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My DH and I will be visiting Albu. in July to evaluate the area as a potential retirement destination for us. Our plan is to buy a 2-3 bedroom house or townhouse/condo/villa for up to $300K. School districts are not important to us but safety and perhaps access to public transportation may be as time goes on. We love to walk to shops and restaurants and like to be either near the center city OR hiking trails. We love to hike. We love dogs so want something with a place to let dogs out for quick potty breaks. What areas should we visit and also what would be good sights to take in and restaurants, too? All input is very much appreciated.
this is indeed best town/city in New Mexico. There are all facilities around. There's lot to do , if you got enough savings you may buy cheaper home due west of town. Its good to lease some government land ranching cattle . You can supply vetinary medicines from Texas. Cimmaron will be nice to ranching , just as passing out time. You shall live healthy!
If you want to live close to restaurants, parks, and public transport, I suggest Nob Hill.
Many people here will tell you that Nob Hill is for college students, but truth be told, few college students can afford to live in Nob Hill. There are a lot of retirees living in the area and there are a few luxury (but sub-$300k) condos right in the heart of it. It is the restaurants and nightlife that attracts students to the area.
And as far as the restaurants and bars in Nob Hill go, they attract people of all age groups. Places like Two Fools, Zinc Wine Bar, Kellys, and a concentration of Albuquerque's finest and most widely lauded restaurants are found along Central Avenue there. The rowdy, 'young people' bars are all downtown, miles from Nob Hill.
The biggest downside to Nob Hill is that it is about a 10 or 15 minute drive to hiking trails in the Sandias. If you lived withing walking distance of those trails, you will be quite some distance from public transport or any concentration of good restaurants (there is good food across the city but pretty spread out in the NE Heights which is the quadrant of the city with closest access to the mountains). On the other hand, some of the finest parks in the city are within the Nob Hill and University area, not least the beautifully gardened, art-filled campus where, in the evenings, you will find many people from all over the city enjoying an evening stroll or walking their dogs.
I agree with ABQConvict Nob Hill is a good place to start. Wonderful older homes, many of them updated. Wonderful parks to enjoy and a vibrant city scene.
The Old Town neighborhood, up through the Country Club district, to the quickly gentrifying Barelas area are also worth a look. You’re close to museums, restaurants, the zoo and the river trails. The University area is also close by and a bus trip will take you right up to Nob Hill.
I grew up in Albuquerque and could not wait until college was over so I could leave. I had a very happy childhood and educational career. However, something inside me always told me that this was not the place for me as an adult. I used to tell people even after I moved away that Albuquerque was a great place to grow up, but it was probably best only as a place to retire.
I say this because Albuquerque is very far from being a cosmopolitan city. I lived for ten years in San Francisco, and four years in Washington, DC, among others. You will be hard pressed to find anyplace other than the University area to walk around and find shops and restaurants to visit. And really, the people walking around that area are not very interesting to look at and mingle with. Mostly they are students caught up in their own worlds. And the very few good restaurants in this city are not located in one place.
If you are extremely laid back and can take in anything, then that area is right for you. I have a college friend who lives in the Nob Hill area, and they have a lovely house and good neighbors. There are pockets of that area that are dangerous, however. Even his neighborhood suffered a murder a few years back.
I envision the Sandia Heights area for you. The sunsets are off-the-hook, and waking up beneath the mountains to see the sun rise and wake up the city is spectacular. There are many, many trails for you to hike, and your dog(s) will absolutely love it. In fact, I would say that all of Albuquerque is very dog-friendly. It is still very much like the wild west compared to larger western cities and all of the east. I don't really condone dogs off leashes, but there are so many open spaces near the mountains that dogs can run and be themselves without being a nuisance to others.
As far as restaurants go, be ready to be thrown back thirty years here. You will still see fried mozzarella on appetizer menus! Newer restaurants will have tuna tartare, thinking they are updated. I think it is a function of the average customer in this city - not too sophisticated or cohesive. There are a few places to visit that are trying to stay updated. They are easy to find if you get the local city magazine. You can also find a hidden gem for local food if you are adventurous. Just don't hope to find a cutting edge restaurant with an amazing chef.
