Reviews & Comments
Alexandria, VA
Great place to live, if money is no object -
2/1/2011Alexandria has much to offer, if you can afford it. Housing is very high - a modest one bedroom apt will set you back at least $1,000 a month, and a decent house can't be had for less than $300,000, with commensurately high real estate taxes. There has been a tremendous amount of infill building on former industrial land, with a consequent rise in traffic. It is getting more difficult every day to get anywhere anytime. (The DC area just won the dubious honor of having the worst traffic in the country.) Alexandria has charming neighborhoods, great dining and shopping, easy access to rail and air transport, and is a stone's throw from DC and all it has to offer. We liked living here but, like many of our friends, hope to move in a few years to a place less congested and expensive.
Carlsbad, NM
Yeah, it's out there -
1/18/2011Carlsbad is home to a major Dept of Energy site. The result is a large contingent of highly educated, relatively sophisticated and well off people living among much poorer and less educated locals. There is no real antagonism - the two worlds just don't mix much.
Carlsbad is isolated - the closest major city and airport is El Paso, a three hour drive west. Perhaps because of its isolation, an outgoing person can stay surprisingly busy here. There are clubs for everything, a fine community theater, a wonderful community chorus, and plenty of volunteer opportunities. We were here four years and were far more active here than in any other place we've lived. There are a 3 screen indoor theater and a 3 screen drive-in open year round. The Community Concert folks bring in some wonderful shows at very reasonable prices. The rodeo comes to town every fall. If you're sitting home twiddling your thumbs, it's your own fault.
Carlsbad has some beautiful neighborhoods - real neighborhoods. Folks are friendly and we knew everyone on our street. There is a shortage of quality mid price housing, although a lot of building is going on. Prices are very good - our 2100 sq ft home with 3 baths and 3 bedrooms cost us under 200,000., and real estate taxes are practically non existent. On the other hand, everyday prices are a bit higher than elsewhere, again probably because of the isolation.
All I can tell you about the schools is that a young man we know who was recruited by Yale told us he didn't realize how good the schools in Carlsbad were until he went away to college.
We never needed any health care here, but I do know there were lots of horror stories. Most folks went to Lubbock for serious situations.
Fine dining is nonexistent and shopping choices are very limited. A lot of people made occasional weekend trips to El Paso or Albuquerque (4 hours northwest) for major shopping excursions.
Carlsbad is high desert - about 3500 ft elevation, so it doesn't get the long, blistering heat of many desert towns. There is usually a week of 100 plus in early summer, then the temp rarely tops the mid 90's. Autumn can bring torrential rain - there are no storm drains, so intersections can flood quickly. Winter occasionally dips to the mid 30's, but you are just as likely to be wearing shorts as a parka on Christmas.
There is a drug problem, especially with meth, but I doubt it's worse here than anywhere else.
All in all, Carlsbad's biggest drawback is its isolation. It was difficult to get folks to visit here, but those who did seemed to enjoy their stay. If you're looking for a fairly inexpensive town with a great climate and like getting involved in a community, you might want to check it out.