QUICK FACTS WORKERS BY INDUSTRY Education & Healthcare: Retail Trade: Arts, Accommodation & Food Services: Natural Resources & Mining: Public Administration: Construction: Management & Professional: Finance & Insurance: Manufacturing: Wholesale Trade: Transportation & Warehousing: Information: Utilities:
2,873 1,108 996 654 578 485 276 249 208 152 119 112 100
TAXES Residential Property: Levied % of Value) Commercial Property: Levied % of Value) Grant County Sales Tax Rate:
1.83% 2.54% 7.25%
HOUSING 2010 Median Home Value 2010 Median Gross Rent:
$123,300 $593/mo.
HISTORIC DISTRICT A DELIGHTFUL DIFFERENCE Silver City business people are friendly, yes, truly friendly, because they depend equally on local support and that of its visitors. The community has been the center of area activities since its inception in the 1800s, and more recently has accepted accolades as a center for the arts. People choose to visit Silver City for its festivals, its galleries and restaurants, its unique shops, its fabulous weather, its three million-acre forest playground and its small-town atmosphere. But you have to get out of your car and walk around, shake hands and see if you don’t find someone interested in where you are from. You have to wander through the shops to experience the difference between Silver City and whatever region you may have been calling home. And cameras are encouraged.
CRIME RATE 2010 Recordings: 13 violent crimes and 149 property crimes. Grant County has a relatively low crime rate and the lowest rate for both violent crimes and property crimes per 10,000 residents among communities benchmarked.
COST OF LIVING Grant County Index: 85.2, which is nearly 15% lower than the U.S. average of 100.0.
UTILITIES Electric: PNM Natural Gas: PNM Gas Services Water: Town of Silver City (deep wells) Sewage: Town of Silver City Telephone: CenturyLink, WNM Communications
RECYCLING Town of Silver City Sanitation Division USA Can & Nonferrous
DRIVER’S LICENSES REGISTRATION PLATES/TITLES New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division. $18.00/4 years/CDL, permits, provisional, ret. (Need proof of insurance.) 90 days to change to new Driver’s License and Plates. Once you are in the system you can renew by mail. Hours: M-F 8am-4pm.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS Full coverage insurance on vehicles with bank liens on them and liability insurance on vehicles that have no bank liens on them.
DRIVING LAWS S.E. Safety Belt Law. Primary Enforcement Child Restraint Law. (No Gaps) A state is considered not to have gaps in its child restraint laws if all occupants under the age of 16 are covered by either a child restraint law or a safety belt law. Open Container Law. Complies with the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21): .08 BAC Per Se Law. Complies with federal .08 Blood Alcohol Content per se law. A: Learner Stage. Provision 1. Six month holding period. A novice driver must be supervised by an adult licensed driver at all times. If the learner remains conviction free for six months he or she progresses to the intermediate stage. In an optimal provision, there is not a reduction in this amount of time if the driver takes a driver's education course.
12 – www.SilverCityTourism.org
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN With the charm of a well-preserved business district built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Silver City’s Historic Downtown showcases the detailed architectures of those intriguing eras. Victorian homes, the county courthouse and city hall and three theater buildings contribute to the historic business, bank and hotel buildings. Many of the curbs are high to allow annual nonsoon runoffs to pass through without damaging buildings. The streets are lighted with antique poles, and rings for tying off your trusty steed can still be spotted at several locations. A lot of brickwork was used in the downtown construction and tile from local kilns graces an occasional storefront. Bullard Street and Broadway form the axis for shopping, with Yankie, Texas and Market streets contributing numerous galleries and eateries. Renovated hotels, Victorian lodging and spa facilities are found downtown. There is also a park downtown, but you may have to ask for directions. It is called, of all things, Big Ditch Park. It was once the city’s main street, but floods in the early 20th century left a sixtyfoot deep crevice in its place.
IT’S THE PRESENTATION… SILVER CITY MAINSTREET PROJECT The longest continuously operating MainStreet program in New Mexico was established in 1985 and has fostered downtown preservation and small business growth. It was the recipient of the 2011 Great American Main Street Award, a national award for revitalization. Much of the historic downtown charm has resulted from efforts by the MainStreet Project in partnership with the community’s public and private sectors. YANKIE/TEXAS STREET JUNCTION The region’s most colorful cluster of galleries, studios and shops is located at the intersection of Yankie and Texas Streets, located in the arts and cultural district. The old red-brick buildings have been brought to life with brilliantly colored doors, window frames and signs. Inside are products of some of the area’s best artists and crafts people. Of course, there is also wonderful coffee, pastries and WiFi!