Perfect Place for Desert and Nature Lovers - 4/8/2024

I've lived in Las Cruces for six months now. Before moving here I was in Albuquerque (3 hrs north) for four years and before that I lived in Northern Utah most of my life. New Mexico, in general, reminds me a lot of Utah - the geography and weather are similar. However, the culture is very different - in mostly positive ways, in my opinion. I did not love Albuquerque but fell in love with New Mexico and wanted to stay. There aren't many options in NM - Santa Fe is expensive and most other areas don't have many career or social options. I moved down without a job lined up and was luckily able to find one within a few weeks. I will say, the job market here is not great. The majority are low-paying jobs, many of them require you to be bilingual, and there are a large number of jobs in healthcare. I have a strong background in office administration and happened to luck into the position I found, which pays slightly higher than the median income for the area. Unless you are able to make less than $15/hr or have education/skills to work in healthcare or security-level government jobs, there are not very many mid-level jobs to go around. Housing costs, like much of the country, have risen at a much higher rate than wages. A lot of retirees are relocating here, outpricing many locals and putting more strain on the already short supply. This has created a shortage of affordable housing, even in the more urban areas. Many people live in multi-generational homes or have roommates. There are a number of new subdivisions that are under construction but the local infrastructure has not kept up - schools are over capacity, stores are far away (creating food deserts), traffic patterns have not been adequately designed, there is a lack of walkable/bikeable areas, etc. In some areas, in the rush to build subdivisions, they overlooked basic necessities like water drainage and long-term needs, such as turning lanes and crosswalks. Thus, while still feverishly working on expansion they are also going back and having to redo work they've already done. Every time we get a rainstorm, streets get blocked off because of flooding. I haven't noticed this issue in older subdivisions, just the newer ones. Also a big issue is dust - construction crews have razed huge plots of land that haven't started building yet, so the wind kicks up the dirt and blows everywhere in these areas. These particular issues seem to be endemic to New Mexico, not just Las Cruces (I'm looking at you, Rio Rancho.) Compared to Albuquerque and El Paso, I feel much safer here. Our proximity to the Texas and Mexico borders, and the interstate does make certain illegal activities easier for criminals. However, most people are warm, welcoming, honest, and hard working. I've lived in two neighborhoods here and in both, my neighbors were friendly and supportive. There is a big police presence - I see them everywhere and see a lot of people pulled over getting cited. Depending on your experience, that may make you feel more or less secure. As for me, because I haven't had any interactions with them, so I'm mostly ambivalent. Overall, there are a lot of transplants here between students, military, civilians working on base, and retirees. It's created an environment of inclusion and acceptance for people with different political and religious beliefs, and lifestyles. Although most people here tend to vote blue, in my experience most people are more moderate than either extreme. Like, they don't care if a gay couple lives next door but nobody is going to come for their guns, sort of mindset. Las Cruces is definitely a "small" city. We have pretty much everything you need - a variety of grocery stores, a mall, restaurants, breweries, a movie theater, plenty of recreational activities, etc. That being said, there isn't much of a nightlife or other entertainment options. The dating pool is really more of a small pond that rarely gets restocked. Most people end up turning to El Paso, about an hour away, for more options. In addition to more social options, they also have an airport that is very convenient. The weather is what many would consider ideal. The winters are mild - we do get some freezing days but most days are sunny and temperate and it rarely snows. The summers do get extremely hot for a couple of months but as some have pointed out, it's a dry heat and you become acclimated to it. For those months you spend time outdoors in the early morning or late evening in order to beat the heat. Spring and Fall are quite nice. It does get windy but nothing too crazy. There are plenty of hiking trails and outdoor activities. We're close to a lot of great outdoor areas that are perfect for day trips or weekend camping. The sunrises and sunsets are mindblowingly beautiful. I chose to move to Las Cruces knowing full well what I was getting into and for me, the many benefits far outweigh the few inconveniences. I would rather spend the weekend bumming around rockhounding in the desert than attending concerts and going to bars, but for the times I need to stock up on toilet paper at Costco or get a new tattoo, I can just drive an hour down to El Paso. It's been a great place for my family and I'm here to stay for a good while.

