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Hey all, moving to Albuquerque soon. I have been lurking the boards for a couple of weeks while going through the interview process for a job there. Now I have an offer in hand, things get really exciting! Not to mention busy...
Anyway, have done a lot of research but want some local input. I would love to find a part of the city that is pretty walkable, with access by foot to shops, eateries, etc. Access to hiking and biking would be high on the list, perhaps even above access to shopping. Nob Hill seems to kind of fit some of that description, but wondered if there were other areas.
Let me complicate this a bit. Have a 6 year old, so must be a safe(ish) and at least a little bit kid friendly, but most importantly, be near a good elementary school. It really seems hit or miss school wise. Some great schools right next to some that rate and rank pretty low.
I will be working in the SE, but my wife is in healthcare and likely will end up somewhere in the NE, so while west of the river is not out totally, east of the river is probably the top choice.
We do both have vehicles, but would really like to leave them in the driveway as often as possible.
Nob Hill will be what you are looking for. Downtown/Oldtown and the NE have better access to trails but Nob Hill has all the other stuff you are looking for. Plus it is easy to get to the NE from there.
Nob Hill will be what you are looking for. Downtown/Oldtown and the NE have better access to trails but Nob Hill has all the other stuff you are looking for. Plus it is easy to get to the NE from there.
Nob Hill Pros: Pretty walkable to shops, eateries, etc Cons: No easy way to walk/cycle to hiking and biking trails in the Foothills. Real estate is generally over priced for what it is.
People always reflexively throw out "Nob Hill" as the walkable area, but I think the Uptown area is really underrated.
Uptown has good, walkable shopping and eating. It is also a secondary hub for transit. Bike trails emanate from there.
It is a major employment center. There are movie theaters. There is rental housing, both newer and older as well
as single family homes ( older ) in that area. Freeway access is quick and easy.
It's an easy commute to SE from there with using a bus a possibility. It will also be easy commuting to anywhere in the NE - car & bus.
When I first moved there, I lived near Eubank and Louisiana. I rode the Embudito arroyo trail almost every day up to Tramway.
It was walkable and "eatable" back in the 1980's. With the new stores that have been added since then, it is even better by
orders of magnitude. Trader Joe's thought enough of Uptown to locate the second store there instead of on the West side.
People always reflexively throw out "Nob Hill" as the walkable area, but I think the Uptown area is really underrated.
Uptown has good, walkable shopping and eating. It is also a secondary hub for transit. Bike trails emanate from there.
It is a major employment center. There are movie theaters. There is rental housing, both newer and older as well
as single family homes ( older ) in that area. Freeway access is quick and easy.
It's an easy commute to SE from there with using a bus a possibility. It will also be easy commuting to anywhere in the NE - car & bus.
When I first moved there, I lived near Eubank and Louisiana. I rode the Embudito arroyo trail almost every day up to Tramway.
It was walkable and "eatable" back in the 1980's. With the new stores that have been added since then, it is even better by
orders of magnitude. Trader Joe's thought enough of Uptown to locate the second store there instead of on the West side.
I would say that these threads could be merged. I looked the older thread over and found everything on there completely up-to-date.
I have spent a pretty good amount of time in New Mexico generally and in Albuquerque specifically, and it is this familiarity that was an extra bonus in accepting the position I am taking.
I have not spent any meaningful time in Nob Hill, though, so in that sense I am only going off what I have researched.
We are going to come out later this month before my start date to do some looking around to see if we can find something like we would like. It is not out of the realm of possibility that we still end up in the 'burbs (something ending in Ranch or Rancho) but we would both really like something a bit more walkable, a bit more eclectic.
We have spent the most time in Taos and Santa Fe and would love to find a part of town that sort of captures some of that same spirit, but still with good schools, and at least relative safety.
Mortimer, the way you phrased this you made it sound like you lived at an intersection of two streets that run parallel and 2 mi apart.
I meant to say Menaul and not Eubank.
You can see where I would make that mistake since both street names have six letters - sharing
the same three vowels. I often mistake one for the other when typing. It's a natural mistake.
Thank you for helping me, and others, make sense of the stuff I'm posting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WandererWest
It is not out of the realm of possibility that we still end up in the 'burbs (something ending in Ranch or Rancho) ...
If you know you are working in the SE ( I'm assuming S of Central and E of Louisiana ... ) then
some practice river crossings at the anticipated times that you will be commuting will be in order.
When rationalizing the lower cost of housing, be sure to factor in the cost of driving your car
other than gasoline. Most people assume this to be zero when it is usually more than the fuel cost.
Also, factor in the value of your time. Even at $5/hour, an extra hour on the road per day works
out to more than $1,000 per year. I like to assign more like $100/hour for time spent in my car.
Time spent on my bike or bus or walking counts as either exercise or reading time and thus is multiplied by $-0-.
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