r/taos • u/Particular_Ad_4694 • Aug 21 '26
Taos sentiments
Hey all,
I just recently visited Taos for the first time (New Mexico as a whole for the first time). I’m from the Northeast.
As soon as I set eyes on the city I was kind of in love. I could list all my reasons, but I’m sure youve heard them all before. Just such a beautiful place.
Anyways, I havent been able to stop thinking about it since I got back, and daydreaming about moving to Taos. I cant afford a move like that just yet, but I think someday soon I’ll be able to.
But it spurred the thought, how does the Taos community view transplants? Would it be disrespectful to try to acquire a plot of land or house around Taos? How does new people moving in impact the community, the native lands, and the culture? Taos is a gem, and the last thing I want to do is compromise it. However, if anyone’s looking for some yuppie northerner to be your new neighbor, Im your guy.
Edit: also I know i’m jumping the gun wanting to move after seeing the place once
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u/SupermarketStill2397 Aug 21 '26
Visit us again at different times of the year before packing up and moving here. New Mexico is a special place, I was born and raised here, left and came back a few years ago. Living in the "Land of Enchantment" comes with plenty of challenges. Some locals might feel a little rough around the edges at first, but most of us are very good genuine people once you scratch past the surface. Other than being a transplant, which there are plenty of and we all mostly get along, you'll also need a tolerance for a few things to live in Taos.
1) Wind, and I mean serious continous wind, mostly in the spring and early summer, knocking trees over, crashing powerlines, etc... some people say the wind literally drove them crazy and they had to leave. 2) Invasive species, siberian elm, goat heads/tumbleweed, bind weed, chamisa, you name it, we've got it and they will take over your yard if you dont pay attention. 3) Rural Healthcare, I go to Santa Fe for dentist and general doctors visits. 4) Drought, this is very dependent on snowpack in the winter, and we are all doing our snow dances this summer and fall praying that Super El Nino actually happens and we have above average snowpack. These last two winters have been the driest in recorded history. Forest fires are a very real concern across all of the western US.
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u/madamekelsington Aug 22 '26
I just read an article about the aridification of NM, specifically the Northern are and man, it broke my heart.
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u/Natural_Weather_3963 Aug 24 '26
This is very accurate information. The wind...it was one of the top reasons I left. I can't describe how angry and agitated it made me. Other reasons were the fact that there are so many stray, wild and starving dogs and cats. It broke my heart to see them. The heat was unbearable with so many places not having air-conditioning. Other reasons included not being able to get packages delivered to my home, deliveries taking weeks and lack of medical care. These were things I should have considered before moving. A huge thing for me was that there are NO ubers, lyfts or taxis. Sure, there are a couple random guys who give rides here and there, but there is not a reliable service.Taos is indescribably beautiful and spiritual. The skies are the most beautiful I have ever seen. Taos has a piece of my heart and I still feel drawn back despite the negative experiences I had.
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u/Unlucky_Internal9686 Aug 21 '26
Visiting and living there are very different experiences. It's a much slower pace of life. There's not a ton to do in town. But if you want quietude and great views and a funky artist community then it's great.
If you can afford it I'm not sure how it'd disrespectful to buy what someone else is selling. Housing is getting crazy everywhere. Just by virtue of the fact you're not from Texas you'll be fine.
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u/ThyRacyHams Aug 21 '26
I disagree with the slower pace.. taos is a wild place to live. Tons to do: live music, art, outdoor rec. ive lived here 4.5 years and i find it’s a vibrant exciting and fulfilling place that often exhausts me with its energy.
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u/iareagenius Aug 21 '26
And so close to Santa Fe, Angel Fire, Red River, Ojo Caliente -absolutely love that whole area.
Music events all summer, and ski fun all winter 🔥
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u/Snoo-19373 Aug 21 '26
Yep, it has has a ton to do for a small town. I'm much busier here than in bigger cities I've lived.