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A Hidden Gem - 6/3/2023

Las Cruces is a hidden gem! Homes are still affordable, you're not far from bigger city entertainment/transportation, and the scenery in beautiful. It's not all dry dessert as you might assume, it's actually quite green, due the abundance of agriculture in the area. It's a college town (NMSU), which keeps things pretty progressive and young. It's not crowded, there's no sitting in traffic. Jobs aren't too hard to find (but do expect a lower wage). Great place to retire, especially if you are tired of cold weather elsewhere. It does get H.O.T. in the summer- but the mountains around Ruidosos are less than 2 hours away and the temp drops considerably there. It's not hard to escape the heat for a few days. Ideally, I'd spend 9 months here and get out of town for June, July and Aug every year.

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It is and acquired taste - 8/13/2021

It depends on what you are looking for; for me Las Cruces is and ideal place. I am retired and the kind of places I seek to live in have changed over the years. I have lived in Colorado, New York City, Northern California, and Washington State, and I have gotten something useful from every place I have lived. At this point in my life Las Cruces fits that bill. Las Cruces is very useful for me at this point in my life. Although Las Cruces is slowly changing, as just about every place is. I was in the army back in 1970, stationed at White Sands Missile Range, which is just outside of Las Cruces. Back then Las Cruces was a sleepy two gas station town with about 20k people. Today it has about 100k people, and growing. People coming from New York and California, as well as other large States, are bringing their ideals, higher property values, etc., with them. This happens in a lot of places, and because of this, it is obvious to me that over time Las Cruces will grow from a small town to a medium city. I have seen this happen in small towns in Oregon and elsewhere. Compared to other cities of its size in the U.S. Las Cruces is inexpensive, New Mexico has a very low tax rate (0,78) and the housing market in Las Cruces is in the median range. A lot cheaper than California, New York, Washington State, or Colorado. It helps to be creative if you move here and develop your own activities. There are lots of retirees here, like myself, who just love the peace and quiet, and the small town ambiance that Las Cruces offers. There is opportunity for a limited social life, but lots of opportunities for outdoor activities, like hiking, camping, white water rafting, etc. El Paso, Texas is about 50-miles away and it is a big city that offers a greater night life. New Mexico State University has a campus in Las Cruces. Las Cruces is not for everyone but then again no place is, especially when we have so many choices for places to live here in the U.S. I like it very much here in Las Cruces.

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I'm done with this place, avoid if you're alone. - 8/10/2021

A total of 13 years in Las Cruces, having owned multiple homes; I think I have a good say in this... Unless your family has a rich background here or you're nearing retirement, this just isn't the place. The number one problem with Las Cruces is that the population continues to increase but there's no job growth here or any kind of new infrastructure. New housing pops up weekly with nothing to offer except more homes, not even restaurants, parks, shopping, nothing comes with these new subdivisions. They get built on cheap land further outside of "town" and raise home prices throughout the city. The only effort here has been a revamping of the "downtown" area which introduced some new drinking options, they even put in an outdoor stage with no seating... but no one plays there. There's no music scene here, eating and drinking are really the only options of any kind of entertainment. Don't get me wrong, the food and booze are great, I love the Mexican food here, but I've gained so much weight over the years living here because the only thing to do on a Friday night is go eat somewhere... "What are we doing on Saturday? Let's drive to this place to eat, go there to eat..." If you look at a map, you'll see you can leave Cruces North/South/East/West but there's nothing in 3 of those directions; the only option is South into El Paso, which kind of has a lot more of the same thing. Unless you want to go to a Triple A baseball game, there's nothing. El Paso will at least bring in some concerts, but again, unless you're embedded in the local culture and have a deep family background, it's not for you. It certainly isn't for me; I've had such a hard time making any friends here over the years. Even the dating scene is bad because everyone knows everyone, you know what I mean? Too many awkward times of running into the same people, going to the same places, it's the same date but with someone different... I got lucky and found someone and now I'm happy but those years of dating here were horrible! If you're single don't even come here. The weather here is nice if you enjoy the heat. I'm looking to move because of it, on the other hand. After 13 years I'm done. It's a dry heat, so that's good at least. I'm a spring kind of guy, I want cooler weather, barbecues and ballgames, but this place isn't it. Spring will last about a month before it's too hot to go outside and during that month there's so many dust storms and high winds, it's not even safe to light up a grill. If you want to go off-roading, shoot at a bunch of trash outside of town, drink all day indoors, and eat spicy food, then come here. There are some nice spots and New Mexico is beautiful in a lot of ways, but it gets old quick. Climbing a dusty mountain so many times loses it's romance. The homeless issue here is also getting out of hand. Crime is going up nationwide but here it's in your face. You can try to avoid it at a personal level but you'll still be witness to it. And for an area that used to be low cost, it's rising with little reward. I wouldn't even consider it low cost at this point... sure a lot of people still say it is, but its getting flooded with retirees who made their money elsewhere. If you're in your 30's trying to make a living here, you won't be able to afford the nicer areas unless you have a really good job... there's no manufacturing here! Like, how is it that these prices continue to increase? Again, it's a national trend, I get it, but the entertainment options here are a joke. I guess I'm just ready for a different lifestyle, it's a shame because New Mexico isn't just the "land of enchantment" .... say it with me folks.... It's the "Land of Entrapment!" And the reason why that saying is so popular here, in my opinion, is because once you've experienced "quality of life" here and have been able to stretch your dollar, it's so hard to transition elsewhere. It doesn't make this a great place at all, it just kind of forces you into this small town mentality that for some reason people end up coming back. I'd like to move to a larger city one day, the thought of moving back here several years later is hard to swallow. Maybe it's the lack of natural disasters, the "low cost" of housing, older people liking the heat, I don't know... I'm just saying, if you're in your 30s, no family nearby, no kids... get out of here.

