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Ok I could really use some help. My husband and I have been searching different areas of New Mexico to relocate to. We are originally from Long Island NY(very small area but very very very populated). We moved to Southern Delaware about 11 years ago to get the slower pace and live at the beach(again very small state to research). So now trying to research New Mexico I feel like I could sit here searching for 2 years and still not find what I am looking for.
We are looking for a small town feel, outside of a larger city. He wants the mountains and the snow. I want the lakes, warm summers and outdoor activities. We have 2 school age boys so schools matter, as well as being close to museums, and other cultural activities. I know that their are quite a few colleges in Mexico as well, so being in some type of close proximity would be a plus as well. I work from home so I will not need employment. My husband would like to open up his own store either guitars or woodwork. He is very musically talented as well as artistic. I am into yoga, and natural healing (hense the name LOL!) So we will need to be close to an artsy, musical locale. Is their any such place with all these requests? I would appreciate any and all input!
Last edited by chemicalfreem0m; 04-11-2008 at 11:19 AM..
Reason: spelled incorrectly
Wow. When you find that nirvana, do share!
Of course I'd say Santa Fe, although it feels like a small town to me, it's a burg of over 100,000 souls, including the county.
Neighborhoods are important, depending on the age of your two boys and whether you want to send them to public or private schools - interzoning is legally possible though administratively difficult, in either elementary or high schools. South Capital, Eldorado, Old Santa Fe Trail, Museum Hill, Tesuque are all places to consider.
Lakes are a challenge in NM, although Heron, Elephant Butte and Abiquiu are all superb in different ways.
I guess the issue is that you want things that require a population concentration (museums, customers for a store, colleges & schools, clients for yoga) as well as things that require, well, nobody (lakes, mountains, outdoors). Tricky combo. Santa Fe has lots of the former, and is never far from the latter. Give it a close look - I'd be happy to help more.
Your journey sounds similar to ours, although we left Long Island for Florida before coming to NM. We originally were in Rio Rancho, which has the schools and access to the cultural elements of ABQ. However, we have now settled in Taos County, which has a lot of the elements you might like. There are many artists in the area (in a variety of mediums) and there are many cultural and outdoor activities. We do have mountains and snow and some worldclass skiing. Summers get warm, but not too hot, and we have the 300 days of sunshine you'll find in other states. My advice is to come to NM and check out the various areas that appeal to you. You'll be able to see what area really appeals to you the most.
Santa Fe and Taos are traditionally the art centers of New Mexico, and Santa Fe has more art museums per capita than just about any place you can name.
For small towns in the area you might consider:
Dixon and nearby Embudo, 40 miles north of Santa Fe and 20 miles south of Taos and with a lot of artists and organic farmers. It has a studio tour every year where your husband might sell his products. You would not want to commute into Santa Fe from here, but for coming in to see museums it would be fine.
Madrid and nearby Cerillos, a few miles south of Santa Fe with a concentration of artists. It gets a great number of visitors from Santa Fe and your husband might make a go of a studio/shop that sold to the foot traffic. Warning -- test the well water for quality and flow before you buy.
Re the schools -- check something like the Great Schools site to see for an area you are interested in.
For more information of both places check the Wikipedia listings.
For woodworking there would be a lot of competition and most shoppers would be looking for a southwestern or Santa Fe style. And your husband would have to compete with products coming up from Mexico.
If you have the money, you can have all the things your looking for in New Mexico. Otherwise you need to list which is most important.
Santa Fe would fit you both but rents/purchases are expensive for a business. Public schools get a bad rap. Many people move to Rio Rancho (suburb of Albuquerque) for better public schools. (been there, did that) Most people with money send their kids to private schools in Santa Fe. They do have a nice kids (hands on) museum and sports center in town. Many colleges in town. Nice community college. There is crime in town, know your area. I lived there for years though and never had any problems. Wonderful art everywhere. Museums are mostly about the southwest or art.
Eldorado is a suburb of Santa Fe. Five acre properties mostly, but I believe they have a good school system out there. You would have to check their current status. No real town to speak of but a beautiful area to live and safe.
Rio Rancho has good public schools but still many people send their kids to private schools who have money. It is more a family area and under constant construction.
Mostly chain stores. Everything is new. Nice library, pool should be open soon,skating rink. An extension of the college in Albuquerque is supposed to be built here. Many parks for kids. No large museums. You can get much more house here than in Santa Fe.
Many people commute to Santa Fe from Rio Rancho for this reason (about 40 min.)
Albuquerque is a little of everything. You really have to know the schools to know which are good and bad. Many old areas are being updated, so like any larger city the crime differs quickly. I have never lived there so I won't say too much but do your research! There are very nice museums (fish, dino,snake,cultural). And a wonderful zoo that has music in the summer evenings also.
You really have to check out the smaller areas around Santa Fe for yourself. And a lot of people homeschool in order to live where they want. Some homeschoolers even have a kind of co-op group and share the teaching. Just another option.
Taos is far north and beautiful. A good size town, very old New Mexico. Charming, and like much of NM very rich and very poor. An art and ski town. Many cabins and camping just outside.
I've lived in small towns and large cities in other states. I've found people from out of state usually have a strong opinion one way or the other about New Mexico. It is very different from other parts of the country in more than appearance. And there is water here, but it is your job to find it.
Also, there are a lot of Long Island folks scattered throughout Rio Rancho and Santa Fe.
Just learn how to make a good pizza before you come here and you will be fine.
buenos dios (sorry if that is mis-spelled)
So now trying to research New Mexico I feel like I could sit here searching for 2 years and still not find what I am looking for.
I would have to agree with you.
If you are searching online for the perfect place to live, that, in my opinion, is a very risky way to look for a future home ... especially one in a new state.
You don't say if you have visited New Mexico. If you haven't, then I would think that should be the priority for you. Go there and check out some of the areas mentioned in the posts here; if several locations feel right, then that narrows the search down.
Talk to everyone you encounter and gather as much information as you can, and get a feel for the various areas, the atmosphere, the culture, the vibes ... and see what would work for you and what doesn't.
New Mexico is not for everyone ... you may love it or hate it ... and I just think a visit (or several visits to the state at different times of the year) is crucial in making such an important decision in your lives.
In order to cut your search time I suggest spending a couple of weeks in Taos in the winter and Las Cruces in the summer. Or just move to Albuquerque and rent for a couple of years until you can check out the rural area of New Mexico.
A quick note on Santa Fe schools. Santa has some good public schools -- just don't count on all of them being good -- look for housing in the neighborhoods served by the good schools. In the past you might have had a problem with the high schools, but now my impression is that the charter school is getting a pretty good reputation.
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) So we will need to be close to an artsy, musical locale. Is their any such place with all these requests? I would appreciate any and all input!
Dixon/Embudo and Madrid/Cerrillos
