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Hi! I'm thinking about moving to the Southwest (from the Midwest) in order to finish my career in healthcare and then to retire. I want to live someplace sunny, warm, and dry. I'm in my mid 50s and without dependents, so I don't need to be concerned school districts etc. However, I want to live in a place with plenty of opportunities in healthcare (especially serving the disabled and the elderly) and opportunities for higher education.
Las Cruces caught my eye because it is a smaller city, and it has a university, and it is increasingly a retirement center.
However, I see that Las Cruces doesn't have commercial airline service. (Air passengers have to use El Paso's airport plus a 45 minute drive.) I also see that Las Cruces doesn't have passenger train service. Does that make Las Cruces feel isolated?
I don't think it'll feel isolated though I think that probably depends upon what you're used to. Three highways converge in Las Cruces (I-1o goes through, I-25 begins there and US70 ends there temporarily). New Mexico State university provides a pretty consistent buzz in a city of over 100K and as the second largest city in the state, provides considerable support to the region in terms of goods/services.
I think what Kyle says is accurate. West El Paso and Las Cruces will someday become intermixed if they aren't already. El Paso has grown massively in the almost 20 years I have lived here. Case in point: I speak to colleagues, friends and clients about shopping at Whole Foods, which is in west El Paso. There isn't a Whole Foods in Las Cruces, but since it was opened about 3 years ago, it is fairly commonplace to make the 30 minute drive down I-10 to shop there, as well as the outlet centers. West El Paso has grown substantially enough to be able to drive and conveniently buy almost anything you want. This wasn't the case when I first moved here.
On the other hand, if you do drive north, and especially east and west of this city, it will look like a bomb went off and civilization ceases to exist. But that's New Mexico, and for that matter, much of the desert southwest and Great Plains. 50 miles between gas stations, and sometimes 100 miles between edible meals.
If you are concerned that it may feel isolated, it probably will. After all, there is no commercial airline service and no passenger rail. In addition it isn't exactly a hotspot of entertainment options, and you may find the healthcare situation dismal compared to the Midwest. Lots of it, but not necessarily high quality like you may be used to and they seem to be very short-staffed from what I've heard. Someone where I work is a medical therapy specialist and chooses to work in a low-paying grunt position instead of her field because of the working conditions.
A 45 minute drive to a GREAT airport is nothing. There are a lot of folks in large cities where it takes them well over an hour (in lots of traffic) to get to the airport. Cruces to El Paso is 70mph most of the time.
I think what Kyle says is accurate. West El Paso and Las Cruces will someday become intermixed if they aren't already. El Paso has grown massively in the almost 20 years I have lived here. Case in point: I speak to colleagues, friends and clients about shopping at Whole Foods, which is in west El Paso. There isn't a Whole Foods in Las Cruces, but since it was opened about 3 years ago, it is fairly commonplace to make the 30 minute drive down I-10 to shop there, as well as the outlet centers. West El Paso has grown substantially enough to be able to drive and conveniently buy almost anything you want. This wasn't the case when I first moved here.
On the other hand, if you do drive north, and especially east and west of this city, it will look like a bomb went off and civilization ceases to exist. But that's New Mexico, and for that matter, much of the desert southwest and Great Plains. 50 miles between gas stations, and sometimes 100 miles between edible meals.
It would take me 1/2 hr. to drive to WF from my neighborhood in Santa Fe. 1/2 hr. is nothing.
That is admittedly huge. The last time there were commercial flights offered here, it was one flight a day to Roswell back in 2004. I can't tell you how many buyers I have lost to El Paso previously who are frequent travelers for work. Hopefully this service will expand. The advantageous aspect of this airport is that it is outside of town and lot of air traffic noise will not encroach on the city, as from what I understand final approach is always west to east.
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