5 Tried and True Cities for Hispanics
By ELAINE ROBBINS

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In addition to the new Hispanic hotspots, we have included five traditional cities. These cities-metro areas with large, well-established Hispanic populations-offer great weather, celebrations and other cultural activities. They all are great options for people who want to enjoy a good quality of life amid the comforts of their culture.

In San Antonio, Texas, Tex-Mex is more than just a cuisine: it is a way of life. Eating barbecue or burritos, dancing to country and western or conjunto, locals easily embrace culture from both sides of the border. A subtropical climate, providing 300 days of sunshine a year, is a great complement to the city's old-world feel, which comes alive in its five Spanish missions-including the Alamo-historic neighborhoods and the Spanish Governor's Palace, built in 1749.

If that is not enough, San Antonio is also one of the most affordable cities in the country. No wonder San Antonio has long been a retirement haven. Median cost of a house: $121,800. For more information, visit the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce website, the San Antonio Convention and Visitors' Bureau website, or call 210-225-0462.

San Diego, California, is sitting pretty. It has stunning scenery and a perfect Mediterranean climate. Places Rated Almanac ranks it second in the nation for climate, after Santa Barbara, California. Combine that with its being one of the few economic bright spots in California-unemployment is low-and you will understand why residents feel like they are living in paradise.

Of course, paradise is expensive. The median housing price is well above the national average. Nonetheless, residents probably are not thinking about cost as they take a daily walk along the breathtaking beach or frolic in Balboa Park. Median cost of a house: $436,500. For more information, visit the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce website, the San Diego Convention and Visitors' Bureau website, or call 619-702-0790.

Houston, Texas, here we come. Austin and San Antonio frequently show up on lists of best places to live, but we think Houston deserves a mention. Ranked eighth out of 354 metro areas by Places Rated Almanac, Houston has all the big-city amenities-art museums, a symphony, theater and many places to find Vietnamese pho and Mexican mole poblano. Yet, compared with other international, multiethnic cities-New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami-Houston is more affordable and friendly, with fewer big-city problems.

"Houston is the kind of town where you can walk in as a perfect stranger and you're accepted," says Henry A. de La Garza, founder of Houston-based de La Garza Public Relations.

Residents embrace its diversity. When Rice University professor Stephen L. Klineberg surveyed all of the city's major ethnic groups-whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians-all of them, by large majorities, expressed the belief that diversity was a source of strength for the city. Median cost of a house: $139,200. For more information, visit the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce website, the Official Guide to Houston, or call 713-644-7070.

Las Cruces, New Mexico, we love it. Albuquerque appeared in the national spotlight this year as host of the Democratic presidential debate. While we like Albuquerque, we also enjoy New Mexico's second city, Las Cruces.

Ranked in the top 20 in Forbes's Best Small Places for Business and Careers, this small city (pop. 75,000) is set in a stunning landscape with views of the Organ Mountains and the Rio Grande Valley. A low cost of living, a dry, sunny climate, and New Mexico State University make this a great place to live.

Add to the mix good Mexican food-nearby Hatch is the chili-growing capital of the world-and beautiful sunsets, and this may be a place you'll never want to leave. Median cost of a house: $134,700. For more information, visit the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors' Bureau website or call 505-523-2681.

Sure, this city is in the foothills of the Rockies, but mile-high Denver, Colorado, offers great outdoor recreation and an average of 300 sunny days a year. However, to the city's large Hispanic population, attitude matters more than altitude. In Denver, diversity is not just accepted but celebrated. Each year, 400,000 people flock to Civic Center Park for the two-day Cinco de mayo festival, the largest celebration of its kind in the nation. Don't miss El grito de la independencia fiesta, celebrating Mexico's independence. Hispanics hold key political leadership positions, including three out of 13 seats on the city council. Median cost of a house: $250,800. For more information, visit the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce website, the Official Denver Travel Guide, or call 303-534-7783.

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