Need Info on Living In El Paso

I've been offered a position there in El Paso and we are family of four. We are non hispanic with two school age children. Do many of us gringo types come to El Paso and how do they fare?? By the way, we are coming from the Fresno area which in some respects is like El Paso but certainly not the same.

There are actually quite a few of us "gringo types" here, myself included. It's a great city and a nice place to raise children. Yes, there are a lot of hispanic people here, which means that speaking spanish is a definite plus...but not a necessity by any means. There are a lot of great schools and neighborhoods and it's a pretty tight knit community. I'd say aim for the Westside of El Paso if you're planning to make the move. Good luck!

El Paso County is a wonderful place. I relocated here 18 years ago - now it is home. The people are friendly and the weather is nice. For more information go to http://www.elpasohome.info

I have to agree. Im italian american & I feel right at home. Ive been here for 7 yrs. The pace of life is slower here which is a plus. I live in & prefer the west side of town however the entire city is v nice. Plenty of opportunities for new business, plenty!!! Weather is great w low humidity all yr round. Easy access to the beautiful mountains of New Mexico. El Paso is a pretty city with mountain range comming right down the center. Some drawbacks for me personally is that I like the ocean so traveling out of El Paso is a must, also traveling to certain destinations non stop is not possible. Alot of good mexican & steak restaurants but not many good italian, chinese or other ethnic restaurants(my taste of course).
Some good schools are here but you are limited & may want to find the best school districts before you move. all in all..you cant beat it! good luck!

Anybody else out there with information???

hello!!! i live in france i'm 21 years old and i would like to move in el paso, i have heard of there and it seems a very nice city i would like to live there later but my english is not pretty good, so what do you advise me to do?

My husband is in the military and we are relocating to El Paso. We live in East Texas now and we are unable to come and visit before we move. I have been thru El Paso a hundred times but know nothing of the residential areas. We found a nice house in Horizon City - is this a decent area to live? Any info about this area or others would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

i live in france but i would like to go live in el paso someday i have heard of that city and it seems very nice. but there is a problem, i don't speak english very well and i don't speak spanish so what do you advice me to do?

I hate this place.

New Resident wrote:

Anybody else out there with information???

it is what you make it any where is great if you know how to live it

sam wrote:

hello!!! i live in france i'm 21 years old and i would like to move in el paso, i have heard of there and it seems a very nice city i would like to live there later but my english is not pretty good, so what do you advise me to do?

come visit and see for yourself and youll know what to do god bless

I've lived in El Paso for most of my life. As you have heard, the West Side is probably your best bet to live. However, the East is expanding (specially in Horizon City) which is not really a city by the way. The downside to living in Horizon City is that most likely, your taxes will be higher than if you live in "El Paso." Also, if you need to visit the major stores, like Walmart, any of the three malls (Cielo Vista, Bassett, or Sunland Park) you have to drive quite a bit.

As far as restaurants go, El Paso has tons of them.

But, here is what I love about El Paso... It's freeway system. Even when you are stuck in heavy traffic, El Paso is way better than most cities. The city is well zoned (except for downtown) and you can find places fairly well. There are plenty of exits on the free-way, unlike some cities that you have to drive 20 miles down the road if you miss your exit. What is even better is that we have frontage roads, which are called "gateways." This roads run parallel to the free-way this roads make it easy for us to access businesses.

Also, did you know that El Paso is one of the safest cities in the USA? Last time I heard, we were the third safest city.

i am the muffin mna

My husband is being relocated to the El Paso area by his company. we are looking to rent a home big enough for 5. 3 adults and 2 school age children. At least a 4 bedroom that is reasonable priced if that is possible under $800.00..... any suggestions?

Our Military family moved here a year ago from the Northeast and we're still adjusting.(what?? no beaches?? haha) Stock up on sunscreen and chapstick :)
The only thing I don't like about it (here) is the heat - too excessive. I like warm (80's) not H-O-T. Oh, and I just can't get into the Christmas spirit without a blanket of snow.

New Resident wrote:

I've been offered a position there in El Paso and we are family of four. We are non hispanic with two school age children. Do many of us gringo types come to El Paso and how do they fare?? By the way, we are coming from the Fresno area which in some respects is like El Paso but certainly not the same.

I have been in El Paso one year and have a very nice life here. I am a teacher who resigned from a position and took one here at the state jail. A gringo myself with not Spanish, was first amazed at how much Spanish is used at stores, restaurants, parking lots of stores when I was lost. But that is not an obstacle, because there are so many bilinguals and English speakers. You have nothing to fear.
Many rock yards and children usually play in backyards that have grass and fine neighborhood recreation centers. I know nothing about the schools.
East and west El Paso are almost cut off by one another by the
Franklin Mts. They both have advantages, but let nothing take presidence over proximity to your jobsite. Which ever you choose, all of the stores and shopping you need will be close. I would not choose central El Paso - no zoning and it is a mess.
East El Paso is very nice in the Vista Hills area where I live. But the subdivisions realaters will try to get you in (between Zaragosa/Loop area) are horrible. The homes are brand new, but very close together and the traffic is terrible. Any home you buy out there, even if it is in the middle of nothing, will soon have thousands of close neighbors.
AND BE SURE YOU EXPERIENCE THE TWO TYPES OF AIR CONDITIONERS. IF THE UNIT IS ON TOP OF THE HOUSE - IT IS A WATERCOOLER. It may or may not be adequate for your home. I notice immediately when I go into an independent restaurant or business (using water coolers) that is noticibly warm.
El Paso is clean - zoning is wonderful for neighborhoods, bill boards are at a minimum.
If it were me, I would bring only enough to "camp out" in an apartment explore before purchasing a home.

Kel wrote:

There are actually quite a few of us "gringo types" here, myself included. It's a great city and a nice place to raise children. Yes, there are a lot of hispanic people here, which means that speaking spanish is a definite plus...but not a necessity by any means. There are a lot of great schools and neighborhoods and it's a pretty tight knit community. I'd say aim for the Westside of El Paso if you're planning to make the move. Good luck!

This gringo has made a very nice life on the east side of El Paso in the Vista Hills area. Anything east of Zaragosa or the loop is roof to roof housing and bumper to bumper commuting. However, let nothing take presidence of proximity to your work site.
Believe it or not, this old outlaw haven has a cultural life that is most fulfilling. I am English only and have done fine.This is a clean town, very restricted on bill boards and a great place live.

Soon To Be Resident wrote:

My husband is being relocated to the El Paso area by his company. we are looking to rent a home big enough for 5. 3 adults and 2 school age children. At least a 4 bedroom that is reasonable priced if that is possible under $800.00..... any suggestions?

Make proximity to the workplace your #1 priority. If the job is on the east side,the house for which you are looking is in the Vista Hills area. DO NOT go for any ideas to locate east of Zaragoza or the loop. It is roof to roof and bumper to bumper. I know little about the west side except that your main thoroughfares (Mesa and I 10)are always crowded.

http://www.residentapproved.com/search/search...
http://elpaso.oodle.com/housing/rent/

El Paso is a large county - huge to me :-)
I liked the West end of El Paso the best but recently moved closer to Ft Bliss. We knew a few military families that lived in Horizon City and liked it, but it is growing rapidly and was also quite a commute to the base. We were assisted by a local realtor when finding a rental so we could learn about the areas better, especially when considering the schools. Good luck.