Compare the Areas of El Paso (Socorro, Alamo: apartments, lawyers, houses)

[EnjoyEP]

Hi -

Would be interested in hearing peoples' thoughts in regards to the various areas of El Paso to live in...East side / Northeast side / West side / Upper Valley / Lower Valley / Horizon City / Central / Southern NM suburbs, etc.

Specifically, best/worst areas for young families...housing costs...taxes...safety...infrastructure, etc. Our household speaks minimal Spanish (at this point at least) and we have been told by some that if we were to relocate to El Paso, it would thus be helpful to live on the West Side. However, there are areas of the East side / Horizon City that we have seen that seem very nice and very affordable too. Not as familiar with the Valleys, Northeast, or suburbs, etc.

Any insights from those familiar with the EP area would be great! Pros and cons of any/all of the areas would be appreciated.

(Also, for those familiar with Albuquerque, I live in an older area in ABQ's Northeast Heights currently...I know this is really asking alot, but if anyone is familar with EP and ABQ, would be interested to hear what EP's segments would be similar to in terms of ABQ's NE Heights, NW, SE, South Valley, suburbs [Rio Rancho, Corrales, etc.]).

[Six Foot Three]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

(Also, for those familiar with Albuquerque, I live in an older area in ABQ's Northeast Heights currently...I know this is really asking alot, but if anyone is familar with EP and ABQ, would be interested to hear what EP's segments would be similar to in terms of ABQ's NE Heights, NW, SE, South Valley, suburbs [Rio Rancho, Corrales, etc.]).

Sure i'll compare for ya Enjoy!

I'm in the aparatment industry and my first 4 years here in albuquerque i lived and worked all along Montgomery Blvd and the last 8 yrs have been over here in the Southeast hieghts. Also we help out the other properties in town so i get to see the other areas of ABQ and talk to the other techs about the problems and good points in the area. Also a life long El Pasoan and Southern New Mexican and still have family in Alamogordo so i'm well knowlegable in this.

ABQ's NE Hieghts would compare to the high end West Side of EP. Especially any where along the mountain and north of Mesa St. Most of the Doctors and Lawyers live there and Franklin High school is the just like La Cueva high school.

ABQ's NW would be the East side like around Loop 375 and Joe battle and the George Dieter and Lee Treveno Blvds (all north of I-10) (Montwood and Americas and Hanks high schools areas)

SE ABQ is a litttle harder to match but i'd say the Kirtland AFB and Gibson Blvd Corridor with the older housing (1960's) and the older ABQ NE area like Sandia/Del Norte high school areas would resemble NE El Paso because of Ft.Bliss and most the housing (except North Hills) were built around the 1960's. (Andress and Parkland and Irvin high schools area)

South Valley Abq is the Lower Valley in El Paso area. South of I-10 all along the U.S/Mexico border region. (Riverside and Ysleta high school areas)

Suburbs Rio Rancho would be Horizon City area as the fastest growing area just like Rio Rancho (El Dorado and Mountain View and Horizon High Schools areas)

Corrales would be the Santa Teresa area in the far West side or Upper Valley area along I-10 and the Rio Grande Bosque New Mexico side.(SantaTeresa and Canutillo high school areas)

Hope that helped in what your looking for EnjoyEP.

[EnjoyEP]

This is a great ABQ-EP city segment comparison, Harry O! Very insightful and helpful for me. And indeed, I kind of ventured that loosely EP's West Side could be compared to ABQ's NE Heights, and EP's East Side compared to ABQ's West Side.

Very interesting.

I guess I would be also very interested to hear still from you or anyone else familiar with EP specifically a comparison of the areas of EP in and of EP itself...specifically for residential living for a younger family...where are the good areas in EP for a younger transplanted family in terms of cost of living...safety...taxes...recreation...cost of living (did I mention that one already? )...infrastructure, other young families, etc.

[Six Foot Three]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

I guess I would be also very interested to hear still from you or anyone else familiar with EP specifically a comparison of the areas of EP in and of EP itself...specifically for residential living for a younger family...where are the good areas in EP for a younger transplanted family in terms of cost of living...safety...taxes...recreation...cost of living (did I mention that one already? )...infrastructure, other young families, etc.

Enjoy.....I was hoping one of the other posters that currently live in EP would respond as they would be in better knowledge than my self as they are living it day by day where i left in 1990 and just visit once or twice a year. And our boy Muhnay is enjoying himself at his new digs in Biloxi so you probably won't here from him. That being said here's my knowledge....

