unrealistic. In terms of "diversity"....huh? Did you expect a "Little China" or something? One of the things we've always loved about SF is the richness of the Native Americans to be found, and their openness to folks such as ourselves. Treated with just a modicum of respect and friendliness, they are some of the most welcoming we've ever met - and we travel through a LOT of reservations across the country. As others noted, you need to learn where to go in SF - obviously you haven't found 'em - and I don't think you'd be impressed enough with them if you did, with all due respect. Some folks just need more bells and whistles, I reckon - us, we love visiting the various Pueblos and getting to know the residents and their customs.
We don't go to NM expecting to find German heritage, or Asian arts - we come looking for those "low income natives" that are so rich in their ancestry and experiences. Over the years, we've found excellent places to visit and shop, restaurants to enjoy a variety of NM-oriented foods (when in Rome.....), and just lots of friendly folks. We live just outside of San Antonio, and I spent 40 years as a salesman covering Dallas/Ft Worth, Austin and Houston - and I am GLAD to be done with that lifestyle. We actually plan part of our trips around stopping for at least one night in Truth or Consequences at an older hotel that is kept VERY clean despite its humble architecture and design. It's actually one of our favorite stops.
We're heading that way this week - in fact, that was one of the reasons for visiting this page today, to see if there's anything going on this weekend we might not want to miss. See y'all in a few days!
I went to HS in Santa Fe, NM long ago. One of the memories that stands out to me was the age diversity in running. It wasn't confined to the runners in their teens and twenties. As a young teen, I was surprised to see middle-aged runners (or older) participate in the local races with teens and those in their 20s. I saw that many of them were still in very good running condition despite having graying hair and obviously in their 40s or 50s. That stands out in memory - age diversity in running. Those older runners had obviously been building a base of altitude training for years and it showed in their stamina over that rigorous course with steep hills and arroyos. The running tradition of Santa Fe was awesome (still is). Those middle aged runners back then are an inspiration for me decades later now that I am middle-aged. You don't have to stop running at 30.
By contrast, in Florida one old white male insisted that those in their 40s or older should not run AT ALL - NOT EVER. He was lost in that one dimensional mindset and totally unaware of the age diversity in running in Santa Fe. The guy was ridiculously stubborn about it while simultaneously showing signs of congestive heart disease. Go figure.
Last edited by grad_student200; 06-18-2018 at 08:59 PM..
I went to HS in Santa Fe, NM long ago. One of the memories that stands out to me was the age diversity in running. It wasn't confined to the runners in their teens and twenties. As a young teen, I was surprised to see middle-aged runners (or older) participate in the local races with teens and those in their 20s. I saw that many of them were still in very good running condition despite having graying hair and obviously in their 40s or 50s. That stands out in memory - age diversity in running. Those older runners had obviously been building a base of altitude training for years and it showed in their stamina over that rigorous course with steep hills and arroyos. The running tradition of Santa Fe was awesome (still is). Those middle aged runners back then are an inspiration for me decades later now that I am middle-aged. You don't have to stop running at 30.
By contrast, in Florida one old white male insisted that those in their 40s or older should not run AT ALL - NOT EVER. He was lost in that one dimensional mindset and totally unaware of the age diversity in running in Santa Fe. The guy was ridiculously stubborn about it while simultaneously showing signs of congestive heart disease. Go figure.
Check out the book, "Indian Running". It's a revelation! The running tradition is something Native cultures have in common all over the Americas. Some of the elders in the pueblos outside of Santa Fe still run daily. I knew one who was employed at the science lab, who would run every day on his lunch hour, even as he was nearing retirement age. He was unfazed by the summer heat, too. IDK if any of the older runners you saw in Santa Fe might have been Native. I would assume some were.
Surprised Las Cruces was mentioned as a possibility. There's a young poster who wants to leave Las Cruces due to the amount of retirees there. She's currently considering Santa Fe!
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.
