Zylfrax791

Native Oregonian looking to move to a state that has better weather than Oregon (imagine 45 days of non-stop rain with the temperature hovering right around 35 F) in the next few years. Did a lot of reading and came up with New Mexico. Anyone here from New Mexico, say the northern part? Maybe you can tell me some pros and cons. I've lived all over California but its too nasty there but I would also consider northern Arizona. I'm an Auto Body Tech and I have 2 school age kids so I kinda have to live in or near a populated area as well with good schools. Also, wife is a software engineer so maybe I sould consider if an area has any high tech companies.

Gravel Gertie

I don't live in Arizona but I've traveled a lot in New Mexico and Arizona. If I personally was going to move there I would go to Prescott. It is a nice town, big enough to have everything you need like shopping, doctors, schools etc. But it is also small enough to feel comfortable walking the sidewalks down town. There is also access to skiing in Flagstaff and the big city of Phoenix. This is just a suggestion for you to consider. I hope you find what you are looking for and settle nicely into your new home town. Good luck!

mmcan

Check out Durango and Pagosa Springs in southwest Colorado.

Both are getting a little crowded at times, but there is so much to do there. Their economy seems to be doing well, good schools and medical care.

They also boast that they get more than 300 days a year of sunshine. Blinding bouncing off all that snow. I love it up there, and wish I could make it my home.

Goose

Click on the link in my sig to the Four Corners Area, and post there asking about NM and AZ. There aren't a bunch of NM JK drivers, but there are a few, and we have quite a few folks on here from AZ. I'm sure many of them would love to help you out with suggestions and advice. A lot of people never make it to the "Anything and Everything" area, so posting in both places wouldn't hurt.

burg54

If there is interest in New Mexico...stay away from eastern New Mexico!!! I have been out here for almost eight years. It's a beach with no ocean!!! Dry and windy is the norm. We had snow delays one morning and the high temp for the same day ended up at 70!!! There is an excellent video on youtube about the areas surrounding Cannon AFB. Funny...but true!! I am from the midwest...so I am used to four seasons and great weather! Just my two cents...

Zylfrax791

Checked out the youtube video on Clovis, doesn't look very nice there. I'm thinking Santa Fe might be a good place for me to start checking out though. Also, does anyone know if you can get a concealed handgun license in New Mexico?

seer1

Gun laws in NM are kinda lax, but the state income tax is way too high! Most of it's too dry for my taste (4 years in Santa Fe, 20 years in Albuquerque.) Southern CO is really nice, but the price of real estate is over inflated, just like Santa Fe. If you end up here in Durango, get in touch. There are a bunch of trails within an hour or two we need to explore.

Zylfrax791

Checked out the town of Durango online. Looks pretty close to what I'm looking for, maybe a little on the small side though. Only 50,000 people in the whole county. The weather looks pretty mild though. Never gets below 10 in the winter and never above 90 in the summer. Anything else you can tell me about the Durango area? I found several body shops. How many new car dealers are there beside the Chevy one?

Jeephrog

OK -- I just moved from Northern New Mexico to Southern California. Was in Los Alamos for 6 years.

Here is the scoop.

New Mexico has some of the worst schools in America. Los Alamos, NM has the best schools in the state. Pretty good schools compared to the rest of America, too (check out greatschools.net). However, unless you work at the Laboratory there or are independently wealthy, Los Alamos is pretty expensive. Right now it is a major buyers market.

link to jobs at Los Alamos National Lab


Link to Los Alamos schools info on greatschools.net

Link to Los Alamos homes on realtor.com

The weather in Northern NM is great! Summers are mild and you get snow in the winter. The mountains are beautiful as are all the canyons and mesas. The air is extremely dry - rarely do get any condensation. Rain comes around occasionally when you are not in a drought. Wheeling is close, convenient, and excellent. Just about any outdoor activity is abundantly available and accessible there.

I left an excellent job in Los Alamos for a decent job with more pay in SoCal. The reason for this is that my wife and I were just getting fed up with the small town mentality, lack of conveniences (like the 1 hour drive to Target), lack of restaurants, and general lack of opportunities for our kids. Here in Murrieta, Ca, the climate is similar but warmer and there are tons of things to do here, including wheeling.

With all that being said, if you still want to go to Northern, NM, let me know. I still own my townhome in Los Alamos and am willing to make you one helluva deal on it.

Goose

For what it's worth, I love the Durango area. I used to live with-in a few hours of Durango and I would head over there several times a year to escape the desert heat.
My wife and I are actually headed down there this weekend to start looking for housing, as we will be moving there in the next few months. As far as climate and outdoor recreation go, it's a tough place to beat.

Something to add is, if you are looking for something in the area but maybe a little larger, you may want to look at the Grand Junction area. Last time I checked there were between 100,000 and 150,000 folks in the Grand Valley. There are quite a few auto shops in town and there are quite a few dealerships as well. I lived there for several years and really enjoyed it. It does get hot in the summer, but the winters are a little more mild than the Durango area. Great wheeling, and plenty other outdoor activities as well. You can be on the Grand Mesa, which is alpine terrain, in 45 minutes and you can be in Moab in an hour and a half. Just a suggestion.