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Adam Ferguson

25 Things We Love About Santa Fe Right Now

by

ow did we get to the end of the year again? It feels like this happens all the time! In reality, we’re here for it. We’re ready. 2025 has been…an experience, for sure, but a hard one for sure. That’s partly why we do the annual 25 Things We Love About Santa Fe Right Now issue—to remember what we’re grateful for and to recontextualize how it’s good to live here. That “right now” part is doing a lot of heavy lifting to be sure, so please don’t take it to mean these are the only things we love. We’re just saying these elements go a long way toward pepping us up. Hang tough, Santa Fe, and feel the love. 

1

Santa Fe Community College is So Sick

Seriously, have you been to SFCC recently? If not, you should at least check it out. They have classes for just about everyone, and this isn’t a quantity over quality thing either. Almost every class has some of the most passionate and helpful professors you’ll ever meet, with the diverse student body being excellent for classes in liberal arts and the like. The library is excellent, the gym is one of the best in town, and tuition is relatively cheap. If you’re starting your journey in higher education or are simply looking to pick up some new skills, you can’t do better than SFCC. Also, special shoutout to their English department. (Callie Elkins) 

2

So Many Non-Chain Bookstores (and Libraries!)

Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse, Garcia Street Books, Geronimo’s Books, Beastly Books, Big Star Books and Music, op.cit books, Book Mountain Used Paperback, Ark Books, Books of Interest, Big Adventure Comics, Purple Fern Bookstore, holy SHIT! If you have an interest in books of any kind, Santa Fe has you practically set for life. Even better, all these stores are non-chain, meaning that your patronage is supporting local business and community, especially at used bookstores like Book Mountain and op.cit. The libraries throughout town are monumental, having essentially every book you could think of, from trashy romance to revolutionary manifestos. I highly doubt there’s a better place than Santa Fe for readers. (CE) 

3

If Your Diet Consists Mainly of Burritos, You’re Set 

As a resident burrito freak, I am blessed to be living in Santa Fe. From pretty much anywhere in town, one is mere minutes away from some of the best burritos ever conceived (I mean, have you had the green chile brisket burrito from The Ranch House?), with the number of restaurants serving them being too numerous to even begin listing. The fact is, burritos are the perfect food. The shape is convenient and portable, perfect for a quick snack if you need it, but they are also perfect for more relaxed eating, especially when smothered in chile. They are comfort in the purest sense of the word, warm inside and out, the ideal meal. Frankly, the restaurants in Santa Fe that don’t have burritos are the weird ones. Thankfully, there aren’t many of those. (CE) 

4

8-Bit Retro Games Is Wicked Cool

If you are into old-school video games (or hell, even just games in general) then 8-Bit Retro Games is the place to be. Looking to explore the Playstation 2’s near-infinite library? Done. Want to play some retro Super Nintendo era games? As long as you have enough rupees. Are you some sort of freak buying a Sega Saturn in 2025? You can do that too, I guess. The point is, 8-Bit has a little something for everyone, and their prices can’t be beat. They even do repairs on older consoles! If you’re looking to relive the good old days, or are a collector of old games, 8-Bit is for you. Just be prepared to want everything in the store. (CE)

5

That Whole Minimum Wage Thing

Admittedly, $17.50 per hour is not, like, an incredible amount of money to make, but given that it clocks in at about $10 more than the federal minimum wage, it’s certainly not nothing. Santa Fe became the first city in the country to tie our minimum wage to inflation and housing costs, which might be a daunting prospect to some businesses, but them’s the breaks when people are trying to live. There’s still a whole year before the new rate goes into effect in 2027(except for city workers, whose pay will change on the first of the 2026), so let’s not shoot off the fireworks just yet. Still, it’s a mostly cool move in a town in which the locals have been economically squeezed out since always. (Alex De Vore)

