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Update: We have been in metro Tucson now for nearly three months. What a difference! Arizona actually has police officers! I’ve seen people pulled over for traffic stops! Better, more courteous drivers without question.
It's long been known by the locals that Arizona doesn't mess around when it comes to traffic and driving issues. It is not nearly as lenient as other states.
I'm not so sure about "better more courteous drivers." Driving through the Phoenix metro last spring I noticed there are tons more cars and housing developments. I also don't think the highways have more courteous drivers. I-10 east and west, and the entire 101 at rush hour. No thanks!
I don’t know, I mean I understand places like Tucson and Phoenix have their issues but at least they have decent infrastructure. The lack of police around here is astounding. I’ve lived in 4 different states from very large cities to small ones and I’ve never experienced this before. I’ve been to some local meetings and budget is all they talk about. We understood New Mexico wasn’t a rich state when we moved here. Actually we like the fact that New Mexico’s interstate rest areas were mostly built in the 60’s. We love the fact that New Mexico doesn’t try and impress anyone. The other side of that coin is when you really need for change to happen to better your quality of life, you’re told they can’t afford to police your neighborhood. Those doing it just don’t give a crap. The ones that race, or sit on the side of the road with their music blaring at 3am on a weeknight suck at being good, respectful citizens. I’m sure this happens in every state in America but at least in those states (at least most) there’s at least some threat of them being ticketed or punished in some way. Here they do it with impunity. El Paso is OK but it’s not very pretty to look at. LC has a wonderful setting with the Organs, Tucson is beautiful. El Paso is also in Texas and I just don’t think I could get my wife to live there. I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to politics but my wife is a pretty big lefty, she told me she wouldn’t pay one red cent in taxes to support their government, so if we did live there we’d need a pretty good tax attorney.
Just remember that El Paso is a blue city, and your property taxes aren't low but in theory support a blue area.
I am pretty familiar with Tucson and Las Cruces. I prefer Tucson but I want to comment on the traffic thing.
Tucson is terrible in my opinion traffic wise because its main drags in town run too fast. 50 mph with people pulling out of retail parking lots. But they run fast because there are no freeways and it takes forever to get anywhere.
Cruces is much easier to deal with traffic wise EXCEPT for Lohman and University Aves around I 25. Those areas are an absolute mess. Probably worse than anything Tucson has happening with the possible exception of the streets in downtown Tucson accessing I 10 at rush hour. Fortunately, most Tucson residents don't have to mess with downtown if they don't want. In Cruces, you tend to confront Lohman and University a lot in your daily activities.
I've never felt really unsafe in Cruces on any other streets. In Tucson, you always have to worry if that guy sitting in the Circle K parking lot on Speedway or Grant is going to pull out in front of you. Or if you are going to simultaneously pull into a middle turn lane with somebody coming the other direction.
Of course the further out you live in Tucson the less problematic these issues become.
But the bottom line is that if traffic was my main issue, I'd rather be in Las Cruces.
As someone who is planning to spend some time in Southern Arizona in the near future, I'm glad for this information about Tucson traffic.
I will say that Phoenix has the same problem with getting across town. I was told by natives when I lived in PHX for 6 years that before 101 was built, people went 60-70 on surface streets going east-west and vice versa and that they still have the same habits even with the freeway being in existence for years now.
I am pretty familiar with Tucson and Las Cruces. I prefer Tucson but I want to comment on the traffic thing.
Tucson is terrible in my opinion traffic wise because its main drags in town run too fast. 50 mph with people pulling out of retail parking lots. But they run fast because there are no freeways and it takes forever to get anywhere.
Cruces is much easier to deal with traffic wise EXCEPT for Lohman and University Aves around I 25. Those areas are an absolute mess. Probably worse than anything Tucson has happening with the possible exception of the streets in downtown Tucson accessing I 10 at rush hour. Fortunately, most Tucson residents don't have to mess with downtown if they don't want. In Cruces, you tend to confront Lohman and University a lot in your daily activities.
I've never felt really unsafe in Cruces on any other streets. In Tucson, you always have to worry if that guy sitting in the Circle K parking lot on Speedway or Grant is going to pull out in front of you. Or if you are going to simultaneously pull into a middle turn lane with somebody coming the other direction.
