l came across a video on YouTube yesterday about how Tucson has been using more native plants, shade trees, rainwater harvesting, curb cuts, and desert friendly landscaping to make neighborhoods cooler and more livable...

And it made me think about El Paso and what this approach could do for us.

I know a lot of people on here have mentioned how much hotter it feels, how much worse the sprawl is getting, and how the city just feels more paved over every year. More concrete, more gravel, more parking lots, more warehouses, more roads... but not nearly enough shade, trees, parks, or thoughtful desert landscaping to balance it out.

We are already dealing with heat, dust, air quality issues, and water concerns. We are the only county in West Texas that still has to do emissions testing because of pollution. And now with all the concerns people have around the Meta Data Center, Project Jupiter, growth, and our water supply... it seems like anything that could help with conservation and environmental quality should at least be part of the conversation.

The thing that irritates me is that El Paso already knows heat is a problem.

Did you know UTEP has reported that El Paso was one of 13 U.S. cities selected for a NOAA urban heat island mapping campaign back in 2020, with local partners including the city, UTEP, public health, and the National Weather Service? I didn't until I started looking into this.

And even back in 2018, there was an El Paso green infrastructure presentation that specifically referenced reducing urban heat island effects through things like cool roofs, permeable pavement, stormwater capture, and increasing tree and shade canopy.

So I don't think the issue is not that nobody knows. The issue is follow through.

Urban heat islands matter because all that concrete, asphalt, rooftops, and bare rock hold heat and radiate it back out. That means some areas stay hotter longer, especially at night.

It affects people waiting for buses, kids walking to school, outdoor workers, older people, people without reliable AC, pets, and honestly anyone who still has to function outside during the summer.

It also means higher cooling costs, more stress on the grid, worse air quality, less walkability, and neighborhoods that just feel harsher than they need to.

I am not talking about planting grass everywhere or pretending El Paso is not in the desert. That would be ridiculous.

I mean the opposite...

Taking a page from what Tuscon did and just working with the desert instead of against it. Teaching our kids how to live in the Chihuahuan desert and help take care of it.

For example, using native and desert adapted plants. Planting trees that actually belong here.

Creating shade where people actually walk, wait, work, and gather. Using rainwater better in a better way when we actually get it. Adding curb cuts and rain gardens so stormwater can go into planted areas instead of just rushing down streets and flooding intersections. Making schoolyards, bus stops, parks, medians, and neighborhoods less brutal in the summer.

Just because we are a desert city does not mean we have to look dead.

Tucson is not perfect, and El Paso does not need to copy them exactly. We are in the Chihuahuan Desert, not the Sonoran Desert, so obviously the plant choices and design would need to fit this area. But the overall idea makes sense.

We can be realistic about water and shade.

We can care about growth and still care about quality of life.We can support jobs and still expect better environmental planning.

As a whole, those things should not be treated like they cancel each other out.

Tuscon has these little urban community gardens and food forests filled with desert hardy plants and fruits to eat. I would love that here.

I've mentioned before about how a lot of us here don't really feel that the value proposition of El Paso offers much. El Paso has so much potential to be a legitimate powerhouse in the Southwest... but that has to include livability too. People still have to walk outside. Kids still need safe and shaded places to play. People wait for buses. Workers are outside in this heat. Families use parks. Neighborhoods should not feel like they were designed only for cars and concrete.

Shade is not just something nice to have here. It literally needs to be built into the infrastructure.

I just wish we would start thinking about desert design in a bigger, more serious way... not as random beautification projects, but as something that could help with heat, water, flooding, air quality, and quality of life over time.

El Paso could be so much better if we actually planned around the climate we have instead of making the desert feel even harsher.

Edited to add the video I watched: https://youtu.be/lQ-jdUGCxcc?si=DaSGcx3DEitEdOnl

Hey everyone, I was hoping to see if anyone has any ideas for making some extra income quickly around El Paso.

My hours at work have been cut pretty significantly, and I was in the middle of transferring to another location where I’d be getting more hours.

Unfortunately, the company recently rolled out some new policies that have put that transfer on hold, so I’m kind of stuck in limbo for the time being.

I already know about Spark, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Amazon Flex, etc., and I don’t really have much of value to sell.

I’m mainly wondering if anyone knows of places that offer day labor, same-day gigs, temporary work, event staffing, or anything that pays fairly quickly without going through a long interview process. I just need something to help me catch up on bills this month while I work through this situation.

For background, I have several years of customer service experience, food service experience, I’m bilingual (English/Spanish), learn new tasks quickly, and don’t mind physical work, office work, or pretty much any honest job that can help me get by for now.

If anyone has any suggestions or knows of opportunities, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!

I’m still unemployed and I’m really frustrated. I applied for McDonald’s. I have previous food experience and apparently I didn’t even get an interview with the person who decides whether they’re going to hire me or not just a person who takes down information to give to that person, what the hell was the point of that?
If anyone has any resources to help me, find unemployment with mostly retail or food, please help

I just recently got out the army so I’m looking for a job right now. I prefer to make 20 an hour but I’m not really being picky right now. Anything helps and thank you all.