6

The O’Gah P’ogeh Land Tax Makes a Lot of Sense

If you’re reading this in America, you’re straight-up on stolen land, and that super-fun little tidbit is of particular import in Santa Fe, where our Indigenous siblings live and love alongside us on the daily while contending with the whole Europeans-came-here-and-sucked thing. Land acknowledgements are so passé, too, so when it’s time to do something a little more than whisper “oh, our bad,” check out the O’gah P’ogeh Land Tax, a new direct-action org run by Native folks to which people can donate as a one-off or recurring thing. Where that money goes is decided upon by a matriarchal group of badass local leaders, and the website (ogahpogehlandtax.org) even has a handy calculator for deciding how many of your new minimum wage bucks you can offer without blowing up your own spot. (ADV)

7

Y’all Keep Reading Newspapers

We at SFR are acutely aware that change is difficult, especially in Santa Fe where we like things the way they are. Still, SFR sold to new owner Pat Davis more than a year ago, and our dedicated readers have rolled with the punches across a number of changes. The number one thing we hear when it comes to feedback? “You’re jerks.” But seriously, we hear from people all the time who share a similar concern: “You’re not going anywhere, are you?” The short answer? Nope. As always, we’re in this for the long haul, and it seems Santa Fe’s denizens are, too. We love that you care, dear friends, and we’ll keep trying our hardest to be the paper you deserve, even if we don’t always hit that mark. (ADV)

8

It Still Only Takes 12 Minutes to Get Anywhere

Ain’t nobody in the world who loves driving across town to run an errand, but wherever you live in Santa Fe, you can take solace in how quickly it is to get around. We know this sounds like a not particularly exciting addition to this list, but think about it—ease of navigation is one of those under-the-hood/quality-of-life things that makes a big difference. Why, you could hit up Target in the morning, have lunch downtown and then hit a hiking spot in the afternoon without spending more than 30 minutes in the car, and that’s pretty phenomenal, even if the way the city changed the left turn arrows around here makes no damn sense whatsoever. (ADV)

We’re Home to a Cookie Genius Who Believes in Community 

Regular SFR readers are no doubt familiar with Chainé Peña, whose cookie-based business Chainé pumps out macarons and other sweet delights with gusto. But did you also know that when SFR approached Peña about a potential SFR-themed cookie, she was immediately like, “Uhhhh, yeah. Let’s do that?” She did. The Red All Over cookie is an homage to SFR’s 50-plus years in newspapering, and merges the noble brookie (think hybrid brownie/cookie) with white chocolate and red chile. That sounds so New Mexico, for sure, and also incorporates the Reporter red for which we’re known. Why’d Peña want to do it? She just likes engaging with community, that’s it—and that’s more than enough.  (ADV)

10

We’ve Finally Embraced Food Halls

Though downtown food hall CHOMP has faced its fair share of comers-and-goers, the recent opening of 2 Floyds Southern Kitchen (not to mention the New Mexico Hard Cider/Time Travelers Gastropub people taking over the pizza counter) adds to the kickass Nath’s Inspired Khmer Cuisine and Picnic NM—the city’s only dedicated cheese shop. Meanwhile, closer to the Plaza, Albuquerque-based developer Kim Long announced last week that his incoming food hall is very likely going to hit its July opening date. If you don’t know the food hall concept, think grown-up food court with so many opportunities for a quick bite, a way to sample a food you don’t know well or, we hope, a really good hang. Food halls have been popping up in abundance across the country for ages, and it feels good that Santa Fe finally gets to dig on a variety of tastes from a variety of foodservice champs. (ADV)

11

The Queer Community is Making Big Moves

Anyone who has taken part in the annual Pride celebrations in downtown Santa Fe can tell you that our queer community is a robust legion of locals, workers, artists, drag queens/kings, nonprofit aficionados, chefs, and—woah, it’s almost like queer people are just, like, people. In all seriousness, there’s a lot to love when it comes to the local LGBTQ+ scene, including dedicated event nights at local watering holes, the Human Rights Alliance’s LGBTQ+ Center, an incoming book about trans issues from Harvard Press/Santa Fe writer sj Miller and so much more. Any town could do better in supporting its queer citizens, and nowhere is issue-free. Still, the broader Santa Fe populace seemingly understands that love is love and people are people and all the best culture stuff out there can usually be traced back to the queer set. Boo-yah. (ADV)