You should also take my opinon with a grain of salt. Restaurants and hospitality were my business for almost thirty years. I ran and worked with and in some of the best restaurants and hotels in the country. I don't go to restaurants that much anymore because it is too disappointing for me. I am fortunate to have learned to cook because of the exposure I had. But you can find some decent restaurants. Just be ready for terrible service and ignorant staff. It's funny (sort of) that the best service I have gotten was at an Olive Garden, someplace I would have never gone in a million years if it wasn't part of a family experience.
Anyway, Albuquerque does have a lot to offer. You just have to make an effort to find what you are looking for. I truly believe that there is any kind of lifestyle you want, it just takes effort to find it. The cost of living is excellent and the weather is almost as good as you could hope to get. Buy in Sandia Heights and start to explore. Unfortunately, public transportation is only in the form of busses. I have never taken a bus, but I did ride my bicycle for ten years without owning a vehicle. It makes my heart sigh when I see so many engineers still riding their bikes to work on base.
I agree with you Manquaman. When I read this original post, my first though was the area up by the foothills to the north. I have an aunt and uncle who recently retired in that area (a bit north of Paseo and east of Tramway) and they love the quiet and nature rich surroundings. Also, for dog lovers, it's not going to get any better than the trails and paths off of Tramway and up by the foothills. The only concern I would have for the OP's is that there aren't a lot of opportunities for transportation east of Tramway. If that is a concern, I would stay south of Montgomery where more bus routes operate routinely. The other thing to be careful of is a lot of the newer properties (circa 1990 and out) were built in a way that electricity bills can be quite high. I remember my relatives complaining bitterly about how the way their home was built ...with most window exposure facing a particular direction, but can't remember which,) made it very hard to keep the house warm in winter..point being if you're considering the Sandia Heights area, check out the cost of utilities over the period of a year and factor that in.
Other than that, there are some absolutely gorgeous homes on smaller plots of land though, going up in the Universe/Paradise Hills part of town (totally on the opposite side, the West end of town.) There is a state of the art medical facility being built in area, the bus routes are being expanded all the time, new shopping and dining are all over the place. You're not far from Boca Negra canyon there, and Petroglyph National Park is great for hiking and exploring, always something new to discover (can you tell I'm a Wes'sider? lol)
Nob Hill is nice, but in my opinion, crowded and getting around that part of town can be very time consuming. I have two kids at UNM so I'm around there a lot, and I really dread having to wade through all the traffic and never ending construction. It certainly has it's charms though...not a lot of "room to breathe" though.
I grew up in Albuquerque and could not wait until college was over so I could leave. I had a very happy childhood and educational career. However, something inside me always told me that this was not the place for me as an adult. I used to tell people even after I moved away that Albuquerque was a great place to grow up, but it was probably best only as a place to retire.
I say this because Albuquerque is very far from being a cosmopolitan city. I lived for ten years in San Francisco, and four years in Washington, DC, among others. You will be hard pressed to find anyplace other than the University area to walk around and find shops and restaurants to visit. And really, the people walking around that area are not very interesting to look at and mingle with. Mostly they are students caught up in their own worlds. And the very few good restaurants in this city are not located in one place.
If you are extremely laid back and can take in anything, then that area is right for you. I have a college friend who lives in the Nob Hill area, and they have a lovely house and good neighbors. There are pockets of that area that are dangerous, however. Even his neighborhood suffered a murder a few years back.
I envision the Sandia Heights area for you. The sunsets are off-the-hook, and waking up beneath the mountains to see the sun rise and wake up the city is spectacular. There are many, many trails for you to hike, and your dog(s) will absolutely love it. In fact, I would say that all of Albuquerque is very dog-friendly. It is still very much like the wild west compared to larger western cities and all of the east. I don't really condone dogs off leashes, but there are so many open spaces near the mountains that dogs can run and be themselves without being a nuisance to others.
