Las Cruces On a Roll With Latest Place On "Best List"

 

LAS CRUCES - Southern New Mexico's largest city has experienced a pretty heady month.

For the third time in the past several weeks, Las Cruces has snared a spot on another "best of" list.

Sunset magazine picked Las Cruces as No. 19 in its list "20 Best Towns of the Future," in its

March edition. Palo Alto, Calif., was No. 1. All the cities are in the West, which is the publication's

area of coverage.

 

Earlier this month, U.S. News & World Report named Las Cruces as the No. 6 city in the country in

it's "10 Cities for Real Estate Steals" list, and CNBC recently chose Las Cruces as one of "America's Top

Places for Boomers to Retire".

 

Amanda Olivarez Cruz with the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces said the national and

regional attention does turn heads.

 

When Las Cruces garners a place on another list, "We actually have people call us who are looking for

a place to retire and we send them the information," Cruz said.

 

Jim Berry, president and CEO if the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, said "people do notice. 

I was talking to one of my friends the other day who lives in Little Rock and he said something about

how Las Cruces is always getting recognition".

 

Jim Peach who teaches economics and international business at New Mexico State University said

Las Cruces is attractive for its balance.  "It has to do with the fact that we're almost at the ideal population

size: large enough to have a variety of entertainment and health-care options, but not so big we face

massive traffic jams," Peach said.  "We don't have a horribly high crime rate we don't get a lot of nasty

 weather in the winter.

 

As for Sunset magazine, Las Cruces made the list thanks to its proximity to Spaceport America, which

is under construction about 50 miles north of the city, near Upham.

 

"More than 300 would-be astronauts have already signed up with Virgin Galactic to be among the first to

plunk down $200,000 for a trip into space" the magazine reports.  Last week, News & World Report named

Las Cruces as the No. 6 city on the country on it's "10 Cities for Real Estate Steals" list.  Also, CNBC

recently chose Las Cruces as one of "America's Top Places for Boomers to retire".

 

Article ID: 14481980
Date: February 27, 2010
Publication: Las Cruces Sun-News (NM)