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It was a good town 10 years ago and still is. - 10/11/2019

I like Las Cruces a lot. It's a small town, but it's growing. 10 years ago I moved away, and have been back about a month now. While the population has increased quite a bit during that time, and a LOT of new construction has happened out toward the Organ mountains, the city still has much of the same feel. Sorta. If you come here expecting lots of things to do you will be frustrated, because there isn't much to do. They keep trying to revitalize downtown, but it isn't working. There's a few art galleries, the Branigan Center and Museum for art exhibits, a restaurant or three, some community plays, and some new Brew Pubs that will probably go out of business once the novelty wears off. But that's OK. The big attraction is the Saturday Market, which is pretty neat. Some of the musicians are great, and the food trucks have basic stuff like breakfast burritos and the like. Out where I moved to, it's all new construction and safe and clean. That's the best thing about the city. It's safe. I was in Abq before this, and that place was just awful. It had hot and cold running drugs and crime, 24/7. Hands down it was the most dangerous place I have ever lived. Some things in Las Cruces, you just have to put together yourself. There are around 100,000 people here and no Zen Centers. I'm a Zen guy, but we can hang w/ the lack of a place to meet. There are a few other Buddhist places out here, but by and large it's a Christian town, and largely Catholic, although there is a nominal Unitarian presence. This is all fine with me, since many of the people here are Catholic anyway due to their upbringing, both here and in Mexico. It's hard to get used to the fact that making things happen is a DIY affair. If one is willing to work at it, there ARE things to do. What Cruces is really about is personal relationships. By and large the people here are friendly and nice. It reminds me somewhat of places in the South (where I'm from) that still have that sense of hospitality. You can usually strike up a conversation at the grocery store or on the bus. Because some things are centered around church for a lot of people, that kinda leaves me out, but the Catholics and Episcopals are open minded and not at all preachy. No one is going to try and convert you here. Many of the people are just plain down home nice, and I like that. There's always the great scenery and mountains, and the weather is wonderful for hiking and biking. The bus system is not half bad, and it now runs as late as 10:30 PM, which is a big improvement over the old PM cutoff. There's still no Sunday service though. Cruces was a well kept secret for a long time, but now the word is out, and a lot of retirees are moving here. People like chain restaurants, but there's more than a few good local places. The housing here is ridiculously low compared to other places I've lived, and the quality of life is high. The drivers are just plain nuts, but that seems to be a New Mexico thing. They were even worse in Abq. You have to be on your toes because people are liable to do anything at anytime, and of course drivers on cell phones are dangerous no matter where you live. The one thing I am having trouble adjusting to is the speed of some people when they're walking! Man, you would think they were in New York! It's especially noticeable in the young people. No one in Abq moved this fast, and I do mean no one. I haven't a clue what the reason for it is either. Maybe it's a spill over from Texas? That's one thing I don't like, the proximity to Texas. I wish they would just succeed from the USA and get it over with because I do not like anything from that place. I tried living in Galveston, San Antonio and Houston, and no matter where you go, you're still in TEXAS. Me, I can do w/o that for sure. They ain't Southerners, they're Texans. A lot of the older part of the city, especially around the El Paseo area, is ghetto. Now it may not be as bad as it looks, but it looks bad. Not as in gang style bad, just poverty ridden and unkempt. There is some crime here in the city, but as I said, nothing compared to Abq or even El Paso. There is some road rage stuff, and it seems that some people are likely to pull a gun vs just getting out and having an argument or a fist fight. Again, this is probably just a New Mexican thing, not necessarily a Cruces thing. It generally happens with younger people. Generally I feel very safe here, and I ride a bike and take the bus, so I'm more exposed to things than people sitting in their cars. If you bank w/ BofA as I do, be warned, there is ONE bank here now. Period. Other than that one, there is an ATM machine at the college. I fled here from Abq because their non stop crime was about to give me a nervous breakdown, and rightly so, and had planned on moving someplace from here. But I honestly can't think of a nicer place to live, so this is going to be home. It's a neat place. As the population grows there will be more problems of course, but at 68, I should be pushing up daisies by that time, so it won't be a problem.