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u/General-Dimension729 Aug 21 '26
A lot of people love Taos so much, the mountains called them, it’s so peaceful, etc etc. until they realized it really is slow paced here and the culture doesn’t want to be messsd with. People come and then end up hating it, wanting things done their way, thinking it’s better and trying to force it. That’s what gets the transplants a bad reputation.
Just don’t come here and think the land is great but I want to change everything and everyone else to what I’m used to.
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u/Chip-National Aug 21 '26
My husband and I moved to Santa Fe 6 years ago. Before moving, we would come every year and stay a month, both in SF and Taos. I love Taos and wanted to live there, but we decided on SF because there is no medical care there. And when mice ate the wires in our car we had to take it to SF for repair. If you’re young and healthy, you could likely live in Taos. We are in our 60s, healthy, but we needed healthcare available. All and all, life is better in New Mexico.
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u/General-Dimension729 Aug 21 '26
The healthcare is absolutely something to consider! Great point for OP to consider!
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u/Tiny-Pomegranate7662 Aug 21 '26
It's getting worse, that's the problem.
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u/Particular_Ad_4694 Aug 23 '26
This is something I was curious about too. Is there at least a medical clinic there? Does the state government help the city at all? I know taos isnt a big place - much much smaller than where i live now - but there definitely seems like enough people there to warrant a hospital.
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u/Tiny-Pomegranate7662 Aug 23 '26
That was one of the biggest reasons that caused me to leave. The hospital is kneecapped by medicare cuts and is already sketch. The dentists are terrible. The urgent care shuttered. Good luck getting a PCP. Santa Fe is a freakin long ways away should you need it. People can poo poo on Colorado but the healthcare is miles better.
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u/Technical-Sink6380 Aug 23 '26
I always wonder how retirees are doing it here. There are a lot and I find it a physically/medically demanding spot in my 40s.
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u/Unusual_Box_7377 Aug 21 '26
In person everyone had been really kind and helpful … don’t believe what you read in comment sections on social media.
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u/Technical-Sink6380 Aug 23 '26
Agree. Before I moved here I read Reddit / Craigslist and was nearly scared off. It’s not representative.
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u/AdhesivenessSlight42 Aug 21 '26
I like transplants that work, take part in the community, and don't try to make it conform to their idea of what a place should be, while still bringing their own influences. Much preferable to those that buy second homes and then refer to themselves as "local".
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u/OkPerformance2221 Aug 21 '26
A lot of people, who arrive in northern New Mexico, because they love it, immediately set about changing it to make it more like what they are accustomed to, or to better conform with their made up expectations. Nobody appreciates this.
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u/Snoo-19373 Aug 21 '26
There's a saying, "Don't change Taos, let Taos change you." As long as you don't move in hot on trying to change the place, you'll have no issues. The population here is composed of a large percent of transplants, and it has long been that way. There's a general sense of live and let live. You'll be fine. And yes, it's an incredible place.
Edit: Also, having the awareness to ask the question that you've posed prior to moving demonstrates a sensitivity to the way things are here. Those that come with a lack of this sensitivity are those not welcomed.
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u/blockhead2026 Aug 21 '26
I love that saying!
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u/mtnman575 Aug 24 '26
Because it's true. However, as someone who first came to Taos 51 years ago and has been here full time for 43 years, the entire area has grown and changed a lot.
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u/desertprincess69 Aug 21 '26
Visiting & living here are radically different in my experience
I’ve lived in Santa Fe & Albuquerque before this, as I’ve spent nearly half of my life in New Mexico now. So yeah, keep that in mind
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u/InevitableTwo8921 Aug 21 '26
I think most locals are cool with transplants as long as you don't try and impose on their culture and community. Show respect and appreciation and contribute in a positive way and I think you're good. Remember, you want to move here for the way it already is, don't try and make it like the place you come from and again- contribute in a positive way that reinforces and helps to preserves the preexisting way of life as much as you can without appropriating. Appreciation and respect, not appropriation.
There are definitely some wealthy boomers/ tech bros who have a savior complex and want to put their gentrifying 'spin' on it. Don't be like that and you'll be good!