Depending on where you are employed i.e, UTEP/westside or at Ft.Bliss/NE i would think the east side is the best as for what you were asking.Most of the people out there are 20ish to 30ish young couples/families starting out and generally consider it a middle class area. These Blvds north of I-10.....Yarbrough, Lee Treveno, George Dieter, Zaragosa, Eastlake and Horizon City all the way up to Montana Blvd.

Almost all the schools are new and are in the Socorro or Clint ISD. Some high schools in the area are Montwood, Americas, El Dorado, Hanks, Horizon, Mountain View and under construction is brand new East Lake high. Also the new section of I-375 just opened up on the east side so you can ''al
most'' completely go around EP on a loop system (like san antonio loop 410).

The brand new state of the art hospital is being built along the Loop there.

There's Las Palmas shopping complex there as its a major shopping complex and everytype of shopping/movie theaters etc.. available (like cottonwood mall area in ABQ).

You have the huge Putt Putt mini golf on Zaragosa which has THREE 18 hole golf courses there and Go-karts, Bumper Carts and Arcade etc. Also El Paso Speedway is out there on East Montana blvd.

Your close to the Hueco mountains on east Montana blvd where there is rock climbing, hiking and camping out there. Also the Franklins have hiking trails (transmountain road and north hills) like the Sandias along Tramway in ABQ.

Anyway i'm sure i missed something good or bad as others who live there would be better than me but thats my take.

My favorate place outside my high school territory (andress) was when i lived at Sand Pebble apartments at Pebble Hills and George Dieter next to the Good Time store.....

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by harry o

Enjoy.....I was hoping one of the other posters that currently live in EP would respond as they would be in better knowledge than my self as they are living it day by day where i left in 1990 and just visit once or twice a year. And our boy Muhnay is enjoying himself at his new digs in Biloxi so you probably won't here from him. That being said here's my knowledge....

Depending on where you are employed i.e, UTEP/westside or at Ft.Bliss/NE i would think the east side is the best as for what you were asking.Most of the people out there are 20ish to 30ish young couples/families starting out and generally consider it a middle class area. These Blvds north of I-10.....Yarbrough, Lee Treveno, George Dieter, Zaragosa, Eastlake and Horizon City all the way up to Montana Blvd.

Almost all the schools are new and are in the Socorro or Clint ISD. Some high schools in the area are Montwood, Americas, El Dorado, Hanks, Horizon, Mountain View and under construction is brand new East Lake high. Also the new section of I-375 just opened up on the east side so you can ''al
most'' completely go around EP on a loop system (like san antonio loop 410).

The brand new state of the art hospital is being built along the Loop there.

There's Las Palmas shopping complex there as its a major shopping complex and everytype of shopping/movie theaters etc.. available (like cottonwood mall area in ABQ).

You have the huge Putt Putt mini golf on Zaragosa which has THREE 18 hole golf courses there and Go-karts, Bumper Carts and Arcade etc. Also El Paso Speedway is out there on East Montana blvd.

Your close to the Hueco mountains on east Montana blvd where there is rock climbing, hiking and camping out there. Also the Franklins have hiking trails (transmountain road and north hills) like the Sandias along Tramway in ABQ.

Anyway i'm sure i missed something good or bad as others who live there would be better than me but thats my take.

My favorate place outside my high school territory (andress) was when i lived at Sand Pebble apartments at Pebble Hills and George Dieter next to the Good Time store.....

Great, great info Harry - thanks!! My wife and I have casually been looking through house listings, and it is amazing how affordable great houses still are...we could buy definitely in the West, East Side, Northeast, or even the Upper Valley. For the range of $120K-$175K, you can buy yourself a great house, although it appears that more value is still available on EP's East Side (rather than the West...West is more akin to $100 per square foot which is still great, but East is very much like $70 per square foot!!).

I usually stay in the area in El Paso you are talking about - roughly Yarborough and Kinross...really familiar with George Dieter and like areas around G.Dieter too. I was told taxes are cheaper east of G.Dieter than west of it (Ysleta v. Socorro school districts?).

Anyway, I couldn't believe we could pick up a 2500 square foot home built within the last few years in great condition still for $160K-$170K. Amazing. In nice areas. Maybe I shouldn't type that though...I don't want the "word to get out"!...

Thanks again Harry!!