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Nine-year Resident's Opinion - 6/20/2019

We have lived here nine years. The climate is great and many people friendly. The politics seem to be a bit shady and shopping is somewhat limited. If you need more variety you can always hop down to El Paso. Don't expect local news to be the best. Often the newscasters report doesn't match the video they are playing. If you are a person of faith and protestant there is a very limited choice here. We were originally from the midwest and had many choices for worship, but here you only have choices if you are Roman Catholic. There are many choices for eating out though. The Mexican cuisine here is top notch.

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A Nice Place to live and work, or retire - 5/14/2019

Been here 4 years. It is a good place to live. Not a place of amusement parks, many malls (we have one) but the mountains are cool. There are events weekly and there is a live theatre in downtown. There is adequate healthcare for the 100,000 population. I like the weather much better than Oregon, Florida but not as much as California. The people are more friendly than the aforementioned states.

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There are reasons people retire here. - 4/14/2019

I was born and raised (through first year of college) in Las Cruces. I left in 1972 to finish school and join the military. In the intervening years I have lived in various parts of Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Colorado, and northern New Mexico. I also spent a year in Northeast Africa and have spent extended periods in other parts of the United States without moving there. During all that time, I continued to make frequent visits back to Las Cruces to visit family. My wife and I have been fortunate enough to spend the past three years nine months traveling the country full-time in an RV. During these travels we've always been on the lookout for "that place" to settle back down when we come off the road. After considering all the places we've visited, going through our criteria, and weighing all the options, it looks like it's going to be Las Cruces again. Every place has its trade-offs or pros and cons, but Las Cruces has a good mix of low cost of living, good weather, low risk for natural disasters, affordable housing, and other retirees with whom to make friends and spend time. There's an international airport an hour away and sub-specialty health care in El Paso if Las Cruces doesn't have what you need. We're not big city folk... been there, done that. Cruces is about as big as we want to deal with as we move into our later years.

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A very backward state, a very boring place to live - 1/6/2019

