Best Place to Retire 2005
Las Cruces, New Mexico
For folks who retire to Las Cruces, the city's obvious selling points -- the breathtaking Organ Mountains, the New Mexico State University-sponsored cultural scene and two state-of-the-art hospitals -- are almost an afterthought.
What makes Las Cruces special, they say, is the genuine hospitality among transplants and locals alike. "We kept saying 'Why are people so nice here?'" said Dinny Bomberg, a retiree from Minneapolis. "We decided it's because life here is pretty stress-free."
Inexpensive housing and almost 300 days of sunshine a year don't hurt either.
The advantages haven't gone unnoticed: Las Cruces has boomed over the past 10 years. Still, prices have stayed modest; new houses in a southwestern faux adobe style start around $200,000, while existing stock usually costs less.
The town hasn't surrendered to sprawl. Decades of neglect have left the downtown section looking haggard, but it's now scheduled for a face-lift that includes restoration of a historic theater.
NMSU is the center of most local entertainment, from gallery talks to college football to a recent mariachi conference. Classes are available to seniors at a deep discount and end up costing about $130 a semester. Retired faculty members help run a wide-ranging lecture series known as the Academy of Learning in Retirement.
From : Best Place to Retire - CNN/Money Magazine, 2005
