Alternatives to Santa Fe?

[timo2]

If you are looking at western colorado, check out Glenwood Springs. It might suit your requirements.

[Big_Hitter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz Boise, Cheyenne, Spokane, Bozeman

Bozeman kinda podunk
Cheyenne has brutal winters
Spokane may be too big and it snows a lot there

Boise is really difficult to beat

[kevink]

Santa Fe is expensive and extremely touristy but lovely anyway. Flying out of Albuquerque is expensive: despite being the biggest city by far in the state it isn't a hub airport. Heck even the puddle jumper from Silver City flies to Phoenix instead so folks can have access to reasonable air fares. Just want to divest you of any illusion you'd be living in proximity to a truly major airport.

Silver City has better hiking and biking that anyplace in Colorado (take it from a 30 year Colorado and 2 year Silver City resident) but it is EXTREMELY remote. Good arts scene that reminds many of Santa Fe circa early 1970's and plenty of hippie types that still didn't get the memo about the 1960's ending and a really nice community but it is a very small town and Tucson (the nearest city worth spending extended time in) is 3 hours away.

Salida is a town of 5000 with the arts and culture of a city of 50,000 - truly a mini Santa Fe. Awesome hiking and biking, great cross-country skiing, okay downhill at Monarch. It is a long, long way to Denver airport though and nearest big city shopping is 2+ hours away in Colorado Springs (whose airport is a joy to fly out of but limited destination options).

In the end NM is the place for folks you truly love the very unique and very insular culture. Santa Fe has so many tourists from the east coast and California that it's easy to miss the fact that the distinctive NM Hispanic and Native American cultures really rule the roost there and aren't all that happy about "gringo" interlopers.

Santa Fe, mostly due to housing, is easily 40% cheaper than Boulder these days. S. Fe is a playground for the rich, while I think you have to be a bona fide Trustafarian or dot.com founder to be allowed inside the Boulder city limits anymore.

Have fun with the search!

[Chuckanut]

New Mexico is a relatively poor state and it does have a lot of crime.This has been true for many years.

Oroville, CA has some cheap housing these days from what I've been hearing.

[RockyMtn]

Durango, Co
St George, Ut
Montrose, Co
Taos, NM
Prescott, Az

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_Hitter Bozeman kinda podunk Cheyenne has brutal winters Spokane may be too big and it snows a lot there Boise is really difficult to beat

The phrase "windswept plain" was invented in Cheyenne.
That city along with a few others mentioned here (won't name the three) would be on my absolute bottom of the list.

[Souschef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by folivier Does Santa Fe still have the commuter train into Albuquerque? Renting someplace for a year or 2 is always a good suggestion. Makes it cheaper and easier to move if things don't work out like you expected.

Yes it does have a commuter train. We were there in September and really enjoyed it. There is a big airport in Santa Fe, but there are just connecting flights to DFW , Phoenix, and Denver.

[Ronstar]

Taos nm, Durango co, Flagstaff az, Sedona az, Jackson wy, Bozeman, mt

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyMtn Durango, Co St George, Ut Montrose, Co Taos, NM Prescott, Az

St George is a great town but does not come close to meeting the OP weather preferences..

[yakers]

Northern AZ: Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Peyson. for quirky & small but wonderful: Jerome (my sister lives there) In CA Placerville, close enough to Sacramento airport and activities but far enough to be its own town. My dream destination is Nevada City CA, maybe too small for you?

[Souschef]

The only drawback I saw to Santa Fe is the elevation. My wife was having trouble breathing and I took her to an Oxygen Bar. They put an oximeter on her, and cranked her up to 95%

[COcheesehead]

Santa Fe is an odd town in many ways and I think exists a lot on reputation. When you go there, it's not really what you expect. Traffic, urban sprawl, trashy fringe. The old town is cool and filled with fun dining and history, but other than that....

[38Chevy454]

So I am the forum member that suggested to look elsewhere beyond Santa Fe. It is not so much that I am against Santa Fe as much as I am concerned for the bad state that NM is. For such a beautiful state, it has just way too many negatives for me. OK off my soapbox.

That proximity to a good airport does limit some. As stated Albuquerque airport is not exactly on most stops, you end up transferring in Denver, Phoenix, Dallas or Salt Lake City a lot. Santa Fe is a small town relatively speaking, although the state capitol, it is around 75K in total metro. Trivia: Santa Fe is the highest altitude state capitol in USA.

The train that runs from Santa Fe to south of ABQ is the "NM Rail Runner", or as I call it "fail runner". It never even comes close to break even, and always needs big subsidy to stay running. Truly a failed economic project, thanks to being pushed into existence by former gov Bill Richardson, of pay to play fame. Although the CA new high speed train may overtake the fail runner as the biggest boondoggle project.

As for alternative locations, Grand Junction or some of the small towns on CO western slope side heading east to Glenwood Springs is nice. In AZ the northern part from Prescott to Flagstaff will give similar weather. Southern CO such as Durango, Pagosa Springs, Alamosa or even Trinidad might make OP interested. I always liked the area between Carson City NV and Reno, not as much snow as in the mountains, and a decent climate.

I think my best recommendation is to visit many of the suggestions for extended period and see what you can learn.

[BarbWire]

Looks like I am not the only one having fun with this discussion!

Nevada City, CA is indeed on my northern California radar.

Jackson, WY: isn't that where " the billionaires have squeezed out the mere millionaires?" Seriously, I looked around there last summer and the cost of housing is prohibitive.

Keep on having fun, folks! my roadtrip list is growing.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead The phrase "windswept plain" was invented in Cheyenne. That city along with a few others mentioned here (won't name the three) would be on my absolute bottom of the list.

Are you including Boise in that list ? or just bugging someone ?

What are your thoughts on Boise ?

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Are you including Boise in that list ? or just bugging someone ? What are your thoughts on Boise ?

I have traveled to Boise on business. I suggest anyone interested in living there spend some time there first.

[grasshopper]

Silver City NM was our second choice for our retirement. Ms G thought it might be too cold after living in PHX. We still go to SC every 6 months to our dentist, 100 miles from home. Sedona, Flag and Prescott are all nice. We are a 3 hour drive to Tucson or El Paso airports.

[panacea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead I have traveled to Boise on business. I suggest anyone interested in living there spend some time there first.

You sound hesitant about Boise. Can you elaborate?

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by panacea You sound hesitant about Boise. Can you elaborate?

I live in the West and have traveled to many of the towns mentioned in this thread. So my experiences are first hand and maybe unique in that I can compare towns within a region as opposed to just across bigger areas like east coast to west coast. So with that being said, I know a number of people from the Midwest for instance that find towns like Boise attractive. If I lived in Indiana and traveled to Boise I might too. It comes across as a cute town at the base of the mountains. The challenge with that is there are so many other cool, unique cities and towns in the West, many mentioned in this thread, that have so much more to offer.
So is Boise bad, not necessarily. Are there better options? In my opinion, yes, many better options.

[hesperus]

Durango is terrible