Allergies in Albuquerque (Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Taos: rentals, organic, living in)

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by davidafan

Our 14yo daughter suffers from extreme allergy symptoms. She is allergic to dust mites and a type of mold found in the air in moist climates like ours here in Michigan........The only thing that has ever "cured" her was when we visited Nevada and Arizona. When we were there, her eyes felt great and she didn't even need eye drops.......
Okay, so how dry is the climate in Albuquerque? The reason that I ask is that my husband works for a national company that has an opening in Albuquerque that would be exactly what he is doing now?

There are a few differences between NM and AZ/NM.

1. NM adobe construction can mold if not taken care of, the flat roofs leak, and, the pentachlorophenol wood preservative is a problem for some people.

2. NM experiences summer monsoons (late June - August) that increase mold. So does Flagstaff, Tucson, and Phoenix, but not that much in Nevada.

3. The lowest elevation in NM is about 4500' in Las Cruces; ABQ is 5000' - therefore, winters will be colder with a little more condensation and a little more mold than Phoenix or Vegas at 1000'

4. NM experiences gusty west winds in the spring, much more so than NV/AZ. And, gusty east canyon winds in the city of Albuquerque any time of the year. Some are sensitive to wind, others are not. Those that are (like me) should live in Corrales, Los Ranchos, the West Side, and the North Valley.

5.Dust mites are everywhere in all states, and their carcasses [ ]are very allergic, therefore, vacuuming is required anywhere.

6. Overall, relative humidities are very low, and the percentage of possible sunshine is very high.

7.Albuquerque is at 5,000 - w/ the oxygen pressure rating (forgot what it's called - I almost majored in meteorology) at 1.17 vs. 1.00 - Some w/ allergies can't tolerate high elevations. My exercise tolerance goes down above 5,000' And, since allergies often go along with depression and anxiety, that's why Santa Fe, Flagstaff, and other mountain towns 7,000'+ have economic decline and a lot of self-medication with pot, meth, because w/ less oxygen, levels of norepineprhrine and dopamine go down since they're oxidized (the "Feel good" neurotransmitters).

Average Relative Humidity(%)

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/...ccd/pctpos.txt

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by OnTaMove

According to this website: www.city-data.com/forum/albuquerque/569402-humidity-allergies-albuquerque.html
the least humid cities in the US are:
Las Vegas AVOID
Phoenix AVOID
Yuma AVOID
El Paso NOT SURE BUT NEIGHBORHING LAS CRUCES IS OK!
Albuquerque OK!
Grand Junction, CO MARGINAL
Winslow, AZ STRONGLY AVOID - ANYTHING ON I-40 BETWEEN VEGAS AND GRANTS, NM
Colorado Springs MARGINAL
Winnemucca, NV ?
Bakersfield, CA AVOID!!!!! ANYTHING IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
Roswell,NM ? Good question!
Billings, MT ? Some ares of Montana are OK!
Big Delta, AK ?

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[manquaman]

It is conincidental that I came upon this post now. I am a golfer and recently began to be very allergic out on the course. I couldn't believe it because it is February!

I have lived all over the country in the past twenty years. I grew up in Albuquerque and lived here for twenty years before leaving. I lived in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Metropolitan Detroit, and Washington, DC. I just came back to Albuquerque six months ago and I can't believe that my allergies are back so soon. I normally get allergies during Spring and Fall. Here, I am allergic to Cotton Wood trees, and it doesn't matter that the bulk of them are eight miles away along the river.

Albuquerque is the high desert, not an arid desert like Arizona and Nevada. It is so dry here that as a child I frequently got nose bleeds in the winter because of the lack of humidity in the air. Even now I have to use body lotion to sleep comfortably at night, and my fingertips will spontaneously burst along the nail if I don't keep them moisturized.

The only place where my allergies seemed to decrease was Las Vegas. But I would seriously consider what you would be doing to your family by moving there. Vegas is not a happy place. It is the center of the universe of gambling and all other vices. I did work in the high end hotel business, but we saw every level of society in the casino. It reaches everyone, and unless you can say with complete honesty that gambling, alcohol and sex do not interest you or can change you, then stay away. Everyone has a story... And it gets so hot in the summer that there is little outdoor activity unless you can take the 100-120 degree heat.

My allergies were just as bad as ever when I lived in Michigan. I will keep my comments about Michigan to myself, except to say that raising a family is a top priority there, which made it barely tolerable. DC's weather is much the same so there was little change there for me, regarding allergies.

