El Paso or Alburquerue
 

I am a retiree thinking of moving to one <BR>of these places,they are located near great <BR>recreation areas and have good air transport. <BR>How are the other factors- crime,cost of <BR>living,etc.,,

al, try the U.S Census Bureau online for that kind of information, it has statistics on just about everything and may help you with your research.

Having spent some time in both, and also having friends who have lived in both, I definitely recommend Albuquerque over El Paso. Do some checking on the crime rates, especially auto theft and murder, and you'll see why. Albuquerque has much better restaurants, shopping, etc.

I agree with Christie. However, cost of living may be lower in El Paso, or Las Cruces, NM about 1 hr northwest. <BR> <BR>Many residents of these border areas buy medications and medical supplies, including dentures, glasses and hearing aids in Mexico, where they are far cheaper. <BR> <BR>Also, if major airport access is important, the El Paso area may be more convenient than ABQ. <BR> <BR>Why not check out Las Cruces? there should be a web site. It's a growing, lively area with decent shopping and a major branch of the university, with lots of retired military people.

I would suggest spending some time (at least a month) in each of these places and trying to get a feel for the place. I know a month is not long but it can give you taste of what living there might be like. They can be very different than what you are used to and you may find out you do not care for either one all that much. I live AZ where there are many retirees. Many move to places like this with no research and then find out they are miserable and cannot return home because of financial restraints, etc. Some miss friends, family, their hometown, etc. Of course many adjust fine, but do think about a trial period in the city you decide on, it may not be for you afterall.

I lived in El Paso for five years, in fact I am going there today. All of my wifes and my family live in El Paso and Juraez Mexico. My parents-in-law are moving from El Paso to Farmington, NM. My family is also moving. <BR> <BR>El Paso is poor. Crime is bad. Pollution is bad. <BR> <BR>I do love Las Cruces, NM and they have lower property taxes. <BR> <BR>I have only visited Alburq. I always had a good time. <BR> <BR>I just have to say my wife had a job offer in El Paso that paid very well. It was really no option to move there. <BR> <BR>~Chris <BR> <BR>Email me if you want some more info. <BR> <BR>Good Luck

We visited El Paso for several days a couple of years ago. We thought we'd cross the border to what we thought would be a typical poor and tacky Mexican border town -- Juarez. Surprisingly what we found was that Juarez was booming. Beautiful new shopping mall with indoor ice rink, great restaurants, lively shops, and bars, and much new construction. But El Paso was the dump -- dirty, boarded up stores and businesses, and crumbling infrastructures. Apparently many Mexicans and even Americans work in El Paso and take all their money back to Juarez where the local economy is booming. And now many businesses have been building in Mexico as well. I wouldn't live in El Paso on a bet! But Albuquerque is great (if only any of us could ever learn to spell it!)