| Pink adobe houses sit
nestled behind garden walls. Brilliant
red chili peppers hang for sale along
the roadside. Art galleries with
brightly painted doors beckon from
nearly every street. World-class
restaurants with well-worn floors and
tiled porticos offer everything from
northern Italian cuisine to some of the
hottest southwestern food found
anywhere. This is definitely the West
but with a foreign flavor and a mellow
attitude toward life.
Founded in 1610, Santa Fe has a rich
cultural heritage (it is the oldest
capital city in the United States) and
attracts artists, historians, musicians,
the affluent, the not-so-affluent,
writers, chefs, opera lovers and the
occasional celebrity, as well as
retirees. It is a somewhat remote
place, located in the high desert in the
middle of a fairly remote state, and
lies near the foot of the gorgeous
Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the
southern tip of the Rocky Mountains.
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Living in Santa Fe is
not cheap, with housing and utilities
taking the biggest chunk of the budget.
Based on a national average of 100, the
town rates a 120, so retiring here
really is for those who have a
significant nest egg.
Buying a bit of heaven
is always expensive, and real estate in
Santa Fe is no exception. As in
most other parts of the United States,
property prices have increased quite
dramatically in recent years. That
some celebrities have moved in has not
helped. The majority of
homes, even new ones, are adobe or
adobe-style (Spanish Pueblo) with tile
roofs and courtyards.
Two bath, two bedroom single family
homes start at around $250,000 and go
up. The median home price is
$342,000. It is very easy to spend
$400,000 or more. The median
price of a two bedroom town home is
about $195,000. Properties
toward the north end of town tend to be
more expensive than those on the
southern end. Strict
building codes are in place to protect
the historical and architectural
integrity of the city.
One bedroom apartments
start at about $750 a month, and two
bedrooms begin at roughly $850 a month,
and availability is good.
Most retirees live in
single family homes. The historic
district on the east side of town is a
place popular with seniors.
The town sits at 7,000
feet above sea level, which helps
moderate the summer heat. The sun
shines, on average, 300 days a year.
It rarely rains, and there is very
little humidity. January
temperatures can dip into the 30s, but
the average day temperature is 45
degrees. In July, it can
reach the 90s or higher during the day.
Fall is generally the best season, with
temperatures in the upper 60s and low
70s.
Santa Fe is the world's
third largest art market with more than
150 art galleries. The Santa Fe
Opera is world famous and has a vibrant
summer season. The Santa Fe
Chamber Music Festival brings in
renowned musicians from around the
globe. There are several theater
and dance companies, a number of
museums, including the Museum of
International Folk Art, and the New
Mexico Symphony Orchestra makes regular
appearances.
New Mexico's warm
climate allows for year-round outdoor
recreation in addition to the abundant
cultural opportunities.
National and state parks are not far off
in the Sangre de Cristos and provide
hiking, camping, bicycling and fishing
opportunities. The Santa Fe
Ski Area has a 12,000 foot summit and 40
runs. Golf is
available year-round at several local
golf courses. Do not miss visiting
the Loretto Chapel, home of the
Miraculous Staircase, which was built by
a mysterious stranger and has no visible
means of support.
Health care in Santa Fe
is excellent, particularly for a city of
its size. St. Vincent Hospital is
a a state-of-the-art regional medical
center and a Level II trauma center,
providing cardiac care, comprehensive
cancer treatments, MRI and CAT scans,
radiology and ultrasound services, a
same-day surgery center, a pain
management center and intensive care
units.
Retirees will find a
number of assisted living facilities,
including Casa Pacifica, Casa Real
Health Care Center and Ponce de Leon
Retirement Home. El
Castillo Retirement is Santa Fe's
leading life-care facility and offers
independent living, assisted living and
nursing care. It has recently
undergone a large renovation.
The Santa Fe Senior
Citizens Program is a county-wide agency
that administers more than 25 programs
for retirees. These include
recreation classes, health screenings, a
foster grandparent program,
transportation, a volunteer program,
Senior Olympics and more. Tel:
505 955-4741.
There is a bus system
and transportation services through the
city for the elderly. Albuquerque
International Airport an hour away and
has jet service. I-25 is an
interstate highway that runs north to
Denver, Colorado (6-7 hours) and south
to Albuquerque (1 hour).
If you are a lover of
world-famous opera, art and fine dining,
enjoy a desert climate and have
substantial financial resources, then
you may indeed choose this
sophisticated, laid-back, small city for
your retirement. You will only
know if you come visit. Chances
are, Santa Fe will enchant you and
entice you to stay. And even if
you can not afford to retire here, it is
a wonderful place for a vacation and a
step into very different kind of world.
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for local information. |