Welcome To Portales, NM!
Portales New Mexico; A Great Little Town
Portales, NM is on the Eastern side of the state in "the plains". It is a very agricultural environment. Peanut farms and dairy farms rule the landscape, and those peanut farms are part of the reason Portales goes by the nickname "P-ville".
Portales itself is quite small; 8,000 residents and 4,000 students (approximately). Clovis, NM and Cannon Air Force Base are about 15 minutes away, making for a larger combined area.
It is quaint, quiet and speaks to an era of "Main Streets" and unlocked doors. The roads are quiet and easy to navigate; no GPS needed! Many of the streets have letter names, so follow the alphabet to get where you're going.
Eastern New Mexico University!
ENMU is known for its fine arts and film programs along with its teaching programs. If you are interested in either of these, look into the university. If you're not sure a big town is where you'd be comfortable going to school, this is the university for you. The smaller campus, class sizes and ability to walk wherever you need to go appeals to many students. Additionally, ENMU offers an extremely affordable online option for both their undergraduate and graduation programs.
Portales is a bit different than other parts of the state. It gets more rain, it gets more wind and it gets the weirdest thing I ever saw… ice storms. We just don't have those in Albuquerque. I walked out to my car one morning and my door was frozen shut by a sheet of ice! Thank goodness I had a coffee maker; one pot of hot water later and I was good to go. Don't let this deter you, though.
It's so incredibly quiet out there. I remember one of my first nights in Portales, New Mexico. It was the middle of August and the dusk was warm without being overbearing. I was sitting on the ENMU campus and the western horizon stayed lit long after the sun had set, turning from pink to orange to red to purple to navy blue and finally to black. The stars twinkled and the silence settled like a heavy blanket around me. All I could do was think what an amazing quiet it was. Everything seemed muffled, the laughing and chatting of passing coeds, the glow of the streetlights, the call of trains off to the west… It was such a change from Albuquerque and it was absolutely peaceful.
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| Roosevelt County Courthouse. Portales, New Mexico |
I lived on campus, but the housing in Portales is extremely affordable even if you aren’t a coed choosing to live with two of your friends. In fact, the quality of life is rated as 15th in the nation and 9th in the West from Albuquerque Business First. Low crime, a great place to raise kids or retire, affordability and access to educational programs makes Portales, NM an excellent place to live. If you like a slow, relaxed pace of life you'll love it here. If you are a student, you will enjoy the many campus activities and the close-knit bonds the students build with each other.
Food?
Yes!
Cattle Baron, Something Different (try those baked potatoes, folks!), La Hacienda and Taco Box (seriously yum) were all favorite places to eat. And if there aren't enough choices in Portales, head
out to Clovis.
By the way, do you love milkshakes? Try Pat's Twin Cronnie. It's a little walk-up place, and usually has a long line, but the shakes are thick, creamy and to die for.
Things To Do In Portales
Ok, I know what you're thinking. There probably isn't a ton to do in little old Portales. Like any smaller town, you're right. There are fewer events happening but it is by no means dead and dusted.
Portales Event Calendar- The first place to check is the local event calendar. It's a nice aggregation of fun and interesting events in and around the area. Visit the Portales Events Calendar for more information.
I was only in Portales a year, but there was something about the drive into town that set me into quite a bucolic mood. I usually arrived early in the morning, around 6 am. Driving the state roads and seeing a farmer here and there out working their land, hearing roosters announce the morning and whole the town still, sleepy, and quiet... When the sun broke over the horizon it really felt like I had the whole world to myself.
Related Pages:
Eastern New Mexico University
