Any latino friendly state left?? Me quiero mudar...

[Lost-in-FL]

de la Florida. I really hate it here. I'm here because of my insignificant other. He finally realized that I am serious about moving and want to start researching. We are both in healthcare so it would be easy to find a job. I want to collect information on other states but don't know where to start. I lived in Texas for a while (San Antonio and Austin) and really liked it. Any suggestions? Te gusta donde vives? Why?

If I see another Mickey I swear I... :mad:

[EFerrari]

1. Come to San Francisco. Don't listen to what anyone says

about the cost.

If you are in healthcare, we need you.

:hi:

[demosincebirth]

2. The Bay Area is a great place to live and many opportunities

for those working in health care. Pretty expensive here, but there are pockets of affordable housing all around the bay with probably the exception being SF. The East Bay Area (Oakland) has more (I think) affordable living than any other place in the bay area, unless you go to the Central Valley. Check out rental prices on the internet and see for yourself.
By the way " aqui,en la bahia, la comida mexicana es la mejor de todo los Estados Unidos."

[EFerrari]

3. One thing to factor in about the Bay Area is that you have no

A/C or heating costs to speak of. My utility bill is about $60 a month in our condo.

[demosincebirth]

5. I agree with you about the AC. But, I think, that may be true only in

the immediate Bay Area...Oakland and SF. I live in Fremont and I hardly use my AC during the summer, but a couple a weeks ago, as you know, we had one of the hottest heat waves I have ever seen here, even though my PG&E bill next month is going to be high as hell, I'm glad I had it. The temperature on my back yard thermometer was over 106 degrees for four straight days and one day it rose to 111 degrees.
As you say, though, the temperature is pretty moderate here in the Bay Area as long as you don't travel east of the hills. I wouldn't live any other place. Another thing is here in the Bay Area we have seven congressional districts and all seven are held by democrats. Very, very democratic and progressive. I like that. Don't you?

edid: spelling

[EFerrari]

6. I think we should build The Wall further up North

lol, to keep the Freepers out!

:)

[Cleita]

4. California. In spite of the racist freeper types, the people

are mostly tolerant. Much of the place names are in Spanish. Many of the towns celebrate their Spanish heritage. The town of Santa Maria down the road from me is about 55% Mexican American.

I also felt very comfortable in New Mexico between Albuquerque and Taos, including Santa Fe. That part of New Mexico also has a strong native American cultural presence as well. I always felt that part of the country was very special. Check out the Old Plaza in Taos. My DH and I would hang around for hours there because it was so Spanish in feeling.

Also, prepare to bring some money. The stores are very tony, very Rodeo Drive in some places.

[EFerrari]

7. I've never been to Taos, but when I drove my family

to the Four Corners area, I felt so connected. At the time, I was having a love affair with the images of RC Gorman and Veloy Virgil. :)

[Cleita]

8. We used to make a pilgrimage to New Mexico every fall

after Labor Day for a few weeks. The weather is at it's loveliest at that time of year, although one time it snowed before we had time to get out of there. :-)

[Cybergata]

11. We get very little snow in Albuquerque or...

in fact through the Río Grande in the Río Abajo. The Río Abajo starts south of Santa Fé where the terrain takes a big dip in altitude. Santa Fé is at 7,000 ft. and Alburquerque is at 5,000 ft. above sea level. Santa Fé is always colder by about 10 degrees, plus it sits at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is one of the most beautiful locations in the world. I thought I'd never be able to leave the Sangre de Cristo Mt., but Albuquerque has the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. The Sandia MTS. are far more fascinating than the Sangre de Cristo MTS. They were made by faulting, so one side is sheer rock cliffs, while other side is a gentle sloping forest. The rock side face Albuquerque, and there is nothing like sunset on the Sandia MTS. The turn a deep reddish-pink. I guess that is why they are called water melon mountains, but it never made sense to me since watermelons are green.