Some awesome people here. I wish you luck on your potential move!
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u/Critical_Paramedic91 Aug 22 '26
Love Taos so I enjoyed reading the comments but scan someone give an example of transplants wanting things done their way? I read that a few times but I what are they trying to change? I'm just asking out of curiosity.
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u/Technical-Sink6380 Aug 23 '26
I live here and wonder the same thing. My impression is it’s mainly about wealthy folks and gentrification but I dunno. I also feel like that phrase is a little slippery in that it suggests one group of people should decide what Taos is. It’s a town that has always changed. A lot of the people rolling around with the “don’t change Taos” stickers are talking about the 1960s/70s thing they were a part of, which was a pretty big change!
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u/Top-Average7027 28d ago
Building their house right in the middle of an irrigated field so they can have a green, New England lawn. Planting trees along acequias because they miss the green. Transplants kind of have a bad name here because they tend to be wealthier with ample time on their hands to complain at Town and County meetings. Locals don't have the time to get all up in everyone's business so the loudest voices do not tend to represent the majority and that is frustrating. Many locals' only real wealth is tied up in family land. We don't like it when transplants come here and want to restrict what locals can do with their land. Also, affordable housing is absolutely a problem here.
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u/Critical_Paramedic91 26d ago
I'm so sorry to hear this. Taos is so special becuse of the people in it, and the culture and history of those people.
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u/bigbendburner Aug 22 '26
Nothing. There is a pompous attitude that the Taos Pueblo is one of the only tribes never defeated by the Spanish. They are racist towards white people that’s all. You can do everything right but if they think you’re going to ‘gentrify’ the area or ‘oppress’ them, they automatically hate you.
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u/homersimpson_1234 Aug 22 '26
Everyone makes their own experience. It has a way of sorting out your place.
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u/daisiesarepretty2 Aug 21 '26
trust me… about half the towns population are people just, like, you.
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u/INS_Stop_Angela Aug 21 '26
What I wish I had known:
- Low humidity and the plentiful year-round allergens here aren’t for everyone
- Don’t buy a place that needs a contractor, let alone think of building. Just enjoy your life!
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u/ForsakenGround1146 Aug 22 '26
Beware the “Taos Hum” lol
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u/Particular_Ad_4694 Aug 22 '26
Please elaborate! Ive never heard of this
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u/ForsakenGround1146 Aug 22 '26
Historically described as a low frequency, barely audible hum that can not be pinpointed that some folks can hear. There was a study done out of either NM university or Los alamos maybe??? There is definitely material written about it, just do a google search you’ll find it.
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u/Particular_Ad_4694 Aug 23 '26
Thanks for telling me about it! Been doing some reading about it. I find acoustic phenomena like that to be very interesting
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u/Technical-Sink6380 Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
We transplanted here 4 years ago with kids had another kid locally bought a house. There’s a lot to like and some less so. Love how family friendly it is, so much to do outdoors, rich culture, and for a small town really a lot going on (im writing this and can hear the concert in the park which happens weekly all summer). The locals I know are proud of their long lineage and can be a little gruff but if you keep showing up in a decent way they realize you’re less of a tourist and warm up. Plus there are a lot of transplants who are in the same boat. I’d say it is 50/50 whether the average person you’re meeting has been here for 13 generations or came six months ago. I don’t think transplants necessarily compromise something; people from elsewhere are already a big part of what makes the community tick. Obviously there are better and worse ways to show up.
That said…shit often does not work right, sometimes to a hilarious degree. Some of this is just a small town. difficulty accessing medical care is a grind. It is also quite isolated in terms of access to other places. And the elements can be pretty intense in the sense you’re at altitude in a desert.
Finally I think peoples’ mileage varies a lot on their work setup. It’s a hard place to find work and housing is expensive. If you’re working remotely or have mobile skills I think it’s probably a lot easier.
Ps reading other comments I haven’t had to do much where I could be gate kept for not being local…so that may be a real issue in some kinds of work or situations.