As far as restaurants go, be ready to be thrown back thirty years here. You will still see fried mozzarella on appetizer menus! Newer restaurants will have tuna tartare, thinking they are updated. I think it is a function of the average customer in this city - not too sophisticated or cohesive. There are a few places to visit that are trying to stay updated. They are easy to find if you get the local city magazine. You can also find a hidden gem for local food if you are adventurous. Just don't hope to find a cutting edge restaurant with an amazing chef.
You should also take my opinon with a grain of salt. Restaurants and hospitality were my business for almost thirty years. I ran and worked with and in some of the best restaurants and hotels in the country. I don't go to restaurants that much anymore because it is too disappointing for me. I am fortunate to have learned to cook because of the exposure I had. But you can find some decent restaurants. Just be ready for terrible service and ignorant staff. It's funny (sort of) that the best service I have gotten was at an Olive Garden, someplace I would have never gone in a million years if it wasn't part of a family experience.
Anyway, Albuquerque does have a lot to offer. You just have to make an effort to find what you are looking for. I truly believe that there is any kind of lifestyle you want, it just takes effort to find it. The cost of living is excellent and the weather is almost as good as you could hope to get. Buy in Sandia Heights and start to explore. Unfortunately, public transportation is only in the form of busses. I have never taken a bus, but I did ride my bicycle for ten years without owning a vehicle. It makes my heart sigh when I see so many engineers still riding their bikes to work on base.
Good luck.
Thanks! We'll check it all out. We are sort of city-lovers and nature/hiking enjoyers. We always have more fun when we are on vacation when we can leave the hotel and walk to shops v. leave the cabin and walk to the lake. Right now we live in an inner ring Dallas suburb. We can walk to some (very boring) shops but mostly drive everywhere because it seems to be either too hot or too cold much of the time. If I could afford it, I'd live in Berkeley, CA right near the BART station. But, alas, budget forbids!
Thanks! We'll check it all out. We are sort of city-lovers and nature/hiking enjoyers.
Wow, I hope you are not too disappointed with us here. The university area is seriously the only place that one can walk around in the environment that you are talking about. But really, it is nothing like a large city, or even a place that is much smaller than a big city but still with a cosmopolitan feel, like Birmingham in Detroit or Austin. These places are small but pretty cool.
I think you should check out Santa Fe while you are here. It is only an hour drive from here and that city has a lot of character. I'm not a big fan of the plaza, but that is only a small part of the historical district. If you love art then that is a very cool place. They also have a pretty good symphony and many other aspects of a big city on a much smaller scale. There is also a lot of public transport (in the form of busses), and only minutes away from plenty of outdoor spaces.
Have you thought about Palm Springs or any of the nearby cities there? I hear you about Berkeley, although I prefer San Francisco and apartment living. But I certainly understand the desire for a single, detached home. I like mine, but there is always so much work to be done, even if its just keeping up the yards and cleaning. I'm divorced and have to do everthing by myself, although I do prefer my single lifestyle.
I've never spent any time in Arizona but I have heard many good things about some of their larger cities. You can have kind of the best of both worlds in a place like that.
Anyway, I'm sure whatever you find will work out. You have your DH and I'm sure you can make paradise wherever you go.
Phoenix and metro area is very similar to Albuquerque, imo. I vacation there often in the winter and that is my impression. I make it to my Denver office frequently and the downtown area is much more walking/public transport friendly. Albuquerque itself is great for trails; as mentioned food is lacking but Santa Fe is an hour away. Good service is often found at mid end restaurants in the metro are and is lacking in "high-end" places. I used to think it was my age but many older friends experience the same thing.
For housing, most areas of the city have great homes for 300k. I will always recommend the four hills area. You have to walk a long ways to get to anything, even fast food, but its a quick, easy drive to the freeway. Many other areas of town are great to live in as well.
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beautiful albuquerque
An Ultimate Retirement City