OK when I first moved here I loved it because of the friendly people and the beautiful mountains. But now that I have been here a year I can't wait to leave. Reason: for a city just over 100,000 people I can't believe how little there is to do. Except for having a great Saturday market downtown, which is one of the best that I have seen in any city that I've visited or lived there is very little to do here. Very few organizations that are active other then the drinking organizations like VFWs etc. The parks here are a joke, very few and very very small. No city music organizations either, even with the university here there is little coming from that either. All the usual national groups that I just assumed would have clubs here because of the city size aren't here, like the Sierra Club. Political organizations are pretty weak. So unless you want to hang out in a bar or sit in front of your TV then there's not much open here for you. The drive to El Paso is a nightmare because the road is so torn up with construction it takes so long to get there it's hardly worth the effort. So it's a good place for very old people who don't go anywhere. But note that it gets humid and hot in the summer and all the places are stuck in the 1960's with swam coolers so you don't get much relief from the humid heat unless you hang out in Walmart because I found that that was the only commercial place including the mall and movie theaters that had refrigerated air!!! Even many of the newer homes are still being built with the cheaper evaporative coolers! Unbelievable!! So note that if you have a young family that the schools here are rated some of the worst in the nation. And you will find a lot of medicare doctors but not many highly rated doctors though. Bottom line good professionals live in desirable communities and this is certainly not one because of the low education level of the schools and lack of community activities for its citizens. The economic outlook for this area is negative by every forecast that I have read because of these very reasons. Jobs will not come here unless and until local and state government puts money into the primary school system and raises the grade for the state. It now stands 48th in the nation for education. But just recently the state passed a funding bill to increase funding for the university system. How short-cited is this. This is throwing money out the window. Those students have to leave the state once they graduate because there are not good paying jobs in the state. But the lawmakers continue to vote down funding for primary education and promote their university system to the detriment of the economic future of the state! So not a lot of smart people running this place. So all the stats show a continued negative job growth rate, and negative economic indicators for the future. So this state is not getting any better anytime soon.

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Wonderful place to retire - 4/15/2018

I have visited Las Cruces a couple of times in recent years, and it checks off several boxes for my wife and I and our retirement list. For one, climate is important to us. There are 350+ days of sunshine per year, and the average high temperature in January is around 60 degrees. It can easily reach 100 or more in the summer, but the air is dry, and evenings cool down substantially. The scenery of the Chihuahuan Desert and nearby Organ Mountains is amazing. There are lots of activities available for those who enjoy the outdoors. White Sands National Monument and Alamogordo are less than and hour away. The mountains of the Lincoln National Forest are just a little further. Many places have trail systems for hiking and biking. New Mexico State University provides sports and cultural events, as does University of Texas El Paso. The San Diego Padres AAA affiliate is also in El Paso. Food and culture are also great qualities of Las Cruces. There is a unique blend of both New Mexican and Mexican cuisine that is unlike what is found most anywhere else. They seem to have a special knack of making green chiles taste great on everything. There are also several wineries that take advantage of the area vineyards. All in all, it's hard to believe that someone looking for a retirement destination wouldn't love Las Cruces.

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Las Cruces, New Mexico - 11/27/2014

I am interested in moving to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Would love to hear what other retirees have to say that have moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Thanks

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A balanced opinion on LC - 9/26/2013

I've lived here since 1988, went to middle and HS here and always used to want to "get out" and live by the beach in Cali; always ended up coming back because other places are so much more expensive. Being older (late 30's) and having traveled and lived in Cali and Kentucky I have something to compare to and understand the + and - better now. I'm writing this because I'm about to move to actually have a chance to find a decent job- used to work at NMSU many years and if you have a decent-paying job, its not bad here, mostly because the EP airport is <1 hour away! If you're a doctor or nurse, wealthy retiree, Government worker, Prof at NMSU, or own your own car dealership (moon astronaut Frank Borman has one here!), you'll do fine, almost everyone else seems to survive on welfare, marginal pay, fighting pit bulls or dealing you-know-what. There are several things I like about Cruces, and I want to be fair. If you like the outdoors- hiking, mt. biking, camping are epic- the landscape breathtaking (except during large portions of the 5 month long hell summer or the long spring dust-storm season.) There is often beautiful weather here, though. You aren't likely to see many people beside yourself and any friends you manage to have with you out in the desert or mts(a very few people here are into it) since most people here seem to just watch tv, eat out, drive around, do drugs and drink for fun. I consider that a big + compared to climbing over crowds on the trails around a place like Boulder. One of the best rock-climbing areas in the world (Hueco Tanks) is just 75mi. away. Elementary schools seem to be good here, but by HS, it seems like they've given up and just babysit. I barely fought my way into NMSU by tooth and nail in spite of the almost total neglect by teachers. My niece had the same experience a few years ago. NMSU is good and always improving. Without it, LC wouldn't be 1/2 of what it is. I think it has the largest campus by area in the US! and is well maintained. There is some very interesting paleontology and history here, from the recently found mammoth bones to Mogollon pottery and arrowheads in the deserts, to Billy the kid, the space program etc. The two major "cultures" here, "Hispanic" and "Anglo" mix well. Many people a Midwesterner would call "Hispanic" consider themselves white and can't actually speak much Spanish and most Anglos seem to like the Hispanic culture. There are a very few "cholos" who posture and give the cold shoulder if you aren't one of them, but generally keep it to themselves (and then there are what they call "hippy cholos" who are generally really great people.) Someone mentioned "rednecks", but I have never seen much at all here. More actually would be nice- you know "diversity" and all. COL very low, but you get what you pay for, except it seems much safer here even in low-income neighborhoods.

