Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am looking for a (hopefully) permanent move to a new area. Albuquerque seems like the perfect fit for my girlfriend and me...I love hiking, biking, the outdoors, the sun and Mexican cuisine. I really enjoy the desert. The proximity to Santa Fe is also appealing. I play poker as a hobby and to earn a bit of extra income so it's nice for me that there are some good games in the area.
Housing looks very affordable for us ($300k-$400k range appears to have some beautiful homes on zillow) in comparison to Alberta (not that purchasing here is an option...we hate it here).
I'm a pretty simple guy, I just love going on long hikes with my dog, doing a bit of photography and being in the fresh air....just lying in the sun reading a book works once in a while. Road trips are great as well and I have traveled for weeks on several occasions through the Southwest.
We would both have professional employment arranged prior to moving, so jobs are not an issue. No kids and likely won't ever have any so schools are not an issue. I'm 40 (how did that happen?) and she is 33. I'm a veterinarian and she is a nurse. Yes, we can both work in the US easily via a TN Visa. Our incomes will be slashed a bit from current levels, but who cares. I need to get back to living somewhere enjoyable.
So...the question is what are the pitfalls of living in Albuquerque that I cannot see as an outsider?
I hate that we don't have enough nurses and veterinarians. Come on down!
But really, from the way you describe yourselves, it sounds like New Mexico is just right for you.
It DOES look beautiful and I can't wait to get back to a place I enjoy. I will assume from the lack of responses that most people like it there. If you post this question in some other forums you get 20 responses an hour.
It's remote, far from other big cities, lacks entertainment, is non progressive, people don't want change, everything closes early, too much crime and political corruption, always dry, don't get to see much water or anything green, no pro sports teams, red light cameras, low paying jobs, i can probably think of more but u get the idea.
Just curious; what low paying job in Albuquerque is a high paying job in another place?
I'm assuming that you mean the above and not that the jobs that are here are terrible
low-paying jobs whilst the jobs in Phoenix or Dallas are mostly better-paying.
Note that $100k garbage collectors in big cities where you have to
have connections to get the 5-hour/day job in the public union.
I understand that average pay is less here. It might be 10% less than in Phoenix or Dallas ( or not ).
I keep hearing this lament and want this out in the open ( or not ).
It's remote, far from other big cities, lacks entertainment, is non progressive, people don't want change, everything closes early, too much crime and political corruption, always dry, don't get to see much water or anything green, no pro sports teams, red light cameras, low paying jobs, i can probably think of more but u get the idea.
Remote is not a problem for me -- being near mountains, hiking, biking is more important. Sun and warmth are important. Cheap flights to some of my favourite cities in the US (San Diego, Portland...have never been to Boulder but it sounds like a nice place to visit, Santa Fe is cool from what I can recall) seems like a great benefit. I currently live in a remote city with NOTHING around it (no mountains, no forests, no desert, no ocean) for a 3 hour drive and with temperatures of -30 Celsius (feels like -50) for 4 months or more of the year and 2 months of summer. I can now walk outside in the winter and actually tell the difference between -10 and -20 and -30. Not my favourite life skill.
What do you consider entertainment? For me it's hiking, biking, exploring new areas, going out to interesting restaurants and playing poker. I dated an Opera singer for 4 years and can live without ever seeing another Opera. Really, I just want to move somewhere warm, get a new dog and enjoy some time outdoors.
How early do things close? What things?
What sort of crime? Does it affect you on a day to day basis? Does it feel unsafe to live there? Are there safe and unsafe neighbourhoods?
In my opinion, all politics are corrupt in every country, province, state, etc. I do not pay attention to politics at all.
Dry is ok...just as dry here, but freezing as well.
Really, no green? I understand it is the high desert, but I see quite a few trees in photos of Albuquerque. Even the houses I see on zillow have grass yards with some trees in comparison to the desert yards I have seen in Vegas, Phoenix and the like.
The only sport I watch is MMA. Sports aren't a big deal to me. I would go to an amateur baseball game or something on a nice sunny day once or twice a year for something different...but it isn't really important to me.
Are red light cameras a big point of contention in the area?
Jobs -- do you feel that the recession has hit Albuquerque harder than other areas?
The bolded are the ones I care about...please let me know.
3. Some people get tired of repeatedly answering the same question's.
4. There have been a few people who have posted who went running away from the area after a period of time...
All forums are not equal.
Rich
Thanks Rich,
I just read them all.
Any comments wrt my questions?
It seems crime is a bit of a problem: Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Thanks for all the great photos.
Last edited by Yac; 11-08-2011 at 05:02 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Come on down! 
