Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City, New Mexico, has been rated
- one of top twelve historical destinations in
the US.
- one of the top 50 towns to retire in North
America.
- one of the 100 best art towns in North
America.
Here are some of my favorite places and people.
Nobody
pays me for a listing. If you call any of these folks, please say, "I
saw your listing on the website of Cathy Goodwin, the Moving Lady."
Read my article, Starting Over in Southwest
New Mexico, published in our monthly magazine, Desert Exposure
The Silver Web is Silver City's unofficial city
home
page. You'll find nearly all the information you need for an informed
decision about moving here. And you'll also find information about
local recreation areas, parks and more.
To stay current on the Silver City arts scene,
subscribe
to this mailing list.
FAQs (my personal,
biased
opinion)
Note: When I
first put up
this page, I would get a couple of emails a year: "What's Silver City
really like?" Now I get 2 or 3 queries each week and
I have to cut back to focus on my business and writing. And I no longer
live in Silver City -- but I have fond memories of my (approximately) 4
years there.
If you'd like to
consult me about moving to Silver City (or anywhere else):
Please download my moving book or sign up for coaching if you'd like to learn more. I also
offer a low-cost express email option to ask ONE question. Visit my articles
for online help.
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New!
9
Questions You Absolutely, Positively Must Ask Yourself
Before
Moving to a Small Town by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
Getting ready to retire? Seeking a
simpler life
away
from the rat race?
Small towns offer rich opportunities but
they're not
for everyone.
These 9 questions
help you decide if a small town move makes sense for you -- with lots
of examples from my own four years in Silver City, New Mexico.
Here's what
I'd
tell you if you took me out for lunch to pick my brain.
Download
now and begin planning your move in minutes. Only $9.97 (a
lot less than lunch, even in Silver City).
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For free specifics on life
in Silver City (schools, etc.) I encourage you to:
(a) hang out at the Dos Baristas coffee shop and/or the Twisted Vine wine
bar. Local
residents will share their opinions freely.
(b) call one of the Realtors recommended
below.
(c) call the Chamber of Commerce.
(505) 538-3785
Q. Is there a lot to do in Silver City?
A. Yes! We get local as well as imported entertainment and you can
listen to high-quality live music most evenings for very low cost. And
if you like the outdoors, you can wander the trails -- very accessible.
When you visit, ask about the Boston Hill open space project.
We have big weekends when you'll want to get
involved:
Jazz Festival on Memorial Day Weekend; bike race end of April; Art Walk
at the Gallery in October; Valentines Day chocolate festival and $1.98
talent show. Almost every weekend something happens.
We have an exceptionally good video/DVD rental
store,
Video Stop, a few miles from Downtown. One bookshop carries current
titles. There are a few small used bookstores.
Nearest Barnes & Noble: Las Cruces (about 2.5 hours).
Nearest Borders: El Paso or Tucson (about 3-4 hours).
Q. Housing options?
A. Talk to one of the Realtors
below. Increasingly homes are being sold FSBO ("For Sale by Owner") but
nearly everyone works with a Realtor. Check want ads and look on the
Internet under "Houses for sale - Silver City."
Q. Tips on buying a house?
A. Ask your Realtor to recommend a competent licensed inspector who
operates independently of the real estate agency. And I would also
insist on separate inspections from an electrician and a plumber.
Allow at least two weeks to get appointments.
Q. Jobs?
A. Bring your own business or retirement funds. Expect to find only
low-paying jobs and expect all jobs to pay well below market. Or buy a
business and build.
Jim Kolb of the Twisted Vine is a very good source of
information.
Q. Businesses for sale?
A. Talk to one of the Realtors
below.
Q. Schools?
A. I have no children so I have no idea. Besides the public schools,
check out the Down to Earth School. Talk to one of the Realtors below.
Q. Food?
A. So far, we have Albertson's, Wal-Mart and IGA Food Basket. We have a
wonderful Food Co-Op, an excellent source of produce, cheeses, eggs,
organic products and more. A gourmet store, The Curious Kumquat, just
opened, and it's also one of our two cookware stores. Organic and local
produce can be found at the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings from
May to October.
