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There are dozens upon dozens of apartment complexes in the online for rent guides. I'd prefer some first hand knowledge rather than picking blindly based on price and photos.
Does anyone live at the Cottonwood Ranch apts or know a lot about it? Rather than stay at an extended stay motel when I first move to ABQ I thought I'd pay a few hundred dollars more each month to do a 3 month lease. (I get a job, explore ABQ and then find a permanent place close to work.) I have good credit and can pay a month's deposit. Their junior 1-bedroom is $669 plus $200 extra for securing a 3-month lease - so $869 monthly.
My priorities are 1/ feeling of safety and security in and around the apartment and while walking to shops, 2/ good management/customer service and responsiveness to a plumbing problem for example and 3/ being in a central location no more than a 20 minute drive to the major business districts. It also needs to have a washer & dryer and be fairly up to date.
Or does anyone have a place in mind that seems to suit those priorities?
I have never been inside them but drive by them all the time. I did know a former co-worker that lived there and she said they are nice. It is in a safe area right across the street from Cottonwood Mall with lots of other big box stores, groceries and other amenities nearby. There is a theater, Costco, Sam's Club and dozens of Chain restaurants and local restaurants surrounding the mall. 5 minute drive to open space on the Rio Grande. It is about 15 minutes from the North Jefferson business corridor but 30+ minutes from other business districts. The complex itself is fairly new, probably built within the last 15 years.
Thanks NMHacker. Where are the other business districts and could you recommend other safe areas I could look at which would be central to the majority of the big companies/jobs?
I love the idea of being close to the Rio Grande but not keen on being close to the big box stores/mall as I'd rather perform dental surgery on myself than shop! I prefer the smaller shops and Whole Foods, fresh markets etc. I'd also love a good view of the mountains.
Within 5-10 minutes of that area there is a Sunflower Market and Corrales which also has lots of small quaint shops and a farmers market throughout the spring-fall. There are also lots of small locally owned businesses around there. The mall is the central focal point with the surrounding big box stores but there is lots of other choices. There is even a famer's market store in the same parking lot of the mall. That area also has great views of the mountains. It is also just a short 10 minute drive to North 4th street where there is lots of other choices for small shops and a couple fresh markets.
What type of work will you be looking for?
Jobs are spread out all over. There are large employers (50+ employees) in Rio Rancho, North Jefferson near Pase del Norte, Central Jefferson near I-25, near the Airport/Kirtland/Sandia, Downtown, Uptown.
That actually does sound like a really nice area! I haven't worked for 10 years - took a break for family/personal reasons. Prior to that I was a manager at a car rental company for 8 years and then managed a storage facility for 2 years so my experience is heavily in customer service and that's what I enjoy. I'm now 45 and feeling a little over the hill! Having been "out of service" for such a long time, my thinking is my best bet would be an entry level position for a large, reputable company - customer service at an incoming call enter for example (no cold-calling/sales!) - and then work my way up again. I'd welcome any ideas!
Having been "out of service" for such a long time, my thinking is my best bet would be an entry level position for a large, reputable company - customer service at an incoming call enter for example (no cold-calling/sales!) - and then work my way up again. I'd welcome any ideas!
Well, there is a quite a few call centers within 20-30 minutes of that location.
Rio Rancho:
Spint
Bank of America
Victoria's Secret
HP
Albuquerque also has quite a few:
Lowe's (within 20 minutes of that location)
T-Mobile (within 20 minutes of that location)
Verizon (within 30 minutes of that location)
There are a few more that others might point you to. I believe CitiBank runs a at home call center were all their reps work from home locally. There are a lot of entry level jobs within the various government agencies located in Albuquerque also.
Good luck and if you have any more questions keep on asking.
Thanks for such thorough info! I will keep on asking if you don't mind! Do you know which companies are considered the best employers in the greater ABQ area in the sense of providing good benefits and treating employees as humans rather than machines.
I'd really like to work for a company where the majority of employees are content & feel the company is making an investment in them and in turn they want to do a good job for the company. Somewhere that's not the typical 40 hour week where everyone's counting down the hours until the weekend. I know those companies are few and far between but ABQ seems like the setting for that.
Check out the River Walk Apartments on the NW edge of Albuquerque & Corrales. They may be more your style. Close to walking trails where you get the best of both worlds -- convenient shopping and country-like living. I had a friend who lived there and the prices seemed decent. They have a washer/dryer option and a 6 month lease option but you may be able to pay extra to knock it down to 3 months. The area is very safe and only a couple miles away from the Cottonwood Apartments you mentioned in your first post.
thanks lobo, that's good to know about the high school. I checked the Riverwalk apts online and the complex is very green and looks to have great views of the mountains. I have a feeling I'll really like the Corrales area - I just wonder if it's too far of a drive from the large companies?
I'm curious about Alameda Blvd that crosses the Rio Grande - is the traffic smooth or does it become congested? Also, how wide is the Rio Grande!? I haven't visited yet (waiting for a friend to tell me tell me when she can get off work so we can book tickets.) and I have so many questions/curiousities - I'm chomping at the bit!
How much is an average electric bill for a 1 bedroom apartment and what about cable/high speed internet?
thanks lobo, that's good to know about the high school. I checked the Riverwalk apts online and the complex is very green and looks to have great views of the mountains. I have a feeling I'll really like the Corrales area - I just wonder if it's too far of a drive from the large companies?
I'm curious about Alameda Blvd that crosses the Rio Grande - is the traffic smooth or does it become congested? Also, how wide is the Rio Grande!? I haven't visited yet (waiting for a friend to tell me tell me when she can get off work so we can book tickets.) and I have so many questions/curiousities - I'm chomping at the bit!
How much is an average electric bill for a 1 bedroom apartment and what about cable/high speed internet?
The great thing about this area is that you are less than a mile from all of the great shopping -- just about any store you'll need is close by. But at the same time, you can drive in the other direction and be in the country with quaint little shops, restaurants, horse trails and parades with hayrides.
The Rio Grande is probably 2/10 of a mile wide. I've never really checked on the odometer. Alameda does get quite congested during rush hour commutes (as do all of the river crossings). Other times besides that are smooth sailing except during the Balloon Fiesta (in October) and on various weekend mornings when a lane may be closed for certain charity walks and bike rides.
I live in a house with 3 other people, so my electric bill can't compare to an apartment. I'd guess you'd be looking at around $67 for summer electric with a swamp cooler on all the time (A/C would be a lot more but swamp coolers work just as good out here when the humidity is low), and gas would be around $25ish in the summer. We pay $34/mo for high speed internet with a bundle package (phone, internet, satellite) through Qwest.
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