I cannot speak about Arizona because I have never lived there. You will want to consider your daughter's education, so I would look into that to compare the two cities, IMO. I talked my niece out of going to Arizona for college and I will not allow my son to attend there. Partying is practically an official major there and unless your child is impervious to social coersion I would seriously think about that. One advantage, however, is a more cosmopolitan lifestyle and broader range of social and socioeconomic strata. If you as a couple seek society outside the house, this is your place. If your concern is nesting and home projects, Albuquerque will suit your needs.

I will fully admit that Albuquerque can be an intellectual wasteland with rare social opportunities and a restaurant scene that leaves a lot to be desired. But all of this will depend on your own requirements and values. Raising a family here is ideal for children. You would want to stick to the Northeast Heights so your daughter could attend Eldorado, La Cueva, or Sandia (possibly Manzano) high school. Stay away from St Pius and focus on Academy if you want a private education. You should be able to find everything you need and more here if family is your focus. It will take a little more participation on your part, but you will find friends and coworkers that share excellent values. I have always said that Albuquerque is a great place to grow up and a terrific place to retire to - it's the in between that leaves lot to be desired. But if you have a secure job waiting for you, there should be nothing stopping you

I would recommend taking a week to ten days and visiting both places to see how your daughter reacts. Both climates are mild even now, but I imagine your daughter's Spring Break could easily be extended a day or two and it would give you a good idea of how she is affected.

[davidafan]

Thanks to all of you for your responses. ITA about Vegas--we would never want our kids there, and the one time that we were there we absolutely HATED the place. Very, very depressing.

As far as I know, dd tested negative for any tree or pollen allergies. I can see where Albuquerque would be a bit more humid than AZ because of the higher elevation and snow in the mountains, but it still sounds wonderful. My husband and I are not society people at all. We are very home oriented and don't need fine dining, social clubs, etc. to be happy. We'll have to see which city has a position for him with his current company when we get ready to move and go from there.

Thanks again and thanks also for the humidity charts. They are very helpful.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tom Lane

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not quite know what you mean by avoid because of the economy. My understanding is: NM has been hit less than most places, as for mold and adobe, remember or maybe you didn't know this: very few homes in NM are built out of adobe, they haven't been for many hears, some yes, but not many.

Nita

[yukon]

A friend of mine has asthma and mold allergies. She does GREAT out here. The ONLY thing I'm allergic to is certain tree pollen, and we have 3 of the 4 pollens here. I've been sick more in the last 12 months than I was my entire 7 years in FL. If mold is your trigger, you'd probably do well here.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by nmnita

not quite know what you mean by avoid because of the economy. My understanding is: NM has been hit less than most places, as for mold and adobe, remember or maybe you didn't know this: very few homes in NM are built out of adobe, they haven't been for many hears, some yes, but not many.

Nita

Here's the US recession map from the NY Times that I based that analysis for each city from:

The New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Cities in Trouble vs. Growing Cities

This is courtesy of another poster on city-data and it has been re-printed all over these forums by several people.

Albquerque is also doing well w/o many foreclosures because Mayor Chavez apparently does not enact the detrimental policies of "Smart Growth."

This is why many southwestern towns (Flagstaff, Boulder) have such expensive housing and high rents:

http://americandreamcoalition.org/BriefCO.pdf

DEMOGRAPHIA: Demographics Development Impacts Market Research & Urban Policy

[CCCVDUR]

Mayor Chavez in an interview at 5pm booming across all the S.W. states with Art Ortega Sunday on 770 KKOB says Albuquerque IS in a recession - HOWEVER it is expected to recover much faster than other cities.

And, Marty stressed that the key to Albuquerque's success has been that the door has always been open to entrepreneurs.

[yukon]

It IS a good city for networking.

[sisteroma]

This is great this is what i was going to ask hi gies this is my first time and i am planning that move from los angeles to nw why because of the sun the sun is my enemy it is so bad they said i have the cousin of the lupus family i am from jamaica and spend all my life in the sun, now move to los angeles in 1993 and now this i am suffering my face is big every morning until the sun come up,then it goes away dr said its the butterfly faze i itch all over until my skin break making this move is not going to be easy as i have two children who have relocate to new schools,our new home and my job if i can still work anyone got suggestions thanks ps i have a aunt in albuquerque thats why i choose there she also needs me.