You'll find some good restaurants in the
downtown area, a
wonderful wine bar (which also sells wine and gourmet products) and
many opportunities to drink good coffee.
Restaurant Recommendations from DMOZ
for Silver City and surrounding areas.
Q. Nearest big cities?
A. Alburquerque is supposed to be four hours but I've never made it in
less than five. You can fly Mesa Airlines -- not cheap, but much
faster. Santa Fe is another hour beyond Albuquerque and Taos yet
another hour.
Tucson is 3 - 4 hours, depending on your
willingness to
risk a ticket, traffic and your stops along the way. Las Cruces is
just under 2 hours and El Paso is about 3 hours from Silver City. We
are about one hour from I-10, either way.
Las Cruces (2 hours away) just got a Barnes
& Noble
(small) and has the full range of chain stores, from Home Depot to Bath
& Beyond.
Resources in Silver City
Real
Estate Agent Pat Fell (she helped me buy and sell a house here --
very
dedicated, honest agent)
Real
Estate Agent Patrick Conlin (an amazing career success story -- a
reputation for hard work, honesty and client care)
Artist
Ann Simonsen.
Want a high-quality, reasonably priced vacation where you learn to
paint?
Art lessons from a pro? Ann is more of a creativity coach than an art
teacher. Ask me about my drawing lessons.
Writing
Gurus Mary and Ted Lynn
Terrific people who host a monthly writers' group. Don't miss their
how-to manual, available through their website (for which I wrote the copy!)
Mac Computer Users
Have no fear! We do have support. Pegasus, a computer store, sells
equipment and supplies. John
Crow (the Mac Doctor) makes house calls. 505-574-5321
Western
New Mexico University
I attend plays, concerts, and women's basketball games here. Use of
library is free. Interlibrary Loan, costs $25-$50 per year to town
residents. Classes cost $300-500 but only $5 if you're 65 or over. The
ceramics department is wonderful.
Public Library
Silver City does have a library. But I drive to the Deming Public
Library for recreational reading.
Art Galleries
Some (but not all) of my favorites are
Blue Dome
Eklekticas I and II
Elemental
Soho
Lois Duffy's
Artworks (on Route 90)
Buy art supplies and get pictures framed at Leyba & Ingalls.
They'll help you choose frames to complement your artwork .
Most galleries allow dogs and some offer biscuits and water.
Twisted Vine: our first
wine bar!
Jim Kolb was born to be a sommelier! Live music two to six nights a
week, no cover. Serves New Mexico wine, a range of soft drinks and
snacks. Hang out and ask the patrons about life in Silver City.
Broadway near Big Ditch, half block east of Bullard.
The A.I.R. Coffee Shop (now
under new
ownership Dos Baristas)
Hang out here and find out everything that's going on in Silver City
(even though they no longer allow dogs on the patio)
It's on the corner of Texas and Yankie Streets.
If you've just moved here, or are thinking of doing so, come by at 10
AM and/or 4 PM and get the inside scoop. Bowl of water for dogs
(usually) outside the front door.
Rejuvenation Coffee Shop
Owners came from Boston. They offer snacks, sandwiches, excellent
coffee, music (sometimes with a small cover charge) and a place to
relax. Dogs get a large bowl of water on request. Corner Broadway and
Bullard.
Brandon
Perrault
Guitar music -- from blues to jazz to Tex-Mex to country -- at local
hangouts, events and street parties. A Silver City musical institution.
Tell him Cathy Goodwin sent you.
Silver City Food Co-Op.
Reasonably priced with a surprisingly good selection for a tiny store.
Organic produce sometimes sells below supermarket prices. I buy most of
my food here.
Diamond's Gym
Clientele ranges from serious body-builders and ex-marines to parents
who work out with their children. Friendliest gym in town! Tell Bobby
(the owner) you were recommended by Cathy Goodwin.
Grant County Humane Society
Here's where I adopted Creampuff, a calico cat who's my latest family
member. And Keesha and I enjoy the 5K walks at the K-9 Kaper, held
every year late October/early November.
Lehman Auto keeps my beloved Toyota
humming.
Gila Animal Clinic keeps my cats purring
and dog
barking.