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Nice City but Beware of Sprawl and those BAD ROADS - 10/23/2012

I have lived here 4 years now, and being a transplant I do feel a little out of place but the people are friendly enough; but it still has the small town attitude. It also has a tad redneck feel to it as well and you will see that around town, but for the most part there is alot of tolerance for people of different varieties. The southern portion of New Mexico is more conservative, but Las Cruces is neutral or a bit progressive, but nothing like the more progressive northern New Mexico. The biggest areas that Las Cruces is suffering is it has above average crime issues, but the police are way on top of that all the time; mostly property crime and there is very rarely any violent crime. I do have an alarm system installed in my house, however. The schools are not top notch, but there is a cutting edge high school built called Centennial that is trying to change the image of the town. The University is the heart of the town along with the cultural feel and the Organ Mountains. The campus is very pleasant and historic. I love all the festivities, food, wineries, etc. and the pecan groves, but after some time I do feel I need to get away as it is somewhat isolated, and El Paso does not offer alot of amenities. The two towns are called the borerlands, and it does not have the violence you would expect, but it does not have alot of entertainment either; most entertainment is done through the Las Cruces Orchestra, Plaza Theater in El Paso, Shows in both towns, and fiestas!! I do feel the town suffers from inbred politicians, however, and is becoming a developer driven town and sprawl is very evident. A third Wal-Mart is being built! Now that is sprawl for a town of 100,000!! Infrastructure is suffering from the sprawl and the roads are poor and not maintained very well. This is a real problem. The town is growing North and East and the rest of the city is being left to minimum standards. Just keep that in mind!

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A Pleasant Climate, A Pleasant Place - 10/13/2012

For those who like high desert, warm (hot) summers and mild winters, Las Cruces is an up-and-coming place to live. Situated at the juncture of Interstates 25 and 10, Las Cruces well-placed for those who like to travel. Summers often see temperature highs in the upper 90's and low 100's and winters tend to be pleasant. Lows (at night) will hit freezing and below, but rarely see much by the way of single digits. Should one care to find cooler temperatures during the summer or snow in the winter, the mountain towns of Ruidoso and Cloudcroft are within a two-hour's drive. When experiencing adequate levels, Elephant Butte Reservoir provides plenty of water recreation for those particularly warm summers. All in all, Las Cruces provides a pleasant climate for those considering a move to the desert Southwest.