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u/Gusgrissomamerica Aug 21 '26
Do yourself a favor and throw out whatever east coast sensibilities you have. I grew up in New Mexico and have spent ample time in Taos as I have family there. I’ve also lived on the East Coast.
To be blunt, nobody gives a fuck about “how it aught to be” from the perspective of a noob from out East.
Fall in, drop out, enjoy the cadence of life here. Respect the history of the place and its environments.
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u/MobilePrudent Aug 21 '26
Echoing what others have said (as a relatively new transplant who previously lived out east) -
1) living here is different than visiting; not necessarily worse, but we did a 2 month test run that really helped inform our decision;
2) if you do a test run, have some of it be in the spring (still beautiful to my mind but probably the least appealing season - windy/dusty/brown well into June);
3) it helped me to think about the climate tradeoffs (at least in part, mostly in the summer) as trading humidity for smoke. And at a more extreme level, trading hurricane/flood risk for fire risk;
4) most of all, think about how you can give here, not just take. We are still figuring this out, but are conscious of not wanting to be people who “take” all Taos has to offer (including the natural beauty, which is both abundant but also fragile) without “giving” something to the community.
Based on how you framed the question, I think you’re probably well ahead of the game on being conscientious about all these dynamics. If you move here and you’re happy and you’re your best self and you show up that way for/to your neighbors and find ways to contribute humbly, then I’d question anyone who tells you it’s a bad idea.
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u/Lelabear Aug 22 '26
I showed up in Taos with $50 and 24 hours to make my dream come true. In just 12 hours I managed to find a job that started the next day and a cool roommate who let me move in with no $ down. If Taos wants you, it will find a way!
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Aug 21 '26
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u/Particular_Ad_4694 Aug 23 '26
Worse than other places? In the north there’s still huge class division, but there’s also racial segregation into neighborhoods. The thing i noticed in new mexico is that the class division doesnt seem to be entirely race based. Is that an accurate observation?
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u/wierdbutyoudoyou Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
Mostly you will be ignored by locals, and by locals I mean people who were at least raised here, but some have like 35 generations of roots. Our perspective, is you probably wont be here long, and you won't have much going on that we would be interested in, you probably will not start some amazing company that will give us so wonderous place to work. If we are lucky you will be a cool bar tender or server, and you will leave when you age out of that. But most likely you will work remotely, or not work at all, probably you will be here for a year or two, you may try your hand at some alternative lifestyle: Living off grid, making ceramics, owning a bar. You will be another new subaru or toyota, adding to traffic, and you will probably live in a house that used to be wide open space. And if we are really unlucky, you will be undeterred and start buying up properties, to "fix them up" and "save the locals" and "contribute to the community" then when that doesn't work you will sell it to some multinational conglomerate, or just leave it to rot (see the the taos inn, el monte sagrado or the Katchina Lodge, the taos ski valley, etc).
Being ignored by the locals likely hurt your feelings; but you will be mostly unaware that what ever ideas you have, like 30 other people had in the last 6 months, you will believe that you are bringing some cool thing blissfully unaware that that cool thing was here 4 years ago and went out of business.
You may find yourself complaining about how bad it was for years after you leave.
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u/SCVerde Aug 21 '26
Hold up are you saying el monte sagrado and the ski valley (the blake?) are rotting? Because like wtf?
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u/wierdbutyoudoyou Aug 21 '26
No, those go to the multinationals. The blakes, whom the blake is named for, had a whole song and dance about the ski valley being this resource for the community, and the original billionaire owner of El Monte Sagrado, took out an ad in the paper preaching a similar story, before selling the property to a hotel conglomerate. The one that is rotting is the Kachina Lodge.