For heath care, Albuquerque is the best place. Anything in the north, especially Taos and Santa Fé are untouchable. A whole lot of ricos discovered Northern New Mexico, and many of them are so darn rich, their house in Santa Fé is a vacation house. There are a lot of Hollywood types that have made it their hidden homes Needless to say, local Hispanics have been pushed out of the city from lands their families have held since the 1600 and 1700s. I had an ancestor born in Santa Fe in 1600, and I haven't been able to ever afford to go back to Santa Fé. Teacher's salaries there are lower than in Albuquerque, and the cost of living has sky rocketed. Anyway, I have became very fond of and love Albuquerque. It is happening here in Albuquerque as well. I'm seeing it happen in the location I live.

Also the hospitals are much better in the Albuquerque area. In Santa Fe there is St. Vincent's (after my two month stay there in 74, I call it St. Victims) and there is a small Presbyterian Hospital in Española. Believe me, I'd rather be shipped to Albuquerque if I was sick than stay at either. Albuquerque is a city of anywhere from 4 million to 5 million people living in Alburquerque. It really is 6 million, which would include surrounding little communities that connect with the greater Albuquerque area. We have three major hospital systems in the area. Lovelace, which I belong to and really like, Presbyterian, which my sister-in-law is a doctor at and she really likes, and lastly the University of New Mexico Hospital, which is a teaching hospital. We use to have St. Joseph's Hospital, but the were recently bought out by Lovelace.

[Cleita]

12. We got snowed on in Taos.

That was our last stop before we headed back to Albuquerque and west for the winter.

I know what you mean about the rich arriving and pushing you out of your town. The same happened to us in Santa Monica. My little working class town by the beach became the new place to live after all the rich Arabs pushed them out of Bevery Hills.

We have the same problem with the rich and their vacation homes here in the Pismo area as well, yet working families are often homeless with no place to live. The majority of these homes go empty most of the year.

Where I live isn't so bad. I have my trailer parked on my in law's land and I pay them rent that I can afford. I just saw my mama deer and her two young ones prancing by my window. Unfortunately, the property has been sold to be built on by other wealthy people so I guess I won't be seeing much of them in the future.

[Cybergata]

24. Before Global Warming...

there were even times that I got snowed in in Albuquerque. It has been over 25 years since that happened. I use to go to Placitas and Santa Fe for Christmas, and the drive could be really difficult due to snow. Again, it hasn't been like that in ages, but of course we have been in the middle of one of our periodical, prolonged droughts. Recently we have been in a monsoon season like I haven't seen in over a decade. Monsoon season can mean flooding because we get a huge amount of rain in short time in a place designed for very little rain.

[Lost-in-FL]

15. Where is "Sky Apache"??

I was there about 10 years ago and loved the area. We stayed there for a long weekend when I was in the military. I thought New Mexico was very beautiful. I heard crime is high. Is that true?

[Cybergata]

23. I've heard that but seen little, at least where I live.

I had two walls down in my house for a week, I slept in my house, plus had everything I own in the house and nobody who wasn't invited came into my house. I would say stay away from Española. It may be in the most heavenly spot, with the Sangre de Cristo Mt. in the back ground, but it also is called the heroin capital of the world. Too bad, it is also the place where European settlement began in 1598. I know people who love it there, and we had to practically kidnap my father-in-law in order to get him into a nursing home because his housekeeper was stealing every penny he had. There was no other way to get him out of his beloved Española.

Sky Apache is in the south Central area near Ruidoso. I don't know much about the area since it is easily a five hour drive from Albuquerque. It is pretty amazing to have skiing at such a low latitude, but one thing New Mexico has is mountains.

One problem we are already facing in New Mexico is we have way too many people and too little water.

[malta blue]

9. How about New Mexico?

Good weather...although I hear there is a high rate of rape in Albuquerque (no offense to anyone who may reside there, it is just what I heard).

I loved my visit to Santa Fe, and it was latino friendly.

