It's in the middle and that's good.
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4/12/2022
When I first moved to Portales I thought it would be aweful. People complained that it was small and run down. But the truth is that those people haven't spent the time looking for the charm.
The first thing to do when you get here is either enroll in college (which has an indoor pool.) or find a local coffee shop and enjoy sunny days with cool breezes. There is a local library with very nice amenities for children and adults. There are a handful of resturants Mexican, Chinese buffet, sandwich shop and my fav a local ice cream and coffee that makes homemade ice cream with variety of unique flavors. Ofcourse if you want fast food their's tacobell, McDonald's, burger king, taco box, my time donut, subway, and a few more. Out of all of them there are 2 restaurants that serve alcohol and one bar with a couple of pool tables.
Shopping includes Walmart, Ace hardware, Ashley's home furniture, Arons, dollar tree, family dollar, dollar genral, a few antique shops, portales hardware, and more.
There is a small Hospital here, and a veterinary clinic for your fur babies. As a veteran the clovis clinic is 18 mins a way and for moms, you probably want to drive the 18 mins to clovis for the Presbyterian hospital. ER care is faster, you can usually get fast appointments. There is also a mental health resource hospital in portales and in clovis for chidren and adults. There are also a few other medical facilities within portales aswell.
Some say the homes are run down, but have they seen the nice homes. There are beautiful home around Portales and yes there are run down parts as with any town or city. You have a choice in what type of home you live in, it is one of those you get what you pay for things. But even if you choose a small place with a little yard, there is a dozen parks in portales to choose from to hang out at. Ours is only a short walk from our house.
The people are decent to you as a transgender woman living here, I was worried at first. But because of the number of young people that attend the university here (ENMU), you'll find an unexpected acceptance and common decency here. Yes there are still a lot of conservative older generation living here that may give a stair or two, but in general, they mind there own buisness and i respect that.
Overall, Portales may not have the hustle and bustle of busier towns, but it is peaceful and not the worst place to live temporarily or permanently as long as you get out and explore the area. Find what you li
Heather | Portales, NM