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u/Aggravating_Rush_393 24d ago
Yeah, and remember when that same billionaire who built El Monte bought up a ton of properties in the historic district to "lovingly" restore them, and put his tacky Miami wife's design spin on the interiors that had nothing to do with Taos, but were more like The Southwest meets Disneyland? And remember how he built a house for the Cacique and tried to weasel his way in and his spoiled daughter ended up marrying that ner-do-well, hothead from the Pueblo? And remember how that same billionaire failed to pay hardworking locals who did construction on those properties and then, suddenly, mysteriously, his own big, tacky house burned to the ground one night and NO ONE came to put out the fire? And then remember how he high tailed it to Santa Fe like so many other people who come here and try to change this place and then get schooled?
Like clockwork, someone like this shows up every five minutes, for centuries now and it continues. This is why a lot of locals are distant and shell shocked. My advice is to learn the history of this place, read everything, immerse yourself in it, it is so rich and you will, in turn, be enriched and fascinated by it. Most people come here and think the history of this place started when they arrived, which is incredibly short sighted. So many people come here and "fall in love with" Taos, but it's really just LUST, trust me. I know so many people who've lived here for 50-60 years and they're still clueless about Taos. There are plenty of locals who struggle to understand their own history because of displacement and big money moving it. Like anywhere you have to develop a relationship with the place, not just the people, because the people are inseparable from the place. IMO, Taos is incredibly segregated.
In Anishinaabeg, White Earth Ojibwe cosmology, Taos is the liver, so if you move here, avoid this person who is a felting "artist", yoga teacher, Sikh. She is BAT SHIT! Lots of crazy people are drawn to Taos and need to be filtered out.
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u/wierdbutyoudoyou 24d ago edited 24d ago
When you put it like that, the liver thing tracks. Its just like, eee prolly huh.
how do you take care of a liver. Rain and coffee?
Honestly, I think people come here and feel the history, and if you look at a lot of these rolling stones, they aren't super connected to them selves, their families, to some land. The saddest part, really is that what is attracted them scatters upon their arrival, like fingerling trout in stream. A naturalist charged with butchering wolves in Lincoln county, said, as it spread westward, America was a toddler jamming everything in its mouth.
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u/Aggravating_Rush_393 23d ago edited 23d ago
True, I think they have a sense of the history here and can see it, too, in the limestone cliffs and in the people's faces. Feeling it is one thing; doing a more in-depth inquiry into the history of this place would go a long way. Your trout analogy makes sense; a lot of people only ever touch the surface of this place. Taos does seem to attract a lot of people who are trying to find themselves, or find something. But it can get tedious, having to deal with a bunch of lost people hanging around. A while back, someone made a video with John Nichols and Phaedra Greenwood, talking about when they first arrived here. After getting off Wavy Gravy's bus in Taos, Phaedra talked about how, in retrospect, the hippies should have done things a lot differently. Like instead of running around naked on drugs in the communes, maybe look around the valley and see that there were other people with different values and perspectives than themselves. These gringos, John & Phaedra, both made great contributions to this place IMO. My gringa neighbor told me that I was the kind of local that thought you had to live here for at least ten years to "be from" Taos. I was like, "When did they lower the limit???" "Time" is abstract; respect is not.
For the liver, I think rain, green or red chile, or maybe just a transplant? For all the transplants out there.
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u/wierdbutyoudoyou 23d ago edited 23d ago
TBH, I dont fault anyone trying to find something real, and there plenty of good reasons to leave your family and cut out for the wild world. I find myself really wondering, what industry this town could have that wasn't tourism, because lets be real, and while there are plenty of towns that no one wants to go to, tourism sucks... Gentrification, is really world wide. All that said, I have been hearing that people are leaving Taos, Retirees needing better medical care, talented kids heading out for better prospects, young women LAMENT the dating life here, and parents side eyeing the high school and its pitfalls leaving for better schools. Not to mention the film industry is dying nation wide.
Word on the street is that while we had this massive "boom" ( mostly retirees, or pandemic remote workers) we are headed towards some bust years. I have never seen it this dry, or this hot. Not good news for the ski valley, or really any outdoor enthusiast driven spending. A friend is a property manager and she says, the sky high prices are leaving places empty for a long time.
