Pro's and Con's

Please don't forget to pledge.....

It's been a long week, and it's only Monday.  Worked last Monday, Oct. 28th, went to a conference on Oct. 31 (I know, right?  We left on Halloween, kinda dumb), returned from the conference today.  Work tomorrow through Friday.  As I said, it's going to be a long week.

I was thinking about how everything seems to have a good and bad side to it ~ and I began to compare the good/bad thing between San Antonio, Tx & Albuquerque, NM.  

San Antonio

Con's

1) It's too big.  It takes too long to get anywhere.  God help you if you live on the Northside and have to drive downtown to work.  I'm sure it's not as bad as other places you hear about, like L.A. or New York, but it can be awful.

2) The property taxes are high, and are raised regularly.  This is how they fund public school in S.A.  It's not an equitable system, because the kids that live in the wealthier neighborhoods have great schools....and you can guess the rest.  I think it should be distributed in a way that all can benefit.  

3) They have a lot of strip malls.  Every time I go back to visit, I notice another damn strip mall, just down the street from one that is now abandoned.  

4) The summers are too damn hot.  It's too damn humid.  You can't do anything outside (in the summer) after 11am unless you're going swimming.  I'm talking about hiking, walking, biking.  I know that lots of people do these things anyway, but in my opinion it's just too hot.  

5) It's too far away from everything else.  If you want to go to the Grand Canyon, or any other National park outside of Texas, it practically takes a full day just to get out of the state.  Other cities like Dallas and Houston are a little closer to nearby states that make it a bit easier to "get out of Dodge".  

6) They are having water problems.  Texas has been experiencing a severe drought.  The nightly news often discusses the aquifer levels, which is where the drinking water comes from.  Nearby lakes have dry docks.  They've been through restrictions that are at times severe (but necessary).

7) Traffic sucks the big one.  Even driving to the grocery store is an ordeal. Costco is a freaking nightmare on Saturday, so unless you can go during the week, or enjoy a frustrating experience, you might just want to forget the membership.

8) Did I mention its hot?  Forget 4 seasons, there's really only 2.  Summer, and January.

9) Rednecks.  Oh, yeah, they exist alright.  

10) Lone Star beer.  Ugh.

Pro's

1) It's a large city (in the metro area, 7th largest), so there's a lot to do.  There is the Riverwalk, the Alamo, Sea World, Six Flags over Texas, and tons of great shopping.  Even though it's a large city, it has a very hometown feel ~ it's very casual.

2) The cost of housing is low, comparatively speaking.  If we had purchased a house in San Antonio with the budget we had in Albuquerque, we could have purchased a really nice place.  Not that our house was bad, but we ended up in a neighborhood that was just way too large for our taste.

3) They have great restaurants.  One of my favorites there is Sea Island Shrimp House.  I miss it, and try to eat there every time I visit.

4) The winters are not very cold.  I recall a few Christmases that were warm enough for either a light jacket or no jacket at all.  

5) The unemployment rate is 6.7% (approximately ~ it's hard to find accurate records, ya know?).

6) They have great road systems.  Actually, Texas spends a lot of $$ on improvements, which of course, can be a pain if the roads you take to work are under construction.  

7) They have lots of great Universities.  Univ. of Texas, Trinity Univ., and Our Lady of the Lake (which I mention mostly because my husband obtained his Masters in Business there) to name a few.

8)  It's close to amenities that are nearby: Schlitterbahn (the worlds best water park), the Hill Country (tons of wineries and restaurants), Enchanted Rock (a fund place to hike and camp), Natural Bridge Caverns (along with a lot more caves to visit), the Texas Gulf Coast where you can fish, walk the beach, etc.  

9)  They have The Spurs, a great basketball team!  

10) The friendliness of the people ~ I missed this aspect of Texas when I lived elsewhere.

See you soon with the pro's and con's of Albuquerque!

Love, 365