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A GREAT PLACE FOR GENUINE LIVING AND RETIREES!! - 6/12/2012

I can only assume all the negative reviews that occurred in 2011, early 2012 were people looking for a cheaper way of life in Las Cruces from some other place, given the state of the economy, and worked briefly (we do have low pay) and did not experience the city at all! Las Cruces is a state of mind, not a luxurious high-end shopping mall. If you want to live in those places you will have to pay higher taxes and experience lots more traffic and smog. The ancenstry of the people here go back several generations and I have never met such nice people who are proud of their traditions in this town. There is no feeling of segregation here at all like you have in Tucson, where there is alot of hate in my opinion. It is not rich, but the people are classy. I cannot always say that for the caucasians that wander through this town and want Arizona/California type ammenities; which by the way these states were hit the worst by the recession and are foreclosure nightmares. I highly enjoy the culture, history, THE NEW MEXICAN FOOD, festivals, Art, University, new educational public schools being built or renovated, museums being renovated, the state parks around the area, the proximity to Elephant Butte and Hot Springs, Ruidoso and Silver City in the Lincoln and Gila forests are a nice reprieve as well as small towns in the mountains and ghost towns. The setting of the Organ Mountains is spectacular, the weather cannot be beat, there are 3-4 golf courses, nice tennis courts a new indoor pool, and lots of outdoor pools. We may be marginally below the national average on income, but the people are proud and not on as much welfare as you would find like in California. They are happy, and live for their families. It is not dirty, and many of the so-called run down homes are adobes and wonderful, unusual architecture. There are places to get away from the city center, like Picacho Hills, Sonoma Springs, Telavera, Mesilla, Los Alturas and others that are very nice areas that do not have that awful neighborhood design found in Vegas and Phoenix. There are many upper end neighborhoods. Cultural things I do not appreciate is trash, loud music from cars, and stray dogs are kept off the streets, but there is a need for a better spray/neuter program. The graffiti is kept under control, as well as the crime. There is property crime so most people like me who built a house put in an alarm system. Most of the grocery shopping is done through Walmart or Albertson's, and drug stores are Walgreens or CVS and discount stores like Target and K-Mart. It makes it easier for me as these stores are clean, clean bathrooms, and not real crowded, nor do I feel this is a drug problem community from what I see of the people in the stores. I put my son through high school here, and the teachers and staff care about their kids. The buildings may not be top par, nor the curriculum, but the University or Junior College will bring them back up to speed. There are two hospitals here, one private and one public. One is new and the other renovated. Store owners keep their stores and bathrooms clean. There is alot of small businesses here, so you will find about anything you need, but from a small store, not a big conglomerate. They are putting in a trail system around the whole town, and The Organ Peaks National Mounument looks like it will pass. This is an up and coming city and has alot of potential where cities like Tucson had their hey day and it breaks my heart that planners have sprawled that city all over the place. This city has a progressive government and the people here, many retirees and students, care deeply about the development of their town. The only thing I would mention is the winds in the Spring and there is a lack of sufficient amount of health care due to the low pay. People looking for additional healthcare go to Tucson or Albuquerque. I would not recommend El Paso, but they do have a Costco, a wonderful Plaza Theatre that plays Broadway musicals, a movie theatre in the Bassett Center that plays art house films, a very nice zoo. Las Cruces has a brand new performing arts theatre, a world class orchestra, the Rio Grande theatre and other venues for plays and music. It is a great place for retirees and students. It may not be the best for singles looking for a high tech job, or a significant other. I feel very safe here and not part of the mess in the rest of the country. I love the drives in the Mesilla Valley and one of the largest Pecan Groves in the Nation up and down Hwy. 28, as well as we have been voted the best Farmers Market in the downtown area. It really is genuine and fabulous, and quite refreshing, not Americanized or trendy. I do agree with one person who said the drivers are crazy here, so be on the lookout. They go slow, but can wander or get in front of you :0). We are aA couple that relocated from the California nightmare, after my parents lived here for 10 years. Our house feels like a resort!! People tell us that all the time.

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Avoid at all costs - 2/16/2012