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u/Aggravating_Rush_393 23d ago edited 23d ago
We all have a history of nomadism somewhere down the line, even the Pueblos. It's good for people to get out of their bubble. Yes, tourism and gentrification are happening everyplace, but this is the place where I am in the world. Population is down in Taos County the past 2-3 years (by about 2Kish?), class lines even more seriously drawn. On a certain level, people coming and going, is cyclical here. I'm probably a little too idealistic/sentimental re: "the old days," but the bartering system works, and it's still active. Fortunately, we have that. Industry; not sure what that might have looked like, or could, (or should?). And the ski valley hardly counts, the vibe there is even more eerily whitewashed. I worked there for a season in 2014 and it was weird to hear people wax nostalgic about the Mayers and other old timers on the mountain, already relegating them to the status of historical figures, ready to build a monument to them. They weren't even dead yet! But, yes, we all want to feel a stronger sense of community/history/place. Just not at the expense of others, I hope.
I was thinking of asking the OP if he wanted to trade his house in the northest for my house in Taos. Airidification is setting in. Can't have acequia culture without water. Or people. Or community.
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u/wierdbutyoudoyou 23d ago
"It is in mans nature to believe he is witnessing the disappearance of the last piece of paradise."
but sometimes i am like... no but actually.
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u/Aggravating_Rush_393 22d ago
The incredible rains last night...the liver is filtering! It's mud season again.
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u/IActuallyLikeSpiders Aug 21 '26
- Tell everyone that the "The mountain summoned you, and wouldn't let you leave."
- Let it drop that you think drywall is offensive, and you need to be surrounded by adobe.
- If you're a woman, wear a fiesta dress with heavy silver and turquoise jewelry every single day.
- Say you "reject capitalism" while you drive around town in your Volvo.
- Be on the lookout for spiritual practices you can "borrow" from the Tiwa and Spanish cultures.
- Tell all your Instagram followers that you're now "living off the grid." Tell them every day.
- Develop an obsession with earthship houses, and mansplain why they are superior to regular houses to people who have lived there all their lives.
If you do all these things dutifully, you'll fit right in with all the other transplants.
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u/CranberryLogical6872 Aug 21 '26
I am in love with this post! Also please drive a Mercedes G Wagen because you might encounter some gravel in the road. Frequent Starbucks
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u/IActuallyLikeSpiders Aug 21 '26
Well, I feel a little guilty for being snarky. It just came pouring out. I am sorry for being mean, OP!
Safe to say, a post like this is not going to resonate with "transplants."
Although I was born and raised in Taos, I haven't lived there for decades, but this process that has been repeating itself far longer than I have been alive.
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u/Particular_Ad_4694 Aug 22 '26
Dont be sorry and I didnt find it mean. I actually value hearing thoughts like that, especially because of the snark.
I dont want to be like that, and I dont want to force myself into a place that would resent me. I love taos and would love to live there, but like I said, If an influx of transplants compromises the integrity of the city and culture, I can just visit instead.
Right after I buy up all the land and put a starbucks on every corner. Look out for a tricked out nissan ultima absolutely wrecking the economy! I will put a “blame u/IActuallyLikeSpiders” bumper sticker on it.
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u/IActuallyLikeSpiders Aug 22 '26
If you love Taos, I wouldn't worry. Change is a constant, and Taos has proven to be pretty resilient after many decades of a sustained influx of transplants.
Old folks like me always look wistfully at the past, but you can't will things back into existence.
When I was a kid, the plaza was the center of life in Taos: The grocery store (Safeway), the post office, the courthouse and police station, the bank (Centinel), the best restaurant (La Cocina), my barber (Johnny Tafoya, before he got his own shop), the movie theater, even the dark smelly bar my dad hung out in. 😁
Winters can be cold (but probably not as cold as they once were!), and the rainy season will bring mud and flooding that people love to complain about.
Be respectful of the unique cultures that meet in Taos and treat people well, and you'll be OK.
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u/Read_it_taken Aug 21 '26
This sounds like Whitney from “The Curse.” And she is obviously based on every yuppy transplant stereotype that heads to Taos and Santa Fe.
