During our summmer of 2023 - actually June 25 through October 15 - we scouted places to live in Santa Fe, focusing on "retirement communities". We found a great facility in a great location with easy walkable access to most services and to public transportation. Having learned our lesson during the earlier test of living in such communities, location was the major criterion. And, even better, we found the perfect apartment, one of only two in the community like it.
The only downside of our decision was that we had to wait for some building repairs and the renovation of the recently vacated apartment. That wait was extended several times, but we finally made the move at the end of April, so we had to spend only two weeks of hurricane season in our New Orleans home.The move went as smoothly as moves can go. We have moved so many times and down-sized so often, the process is pretty routine for us. And this move, of course, like the last four, will be our last.
Fortunately the delay gave us time to plan the layout of the new apartment. We ended up with work space for us both. Ellen now has a nice office area and an even nicer work space with a large window for her stitching, both off the living/dining area. Gene got the second bedroom for print-making and ship model building. We both had our work spaces set up and operating within days of arrival. There's more on Ellen's needleart here. Info on Gene's current ship modeling project here and printmaking since the move here. On the printmaking page there is a link to a gallery of prints made since the move in April.
We will post some pictures before long. Although Santa Fe has grown considerably in the nine years we have been away, most of the growth and change has been at the periphery, and the older parts of town are much the same, although the "upscaling" reflective of the influx of outside money is apparent. And Santa Fe, like New Orleans, grapples with the mixed blessings of the short term rental explosion.