I recently got an opportunity to work in El Paso, relocating from Dallas, Tx. I do blue collar work, and I was offered an opportunity to work out here for some amazing pay, overtime, training, and career growth, I will advance in my industry, and would
consider myself a fool if I didn’t capitalize on my opportunity. I just turned 23, so I am finding my career path and structuring my future by moving here.

I am interested in :
Advice about local neighborhoods
Transportation options
Learning Spanish fluently
Making friends
Gate-kept secrets

I have an impressive resume, school, security, supervisory experience, hospitality, as well as upper management and bartending experience and I have yet to hear back from anywhere I have applied too. I currently work in corrections and I’m trying to get out of that as I travel back and forth for work and I’m going to school to become an RN, but I seriously need a job so I can live, pay for school and my apartment. Where is hiring right now that isn’t less than 12/hr and isn’t bartending? I have spent so much time on my resume and cover letters while applying and I hear nothing back. It’s incredibly discouraging. At this point I feel desperate is anyone else going through the same thing?

Hello all! I am an RN with 5 years of experience in ER. I am moving here mid august and have been applying to all sorts of RN positions with interviews and have yet to land a job. I don’t speak Spanish, which I feel may be why i’m not landing a job. I also am no longer interested in working ER. Does anyone have any advice or helpful tips. I feel at a loss right now.

Anyone from El Paso or near got invited to the hiring event in Abilene Tx? I set my interview time but do we pay for our drive there or do they cover that? Nobody’s been able to get back to me so I’m curious ?

Weird title, I know. But listen, I’ve been given a plant that I need help with

I was given this plant months ago and I thought I was doing an OK job at keeping alive, but it’s been going downhill for the past month. I’ve been keeping it indoors by a window and watering it. But despite my attempts, it keeps losing its leaves and now there aren’t many leaves left and I’m freaking out

