NMSS - Quality of Life

Quality of Life: Culture and the Arts

sandy — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:22:03 -0700

Culture and the Arts

New Mexico offers an exciting and distinctive blend of cultural activities and traditions. Much of the art, architecture, and music of the area is rooted in our three principal cultures - Native American, Hispanic and Anglo - with strong ties to the natural environment. Fine arts, music, theater, dance, and museums all flourish within the state's metropolitan core.

Principal Cultures

Several popular events held each year showcase the arts created by the diverse groups that comprise New Mexico's rich cultural heritage.

The Indian Market is the largest exhibition of Indian art in the world. An estimated 100,000 visitors flock to see more than 1,200 Native American artists sell their work at outdoor booths on and around the Plaza in Santa Fe.
The Spanish Market in Santa Fe honors fine Hispanic crafts dating from the Spanish colonial period. These unique folk arts, such as tinwork and wood carving, have undergone a revival in recent times and are much in demand by collectors and decorators.
Saturday evening crowds jam Summerfest events in Albuquerque to enjoy the foods, crafts, music and dance of more than a dozen different ethnic groups.
Experience the largest Native American celebration in North America at the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow held in Albuquerque. Activities include dance, arts and crafts and a Miss Indian World contest.
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque is an excellent starting point for exploring the art, life, dance, and culture of the state's 19 Native American Pueblos, two Apache tribes, and the Navajo Nation.
El Rancho de Las Golondrinas is an open air museum that recreates life in Spanish Colonial New Mexico.
More than 23 buildings house the collections of the Museum of New Mexico including the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
The Palace of the Governors on the Plaza in Santa Fe is now a historical museum. It is the oldest capital building in the United States, in use before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center is a world-class facility in Albuquerque's South Valley dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and showcasing Hispanic arts and lifeways. It hosts local, national and international exhibits and performing artists.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque is known for its spectacular science displays, including fossils from ancient dinosaurs that once inhabited New Mexico. Its Lodestar Astronomy Center features the state-of-the-art Star Theater planetarium.
The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, located south of Estancia Valley in Mountainair, presents austere reminders of the Pueblo Indians' earliest contact with Spanish colonials through the ruins of four mission churches and a partially excavated pueblo known as Gran Quivira.
Sky City Cultural Center and Haak'u Museum in Acoma, New Mexico offers a variety of activities including guided tours, handmade pottery, gift shop, café, feast days celebrations, dances and other public events held throughout the year.

Fine Arts

Art is everywhere! You don't have to look far to find it. Santa Fe was ranked No.1 for small cities and Albuquerque was ranked No.2 for medium-sized cities in American Style Magazine's 2006 Top 25 Arts Destinations. Santa Fe boasts 250 art galleries, 12 museums and 16 performing arts groups, while Albuquerque has over 40 art galleries, 20 museums and 30 performing arts groups. All the metropolitan communities host shows: arts and crafts fairs, studio tours, and 'arts crawls' during the year.

The Museum of New Mexico includes the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, while The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History exhibits both art and historical artifacts from the days of the Conquistadors to modern times. Both museums host traveling shows as well as permanent collections.
Santa Fe is home to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, which exhibits the work of the renowned artist.
The area is also home to numerous private galleries that display work from international, national and local artists.
World-renowned Pimentel & Sons guitars latest creation is a tribute to the state. The guitar is called "New Mexico Sunrise", which pays homage to New Mexico culture and symbolism.
ART Santa Fe , an international contemporary art fair, takes place annually for exhibitors from around the world to display their works

Performing Arts

The Albuquerque/Santa Fe region has become a nationally recognized mecca for the performing arts.

