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The other factor about weather. It's for both Albuquerque and El Paso. There's something about having a 100 degree day, knowing that in a short 2 hour or so drive, you can be in a cool, even kind of chilly place.
That's the beauty of the SW, in other parts of the country, even the cold winter Midwest there is no quick escaping the heat and humidity except they have lakes they can jump into.
I wish I would have participated in the Albuquerque vs. El Paso debate back when it was first posted. However, here goes. I lived in Albuquerque from 1990 until 1998. Since then I have been stuck in this hell water, impoverished, highly taxed, politically crooked city for 10 years. Lets face it, I know you people who were born and raised here will always defend El Paso because this is your home. I applaud you for that. But when you compare the two cities, Albuquerque wins in every category. Higher standard of living, higher wages, more technologically adept citizens, beautiful scenery, arts, sciences, Air Force base. When I was living in Albuquerque I felt like I was living in a big city. I'm sorry El Paso but that feeling isn't here. Its like a lot of little pueblos here. You have the west side people, the north valley, south valley, central, north east, east, far east, socorro, fabens, canutillo, anthony. Each and every one of these subdivisions speaks for itself. There is no feeling of unity in this city. People on the east complain about people from the west and vice versa. The one thing that I can say is slightly better in el paso is the lower crime rate. However, when you factor in the murder capital right across the river, even that doesn't help. No one I know goes to Juarez. At least not if they have to. Looks guys. I'm proud to be an American citizen. Yes my heritage is from Mexico. But I have no pride in that. Not when all the things around here that represent Mexico are murder, hostages, corruption, poverty, vandalism, and even some piece of garbage stealing my dog and my truck. The only time I am proud to be Mexican is when I am no where near this little town. Then I can show people from Ohio, Wisconson, Florida, and New York that I am mexican/american. I have a good job, I'm educated, well spoken in two languages and I have that latin fire that many people find exciting about our people. I think I break the sterotype that most people in those areas think of when they think Mexican. But as soon as one of those people come here to visit. Oy vey. Fat, dumb, lazy mexicans is what they think. I love Albuquerque. I respect the people of El Paso. But I'm sorry. I only live here because I fell in love with a mexican girl from El Paso. Yeah, she's beautiful. Oh and that does remind me of one thing that El Paso DEFINITELY beats Albuquerque. The women here are WAY more beautiful, more friendly and the good ones make a man feel like a man. Peace out everybody. Viva la raza, wherever you call home.
That's a fairly good assessment Corpsman as i'm not gonna deny most of what you posted about how albuquerque has a great economy and what not as i just moved back down to Southern NM from Albuquerque. However one thing they have over us that we don't have and i'm glad and that is .....SNOW and ICE. I seen on KRQE 13 news the other nite that there were 76 wrecks along the interstates there from all the ice on them from the latest snow storm .
Nope give me Hot and Sunny weather anyday over cold and snow and ice .
I wish we did have some Snow though 6/3. But then again.. I keep living on the coastal areas where Snow is only around once in a blue moon.. so My dream of a White Christmas is often lost.
I dont like cold. But Snow on Christmas just seems so right I can bare it then. =)
I wish we did have some Snow though 6/3. But then again.. I keep living on the coastal areas where Snow is only around once in a blue moon.. so My dream of a White Christmas is often lost.
I dont like cold. But Snow on Christmas just seems so right I can bare it then. =)
Firstly i remember the GREAT photo's that You and Chuco posted on here during last winters snowstorm in El Paso as they were cool. Secondly that's o.k. if people like snow as i'm not giving them a hard time and i feel bad for Ruidoso and Cloudcroft ski resorts also but after living up in ABQ for 13 years i've had enough to last a lifetime.
Every year we kept bags of ''icemelt'' handy so you wouldn't slip and fall and even a few times i had to shovel my truck out of the apartment parking lot where i lived as that just depressed me bad at times as i'm just a hot weather person.
I still have the fondest memories of our family and relatives in El Paso/Las Cruces as kids/teens having a blast swimming in our pool for 2/3 of the year and also my Naval adventures over the years crusing all the different tropical Caribbean Islands where eveyone was always wearing shorts and tanktops and seeing beautiful tanned ladies everywhere and enjoying the turquoise water beaches sipping on Pina Colada's .
That's a fairly good assessment Corpsman as i'm not gonna deny most of what you posted about how albuquerque has a great economy and what not as i just moved back down to Southern NM from Albuquerque. However one thing they have over us that we don't have and i'm glad and that is .....SNOW and ICE. I seen on KRQE 13 news the other nite that there were 76 wrecks along the interstates there from all the ice on them from the latest snow storm .