Of course the further out you live in Tucson the less problematic these issues become.
But the bottom line is that if traffic was my main issue, I'd rather be in Las Cruces.
To be fair, University and I-25 is now much improved, due to the iimprovement of expanding Triviz directly under University and adding two roundabouts two direct traffic to the university and outgoing campus traffic to I-25 south without having to enter University Ave. Been like this almost a year now. I've never seen more improvement with what used to be a really congested area. Lohman, on the other hand, is a real beast. I am not so sure how this stretch between Nacho Ave and Walton Boulevard can be improved, other than construction of an overpass over Telshor, but that would compromise local businesses.
It’s not that we can’t afford it. I just don’t want to overpay here. I don’t mind spending 300k for a home but not for what you get in Las Cruces. Like most of the country housing prices have skyrocketed since we moved here three years ago. One of the main reasons we moved here was the housing prices. Now it’s become just like everywhere else.
If you bought a house 3 years ago then why are you complaining? Its not like you are being forced to buy another one...and if you didnt buy one back then...well that's the breaks "bro".
First off the people here are not friendly. Aggressive drivers. Aggressive people in general. I’ve had run ins with strangers here when I never had any in the place we came from. No matter where you go the customer service sucks. From restaurants to stores and everything in between. It has a small town mentality and the basic thought process is, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else. .
From someone who has visited Las Cruces at least 10-15 times over the past couple of years and spent time driving all over town. I can tell you the statement above is 100% BS. I have found 99% of the people in LC to be VERY friendly..from drive-thru workers to people at the grocery store and just folks you run into walking around. Some of the MOST friendly people anywhere I've been (mostly in Texas and Nevada). Certainly more friendly than any folks in the northeast or west coast. I will say there was one or two aggressive horn blowing drivers on Lohman but thats because I was in two lanes at once. LOL
I don’t know, I mean I understand places like Tucson and Phoenix have their issues but at least they have decent infrastructure. The lack of police around here is astounding. I’ve lived in 4 different states from very large cities to small ones and I’ve never experienced this before. I’ve been to some local meetings and budget is all they talk about. We understood New Mexico wasn’t a rich state when we moved here. Actually we like the fact that New Mexico’s interstate rest areas were mostly built in the 60’s. We love the fact that New Mexico doesn’t try and impress anyone. The other side of that coin is when you really need for change to happen to better your quality of life, you’re told they can’t afford to police your neighborhood. Those doing it just don’t give a crap. The ones that race, or sit on the side of the road with their music blaring at 3am on a weeknight suck at being good, respectful citizens. I’m sure this happens in every state in America but at least in those states (at least most) there’s at least some threat of them being ticketed or punished in some way. Here they do it with impunity. El Paso is OK but it’s not very pretty to look at. LC has a wonderful setting with the Organs, Tucson is beautiful. El Paso is also in Texas and I just don’t think I could get my wife to live there. I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to politics but my wife is a pretty big lefty, she told me she wouldn’t pay one red cent in taxes to support their government, so if we did live there we’d need a pretty good tax attorney.
Aside from violating a noise ordnance, that's loitering. They could be casing the area with future criminal activity in mind. You're right; usually that sort of thing isn't tolerated (in other cities).
If you bought a house 3 years ago then why are you complaining? Its not like you are being forced to buy another one...and if you didnt buy one back then...well that's the breaks "bro".
We were forced to buy another house after three years. Crime, racing, lack of police in the area we lived. We had to move from the neighborhood we were in and if we were moving then it was going to be out of that third world city…bro.
Aside from violating a noise ordnance, that's loitering. They could be casing the area with future criminal activity in mind. You're right; usually that sort of thing isn't tolerated (in other cities).
Tucson is where we should have moved to in the first place. Yes there’s some of the same sh** that goes on in Cruces but there’s consequences, eventually. Much more of a police presence. In Cruces there were never any consequences and that’s why things will never get better.
Overall, Tucson is more civilized, and it’s bigger, which doesn’t make sense.
There’s a lot to love about New Mexico, it’s raw beauty and openness, but for us, it’ll just be a place we visit.
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Quit Whining