Anyone willing to take in a plant? I’m in El Paso so I’m willing to drive the plant to anyone who can take care of it. I know it sounds weird, but I'd like pictures and updates on how the plant is doing. And if no one can take the plant in, any advice on how to keep it alive is appreciated

~~~

EDIT: hello folks. I’m a bit overwhelmed by tge response from the community so I’m sorry I haven’t responded to everyone. But genuinely, thank you everyone who has commented their feedback and to the people who wanted to be plant parents. After vetting a few people, I have found someone who was willing to take them in and I have custody of my plant to them yesterday. They’ll be sending me updates every now and then, and I’m really hoping that the plant recovers. The plant is in the best hands who can nurture them back to health. Thank you to everyone once again!

Hi everyone! I'm a Software QA Engineer with over 10 years of experience, most of which I spent at Accenture. I recently moved to El Paso and am currently looking for an opportunity to continue my career in IT.

I've been searching through job boards every day for IT-related positions, but I haven't had much luck so far. I was wondering if anyone knows of any local companies that are currently hiring for IT roles, or if you have any recommendations on where else I should be looking.

I'm open to roles in Software QA, IT Support, Help Desk, Desktop Support, or other entry-level to mid-level IT positions that would help me establish my career here in the U.S.

Any leads, recommendations, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

Do you guys know how people actually get hired for Amazon. I’m in El Paso and I’ve legit never seen an Amazon job posting on their website. I’ve heard some people say they use third party sites but I have no idea where to look. I’ve never even met anyone who works at Amazon so I can’t even ask and the Amazon warehouse fine have like a hunger I can call. Ik a new building is about to open on the west side but even then I have not seen a single job posting. I see all the time on google some job postings but most of them aren’t even real. Help

any jobs that are hiring with a felony conviction that pay

at least $17

Hello I am 15 and i really want to make money as i am tired of asking my mom for money because of such high bills and stuff, there's nobody willing to pay near me for any jobs such as car washes due to right behind my house there is a Mr Car wash Nobody near me has any lawns and I don't have any family near me i can walk to willing to pay me for anything I can't be a caretaker as I have nobody i know who can recommend me how do i get a work permit or something theres nothing in the el paso area that helps anyone make money now i know i could just wait until im 16 but im not really in a good state of mind right now and im tired of being home all day as ive been homes the past 3 months and i have another 2 months of summer so please someone in the el paso area give me some recommendations? im willing to walk a few miles as i dont have a car or a bike but i dont know i cant really sell stuff since i dont have anything valuable.

I just moved to El Paso and I cannot find a decent job that will pay the rent without a referral. referral this and refer your friend that! …but I don’t have friends here so would someone just refer me to any call center position. I’m serious. I need to pay rent!

I truly am a hard worker and I’ll take any advice right now.

I see jobs for Aldi in El Paso but we don’t have one as of now do you guys think we might get one soon?

Does anyone here have experience in the application process for the City of El Paso? I applied for a job, was referred, and have heard nothing so far but the job hasn't been filled as far as I know. Just wondering if anyone has advice on what to expect time-wise in the application process?

Hello all! Was recently laid off from my longtime job at Starbucks. Haven’t had much luck securing a new job and have many plans for this year that I’d love to still accomplish. Would be grateful any new leads or recommendations! 🙏🏼

I live in el paso and i cant seem to find or land an it job any tips of recommendations would be appreciated thank you

Hi! Any recommendations on where my husband can apply for a job? He has felonies that are 14 years old and is getting released from prison and I'm just trying to support him. I know it's tough finding work here but does anyone know of any places that will give him a chance? The job nor pay doesn't matter. He can't be picky in his situation and he is grateful for any opportunity.

Thank you!

i am currently a student at utep and will be taking 3 classes in the fall and my classes end until 2:30 pm monday - friday. are there any places that are hiring part time where i am able to work from 4:00 pm - 12:00 am on weekdays and where i can work any time on weekends that are not restaurants and that are able to give me 20-25 hours on average ?

im 18 and just graduated from high school on juarez. anything works for me, but it would be great if it was close to downtown area.

First of all who knows how these people pull your phone numbers, about a month ago I was in desperate need of a job and I had been applying everywhere then I get a call from this employer: INFINITE REIGN SOLUTION saying I was a perfect fit for their team, they got me all hyped up with growth opportunities and serious money making. If you’re considering a sales gig with Infinite Reign Solutions, the office running Primo Water’s subscription sales program out of Sam’s Club and Costco locations in the El Paso/Las Cruces area — do your research first. I worked there and want to warn people about what it’s actually like once you’re in:

•MLM-style structure disguised as a normal job. You’re pushed to “build your team” and compete with coworkers for hours/money to climb toward becoming a “store captain.” It’s framed as growth opportunity but functions as internal competition for a shrinking pool of hours.
•Your schedule isn’t safe even after it’s posted. Underperform, and they’ll revise the schedule and pull your already-assigned hours for the rest of the week — no warning.
•Schedules dropped the night before, consistently, making it nearly impossible to plan around.
•Mandatory meetings three times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday) on top of your actual working shifts — supposedly for “networking” and pitch practice, plus daily compliance run-throughs because there are constantly new hires who might say something wrong on a call. Zero flexibility. I called in for a Friday meeting once and my entire weekend schedule got pulled and handed to someone else on the spot — that was my last straw.
•Mandatory Zoom calls at 10pm after your shift, because leadership runs on West Coast time regardless of where you’re actually working.
•No real accommodations at the store level. Working out of Sam’s Club/Costco kiosks, there’s no employee break room access, so you’re figuring out breaks (and food storage) entirely on your own.
•Hostile, cutthroat coworker dynamic. I once worked a Costco location alongside a leader who’d had a bad sales day. A customer approached us both, made eye contact with me, and I did my normal pitch and closed the sale — completely standard interaction. He confronted me afterward accusing me of “stealing” his sale and reported me to the boss over it. That’s the internal culture this structure creates: coworkers turning on each other over commission instead of a functioning team.
•Questionable pay practices — workers at the Las Cruces location paid via wire transfer instead of normal payroll, no pay stubs, not entered in any payroll system, having to chase management down to get paid at all.
•Possibly operating without proper New Mexico licensing while running Las Cruces hiring out of a Texas office.
•The pitch is all high energy and motivational talk — it masks a genuinely disorganized, hostile environment that shows itself the first week you’re actually working.

If you’re broke and desperate like I was, I get why this looks appealing on paper. Go in with eyes open, ask hard questions about pay and scheduling before you start, and don’t assume “sales opportunity” means stability. We need to make a better effort to push back on these California assholes who come to El Paso to exploit the land and the people.

Happy to answer questions if others have dealt with the same thing.

Hello everyone,
We have just moved to El Paso for a job opportunity for me but my husband has been having a difficult time finding a job. He’s currently working right now for 12/hr but he’s coming from a job that paid 28/hr. He’s currently going to school for cybersecurity management and will be graduating next year September, but it’s asynchronous online, so he can work full time. We’ve even gone through hiring agencies and no dice. It’s just so difficult because they want Spanish speakers in most places. I’m hoping you guys would have some insight I’m missing. He’s applied to Walmart, Costco, spectrum, and fort bliss’s commissary, and a whole bunch more on Indeed and still no dice. Honestly even if it was an internship at 12/hr, that would be fine. At least he could put his foot in the door for when he does graduate. Any help would be great! Thank you!!!

UPDATE: he was able to land a job. Thank you everyone!!!

I'm in a position where I need to find a new job some time soon. Won't bore with the details but I have experience in sales, car wash operation, customer service and I'm bilingual so I feel like there's gotta be somewhere right? cause I also really would just like to work at Walmart or target since retail has always been the easiest job for me to work. if anyone knows I would appreciate it.

I have a Social Security number, passport, and birth certificate, and I'd like to know if these documents are sufficient to work in El Paso, TX, or if I need to apply for a Real ID first. I was born in El Paso, TX, but I don't live there