12

The Lensic Seems to Have Hit This Whole New Level

Have you looked at the Lensic360 calendar lately at lensic360.org? If not, we’ll fill you in: Demetri Martin, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Tank and the Bangas, Welcome to Night Vale, Joan Osborne, Patty Griffin, Sheng Wang, Nick Offerman, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tig Notaro, Neko Case, Maria Bamford, Robert Plant, Pink Martini…we could go on and on. Look, some SFR staffers still much prefer a basement punk show or warehouse metal shred-off to the theater-based shows, true, but when the dates are plentiful and the names are ones people actually recognize, you’ve gotta hand it to the people putting them together. Of course, don’t forget venues like Tumbleroot and Paradiso and all the sweet places in-between. (ADV)

13

We have a year-round compost center

Throwing away food scraps creates more carbon emissions than some may realize, which is why composting is so important. However, in Santa Fe, or any urban area for that matter, unless you have a decent sized yard with a garden and a coyote fence to keep wild animals away, composting might feel like a burden and even unrealistic. But thanks to the awesome folks at Reunity Resources, composting is actually do-able with their year round composting station set up at the entrance of their farm, adjacent to their community refrigerators. Not only do they provide a place to bring your food scraps, they even have a pick-up van if you don’t have the time to drive it over yourself. But honestly, having a weekly routine of taking your food scraps over, can feel good and is a great way to give back to the community and to the Earth. The best part is, they actually use all the food scraps to make healthy, rich compost that we can use in our gardens come Spring—the circle of life in all its glory. (Adam Ferguson)

14

La Montañita Co-op’s Epic Bulk Section 

If you’re a whole foods/plant-based nerd like some of us here, finding a good bulk section is equivalent to a kid walking into a candy store. Being able to select a specific amount of beans, grains, seeds or nuts (to name a few), all while preventing waste and over consumption, is truly a beautiful thing. And any lover of a good bulk section cannot deny La Montanita’s selection may be the best in town. What really sells it is their beautiful display of sustainably and ethically sourced spices and herbs. From cardamom, Ceylon cinnamon and cloves to cumin and fenugreek, it’s almost as good as being at a spice market in India. With their diverse selection on offer, one can easily craft and freshly grind their own garam masala, berbere or ras el hanout spice blend to make a fragrant and delicious Indian or African curry. The bulk section is also a great resource for trying new recipes that may call for unfamiliar ingredients of which one may not want to commit to a whole bag or jar. In summation, buy more stuff in bulk. (AF)

15

We Have a Dispensary Dedicated to Growing Only Local, Organic Outdoor Cannabis

Recreational dispensaries have saved us older pot smokers out there from having to relive our high school days. Ya know, the days of having to meet some “friend” in a dark parking lot in the middle of a snow storm just to get a couple grams with no idea where it came from. Now, with the legalization and prevalent upsurge in dispensaries, and as the older one gets, it’s more realistic to have higher standards when it comes to a substance being ingested into the body. And while Santa Fe has a multitude of great dispensaries with high quality products, we have a soft spot Fruit of the Earth Organic’s dedication to keeping things clean and rooted in the Earth. Not only are they growing their cannabis out in the clean, open air of the Santa Fe Mountains, but they implement strict organic growing methods, ensuring their cannabis is free from harmful chemicals. The way cannabis, and everything for that matter, should be. (AF)

16

The Wildflowers Bloom Throughout the Year

While it’s hard to deny the simple, yet complex beauty of any flower no matter where you are, the wildflower blooms in Santa Fe are easily comparable to any world renowned flower-blooming destination out there. From the apricot and apple blossoms in Spring, the mid-summer magenta and red cacti flowers, to the late summer August Añil del Muerto and Aster blooms, Santa Fe has unquestionably one of most beautiful continuous wildflower spectacles anywhere on Earth. While crowds flee to France to catch the lavender fields or Japan for the cherry blossoms, we can rest easy, as we aren’t missing out here in our sweet little oasis. All year round, nature paints the most epic masterpiece right in front of our eyes, no plane ticket or crowds required. In the high desert, the wildflower blooms are the harmonious display of nature’s unfolding, presented in the most vibrant of colors and scents that makes you remember just how beautiful it is to be alive. (AF)

