I’m curious to know what people’s perceptions are about Roswell, NM whether you have merely passed through on your way to somewhere else or you’ve sought Roswell as a destination to check out the UFO stuff.
What did you think it would be like before you went?
What did you think of it after you’d been?
Would you return?
Would you recommend it as a destination to anyone else?
By the way, I live in Roswell. However, I am not–I repeat, NOT!–a native. All opinions are welcome with the solemn promise that I will not be offended.
Since I have close to zero interest in UFO theories, museums, T-shirts & coffee mugs, I might be the wrong person to respond here.
A small town in the middle of the flat NM desert.
It’s a medium-sized town in the middle of the flat NM desert.
Not of my own volition.
Not someone I liked.
Those are my views. I suspect Roswell has some redeeming features I’m not aware of. (I just thought of one: if you drive 1.5 hours south, you get to Carlsbad Caverns, which is well worth a visit.)
The few things that come to mind quickly are: Crazy Town Roswell. The gangbanger capitol of Southeastern New Mexico. CTR is often tatooed on their necks. Dumbed down by the UFO / alien nonsense. A large livestock auction.
I’ve got a Great Aunt and Uncle there. And my Great Granddad and his 2nd second wife are buried there. My brother just moved from there. I’ve passed through and visited since the 1970s.
It’s not far from the mountains. And there is some neat country around there.
I’d never go their for leisure visit. I wouldn’t reccomend it as a place to live or vacation at. I’d rather live in Hagerman, Artesia, or Carlsbad. Too many people and too much crime.
Hey, dude (or dudette), I was in Roswell a couple of years ago, and wanted to pick up a t-shirt at Peppers restaurant (they were really cool)—but they were out. If you ever go by there, think about me—I’ll gladly compensate you for your trouble.
But to generically answer your questions, I’ve been thru Roswell a couple of times on the way between Albuquerque and Carlsbad Caverns. I think it’s kinda cool with the alien motifs, like the street lights with the alien faces and the Wal-Mart with drawings of the happy aliens shopping. I’d probably stop there again when traveling in NM, but I don’t know that I’d recommend it to anyone, other than just to stop for a break.
Not a disappointment. I’m just looking for some validation for my opinion that Roswell is the most boring place I have ever lived.
I don’t have to worry too much about the crime. I live 10 miles past the city limits where it’s quiet and you can see a car approaching the house from miles away. Plus, I have an elaborate circle driveway; I think the gangbangers would have a tough time conducting a drive-by shooting…if they could find my house in the first place, that is.
What does it lack that other more exciting places have? Have you seen the big large bronze sculptures / fountain that Yates put up in downtown Artesia? It’s really neat.
It is never more apparent that Roswell sucks than when someone from out of town asks me what there is to do in Roswell. I often find myself telling them all kinds of things to do, then realize that each is outside the city limits.
I am a big fan of Carlsbad Caverns, Bottomless Lakes, Ruidoso…I hardly think of anything interesting inside Roswell. The nightlife leaves a lot to be desired as there are only a few bars in town and most stop serving by about 11:00pm.
Oddly enough, having traveled outside the United States and all over our country, I have only been to Artesia a couple times. So, no, I have not seen the sculptures you are talking about. I do know several of the Yateses, however. Does that count?
Let’s just say that Roswell lacks a thriving cultural scene, for one. There is rarely live music of any caliber, although I have seen my share of good acts from time to time (always in a bar; never in the park as part of a festival of some sort).
There is more to do if you are over 65 or under 12. If you’re between those ages and you can drink, you have your choice of a few bars (fewer if you plan on leaving without an injury). If you don’t drink, you can go to a movie at one of two movie theaters. One features a whopping four screens, and the other has–hold on to your stirrups–two!
There is just a general shortage of activities for someone my age. When I lived in Phoenix a few years ago, I was stunned by all the different things there were to do and all the places there were to go.
I know there is a difference between Phoenix (big city) and Roswell (small town), but that is my frame of reference.
Roswell has an art museum in which one can find paintings and sculptures in colors not normally found in nature. Some of it is actually quite good but it can induce retinal fatigue. IIRC, there is a replica of Goddard’s rocket laboratory attached to this museum.
There’s a nature preserve with a small lake nearby and of course the UFO museum. Other than that it’s not a very happenin’ place.
I once wrote my high school history paper on the ‘alien crash’ of Roswell. Since i lived just a few hours away, i got in a car and went there to do my ‘research’. Let’s just say that all my info came from books that i checked out of the library. Those were only slightly more credible than anything else in that town.
But other than that, Roswell is usually just a stopover on my way to some other city.
Since i used to live in Hobbs, i can attest to the fact that small towns in southeastern NM generally suck.
(As a side note, I think the only reason I got a good grade on that paper is because my professor had no idea what the hell was going on (and neither did I). Holy crap! there are so many versions of what happened there, it’s virtually impossible to make any coherent story out of it.)
