Lamy Gay Pride Train

It is amazing the way Santa Fe embraces Gay Pride week. In addition to the pride parades, happy hours and networking events is the Lamy Gay Pride train and as usual this year’s was a huge success. We had a blast and wish you could have been there. We know you would have really enjoyed it. All the gay boys and girls were there for the fun. Each train car had its own bar for drinks. Once in Lamy, we departed the train for a BBQ, bonfire, and live music. Afterward we boarded the train for the return trip to Santa Fe where they converted one of the cars into a dance floor playing songs like “I Will Survive” and we danced and swayed with the train! Hopefully we will see you there next year. For more information on living the Gay Life In Santa Fe email us at BanhamRoss@PruSantaFe.com

 

Hiking in the Santa Fe Mountains

Santa Fe is rich in outdoor activities and one of the most fun event some of the gay guys like to participate is hiking. We have a group that goes weekly up into the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. The city is located in the foothills of the mountains. From town to the top is 18 miles and is loaded with hiking trails with views to inspire. Just another way the friends enjoy living the gay life in Santa Fe.

Gays Are Retiring And Buying Second Homes

Gay Retirement Santa Fe

gay_couple_romancingWith the silhouette of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains creating a majestic backdrop, the curtain rises on another day from heaven. Sapphire skies are lit by the sun, framing a scene of pure magic. As I walk out my front door I let the spirit of this great land wash over me. My partner and I moved to Santa Fe on New Year’s Eve 2003 and didn’t know a soul. We traded a metropolitan area of over 6 million people for this small little town of just over 60 thousand people. So of course we thought we would be set for a quiet little retirement in the high dessert. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

What we came to discover was a large gay population resides in Santa Fe and seems to be exploding. A University of California-Los Angeles study shows the number of same-sex couples in New Mexico has increased about 35% between 2000 and 2005 and Santa Fe County has the highest percent. We quickly discovered that the city specifically caters to gay and lesbian travelers, both couples and singles, with a wide spectrum of activities and destinations.

As a Santa Fe gay Realtor and as a gay couple, what we were pleased to discover was that Santa Fe is home to many gay-popular and gay-owned shops and restaurants located throughout town. Each June for the last several decades, the Plaza, the heart of Santa Fe, plays host to Pride on the Plaza, the Santa Fe Gay Pride Celebration. Every fall, Closet Cinema hosts the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Santa Fe.  The city of Santa Fe itself is a leader in gay rights, offering domestic partnership benefits to its employees.

So, as a gay Santa Fe Realtor it is no wonder that in the last 12 months we have seen an explosion of gay couples interested in Santa Fe gay real estate and relocating to the area. ladder-imageIn addition we have assisted many couples in the past year purchase 2nd homes in Santa Fe with the intent to retire in the next five to ten years. They have come from coast to coast including California, Chicago, Texas, Pennsylvania and D.C. and aged 40+. We asked them why now? They all agreed that they wanted to take advantage of the low prices and interest rates. As these couples acclimate to the area we have been happy to introduce them to the gay scene, friends and culture that we have all come to love.

But the most surprising aspect to us has been that after making the decision to purchase Santa Fe gay real estate here they all felt so welcomed and have discovered the magic of Santa Fe that they are trying to figure out how they can retire here in one to three years!

For more information on  Santa Fe’s  Premier Gay Realtors or Santa Fe gay real estate Email: BanhamRoss@PruSantaFe.com

Music on the hill

In Santa Fe, on the favorite summer events is the Music on the Hill festival. The 6 week series features Latin, Jazz and Folk music by different artist. It is a great place for networking with friends and to enjoy the lifestyle. Everyone brings a picnic and wine to enjoy the mountains, sunsets, music and views!

Gay Travel in Santa Fe

Our streets are narrow, our minds are not.

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It doesn’t take long to feel at home in the City Different. For centuries, Santa Fe has opened its arms to travelers with diverse interests and different backgrounds. All in search of discovery wonder and adventure.

To visit Santa Fe is to step into an enchanting world where natural and man-made beauty converge in a symphony of visual and sensual stimulation unique to New Mexico. The city specifically caters to gay and lesbian travelers, both couples and singles, with a wide spectrum of activities and destinations.

In the early 20th century, Santa Fe began growing as an artist’s haven, welcoming a diverse group of writers, painters, socialites, and photographers eager for new subject matter and a different life. That same open-armed spirit remains today and Santa Fe trails only San Francisco among U.S. metro areas in percentage of households headed by same-sex partners.

The city is home to Rainbow Vision, the first retirement community of its kind in the country for straight and GLBTQ residents and a model for future properties. Opened in 2005, Rainbow Vision has taken an active role in city events while attracting tenants and the public alike to its popular Silver Starlight Cabaret.

A destination for gay and lesbian couples and singles, Santa Fe is home to many gay-popular and gay-owned shops, restaurants, and bars located throughout town.  The Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance keeps a busy schedule of GLBTQ events year ’round.

From Anasazi ruins to a Japanese mountain spa, world renowned restaurants and legendary hotels and resorts, Santa Fe is sure to delight anyone. Catering to the finest of tastes, Santa Fe is also home to some of the most exquisite museums, galleries and performing arts venues in America. Shopping is incomparable and the fresh mountain air will soothe any soul.