17

That One-of-a-Kind Golden Hour is So Pretty

There is that time every day when many of us here and quite possibly everyone in Santa Fe stops for a moment to acknowledge the luminous glow of golden light spread across the valley in which we live. The golden hour here is in fact known to be like nowhere else. Its geographic location, set between the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, reflects the light in such a way one cannot but stop what they’re doing to admire the moment in a state of awe and wonder. It’s the time of day that feels it is meant for reflection. The golden light stretching across everything feels like the ultimate permission to stop what you’re doing, forget the broken system in which we live and just be fully present with the beauty of existence. And depending on the time of year, the golden hour always reveals something new or gives a fresh perspective on what one may have thought they fully understood. (AF)

18

It Snows Differently (When it Actually Snows, That Is)

New Mexico got its first decent snow of the winter back in the first week of December, and I happened to be traveling east on Interstate 40 just west of Clines Corners when the front hit. Slipping and sliding onto the US Highway 285 exit, snow blanketed the ground along the roadside. With fat flakes still falling fast, traveling north into the snow felt perilous at best—especially after my car crawled over skid marks etched in the snowy road left by wobbly travelers. About 20 miles north of I-40, a spell stranded in the snow felt inevitable. However, right about that time the road before me suddenly cleared and stayed that way all the way into town. Once in Santa Fe, I could see newfallen snow dressed the trees in white sleeves, but crystal-clear was the road. Wait, do we live in a snowglobe? (Dave Cathey)

19

Our Lady of Guadalupe (or maybe just Murals?) Gets Out There, Baby!

Catholicism has never been SFR’s favorite, but we recognize and celebrate the art it has inspired. Lupita’s Feast Day just passed, but she is represented in so many iterations around the city there is now a 90-minute walking tour in her honor. Also? Santa Fe goes wild in the mural department through orgs like the Alas de Agua Collective, the Lena Street Wall and many more.  

20

Layovers Aren’t a Given Anymore

Hey Santa Fe has direct flights to LA now! We think there’s a direct flight to Dallas, too, but who wants to go there? The point is that you don’t always have to drive to Albuquerque now—you’re welcome, film industry! 

21

Hospital, Schmospital—Comunidad de Colores Offers a New Healthcare Option

Just because we have a local healthcare shortage in Santa Fe, and the rest of New Mexico, doesn’t mean healthcare professionals aren’t trying. Four local health-care women from various backgrounds in the field have spent the past three years organizing a new free clinic Comunidad de Colores. Stay tuned for more in the coming months. 

22

The People Show Up in Droves for a Cause

Whether its peace rallies for Gaza at the Capitol, a march against tyranny through the Plaza or pitchforks and torches on behalf of elm trees, Santa Feans show out for their causes. Just look at where the obelisk used to be, right? Haha! Dang. Point is, folks show up in droves here for a good cause. Now, whether that actually gets any non-obelisk stuff done is up for debate, but at least we can tell people feel feelings. 

23

The Communities Come Micro-Sized

On one end of Santa Fe’s housing crisis is the unacceptable number of people living unsheltered on its streets. Among the solutions coming from city officials are micro communities, including a pilot program at Christ Lutheran Church moving into its second year that inspired the city council to expand the program offering single-occupant dwellings to those who qualify. 

24

DIY still matters huge here

We’ve mentioned spaces like Ghost, Cocoon and High Mayhem before in our pages, but it’s still worth mentioning that when local arts and music people want to get together and do stuff their damn selves, they still do. We’re talking specifically now about spots like The DL and Relay (which just so happen to be neighbors), where culture-lovers sick of red tape get together for concerts, DJ events, workshops, tech, classes, parties and so much more. Find them and get involved, unless you hate fun. 

25

Christmas is Everyday

This one will seem obvious to the locals, but we never want to take for granted just how glorious it is to have access to red and green chile every damn day in every damn way and in nearly every damn place. While the dorks in Colorado try to act like they know anything, New Mexicans know that it’s the one thing we inarguably do better than anyplace else. Anyway, we’ll talk to you after we get back from our Palacio breakfast burrito.