It’s kind of an obvious answer but the art scene here is world-class. In particular the locals, both Spanish and Native American are available in galleries year-round and via major market events that the city holds every year in the summer/fall in the center of downtown for artists to show and sell their art. This persistent and major event art culture creates a vibe that makes Santa Fe different from any other city in the U.S.

Transplants to Santa Fe note the oddity of the social interplay there. For starters, three dominant cultures tend to stick to themselves. 
1) The Spanish culture, considers itself the original community and founders of Santa Fe.
2) The Native American culture, primarily the ancestral Pueblo, who mostly live north of the city in the Pueblos.
3) The transplanters tend to hang out together and act much as expats do in foreign countries. 



LookyLOO Review of Santa Fe

In addition to the art culture which offers tons of galleries and museums, Santa Fe also has a growing brewery and music scene. Not exactly Nashville but decent for a city its size. The weather is excellent, with four seasons and none of them too harsh, which means outdoor activities can be enjoyed close to year-round. Santa Fe is at more than 7,000 feet and right in the southern Rocky Mountains so hiking is at your doorstep and is as good as anywhere in the country. The city experiences 320+ days of sunshine a year so in addition to hiking there are hundreds of bike trails, also river rafting, golfing, and when winter comes, plenty of snow and amazing skiing.

Check out the Santa Fe [calendar of events](https://www.santafe.org/visiting-santa-fe/calendar/) to see what goes on here.

We highly recommend visiting Santa Fe and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for living among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


Lifestyle 

The job market is tough in Santa Fe. It is largely an art and tourism-based economy with plenty of people making money off of the services provided to visitors but not much local business beyond. It gets a lot of newcomers from empty nesters and retirees who don’t need to visit an office and growth during the pandemic indicates this trend will continue. 


Worklife 

If you’re an artist, working from home, or retiring then Santa Fe can work for you. It is truly a beautiful place and while it can feel slow to outsiders from bigger cities if you’re ready for a casual pace, great outdoor experiences, and a culture of living in the moment you’ll enjoy it here.


Artist Community

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**tigggolbitties**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

For being an isolated small town I think Santa Fe does a really good job at sit down restaurant and fancier. I think the fast casual food scene is lacking.

Breweries while a bit limited in options I think do a good job. I don’t think there’s really many casual bar options, tumbleroot distillery is all I can think of but vibes are pretty hit and miss there.

Cafes are plenty and great. You have Ohoris, Better Days, Iconik among others.

I’m not super artsy but from the outside it seems like it’s abundant? Atleast when I walk down canyon rd or the plaza I’m dumbfounded by the prices.

Outdoor activities is where Santa Fe and the area really shines, plenty of hikes, mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, off roading, rock climbing etc

For more reviews of what living in Santa Fe is like from locals, check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/santa-fe/reviews).

Reviews of Santa Fe from Locals

Downtown (or as near to downtown as you can get) is where you should start your search in Santa Fe if you’re a new young professional or couple looking to be in the midst of some action. This is where the bars, restaurants and culture is in Santa Fe. If you want to walk out at night to enjoy your social life this is where you’ll want to live. 

Also check out Casa Solano if you want just a bit of distance from the heart of downtown. You can still walk to the center of downtown but it also has a great dog park, and tons of great open space and trails for hiking. You get a strong feeling of having one foot in town and one foot out which for many is just the right mix. 
- Downtown


Young Professionals/DINKs/SINKs

Downtown

The Northeast/Historic Eastside of Santa Fe is much beloved by families. You’re not far from downtown but you also get quieter streets and more bucolic settings. The homes are often classic adobes mixed with newer celebrated modern architecture. The area has two newer premier housing developments: the Summit and Sierra del Norte, and the beautiful Hyde Park Estates, which has wonderful older homes and incredible views. 

More interesting is how much you’re surrounded in Northeast by the history of Santa Fe. This includes the Palace of the Governors, which is the longest continuously occupied public building in the United States (built in 1610 as a fort). 
- Historic Eastside
- Northeast

Families

Historic Eastside

Santa Fe

**TheoreticallyDead**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Lived here for 6 years now. I love it. I've made some great friends, seen a lot of beautiful sunsets, and learned a lot about the history of this place and its people.

Not only is Santa Fe a beautiful place itself, it's a great jumping off point to explore the rest of Northern New Mexico.

In terms of life here... it's quiet. There's not much nightlife. You need to be at least a little outgoing to meet people and develop relationships. It helps if you're already connected to a social group through your workplace.

We do have interesting concerts and film events that provide opportunities to meet kind and open minded people, but during the winter months the city kind of shuts down socially.

The history and politics of NM are complicated. It helps to know a little bit about those things if you're going to move here. But the more you know, the more you can see how that history is still being played out, for better or worse.

**addrien**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I moved here about 8 years ago. Personally I love it. It's a small town with small town vibes, and a tightly knit community. But at the same time you have access to things that normally only exist in big cities. The bar scene is good enough, and I have formed myself a very good group of friends by just hanging out in bars, like the ride or die type of friends. People tell me my experience is unique though and most find it hard to make friends.

**tigggolbitties**
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉

For being an isolated small town I think Santa Fe does a really good job at sit down restaurant and fancier. I think the fast casual food scene is lacking.

Breweries while a bit limited in options I think do a good job. I don’t think there’s really many casual bar options, tumbleroot distillery is all I can think of but vibes are pretty hit and miss there.

Cafes are plenty and great. You have Ohoris, Better Days, Iconik among others.

I’m not super artsy but from the outside it seems like it’s abundant? Atleast when I walk down canyon rd or the plaza I’m dumbfounded by the prices.

Outdoor activities is where Santa Fe and the area really shines, plenty of hikes, mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, off roading, rock climbing etc

**DueRelationship1800**
7mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Nm is pretty fabulous in regards to scenery, food, culture, and art. Both taos and Santa fe have skiing, hiking, natural hot-springs (like ojo calliente nearby), a multitude of unique native reservations between the two, countless miles of natural habitats, hidden lakes, mountainous trailheads, and nature preserves. Santa fe is full of old, rich white people and everything closes super early, but it has the OG Meow Wolf installation as well as a cool techno scene. Taos is awesome and one of my favorite local spots to visit with incredible hiking, a very old nostalgic feel, and a younger crowd than santa fe. There are earthships on the west side and several mountain destinations on the east including red river which is breathtaking. 

NM has a lot of poverty with little access to healthcare including mental health, which has had a lot of negative implications for the people here. There is supposedly a lot of crime but having lives in nm for almost 40 years ive only ever had a few bikes stolen and have only seen anecdotal stories about it. Homeless are an issue here, just like everywhere else, with city and state government ignoring any viable solutions to address it. We have almost free undergrad education, an increasing number of massive solar farms, and a lot of rare animals just outside of most cities. But wildfires and drought are a constant reminder of how fragile our ecosystem are and have been for a millennia in this highland mountain desert.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

The City Different

Looklyloo Score: 93