Nope give me Hot and Sunny weather anyday over cold and snow and ice .
Thanks for posting !!
6/3
We do have ice and snow every once in a while, its not that bad actually, its only snowed once here so far and I have only driven on ice once and that was last week around midnight, but it was gone the next day. Even New Orleans and Malibu have seen some snow already.
A lot of people are missing a big part of this debate. Although we should include Cd, Juarez as part of the big International Metroplex, even if we don't, El Paso has a bigger Metropolitan Area than Albuquerque and will explain why.
First of all the US Census recognizes both metro areas as the following:
60. Albuquerque(Abq, Rio Grande Valley, Bernalillo)835,120.
What a lot of people fail to realize is that in order for Albuquerque to claim that population it has to include 4 counties (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, Valencia)with very vast geographical areas. The counties are as follows with their population and square miles.
As you can see, Albuquerque gets it's Metropolitan population with 4 counties with a vast area of 9,297 square miles!! That area is larger than such metro areas as Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston, Phoenix-Mesa. Now compare that to the El Paso MSA according to the US Census Bureau.
68. El Paso MSA (pop) 734,669 (sq mi) 1,015
Now there is talk that by the 2010 census both the El Paso County and Dona Ana County will be combined as one single metro area since it is fast approaching the 25% population interconnectivity like work, school, shop.
205. Las Cruces MSA (pop) 198,791 (sq mi) 3,815
About 20-25% of Dona Ana's population sits right next to the El Paso city limits with Dona Ana towns like Sunland Park, Santa Teresa, Anthony, Chaparral. Also the city of Las Cruces is about 43 miles from downtown El Paso and about 27 miles from El Paso County. It always baffled me as to why Albuquerque could claim that metro population with 4 counties spread over 9,300 sq miles and El Paso could not claim Dona Ana county!! since 20-25% of that county's population already sits next to El Paso.
Also keep in mind that by the year 2012 El Paso County will have received about 70,000 new soldiers and their families!! So we should be above the 1 million population mark by the next census and that is without Cd. Juarez. As far as the Albuquerque bloggers trying to claim Santa Fe to counteract El Paso claiming Dona Ana, well it's not gonna happen in the next 2 decades at the very least since Santa Fe is about 59 miles away from Albuquerque and there is really no population between the two just a small village in the middle. Compare that to Dona Ana and El Paso counties in which I already mentioned there already is a 20-25% of Dona Ana County population right next to the city of El Paso.
In conclusion, El Paso IS bigger in population as a city and as a Metro Area even without having to include our neighbors to the south.
Last edited by usmc el paso; 01-12-2009 at 10:24 AM..
Reason: grammatical errors
Also The Residences at Packard Place you know the 30 story 400 ft plus tower in Alquerque will not be built later this year if ever thanks to the Credit Crunch our country is going trough right now. It was called the first victim of this economic crisis by a local Albuquerque tv station.
USMC - Great Post. The only thing I would add is that when they use Sandoval County (very large county) to add to our metro area it is important to note that 95% of the counties pop. lies in Rio Rancho, Corrales, and Bernalillo. So it really isn't stretching the 835K people over such a large area as you noted.
First of all the Albuquerque Metro area consists of 4 counties which like finmqa1 said 95% of the population lies within 30 miles of Albuquerque....hell Pima county Tucson AZ has over 9,000 sq miles with the population spreads over 150 miles away is considered Tucsons Metro area.
Also if El Paso claims the Las Cruces/ Donna Anna county population into their Metro Population that would take away federal $$ from Las Cruces, so don't count on that happening anytime soon. Why do you think Albuquerque has not claimed Santa Fe County in the Metro population.
The Albuquerque Metro july 2008 sits at 853,775. El Paso Metro july 2008 sits at 744,995....over 100,000 difference. even with the base expansion it will be smaller.....by the way you better hope the new president doesn't change that!!!!
The estimated population in 2020 for Albuquerque is 1,088,913. estimates for El Paso are 880,675.
From 2000-2008 the Albuquerque Metro area grew by 14.3%....The El Paso Metro area grew by 7.86%. From this trend I see the gap widening in the future....as for Packard Place, well we shall see.
Oh by the way Albuquerque & Santa Fe are now connected by a Commuter rail (Rail Runner). which will soon become a true Metro corridor.
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