Las Cruces, NM

[naimawoods4]

Has anyone visited/lived in Las Cruces? Any NMSU-ers out there?

[Soleil ت]

Hello! I've lived in Cruces for 8 years, and I graduated from both high school and NMSU with a BA there. I will gladly offer some information on the lovely Las Cruces, New Mexico. First and foremost, I like to refer to Cruces weather as "extremely hot and extremely cold with sprinkles of 'wtf was that?'" The summers you can expect to reach triple digits most of June and July, although July is our rainy season so the thunderstorms are a blessing. The weather stays nice and warm until mid-late October, where it stays nice and cool for a month before the temperatures drop to ~20-30 day time and teens or below at night. January is probably the coldest month, and you can expect nighttime temperatures of below zero and also some light snowfall and hazardous ice conditions. Please do be careful when driving during snow because, as we are a dry, arid climate, nobody prepares for or knows how to drive in icy conditions. April is windy season, where you will probably experience your first sandstorm. The demographics here are pretty even -- about 50% white and 50% hispanic. As we are about 40 minutes from the Mexican border, the environment is heavily hispanic (which means the best Mexican food and green chile of your life!). Still, most people still speak English. Las Cruces is kind of "college-towny" but there are also many professionals who are employed at White Sands missile range or NASA, and there are many families. The city is fairly low-income, which makes finding affordable housing rather easy. There are a lot of apartments within walking distance to NMSU and, if you choose to live farther away like I did, the university is still easily accessible because Las Cruces is directly on I-25, meaning you can just take the interstate and hit University Ave. on exit 6 The campus itself is pretty big and I always thought it was pretty, but I can see why many people might say it's plain. You have a beautiful view of the Organ Mountains from anywhere in Cruces, so that's always a plus. Nightlife in Cruces is amateur; many people go to El Paso (I-25; merge onto I-10 into El Paso; approx. 35 minutes) for the scene on the weekends. There is a bus system on campus that is free for all students. As far as parking, you can park in the free parking lot and a bus comes to take you to central NMSU every 15 minutes. I did this all four years and never paid a dime for parking passes! There are plenty of services for students on campus. Feel free to ask about anything else. I am happy to respond! (Sorry in advance for any typos. Im on my ipad).

[Tronathan]

Occasionally when there is a cold front the temperature will be in the 15-30 degree range. Anything lower than that is usually a record. I think it is normally in the high 50's mid day for most of the winter. There is a huge difference between high and low temperatures compared to somewhere more humid. 55 in the afternoon and 30 early in the morning is common. The frequent strong winds make 30 feel like 10 degrees. Unless you are from somewhere like Los Angeles or New Orleans you will probably think that the winter is very warm.

[french_historynerd]

Bump! I just found out I was accepted to NMSU for Fall 2017 History Program. I am seriously considering the offer. Although I visited back in December, I was wondering where the best apartments/houses to live are? BF and I are looking for a 2 bed place with room for our dog & cat! Thanks  

[ra42890]

On 1/25/2017 at 0:18 PM, french_historynerd said:

Bump! I just found out I was accepted to NMSU for Fall 2017 History Program. I am seriously considering the offer. Although I visited back in December, I was wondering where the best apartments/houses to live are? BF and I are looking for a 2 bed place with room for our dog & cat! Thanks  

Late response here! I grew up in NM and I did my undergrad at NMSU. Honestly, just look at the Craigslist for Las Cruces. Rent is very cheap in Las Cruces. Check out "The Pavilions." It's a really nice apartment complex that has a beach for their community swimming pool. I loved living there. Avoid staying at "The Grove" or "Casa Banderas." VERY big party complexes. You will never sleep.