The Friendly Atmosphere of Las Cruces was Worth the Move
Believe it or not, a coffee shop forever changed the geographical fate of Robert and Sharon, two recent retirees from the metals industry.
Business had pulled each of them into an extremely mobile lifestyle. The couple lived apart much of the time and savored the chance to be together every other weekend, eventually calling twelve different houses “home” throughout the East coast, West coast, and the Midwest.
As retirement drew near, Robert and Sharon bought a home in Arizona and looked forward to a more relaxed pace there—together at last! But when they came to Las Cruces to visit their son, who has a dental practice here, both were astounded to find the friendliest people on their extensive journey!
Coffee with Friends
“We went to Starbucks for breakfast and there was a person in line who had never been to Starbucks, and they had questions about the menu. Now in Chicago the other people in line would complain about the wait, and the people behind the counter wouldn’t take the time to explain the options—but everyone was just so patient! It was incredible to us,” says Sharon.
Robert says, “We’ve met so many nice people. One day I asked my son, ‘Are there any people in Las Cruces who aren’t nice?’ He thought for a moment and said, ‘I don’t think so. I’ve never met any!’”
The couple decided to build a Picacho Mountain home and retire in Las Cruces, and they find more to love about the warm community and temperate weather with each passing day. Learn more about their retired life in Las Cruces below!
Q&A with Robert and Sharon
Q: How did you choose Picacho Mountain for your retired life in Las Cruces?
A: We wanted to build a custom home, so we looked for lots. Picacho Mountain had the best-view lots—by far—available anywhere in Las Cruces. We also liked having a country club nearby as we have been members of several clubs in our previous homes.
Q: What made you fall in love with your Picacho Mountain home?
A: We love our home because we worked with a very understanding and competent builder. He worked with us for a year to create exactly what we wanted.
Now we have an unbelievable view of both the Organ Mountains and Picacho Mountain. We enjoy our infinity edge pool and finished basement.
When we host large parties, it’s great to have our expanded outdoor entertaining areas both upstairs and down, and our three kitchens provide ample space for hosting hungry guests. We also enjoy our home theater far more than we anticipated.
Q: What are your hobbies and favorite haunts in Las Cruces?
A: We spend a lot of time in church activities, but we find time to visit the country club regularly. We’ve found so many great and unusual restaurants here, especially in nearby Old Mesilla. We enjoy Emilia’s and Peppers on the Old Mesilla Plaza, and the Pecan Grill & Brewery in Las Cruces.
Outdoor recreation is also a big part of our retired life in Las Cruces. There are so many places to walk, hike, and work out outdoors—as well as in our fitness room, off the master bedroom.
I (Robert) also have a personal plane at the Las Cruces Airport, just a few minutes away from the house. I volunteer with Angel Flight to take patients—mostly cancer patients—to receive treatments at MD Anderson in Houston. I also work with Pilots N Paws to rescue dogs from high-kill shelters and take them to be adopted out elsewhere in the country.
Q: Are you enjoying retired life in Las Cruces?
A: We love it! The weather is warm but not as hot as Phoenix, and unlike Phoenix, it cools down at night. It’s also a great base for sightseeing. We’ve just begun traveling to discover the many beautiful areas around New Mexico such as Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, White Sands, etc.
We’ve found the friendliness extends to dogs as
well! We have a 1-year old boxer puppy, and we always take her with us. Some restaurants in Phoenix would say they were pet friendly, but they seemed almost irritated if you brought your dog. Here, the wait staff will pet and talk with your dog, and even bring them out a little bowl of water!