Aldea . . . But Maybe Not.
One of the first areas that attracted me when looking at houses in Santa Fe was the community of Aldea, west of town, up in the hills. But.
I found this condo, a little high at $360,000, and when we visited in January the realtor took us to tour this home. It was perfect in every way -- small, efficient, newer finishes, good layout, two bedrooms and a small den.
It had most of the touches I wanted, such as an angled fireplace (though not a traditional kiva) and rounded log viga beams.
For a small condo, it had tall spaces, great windows, and a big kitchen with nice finishes. There was a detached two car garage and extra parking behind.
It had a courtyard patio that I thought was charming with some interesting plantings. Nice and shady, but small. The feeling of enclosure was pleasant, not confining.
The views in the entire area are spectacular. This condo fronted a pretty park, and had mountain views out the back that were awesome. The condo-maintained landscaping all over the neighborhood was pristine.
Aldea was developed as a cohesive community of 460 homes of different styles and varied sizes. The developer stuck closely to the "old Santa Fe" look of low adobe walls around each property. There is a center with shops and a cafe. Gorgeous walking trails crisscross the hills throughout the development.
We loved the condo, and after our day with the realtor we went back on our own to drive around the area. But there was something odd feeling about the place.
Despite its beautiful look and the incredible scenery and nicely maintained properties, it felt empty. There were no people around, no traffic, certainly no children, although it was a weekday morning. But no play equipment, no activity, no noise, all too perfect and too serene and quiet. And it felt remote from town, although the actual drive was just minutes.
Later, after more research, I read that Aldea's average age is 54. That's the average! And I read that a large new construction going up at the entrance is going to be a retirement facility.
Perhaps that explained the austere feeling we got. Aldea is not age restricted, but it's an old people's community. The condo we saw had everything we wanted, the price was good and the location was actually great. But it just didn't feel right to us, so I don't think we'll be looking at homes in Aldea.
I found this condo, a little high at $360,000, and when we visited in January the realtor took us to tour this home. It was perfect in every way -- small, efficient, newer finishes, good layout, two bedrooms and a small den.
It had most of the touches I wanted, such as an angled fireplace (though not a traditional kiva) and rounded log viga beams.
For a small condo, it had tall spaces, great windows, and a big kitchen with nice finishes. There was a detached two car garage and extra parking behind.
It had a courtyard patio that I thought was charming with some interesting plantings. Nice and shady, but small. The feeling of enclosure was pleasant, not confining.
The views in the entire area are spectacular. This condo fronted a pretty park, and had mountain views out the back that were awesome. The condo-maintained landscaping all over the neighborhood was pristine.
Aldea was developed as a cohesive community of 460 homes of different styles and varied sizes. The developer stuck closely to the "old Santa Fe" look of low adobe walls around each property. There is a center with shops and a cafe. Gorgeous walking trails crisscross the hills throughout the development.
We loved the condo, and after our day with the realtor we went back on our own to drive around the area. But there was something odd feeling about the place.
Despite its beautiful look and the incredible scenery and nicely maintained properties, it felt empty. There were no people around, no traffic, certainly no children, although it was a weekday morning. But no play equipment, no activity, no noise, all too perfect and too serene and quiet. And it felt remote from town, although the actual drive was just minutes.
Later, after more research, I read that Aldea's average age is 54. That's the average! And I read that a large new construction going up at the entrance is going to be a retirement facility.
Perhaps that explained the austere feeling we got. Aldea is not age restricted, but it's an old people's community. The condo we saw had everything we wanted, the price was good and the location was actually great. But it just didn't feel right to us, so I don't think we'll be looking at homes in Aldea.
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