Santa Fe or Flagstaff to live??

...and how close to mountains.

I expect Flagstaff is better for running (trails, track, running scene) and from a cost-of-living standpoint. Santa Fe has warmer weather and more to do, but a lot of it is expensive and tourist oriented. They are both scenic in a fairly similar high desert/mountain foothills way with lots of scenic areas nearby.

I've always lived within 40 minutes of Flagstaff, and lived there about six years. I love it. Its one of the best small cities in the country as far as I'm concerned. I've never been to Santa Fe, but I know a lot of people here from Santa Fe. We also have a lot of Portlanders (both Maine and Oregon) and Burlingtoners.

Flagstaff is not what I'dd call warm though. Even in the summer months, its usually very windy, and the winters can be brutal.

Devil Dog wrote:

I've always lived within 40 minutes of Flagstaff, and lived there about six years. I love it. Its one of the best small cities in the country as far as I'm concerned. I've never been to Santa Fe, but I know a lot of people here from Santa Fe. We also have a lot of Portlanders (both Maine and Oregon) and Burlingtoners.

Flagstaff is not what I'dd call warm though. Even in the summer months, its usually very windy, and the winters can be brutal.

Thanks (for both replies). I def want warm. Thinking Saint George, UT too.

Wonder wonder wrote:

Devil Dog wrote:

I've always lived within 40 minutes of Flagstaff, and lived there about six years. I love it. Its one of the best small cities in the country as far as I'm concerned. I've never been to Santa Fe, but I know a lot of people here from Santa Fe. We also have a lot of Portlanders (both Maine and Oregon) and Burlingtoners.

Flagstaff is not what I'dd call warm though. Even in the summer months, its usually very windy, and the winters can be brutal.

Thanks (for both replies). I def want warm. Thinking Saint George, UT too.

Why not Las Vegas?

kkdkkdkdkdkdkdllslsls wrote:

Santa Fe has warmer weather and more to do, but a lot of it is expensive and tourist oriented.

You are correct that a lot of Santa Fe is tourist oriented and expensive . . . for the tourists. There are art museums in SF that sell paintings to tourists for $5,000-$20,000 that wouldn't fetch more than a few hundred elsewhere, but that's what those tourists want to do.

The beauty is that it doesn't have to be expensive at all for a resident. While I was in grad school my wife and I rented a house in Santa Fe for $800/month, and ate out all the time (think delicious, ample burritos and other Southwestern lunches and dinners for $10-$15). And you can be walking, biking, or running distance from most anywhere. The town is smaller than you think; look it up.

As for running, everybody kind of does their own thing; there are running groups but not really training groups, but that's not to say there aren't fast people in the woodwork. The running culture is mountain/trail oriented, and if you have to chill and forget your PRs in the local road races, or else running on the sides of mountains at 7,000 feet elevation with some gravel mixed in will drive you nuts (there are flat areas in Santa Fe, but no one ever puts on a road race in those areas). You learn to judge by your competition, by feel, and other factors.

If you're serious enough of a competitor to live high/train low (I was not), you can drop a couple thousand feet in a little over an hour by driving down the mountain to Albuquerque, where lots of sub-elite road racers train.

I found it fun.

Second Albuquerque. Cheaper and far less attitude than Santa Fe. Incredible food. Beautiful. Short drive to go from ~ 5K feet up to 7, 8, 9 and 10K feet altitude. Not quite as "cool" as Santa Fe but far superior for the every man. Just ask Walter While or Jesse Pinkman. I lived there for two years and effing loved it.

Main difference between Flag and Santa Fe is the university. If you're in your 20s Flagstaff is where you want to be. If you're in your 30s-40s Santa Fe is the better option. Great trails in both places though Santa Fe's system is fairly new and still being built-out. Albuquerque has a university but the size of the city drowns out most of the benefit. Best to live/run in Santa Fe, then head down to ABQ on weekends to join the training groups for quality workouts at the lower elevation.

Sedona or Prescott might be up your alley.

Disclosure: Not from either place and have never been to either. I just like 'googling' potential places to live.

Great thread here. I would love to live in Santa Fe or Flagstaff. Two great choices in the West. I lived in Colo. Springs for a few years, and that was very nice. Friendly people. Flagstaff would seem to be more of a true four season environment, like the Springs, but I gather SF would be more of a mountain/high desert hybrid.

As an easterner, I note that it is dry, dry, dry in the West. Not a criticism...in fact, I probably prefer it.

All the best...

Seriously mate? wrote:

Sedona or Prescott might be up your alley.

Disclosure: Not from either place and have never been to either. I just like 'googling' potential places to live.

Sedona is even more expensive and touristy than Santa Fe, although very pretty, as is the drive there from Flagstaff. IDK about the running scene in Sedona.

Fezzig wrote:

Second Albuquerque. Cheaper and far less attitude than Santa Fe. Incredible food. Beautiful. Short drive to go from ~ 5K feet up to 7, 8, 9 and 10K feet altitude. Not quite as "cool" as Santa Fe but far superior for the every man. Just ask Walter While or Jesse Pinkman. I lived there for two years and effing loved it.

I agree you should consider Albuquerque if you're thinking SF or Flag. Albuquerque is much warmer, doesn't have any really extreme seasons one way or another. Still at altitude (~5500 ft) and you can easily get up to 6-7000. It also has better food than both above listed places, and much more to do.

Well, I finally visited Santa Fe. I'd heard good things from people (incl lots of non-runners) for living. Have to say- I would NEVER live there, but more power to those who like it.

The climate's great & the trails are ideal. But very dicey most of it. Too many rift-raft slime balls. Police catching people everywhere- for good reason- and not for traffic violations. Much of it under-developed & crap looking. A very limited geographical area of things to do. Running, climate & zero else are what I liked.

Thanks for the update, Wonderx2. Any one else have any thoughts on places to live in the Southwest?

Wonder wonder wrote:

Well, I finally visited Santa Fe. I'd heard good things from people (incl lots of non-runners) for living. Have to say- I would NEVER live there, but more power to those who like it.

The climate's great & the trails are ideal. But very dicey most of it. Too many rift-raft slime balls. Police catching people everywhere- for good reason- and not for traffic violations. Much of it under-developed & crap looking. A very limited geographical area of things to do. Running, climate & zero else are what I liked.

Santa Fe is nice but you get more running trails and better bang for you buck in Flag. Plus, Vegas is only about 3.5 hours drive away.

Wow, lots of riff-raff...interesting...and disappointing.

Thanks for the comments.