http://thebestplaces.info Finding the best place to live or retire in the southwestern U.S. Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:30:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Santa Fe, to me, is one of those "nice places to visit but you wouldn't want to live there." Sky-high real estate prices are just part of it. At over 7,000 feet in elevation, it's not the warm desert climate we're looking for. And I thought Northern Californians were over ... http://thebestplaces.info/santa-fe/33/ Colorado Springs was one of the last stops on our trip, and it nearly won us over with its outdoor recreation opportunities. There’s tons of mountain biking, which you can probably reach from home via one of the most extensive networks of greenways and bike paths that I’ve ever seen. ... http://thebestplaces.info/colorado-springs/30/ I could give each of these their own post, like I did Truth or Consequences, but like T or C, we didn’t really spend much time in these towns. They were simply waysides as we drove to Colorado Springs and back. If we would have seen much that interested us, ... http://thebestplaces.info/las-vegas-and-raton-nm-and-pueblo-co/26/ We made a return trip to Albuquerque for a couple of days before heading north to Colorado, giving us a chance to explore a little more, check out some neighborhoods, learn about traffic patterns, etc. A few interesting things we learned about real estate: We have a real aversion to the west ... http://thebestplaces.info/albuquerque-the-return-visit/25/ Silver City, New Mexico has, by far, the friendliest people of any town we've visited on this trip. From the moment we flew into New Mexico, I noticed how friendly people were, but no place has made us feel as welcome as Silver City. Heck, people are even nice ... http://thebestplaces.info/silver-city-new-mexico/24/ Las Cruces is turning out to be a mixed bag. On the one hand, it sprawls across the landscape and has little in the way of a downtown. Though it's a university town, we didn't see the usual strip of nightclubs, record stores and ethnic restaurants. On the other hand, with ... http://thebestplaces.info/las-cruces-new-mexico/20/ As I mentioned in my New Mexico road trip post, the town of Truth or Consequences (T or C to locals) was on our list. I say was because we drove through it yesterday and were far from impressed. It looks run down, impoverished and isolated. I'm not sure what possessed ... http://thebestplaces.info/truth-or-consequences-nm/19/ Greetings from Albuquerque, where we’ve spent the past couple of nights. The largest and fastest growing city in New Mexico, Albuquerque suffers a bit from sprawl, but there are some pretty cool parts of town once you look. We drove through Nob Hill and checked out the houses, and even ... http://thebestplaces.info/albuquerque/18/ Well, the wife and I have taken off for nearly two weeks in New Mexico, looking for our "best place to live."  Why NM? Licensing hours. My wife is a therapist, so a big consideration is counseling licensing hours. We would have looked in Arizona, but their requirements are onerous.  ... http://thebestplaces.info/new-mexico-road-trip/14/ About.com has posted an article on the best places to live in Reno and Sparks, Nevada. The author, Sherril Steele-Carlin, a Reno resident since 1983, discusses Northwest Reno, Southwest Reno, Spanish Springs and the North Valleys. Along the way, she notes lot size, relative costs, schools, access to ... http://thebestplaces.info/the-best-places-to-love-in-reno/12/