Los Alamos, NM

Los Alamos is the sole contender in New Mexico. In some ways it would be perfect. It's the 4.5 hr halfway point between my parents in Las Cruces, NM, and my sister, in Gunnison, CO, plus it's an easy flight from nearby Albuquerque to Seattle. Home to the Los Alamos National Labs, and site of the Manhattan Project, I had grand visions of fitting in with a group of smart, international scientists while living in a house with a vista that Georgia O'Keefe might have painted.

To test out one of the main benefits of Los Alamos, we spent two nights their on our way up from Las Cruces to Gunnison. Based on recommendations from a friend, we started our day off with bagels from Ruby K's, then moved next-door to work from the Starbucks for a few hours. When it was time for a break, we stopped in the visitor's center, walked around the historical parks, visited the art center, and had lunch at Viola's before moving over to the library to finish out the work day. 

While Cameron worked, I drove around the three mesas that make up the main Los Alamos neighborhoods, assessed the hiking options, decided on my dream house, and scoped out the grocery options. My day finished up with a beer from Boese Bros Brewpub. 

The Good

• Friendly, but not aggressively so.
• Stunning northern New Mexican beauty. The drive between Los Alamos and Santa Fe is particularly lovely.
• Lots of hiking trails between the mesas.
• Lots of parks and history/cultural highlights.
• Diverse population. It may have been the most engaging Starbucks I've ever been into: there were university students working on a project, young workers who seemed like they could be my future friends, retirees taking their grandkids out for a stroll...
• Proximity to my family.
• Surrounded by lots of outdoor activity options (hiking, fishing, national monuments).

The Bad

• The downtown isn't cute; I wouldn't want to spend an afternoon walking around there.
• The climate is too dry and deserty for Cameron.
• There are virtually no homes for sale (per the woman a the visitor's center and review of Redfin and Zillow). The one home that was for sale happened to be perfect...if we were willing to pay $750k for it.
• There is no shopping (not even grocery shopping) except for downtown, so living in one of the non-downtown neighborhoods means getting in the car.
• Could feel isolating, since it's a 20 minute drive anywhere if you want to leave town.

The Verdict

Probably not. Although I think we would be perfectly happy in Los Alamos, it's not my dream town. It probably has the community I am looking for, but the actual layout of the town doesn't match my ideal lifestyle.

Our first stint working from a Starbucks.

The visitors center was really helpful, and they had some good maps of the town and surrounding areas available.

When walking around, I came across multiple educational and historical sites.

I meandered into the Los Alamos History Museum (free) and saw a real Nobel Prize.

Just about anywhere you live, you get great high desert views.

Hiking along a mesa. This trailhead was less than a block away from my dream house.