SperlingViews - Portales, New_mexico

We chose Portales over Clovis, and after a few months of small town culture shock (Portales is around 15,000 people), we find ourselves liking the peace and quite and general lack of chaos. Of course, we don't have all the shopping we need and usually make a monthly trip to Lubbock (an hour and a half)for the big box stores, but the kids are happy our finances are better off with the short commute and low house prices, and the Portales people are very friendly and down to earth. There is a nice university in town, and we take full advantage of concerts, plays, and kid's programs. The town isn't fancy, but pretty clean and educated, and not full of crime or rednecks. The desert sunsets are spectacular over the city recreation fields and Oasis Park, north of town. We could use more choices for shopping, but the locals are pretty good.[read more...]

I've been here a year and I don't see the crime. The gangbangers just are not here like back in Cali, or in Clovis. There are a few cruisers with boom boxes but most look like bored mexican nationals. I think the paper lists reports like "suspicious car reported in neighborhood" as the big stuff in Portales.[read more...]

I've been here a year and I don't see the crime. The gangbangers just are not here like back in cali, or in Clovis.[read more...]

Portales is a real family town with a large university and reasonable home prices. The city is a compact 5 square mile oasis of neighborhoods and commerce in the heart of the southern High Plains. At 4,000 feet, both winter and summer are mild, although the sun shines 300 days a year. While the "big shopping" is in Lubbock, 90 minutes away, Portales has two of everything. For more expensive fast food and mall offerings, the dumpy city of Clovis is just 20 minutes north. One key fact: Portales has 39 houses of worship and two bars, quite amazing considering there are 4,000 Eastern New Mexico University students in a town of 12,000 people. The historic town square and compact shady neighborhoods host kids playing on front lawns. The downtown area will be undergoing major renovation, and so modest early 1900s bungalows a few blocks from the square can be had for under $100,000. Most of the newer neighborhoods are in the south part of the city, and it's hard to find any home listed for over $250K (2007). The prehistoric grasslands and bird habitat of Oasis State Park are just a few miles north of town, and the ski slopes of Ruidoso are lest than three hours southwest. [read more...]

Portales, New Mexico was rated "9th best small town for quality of life" by bizjournals in 2007. Portales has 4,000 college students and a historic downtown. It is surrounded by picturesque High Plains dairies and farms. The beautiful Eastern new Mexico University hosts two PBS stations and any number of continued education classes, from yoga to accounting. Winters are mild with just a little snow and summers cool down well at night. Despite a bit of shabbiness here or there, neighborhoods are generally tree-lined and clean, with home prices among the lowest in the region for a quality small town.[read more...]