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The economy is growing quickly thanks to NAFTA.
Quality of life as I said is very binary. The rich lead amazing lives, the poor might as well live in Mexico (albeit with better water). The majority of the city appears dirty, as the air currents blow the smog from Mexican industry on the other side of the river over.
Cultural activities reflect the Mexican heritage, with some Native American (Comanche and Apache if I recall). As for where the good places are I can't really help that much, I only stayed a couple weeks.
Outdoor activities in the city are not that great. It's just a border town which found itself a city, planning was haphazard. However, there are VERY nice campgrounds within a couple hours drive. Big Bend National Park is simply amazing, as well as going into New Mexico to raft down the Rio Grande (before it hits Mexico it's full and beautiful, after it hits the border it becomes a steam with puddles instead of a river). I try to do this every other year to so, you get addicted to it and every year our convoy of people who attend grows. New Mexico has the mountains you can go camping/hiking in, as well as parts of Mexico away from the border if you make friends in the know.
The people are just as friendly as the Midwest, but a bit different (holds through pretty much all of South Texas). If you make eye contact with a complete stranger, you'll almost always get a nod or some sort of howdy. One thing you'll have to get used to is the racial divide, whites are very much the minority yet compose almost all of the rich. This divide is not definate, both are extremely friendly it just takes someone to start the conversation (very unlike many places in the South).
I pretty much come from South Texas, so I'm used to the culture. It's quite different I must say, although it was a small town so may not hold in the city of El Paso. If I dont go to all of my friend's family houses on holidays they almost take it as an insult. "Aye m'iho, why didnt you come visit us? You dont like my cooking?"
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