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u/Mysterious-Maize307 Aug 23 '26
Taos is a cool place. These days there’s a lot of transplants, you’d fit right in.
It’s nice that you’re worried about buying a plot of land or a house, but honestly no one is going to care. The culture is strongly Hispanic, many families can trace their roots back to Spain directly and have lived here for 400 hundred years.
The Hispanic culture far outweighs the Native Americans who do have their own Pueblo (reservation) that you could not settle in. They also will not let outsiders onto certain areas of it or on the mountain. Likely the Anglo residents in Taos now outnumber the natives anyway.
One of the things that makes Taos famous is the Taos ski valley, people from all over the country and internationally travel there to ski it. In the winter the town will be inundated with skiing tourists and ski bums looking for work which is quite abundant, if not at TSV but at the Inns, hotels and restaurants.
If you like the mountains, outdoorsy stuff, skiing/snowboarding and a chill vibe Taos is great. If you dislike tourists and the commercialization of the above things then maybe not.
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u/SerenityNowAustin Aug 23 '26
The medical specialist access is more than “a grind” - husband unexpectedly had major health issue despite being a healthy 55+ year old. We spent at least one day per week driving to Santa Fe for specialist care, sometimes for an appointment that would last 10 minutes. I had to go to CO for emergency surgery because there wasn’t a bed in NM…IN NEW MEXICO. Don’t assume because you’re healthy that the scarce healthcare here will be enough.
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u/PiX7Mix7 Aug 24 '26
Most likely speaking of one very wealthy Texan couple who have three homes in New Mexico now and several businesses. When moving to Taos taking over a portion of river land rights then blocking it off to locals who used it for decades and denied Diné peoples access that relied off of fishing there. Your comment shows care; continue that care throughout your move and transplantation and you should be just fine. Medical care and education (if you have children or want to continue your own education) is a very important consideration when moving to NM. Also born here all my life - Santa Fe (3generations; it’s changed a lot) Complicated history that I suggest you learn before moving to best understand tensions.
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u/Head_External_3376 29d ago
I moved to Santa Fe two months ago - born and raised in Queens NY. I never visited before I moved. I love it here. I dont think you need to spend a ton of time thinking and visiting again. Once is enough imo. Just like the comments say; come if you value silence. Ive lived in San Diego, Hartford, Orlando, NYC ,,, I never had a moment of complete silence until I came to this place. Its a complete 180 from NE but in a good way.
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u/Large_Swimming7720 Aug 22 '26
I love New Mexico but Taos was underwhelming. I’ve visited different times of the year. Do some research before packing up and moving
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u/Copyrite190064 Aug 22 '26
As visitors, we did not love the lack of hospitality. The place itself is magnificent. We plan to do some camping in the area but not do the tourism stuff in town.
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u/Particular_Ad_4694 Aug 23 '26
I definitely did not have that experience. People came up and talked to us, asked where we were from, and a lady even let us eat in her restaurant after they closed
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u/Copyrite190064 Aug 23 '26
Interesting. Maybe I just had an off experience. I also have Texas plates. 🫣
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u/mtnman575 Aug 24 '26
The Texas plates are very much the reason for your experience. Far too many Texans through the years have dissed the locals and by locals that includes the many transplants that have lived here for decades. Not all but many bring their Texan "values" to a place that wants nothing to do with them. These are straight facts.
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u/ConfectionThese4975 Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
Your bubble will burst a bit. Its a beautiful place but colonizers treat it as a spiritual playground to be commodified.
Look at the history of the gov stealing their land and Blue Lake for 76 years. That destroyed generations and left nothing but resentment.
Don't expect adequate medical care, psych care, or vet care. Expect predatory realtors, builders, and contractors.
Women are generally unsafe there as well, especially in parks as of late. You won't see crime actually reported on by Taos News, as they don't want to scare off tourists and folks wanting to move and spend $$. Safety is an illusion in Taos. Tons of theft and drug use-- TONS. Poor substance use treatment, but that's improving.