This town and state stink, literally. This place just exudes filth and mediocrity. Before you say "Why don't you just leave?', I am trying, i came here to take a job with good pay with the federal gov, assuming it would be like alot of desert communities in AZ. I couldn't be more wrong. I tried so hard to be positive, always searching for the good, but it just slowly crept in that there is something wrong with this place. I'm not from a very rich or prominent town but compared to here it seems like a paradise. The city is just lacking, what some have called authenticity is simply dilapidated, poorly maintained, and spartan. There's barely any streetlights and i constantly have to check weather its the road or something wrong with my car. Everything closes early and on sunday, fine for the people that work those hours but some of us actually have to work graves and on weekends, my heart goes out to all the service workers and emergency services that have to do shifts in a dead city. The culture is nearly non existant. the festivals that are put on will have you asking if there's more of it around the block, that is if you show up early enough to attend, again, no love for the working man. I'm not being racist by complaining it's very culterally homogenous here. Mainly hispanic and white, with too many of both sides living to the stereotype of the ignorant, rude, lawless hillbilly/cholo, of course there are many who aren't but then they never ruin your day. I'm hispanic and i hate it here, being a non native speaker i don't fit in anywhere, I miss seeing and interacting with faces and cultures that simply aren't here. Statistically the number of asian, african american, european, and south american people are are insignifigant. Again, just white and hispanic. And cultural celebration or diversity pretty much means white ranch/cowboy culture, or mexican/mexican american culture from the very local area. I don't know how you defend this?! its just lame. And the food is awful, especially mexican food, I've been to the local institutions, Roberto's etc and it's just awful. Years of loyalty keep these businesses afloat, not quality, tasty, and fresh prepared food with local ingredients. Or maybe becasue people just don't know any better, I have no idea. The weather is good only if you enjoy constant unfiltered sunlight, barely any rain or clouds, and the air is constantly full of fine desert dust and pollen making it hell for allergy sufferers. The building codes are subpar, so yes the housing is cheaper than cali or arizona or cali, but it's for a very good reason. In my new apartment there are drafts and poor insulation everywhere, meaning alot of extra money goes to AC or heating just to keep it comfortable, not to mention the roaches that come out of the plumbing fixtures. And again, these are one of the nicest and newest apartments in the town. Traffic is dreadfully slow, just like nearly anything else, yes i guess it's lower stress too, if you don't have to go anywhere or do anything, but just doing a few chores around town are as frustrating as driving in downtown los angeles. Not to mention the horrific drivers. I would have been in probably a dozen wrecks or fenderbenders if i wasn't constantly on edge when i drive. People driving the wrong way on streets, seniors nearly comatose behind the wheel, sudden lane changes without signalling or looking, and of course the drunk drivers. Also drunk driving is a huge problem here, despite enforcement attempts. Although given the lack of entertainment, i can see why it along with under age pregnancy and hard drugs are such a big problem here. Its at least an hour drive but up to three to go see anything else in the surrounding area, and what's there is barely worth the time and money. The people seem to be very rude and agressive, especially against women, when you go out be prepared for the locals to call out to you or challenge you, and violate your personal space on the regular. I won't let my wife walk alone anywhere after all the times people have pushed or bumped into her at a store or public place. Which brings me to the stores, the selection is just sad, with frequent instances of an entire staple not being in stock, like milk or garlic, and many other ingredients simply not being available. And the customer service is atrocious, with wait staff and employees just seeming to not care at all about their job or acting like a human being. Things are slooooowwww. No one isi n a rush ever, not to check you out, or see you, wich some people like, but again, some of us work long inconvienient hours, and don't expect a stop at a single store to eat up all the free time they had. Food both from grocery stores and restaurants is more expensive that any other place I've been (Ohio, Nevada, Arizona and california. And it's of worse quality. And being surrounded by even more destitute and strange settlemants, you will encounter some truly bizarre and upsetting people who i know for a fact through my work, live by themselves in an un-airconditioned, rotting trailer, miles from the nearest neighbor. No social skills, hygiene, or ability to communicate is the norm. So if you are from a real city anywhere back east, or any populated region on the west coast or even AZ or UT or CO, this is like living on a different planet. And if you truly value privacy, sunshine, a slow pace of life, and staying at homw, this may be your paradise. But if you like to go out, see and do things, (besides getting drunk in the handful of bars) then avoid this weird hell hole. You will not be welcome and you will not fit in unless you have a familia here or your daddy owns a ranch. Locals will defens it to the death but consider they have lived here their whole lives. I'll get out soon god willing and never come back.

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my town - 1/8/2012

love the small town feeling; the farmers market and all the festivals

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I hate Las Cruces - 7/6/2011

I agree with Emma. I am an 8th generation Mesilla Valley Resident, unfortunately. I sincerely wish my husband would agree to move away, almost anywhere North, West, East. I hate it here with a an unexpressable passion. Ugly city, Ugly people, Ignorant people, No American Patriotism, Only culture is Mexican, Welfare is the state of living the border people call their job, no human motivation, no true-small businesses success, no neighborhood pride, no English Speaking jobs, no consideration, no thoughtfullness, no beauty, only dead or dying businesses, lots of ugly graffiti, lots of drugs, lots of "you owe me cuz I exist" mentality, no hope, no morals, no viable american government..... GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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yuck! - 6/15/2011

I hate it here!

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It's nice in Las Cruces. - 5/2/2011

Folks think that living in the desert Southwest is hot and unbearable. That's simply not true, at least not for ten months out of the year. It is hot in May and June. During those months, the winds of March & April have subsided, and the monsoonal thunderstorms of July and August have not yet started. During the rest of the year, the days are warm and the evenings cool. Residents welcome the occasional winter snows.

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