The New Mexico Ballet, Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco, National Institute of Flamenco and many other dance companies find eager audiences.
The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra has entertained classical music fans since the 1930s.
Ensemble music played by extraordinary performers draw crowds to the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.
World-class opera thrives in the clear desert air at the renowned Santa Fe Opera featuring performances from internationally recognized stars.
There's music for every taste from blues to jazz to salsa and more. Two of many sources are the NM Jazz Workshop and the Outpost Performance Space.
Concert halls like the 2,000 seat Popejoy Hall, the famous art deco Kimo Theater, and the historic Hiland Theater, home to Musical Theater Southwest in Albuquerque offer dance, music, and theater by both local and nationally-renowned performers. National touring groups bring their Broadway musicals to Popejoy, while Santa Fe Stages at the Greer Garson Theater in Santa Fe boasts state-of-the-art production facilities.
The Vortex Theater is one of many regional, non-equity theaters that showcase plays by Eugene O'Neill, Clive Barker, David Mamet and a talented pool of local playwrights.
The historic Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe opened in 1931 as the finest theater in the Southwest. It was temporarily closed and transformed in 1999 into a world class 821-seat venue that hosts chamber music, theater, modern dance and more.
Along with the 11,775-seat, indoor Tingley Coliseum, three recently constructed amphitheaters have put Metro New Mexico on the booking lists for large concert tours: Albuquerque's Journal Pavilion seats 9,000; Isleta Casino Resort Concert Complex near Los Lunas accommodates 3,000; and Sandia Casino Amphitheater handles 4,260. The multi-purpose Rio Rancho Events Center seats 6,500, features 26 luxury suites, 500 club seats, a VIP lounge, a club lounge and four club suites.

Quality of Life: Recreation and Sports

sandy — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 16:23:27 -0700

Recreation and Sports

With its scenic beauty and more than 78 million acres of public lands, New Mexico is an outdoor recreation paradise. Whether you're a sports participant or a baseball, hockey or basketball fan, you'll find plenty to do. Outdoor concerts and festivals offer a myriad of opportunities to revel in our splendid weather. Whatever you're looking for, New Mexico can supply it! The state's 60 golf courses allow plenty of opportunities for duffers to practice, while 12 sunny ski areas harvest the powdery snow of the Southern Rockies. In the summer, numerous lakes and streams beckon anglers fishing for trout, bass, walleye or catfish. Water sports enthusiasts can windsurf, waterski, Jet Ski, swim or scuba dive, even in the desert.

Golf

New Mexico's climate makes the state a year-round golfer's paradise. The Twin Warriors Golf Club has been named one of the Meetings & Conventions magazine's Gold Tee winners for 2006, and Paa-Ko Ridge near Cedar Crest was given Golf Digest's highest rating, because of its high-quality golf at lower rates than other states. With our high altitudes, you can hit a golf ball about 10% farther than at sea level! Play at more than 60 unique courses statewide including challenging championship-quality courses:

Sports

Triple A baseball returned to Albuquerque in Spring 2003, with the Albuquerque Isotopes running for home in a beautifully rebuilt stadium.
The NBA bounced into Albuquerque in 2005 with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, a National Basketball Developmental League team. Their NBA affiliates are the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz.
The Southwest Velodrome, a new 1500-seat stadium designed to accommodate Olympic-style bicycle track racing. BMX racing is also expected to take place on a dirt course located inside the velodrome's wooden, steeply banked track.
In winter, cheer for the nationally-ranked University of New Mexico Lobos men's and women's basketball teams. UNM also competes in intercollegiate baseball, football, soccer, golf, tennis, and other sports.
A committed sports fan should never be without a home team to root for. Albuquerque currently hosts the Scorpions, a member of the Western Professional Hockey League. In late 2006, the Scorpions will make their home in the new Rio Rancho Events Center.
Soccer is big in Metro New Mexico. Nearby Santa Ana Pueblo maintains the New Mexico Tournament Complex, which hosts national competitive soccer teams with players of all ages. Little League and YAFL play are also available.

Outdoor Recreation

Albuquerque's 800 parks provide plenty of green space throughout the city.
Rio Rancho provides numerous opportunities for recreation, sports, arts and crafts, and shopping.
Skiing and other winter sports are available at more than 12 easy-to-reach ski areas. Two of the locations, Sandia Peak and Ski Santa Fe , are just minutes away from Albuquerque and Santa Fe respectively. Great runs, blue skies and powder make for delightful skiing. World-class skiing is available in Taos, just north of Santa Fe and Los Alamos has its own local run.
In the warmer seasons, the mountains offer hiking, camping, mountain biking, hang gliding and horseback riding.
Other outdoor activities include tennis, bicycling, and in-line skating. Miles and miles of paved bike trails present unparalleled in-town recreation opportunities.
Local area rivers, lakes and reservoirs offer boating and rafting. Whitewater river experiences await the more adventurous.
With a variety of terrain and abundant wildlife, New Mexico is a hunting and fishing enthusiasts' dream.
You can run in the annual Duke City Marathon each September.
You can paddle or row in the oldest whitewater race in the Western US, The Rio Grande River Festival, formerly known as the Mother's Day Race on the Rio Grande, each May.