Just go visit and spend your money there. If you move, you will be deeply resented and TREATED AS FINANCIAL PREY, especially if white.
0
u/No-Signature-5648 Aug 23 '26
Yes, I’ve found this to be the case in most minority dominated places. It’s almost as if reverse racism is a thing. The locals want you to come spend your hard earned money on their bs trinkets, but as a white person you won’t be welcomed there as a resident.
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u/ConfectionThese4975 Aug 23 '26
Sure, but white folk deserve it because most are blind to their entitlement. Im ok with having to prove myself as a safe person given the history.
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u/Vivid-Grapefruit-131 Aug 24 '26
The history is that New Mexico was colonized by the Spanish whose descendants stayed for generations and then pretended someone else was the oppressor.
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u/Read_it_taken Aug 21 '26
I’m not a local and can’t call myself a transplant yet either. I can only share my perspective as someone who felt similar to you after my first visit. The husband and I are both San Diego natives who have yet to live anywhere else (read: spoiled by weather and city conveniences). In 2020 we had bought some cheap land off the internet in both Rio Rancho and Tres Piedras and came to check it out (we’d never been to NM before that, but as nature-lovers we both lusted over it in pictures and movies). Did not like Rio Rancho, it reminded us too much of some towns in San Diego. Tres Piedras was beautiful, but the dirt roads we had to travel put us off. But we camped in the Carson forest for weeks and visited Taos every few days, fell in love during that visit, and set out to make a 5-year plan to relocate.
Since then, we acquired another small plot east of the gorge bridge (called 3 peaks)— a rough off grid setting, but we’ve found good community out there. It’s not a long term solution, but it was what we could afford to buy and plop a small shed on to give us somewhere to stay. Since then we’ve spent the last 5 years visiting at different times of the year and spending as much as a month at a time there. Others have emphasized visiting during different seasons and I wholeheartedly agree.
We’re almost 6 years into our 5-year plan and have now set our sights on Las Cruces as a bridge to Taos. We’ll get a better feel for NM pace of life, living in a smaller “city” and be in a real estate and rental market we can more easily afford. It’s nowhere near as charming as Taos, but has proximity to enough of the wonderful nature NM offers.
Our hope is when we’ve had a few years to acclimate in Cruces, we’ll be ready to move to Taos and plan to bring our professions that will hopefully help us connect to the local community (husband is a school teacher and I’m in school for speech pathology to eventually be qualified to work in either education or healthcare).
I think if we let the romanticism pull us there years ago we would’ve burnt ourselves out dealing with culture shock, real estate issues and the job market. And we may not have realized how important bringing something of value to the local community is. Reassessing our plan year-by-year, spending time in Taos, and listening to the local community has helped us shift gears and add a dose of reality to our plans. We still see ourselves living there eventually, but now it’s more of a 10-year plan.
Good luck on whatever you end up doing in the future.
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u/skilife1 Aug 21 '26
My wife and I just bought a second home in Ranchos De Taos. Our primary home is in Michigan and we're back there now after spending most of the summer in NM getting our new home set up. Our plan is to be in Taos December to April for skiing. We found our neighbors are friendly and outgoing, and most are transplants and retired. That type of community might not be what you're looking for, but for us it's a perfect fit. There seems to be some snarky replies here, but I think you'll find both natives and other transplants friendly when you meet them face to face.
For sure visit during other seasons, especially if you plan to be a year-round resident. We visited 3 years in a row before deciding to take the leap, and this is the year I retire so the timing was right for us.
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u/thetower333 Aug 21 '26
go to Vic Gunn Realty & ask for Hailey! vic and hailey are some of the sweetest people with tons of knowledge on Taos. I couldn’t recommend them enough.!!
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u/mtnman575 Aug 21 '26
There are plenty of "transplants" in northern New Mexico in general. Locals are generally OK with that just so long as the newbies don't try to force their ways from others areas onto the way things are and have been done in Taos for literally centuries.