You'll be really really bored in LA, though. Can date nice scientist boys though

Los Alamos schools are awesome because of the scientists, and ABQ has the military contingent. I would do it.

They do have a Trader Joe's!

Anonymous wrote:OP here- Thanks so much for all the input! I have visited Santa Fe a few times and agree it is beautiful and cool and artsy and cultural and all that. I just worry about not being able to afford a lot of outside help and being 2000 miles from family. But it's a great job for me so maybe if I think of it as a 3-5 year stepping stone... I am going out for the interview next week so I'll get a better feel then.

FYI, I am not counting on support from my ex because he is marginally employed and has a history of quitting and losing jobs with varying periods of unemployment in between. I wouldn't sign a lease requiring his support to pay the rent because it might disappear at any moment. You can't get blood from a stone.

I'm the one who asked. That sucks OP. I'd just keep filing on his ass and letting the courts chase him to garnish. I was amazed at how one (false) filing by my husband's crazy ex resulted in such a domino effect of hurdles for him to jump through to prove he was and did pay. I know, it's a pain and a hassle. Sucks for your little one(s.)

Good luck with whatever you decide about NM.

Northern New Mexico is heaven. It's also very poor. Like Alabama or Mississippi poor. In contrast, Santa Fe has a lot of rich transplants with their own scene. There's also a more normal local scene. Agree that schools are better is Los Alamos (the LA of NM!) but I wouldn't want to do that drive. Good luck!

Los Alamos has better schools and you can commute in to Santa Fe. Many people do private in SF.

Great town for meeting wealthier, older, widowed retirees. If you play your cards right, you could find yourself and your children living very well in a few years. In that sense, your future prospects are healthier there.

OP here- Thanks so much for all the input! I have visited Santa Fe a few times and agree it is beautiful and cool and artsy and cultural and all that. I just worry about not being able to afford a lot of outside help and being 2000 miles from family. But it's a great job for me so maybe if I think of it as a 3-5 year stepping stone... I am going out for the interview next week so I'll get a better feel then.

FYI, I am not counting on support from my ex because he is marginally employed and has a history of quitting and losing jobs with varying periods of unemployment in between. I wouldn't sign a lease requiring his support to pay the rent because it might disappear at any moment. You can't get blood from a stone.

I've only been there once so I can't comment on any of your questions, but I can tell you this. When it's dark out, look up at the sky. You'll be amazed at how beautiful it is, the sky is pitch black and the stars are so bright, it's like nothing you can see here on the east coast.

Side note: I don't understand how people don't get money from their exes. I mean, I understand it, but my husband ended up paying more than he owed and his ex still reported him for not paying (he paid a medical expense directly for the kids that she was supposed to pay and then deducted it from her alimony, not child support) and she went to court in another state, reported him and DC freaking suspended his license and threatened to put a lien on our house. THREE TIMES, even though he had an order stating the truth, etc. How come you can't have an order he pays through the court? We now have full custody and that witch has to pay through the court because the judge didn't believe she would pay and after her shenanigans he said if he saw her again she'd be put in jail.

If you can live outside the wealthy Santa Fe area $47000 is not bad in NM - it is such a poor state. There is a commuter train that runs between somewhere east of Albuquerque, through Albuquerque, to Santa Fe. Possibly you could live elsewhere and work in SF. The schools would be better in SF.

It is a lovely area - great place to work if you can find the right niche.

It's expensive, but I don't think it's worse than here. And it is SO cool. Such a neat experience for the kids -- the skiing, the Navajo reservation nearby (that's a cultural education worth having right there). We lived there a couple of years, and go back to visit regularly. I think it's fantastic, but knowledge of the schools is totally outdated. I wouldn't expect they're great, but would think there would be a good one or two in the area where professionals live. We lived in Hondo Hills and went to El Dorado Elementary, but like I said, outdated.

The regular family cost of living is not so high if you economize, but you should take a careful look at housing costs. I don't know about rentals but there are some reasonable prices if you buy outside the tourist/upscale neighborhoods.

Lived in ABQ for 4 years and visited Santa Fe often. Lovely town but not cheap. Overall the State is a poor one. I remember most all the drunk driving and terrible accidents. It is a beautiful place to live- very scenic. I really think you should check it out and see for yourself. Any way you can visit before you decide? Good luck!

Very expensive town to live. A lot of art galleries and fancy jewelry stores. If you love out door sports, it will be great.

I am going out for a 2nd interview in Santa Fe, NM. The job is great for my low-paying field- I will make $47K. I am getting divorced and will be a single full-time working parent and am not counting on receiving child support from my ex. Plus my family is all on the east coast. I know Santa Fe is a pricey resort-type town for artsy folk, but is there any hope of making it there on this income with 2 kids? Any advice on good public schools? I have to do the interview because jobs in my field are so hard to come by and it's this or move in with my folks, but I'm really not seeing how this can work at the moment. Thanks for any insight!