[eptex]

The eastside is full of live. Great shopping within just a few minutes of driving. Now we have the SuperTarget, I love to shop there and I avoid Walm@rt like the plague.

We don't speak any Spanish and you don't need to speak Spanish to live in El Paso. My neighbors all speak English. If I would start speaking Spanish to them they would look at me funny

My son went to school on the eastside, graduated from Hanks. Great school, whenever I had a problem the teacher and asst. principal were available. Hanks HS is undergoing a huge expansion. Looks like a castle now.

When I moved into my neighborhood there were lots of kids. Now, 18 years later, very few kids and it's very quiet here. I live close to Indian Ridge Middle School and the neighborhood is great. Super nice people, nobody is bothering anybody. Just really nice folk. We are very popular people too because my husband has a lot of tools and we hire the neighbor to do yardwork

Getting a job without speaking Spanish is another thing. I just got lucky. Try to work for a BIG company where they hire from far away. My husband doesn't need Spanish and he can work anywhere. It depends what you do.

I am a transplant, came here by accident

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by eptex

The eastside is full of live. Great shopping within just a few minutes of driving. Now we have the SuperTarget, I love to shop there and I avoid Walm@rt like the plague.

We don't speak any Spanish and you don't need to speak Spanish to live in El Paso. My neighbors all speak English. If I would start speaking Spanish to them they would look at me funny

My son went to school on the eastside, graduated from Hanks. Great school, whenever I had a problem the teacher and asst. principal were available. Hanks HS is undergoing a huge expansion. Looks like a castle now.

When I moved into my neighborhood there were lots of kids. Now, 18 years later, very few kids and it's very quiet here. I live close to Indian Ridge Middle School and the neighborhood is great. Super nice people, nobody is bothering anybody. Just really nice folk. We are very popular people too because my husband has a lot of tools and we hire the neighbor to do yardwork

Getting a job without speaking Spanish is another thing. I just got lucky. Try to work for a BIG company where they hire from far away. My husband doesn't need Spanish and he can work anywhere. It depends what you do.

I am a transplant, came here by accident

Great info, eptex...thanks so much!

I know that area by Indian Ridge Middle School well (I enjoy running on their track when I am in town)...it is a very nice area with great views of mountains, etc.

Thanks again! Sounds great to hear that you can get by day-to-day without needing to speak Espanol, too.

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by harry o

And our boy Muhnay is enjoying himself at his new digs in Biloxi so you probably won't here from him.

El Paso will always be where I come from, but now Mississippi is my home. And talk about a 180 out here. Its so different. I love it. And I wills till pop ijn from time to time to talk to my friends here.. like you harry. =)

[holmes]

Now I know Central El Paso doesn't get any respect, but I really do think it's coming around. When me and my wife moved here from Chicago about a year & a half ago we decided to move into the Sunset Heights neighborhood. Now whether or not you consider this to be the southernmost part of the westside or the westernmost part of central is up for debate, but I can honestly say that I would rather live nowhere else. There are so many beautiful historic homes all over central El Paso it's ridiculous. Now, take that with a grain of salt. I think most people from the eastside view these neighborhoods as old, dark, run down and ghetto. Which there is some truth to that, don't get me wrong. But you have to see the diamond beneath all that coal.

I can agree that there are still lots of very rough neighborhoods between Mesa St and US 54 (north of I-10), but there are some neighborhoods that are on the upswing, like Sunset Heights. We bought our 2000 sq ft two story craftsman four square for $145,000 and were flat out amazed we could buy a beautiful home like this at that price. If we had stayed in Chicago, a home of this caliber would easily be 3-4 times that price depending on the neighborhood.

Now I will admit that Sunset Heights still has it's pockets of "ghetto-ness", but by and large I feel the neighborhood is making a strong comeback. I see more and more homes that are selling and being completely restored and renovated. The area is much cleaner and I see more and more middle class families moving in. I think this is really due to two things:

The vibrant energy spilling over from the Kern Place neighborhood and the prospects of the downtown revitalization. I see many good things happening in downtown and forsee in another 5-10 years when downtown is (at least partially restored to it's former glory) will we really see the old neighborhoods surrounding downtown become the next hotspot to live in the city. My advice to people who are at least semi-interested to live in homes that have real architectural significance and character to move in now and not when the price of these homes skyrocket..

My two cents.

[EnjoyEP]

Excellent two cents holmes! Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspectives. Very enlightening.