I actually live in NY, so I can't really give more information. It just struck me, that's all, and I actually have considered moving there for several years now.
Peace

[EFerrari]

10. If I could drag this guy out of our San Francisco tsumani zone,

that's were I would head.

:hi:

[Cleita]

13. Be sure you take money. It's gotten really pricey there.

Also stay away from the Clovis and Hobbs area. It's a real Christian fundie area. My husband got pissed off because he couldn't buy a beer on Sunday. The property there though is really cheap.

[Cybergata]

25. Pricey because of ricos like Julia Roberts, Arnold the Gov...

and Crummy Rumsfeld. I was skiing at Taos once and Arnold was there skiing with an entourage of body guards. Just how annoying is that on a ski slope. Imagine having to be able to ski one of the country's most difficult Mountains in order to Arnie's body guard. Of course Arnie may only be able to ski the run called Bambi. :evilgrin:

[RagingInMiami]

17. Las Cruces is really nice

And it's not expensive either. And you'll be less than an hour away from Cuidad Juarez.

http://www.las-cruces.org/

[Lost-in-FL]

18. Yup! Been there!

Very close to El Paso where I lived for 1 year. For some reason, the weather seemed nicer there that in El Paso. Maybe it was because it was "greener".

[RagingInMiami]

20. El Paso has a lot more smog

Much of it comes from Juarez

[Swamp Rat]

27. Mi familia es de Nueva México

Me lo encanta muuuuucho. :loveya:

Tengo familia de todo lado: Las Cruces, Chapparrel, Alamogordo, Roswell, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Ruidoso, La Luz, Tularosa... y más. :loveya:

Yo nací en Nueva Orleans - es la razón me llaman "Swamp Rat." :D

[malta blue]

28. Hi Swamp Rat

How are things your way???

DA says hi...
Peace

[Cleita]

14. I liked San Antonio. It had that Spanish fee to it as well, but

I really don't like those big furry spiders that live in that part of Texas.

[RagingInMiami]

16. Have you ever been down to Miami?

It can't get anymore Latino friendly down here. And it's not all just Cuban right-wingers.

[Lost-in-FL]

19. I will be going to Miami Beach in two weeks

for my wedding (my hubby and I) anniversary. It will be the first time for me. I have been to Miami only during stop overs from flights. Never been outside the airport.

I heard that the traffic is insane (in Miami) but there's good public transportation within the city.

[RagingInMiami]

21. The public transportation is horrible here

Unless you happen to be staying near the Metrorail. And the traffic is insane down here.

Where will you be staying?

[Lost-in-FL]

22. Lemme see...

we will be at a Courtyard (Marriott) in the Miami Beach area, nothing fancy. We are staying "locally" for our vacation so we can save some money. We read some reviews and that was the best bang for the buck. I hope we made a good choice. If not, oh well... it will something to talk about.

[RagingInMiami]

29. A word of warning about Miami Beach

Keep in mind that almost every restaurant discretely adds a 15 percent tip to all meals and drinks.

Make sure you scrutinize the bill and find out whether or not the tip is added before adding an additional tip.

[Popol Vuh]

26. SoCal here

In my opinion, both San Fransisco and Los Angeles are very good choices. Although I am sure there are other choices in other states too.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

30. Me acabo de mudar a Chicago y esto está cabrón por acá. n/t

[Lost-in-FL]

31. Cabrón... as of bad or good?

:shrug:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

32. Está bien a fuego, está cabrón, pasao, está bien bueno. No se

como mas decirlo. It's just the way we say it.

[Lost-in-FL]

33. I understand...

And you are right, when we say "Esto esta cabron" or "Esta pasao" is that something is awesome. At least that is how "boricuas" use the phrase. I just wanted to make sure.

Thank you so much for the information. I heard the same thing about Chicago, it is only that is extremely cold during the Winter months and very humid during the summer.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

34. This summer wasn't that bad. I moved in June.

I've heard that thanks to global warming (:sarcasm:), the winters have gotten milder.