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Places are a big part of how we define ourselves; our hometown, our homes, our favorite places to visit… So call yourself fortunate if you can claim any of this list of three for Santa Fe.
Many were born and raised here, but no longer call Santa Fe home. Maybe they graduated high school and couldn’t wait to try their luck somewhere else. We do hear that younger folks think Santa Fe does not have much to offer them. Now they might only visit family and friends here, living somewhere else. Being “from” Santa Fe gives them visitation rights and an open invite to come home.
Some have relocated to Santa Fe from distant lands or neighboring states. They now call this special place their home. These people may have just “gotten off the bus” or they may have been living here for 45 years and counting. They now call Santa Fe home and are living in the city or the county and shop here and possibly earn a living here. If they are lucky they may be “retired”. Hopefully they will remain, feel connected and make a positive contribution to our special city. Maybe they will also register to vote in local and national elections.
The length of time for a resident to be eligible to vote is much less than the length of time some old timers require that you live here before you can call yourself local, or a native. As it should be…?
And then we have the million plus souls that think of Santa Fe as a great place to visit. Possibly they will arrive here this summer for the first time, driving a motor home toward the Plaza or in a stuffed-full SUV, searching for a quick bite and a place to sleep. We will hopefully show them the advantages of shopping locally and keeping Santa Fe beautiful, give them a map to find the museums and send them home sated and dreamy. Maybe they will buy a home here someday. Do you know any Realtors?
Did I mention we have homes and condos and townhomes and residential lots for sale here?
A portion of those million plus are regular and frequent visitors with a favorite hotel, or bed & breakfast they like to return to. Some are in their third or fourth decade of annual visits, chosen over other tourist magnets because we are friendly and welcome them like family when they arrive each year. They never fail to get their green chile fix at their favorite place and return home with a new artifact they can proudly display a thousand miles from here. Keep on spending, we say!
We sometimes forget what a beautiful place we have here. Make a list of the top five things you love most about Santa Fe. Does your list include the weather? What about the diverse and multi-cultural people? Some have artists and galleries on their list. Others always mention the outdoors, the magical light and the variety of recreational activities. I typically list the people and the places first. We have many special places here.
Post a comment and share some of your list. I will gladly compile and repost.