Spectacular Events

Held from the first through the second weekends each October, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest ballooning event in the world. The Balloon Fiesta has a permanent 21-acre home with museums and other recreational amenities in Albuquerque's North I-25 corridor. Featuring more than 700 balloons with many special shapes,this extravaganza attracts balloonists and hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. Each morning crowds gather at dawn to witness the mass ascension as balloons fill the air. After dark, hundreds of tethered balloons light up the sky in the popular 'balloon glow' event.
September brings the New Mexico State Fair to Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque. The two-week event, one of the largest state fairs in the United States, appeals to young and old alike.
Horse racing fans can enjoy thoroughbred and quarterhorse racing at the Downs of Albuquerque.
Sample our state's fruit of the vine at the annual New Mexico Wine Festival, near Rio Rancho.
New Mexico-grown foods, such as apples, raspberries, pecans and our world-famous chile, are featured at many festivals, and at more then a dozen grower's markets every Saturday (except in winter) in Metro New Mexico.
Burn away your cares at Santa Fe Fiesta with the Burning of Zozobra. Each of Metro New Mexico's original Spanish settlements celebrates its own Fiesta throughout the year.

Quality of Life: Land of Enchantment

sandy — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:47:45 -0700

Land of Enchantment

New Mexico is known as the 'Land of Enchantment' for many reasons. The state boasts scenic beauty unlike anywhere else, with skies so blue they look like paintings, and spectacular geological formations, from mountain ranges to red canyons to black lava fields. A January 11, 2006 article in USA Today named Albuquerque as one of the top six destinations to watch in 2006. The article mentioned the city's tricentennial, the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and the availability of low-cost air fares.

Scenic Beauty

New Mexico, the nature lover's dream, features:

13 national monuments and parks
20 million acres of state and national forests
wildlife refuges
wilderness areas
over 30 state parks, lakes and many other recreation areas just a short drive away from the Metro area, many within city limits.

Residents and tourists can:

Ride the world's longest Tram to the top of Sandia Peak and enjoy majestic views hundreds of miles in all directions. Ski, hike, or mountain bike at the top.
Stroll along miles of the Rio Grande bosque (river woodlands) beneath the cottonwoods in a state park that winds through miles of the Metro area, with an educational stop at the Rio Grande Nature Center.
Hike the many trails of four different mountain ranges.
Swim, waterski, boat and fish in over 20 scenic lakes and reservoirs across the state.
Witness the graceful flight of thousands of migratory snow geese, ducks and sandhill cranes at the peaceful Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. At its annual Festival of the Cranes, bird watchers celebrate the return of the endangered whooping crane.
Wonder at the 15,000 ancient rock carvings at Petroglyph National Monument near Rio Rancho.
Take a trip to the past with a visit to the ancestral Pueblo dwellings at Bandelier National Monument near Santa Fe.
Explore plants and animals from around the world at the Albuquerque Biological Park. Located minutes from downtown Albuquerque, this oasis in the city includes a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden.
Marvel at spectacular New Mexico sunsets with their brilliant colors.

Quality of Life: Median Price Comparison

sandy — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 21:17:37 -0700

Median Price Comparison

The median price of a single family house in Metro New Mexico compares favorably to other locations. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal's Guide to Property notes that companies facing high housing prices in the Western U.S. are 'seeking more affordable markets to attract employees.' The median home price in Metro New Mexico, which is well below the western states' median, $328,500, makes Metro New Mexico housing affordable.

2005 Median Home Market Values
San Antonio	$134,000
Dallas	$149,100
Austin/San Marcos	$166,800
Albuquerque MSA	$174,100
National Average	$218,000
Tucson	$228,500
Phoenix	$268,300
Las Vegas	$300,100
Reno	$320,000
Western U.S. Average	$328,500
Seattle	$359,700
Santa Fe MSA	$360,000
Sacramento	$377,400
San Diego	$607,400
San Francisco	$820,482
Santa Barbara	$1,190,000

Data provided primarily by individual members of the Alliance and the Wall Street Journal Guide to Property.