Transplant seeking advice from locals. (Albuquerque: fit in, to rent, to buy) - City-Data Forum

Stereo Ghost · 09-13-2011, 04:09 PM

Hello, I'm thinking of moving to Albuquerque and I'd like to get some advice from the locals. Right now I live in south Louisiana, which is were I'm from. I'm unhappy here and I've been trying to figure out where to move to. I don't have a college education or any kind of job skills so this is my search criteria instead:

1. Warm weather. Being from the south and being a thin person, I don't like cold weather.
2. Relaxed marijuana laws. I have suffered from depression my whole life. I didn't like prescription anti-depressants. I found that marijuana treats my depression very well. I also appreciate that as a cigarette smoker, marijuana is helping me to prevent cancer. Over here in Louisiana you can end up in prison for possessing marijuana, so i obviously need to be somewhere more relaxed about it.
3. Big enough that I will be able to find "no experience needed" or "entry level" work without having to resort to fast food.
4. Adequate public transportation with little walking, because I'm tired of paying too much to own a car.
5. Decent indie music scene.
6. Cheap/affordable rent.

I have previously lived in Los Angeles, Tucson and Phoenix. I found that L.A. and Phoenix were too big for me, as I'm from a small city in the south. Tucson was pretty cool, I enjoyed it's size and public transportation, but I did have trouble finding work there that wasn't washing dishes part-time.

I've read reviews on other sites that it's hard to find work there if you are not hispanic. How true is that? I'm not hispanic but I do have the advantage of having the last name Albarado, which maybe i could change to Alvarado when filling out applications, just to get a call back and interview. What about piercings? My ears are stretched to 5/8 and over here it makes it difficult to find work. Are employers more accepting of body art over there?

What's the cheapest I could potentially find a room to rent for? Or rather, what's the average? I intend to move with very few belongings so size doesn't matter, I just need some place cheap where i feel safe to leave my laptop during the day.

I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person despite any formal education and I mostly listen to indie, folk and electro music. I don't like heavy metal or hard rock at all. Some people might say I'm a hipster. Is there any kind of music scene there for people of this sort?

Anyone have any experience with the local online dating? It seems these days that the online dating community is only existent if the city is big enough. How is it there?

Any insight at all on any of the things i mentioned would be greatly appreciated! And thanks in advance!

N8! · 09-13-2011, 04:20 PM

I moved here from Shreveport and I like it.

Music:
Sunshine Theater
weekly alibi - albuquerque's alternative newsweekly - alibi.com

Body art is much much much more common than in La.

No need to be hispanic to get a job.

Buy a fixed gear bicycle and you'll blend right in.

mountainbread505 · 09-13-2011, 04:56 PM

Weather; nice for the most part. Fall is perfect spring is nice summer is hot but nights are perfect. Winter= isn't tooo too cold but can get quite chilly at night and for the most part on NICE days you'll have the sun shining hard and you can even wear shorts and a t shirt . Maryjane laws are super laxed here. I've been pulled over a couple times after "hotboxing" reaking of bud and the officer let me go. Luckily he didn know what was in the back seat

. Hipsters are in abundance here you'll fit right in. Ill tell you what though just don't DWB. They take that seriuosly

hahahaha

mountainbread505 · 09-13-2011, 05:01 PM

Oh yeah!!!! I'm "HISPANIC" and I have been looking for a job for 2 years now. =)

I'm a mix of all the cultures here(mainly "hispanic" black and caucasion)

but on the outside I am what THEY call "hispanic" so I don't really fit in with anybody. Its pretty sad. But ummmmmmm yeah I think you'll fit in here. Come on over dude.

Stereo Ghost · 09-13-2011, 05:22 PM

Hey N8, thanks for the links. A fixie huh? Haha. I take it you guys do have bike lanes then? I was actually thinking about getting an electric bike. You know off hand if there's any place to buy them out there?

Being a fellow Louisiananian, how do you like the dry climate? When I was in Arizona I found myself missing the humidity. I was 25 and everyone thought I was 18 because the people who were 25 and from AZ looked like they were 35 due to the dry heat. Lol. Im only 30 now and I've been fortunate enough to age well so far, but I'm betting if i move to ABQ Im going start getting wrinkles real quick. Oh well, i guess age is bound to happen eventually anyway. Haha.

Stereo Ghost · 09-13-2011, 05:23 PM

Hey Mountainbread, thanks for the tips! I guess i don't have to worry about DWB since I'm pale and won't have a car. Lol. A nice moderate winter would be great. Over here in Louisiana with the humidity, it's a wet cold that just bites right through to the bone, I hate it so much!

mountainbread505 · 09-13-2011, 05:33 PM

Yeah haha I've been pulled over for DWB quite a few times. I really don't mind it though. Yes the winters are pretty dry and not too bad. There will only be a few days where the snow sticks and its overcast cold and we won't come out of the freezing mark. I have a bike too and I absolutely love take the bus all the way up to montgomery and tramway or central and tramway and taking the trails downtown. Its soooooo fun. The south side will be the cheapest place to live while the north will get more expensive. Goodluck!!

N8! · 09-13-2011, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stereo Ghost

Hey N8, thanks for the links. A fixie huh? Haha. I take it you guys do have bike lanes then? I was actually thinking about getting an electric bike. You know off hand if there's any place to buy them out there?

Being a fellow Louisiananian, how do you like the dry climate? When I was in Arizona I found myself missing the humidity. I was 25 and everyone thought I was 18 because the people who were 25 and from AZ looked like they were 35 due to the dry heat. Lol. Im only 30 now and I've been fortunate enough to age well so far, but I'm betting if i move to ABQ Im going start getting wrinkles real quick. Oh well, i guess age is bound to happen eventually anyway. Haha.

In the 22+ years I lived in La I never, ever, never got used to the humidity. You can trade your umbrella for a bottle of lotion.

The cold here is 'mild' compared to La when it gets down below 40 deg. Even though the temp in ABQ reads 20, it doesn't freeze like it does in La on a 30 degree day. It's a crisp cold, and not a bone chilling cold.

What you will miss is good cajun food and mudbugs. On the plus side, you will have red & green chile.

I've been down to Lafayette/Morgan City/Baton Rouge/Nawlins many many times and I can't imagine a landscape more opposite of that than New Mexico.

Stereo Ghost · 09-13-2011, 06:29 PM

Yeah you're right, I will miss the crawfish. But even though I'm from Louisiana, aside from crawfish, I don't like spicy food, so no red and green chile for me!

N8! · 09-13-2011, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stereo Ghost

Yeah you're right, I will miss the crawfish. But even though I'm from Louisiana, aside from crawfish, I don't like spicy food, so no red and green chile for me!