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Just the wife, mini goldendoodle, and me are going to be moving to ABQ. We're coming from the Dakotas and Minnesota. Love the heat, even at 100 up here. Lots of outdoor activities, do not drink, never arrested, not big into parties. There is virtually no crime up here, it's dirt cheap, and people are as friendly as they get in the US. We're 29 years old.
What are some things that we should expect moving to a completely different place and culture?
Anyone else made this same move from North/midwest to ABQ? What did you think?
I came from the Chicago land area. We came here cause were outdoor people and the weather is better for camping and motorcycle riding. Plus we LOVE mountains. Colorado was are first choice, but all that snow was a turn off. Could not see moving from one snow belt to another. And Arizona was to hot. ABQ is right in the middle. All the places that we like to go are all a few hour drive from here. We do miss Chicago pizza though.
Crime. You are looking at about twice the crime rate and because there is significantly more population here it is going to seem like there is a lot of crime.
Friendlyness. I don't consider Albuquerque unfriendly, but compared to where you are from (stereotyping, never been there), it may seen down right hostile.
The cost of living index for Albuquerque is 93.8, Sioux Falls is 82.8 (US average 100), so it will still be cheaper than many places, but it will feel much more expensive to you.
Other things:
Dry! On average you will see half as many days of rain and maybe 1/3 of precipitation. We have been well below average lately.
Diversity. You will be coming from an area that is probably in the high 80% white to somewhere were you are looking at 43% white.
Color. Its shades of brown, beautiful shades of brown, but it always blows me away to see the color change to green in the NE. I assume it will be similar going from a place that is always green and grass grows naturally to a place that is tan/brown and for the most part if it is green it doesn't grow without human intervention.
Color. Its shades of brown, beautiful shades of brown, but it always blows me away to see the color change to green in the NE. I assume it will be similar going from a place that is always green and grass grows naturally to a place that is tan/brown and for the most part if it is green it doesn't grow without human intervention.
There is some color change... Rio Grande. Rio Rancho Bosque, New Mexico. October 15th 2012:
Also altitude. I didn't realize that altitude affected me as much as it does until living in ABQ a few years. Also got diagnosed with sleep apnea and needed oxygen therapy. Doc said lose 40lbs and move to sea level, and you'll be fine. Just FYI, the air is thin, ABQ is over a mile high.
Also altitude. I didn't realize that altitude affected me as much as it does until living in ABQ a few years. Also got diagnosed with sleep apnea and needed oxygen therapy. Doc said lose 40lbs and move to sea level, and you'll be fine. Just FYI, the air is thin, ABQ is over a mile high.
I'm sorry you found this to be a problem, but this is the first time I've ever heard of someone having a long-term problem with the altitude. I've known lots of people who've moved to Albuquerque from sea level over the years (myself included) but never heard of anyone who had to leave because of the altitude. So I don't think this should be a concern for the OP and his wife.
About crime, Albuquerque's crime rate is less than Minneapolis' and Milwaukee's according to city-data stats, and fairly comparable to Rapid City. So why someone would say our crime is "twice as high" here is beyond me. The "Northern Midwest" also includes cities in Michigan that everyone knows have much higher crime.
Altitude is a good point to bring up, but neither of us has ever had issues when going up mountains or anything (including Colorado and the Swiss Alps) so it should be ok. Thanks.
Crime is so difficult to judge. Rapid crime is high probably because of minor stupid things like shoplifting or vandalism. It's a different culture in SD for sure, too. Like, even the people who actually sell drugs would not scare anyone in the town I grew up in. They might do massive deals and hard drugs, but there's no real gangs or violence, even if you're involved in those groups. I have been to MN and WI enough and for an extended period to get an idea of those cities, so thanks for the info!
About crime, Albuquerque's crime rate is less than Minneapolis' and Milwaukee's according to city-data stats, and fairly comparable to Rapid City. So why someone would say our crime is "twice as high" here is beyond me. The "Northern Midwest" also includes cities in Michigan that everyone knows have much higher crime.
I was comparing to to Sioux Falls (should have said so, from his post history this looks like where he is), which has a crime index of 250ish vs Albuquerque 470. Glancing at the numbers it looks like the index is based on per capita crime, but not sure exactly how it is calculated.
If you compare something like robberies, which had 75 in 2011 (48.2 per 100,000) vs Albuquerque which has 998 in 2011 (180.8 per 100,00). There is a lot more per capita crime and because the population is so much larger it is going to seem like a huge amount of crime. Now if they have experience in Minneapolis or Milwaykee it might not feel so jarring, but if they have only lived in towns like Sioux falls it is probably going to feel extremely different and perhaps unsafe.
I'm sorry you found this to be a problem, but this is the first time I've ever heard of someone having a long-term problem with the altitude. I've known lots of people who've moved to Albuquerque from sea level over the years (myself included) but never heard of anyone who had to leave because of the altitude. So I don't think this should be a concern for the OP and his wife.
About crime, Albuquerque's crime rate is less than Minneapolis' and Milwaukee's according to city-data stats, and fairly comparable to Rapid City. So why someone would say our crime is "twice as high" here is beyond me. The "Northern Midwest" also includes cities in Michigan that everyone knows have much higher crime.
The long-term problem is sleep apnea, but the low oxygen at altitude greatly increases the symptoms, ie waking up choking, or waking up with a headache. The OP sounds fit and free of breathing problems though, but anyone who is either a) overweight or b) asthmatic, is naturally going to have a tougher time breathing at altitude. The difference I feel now living back at 900 ft vs 5300 ft is night and day. I didn't "have" to leave, and altitude wasn't even a reason that I left, but it was a learning experience for my own physiology to find out that me and high altitudes don't mesh well.
As far as crime, though I wasn't a victim of any crimes in ABQ, it can definitely feel a bit shady, especially downtown and UNM areas. Lots of tattoo'd people, lots of UFC/MMA fans, and lots of bikers. Also before I left, I believe the APD was under federal investigation to find out why so many people have been getting shot by cops. News clip: http://m.koat.com/news/Federal-autho...p/-/index.html
As far as crime, though I wasn't a victim of any crimes in ABQ, it can definitely feel a bit shady, especially downtown and UNM areas. Lots of tattoo'd people, lots of UFC/MMA fans, and lots of bikers.
Why do those types scare you? I know lots of people with tattoos and also bikers. (I don't know many UFC/MMA fans, the two I know are in IT so probably not the norm) Many are just normal every day people navigating life just like the rest of us. They just look different. Walking around downtown (where I live) and UNM I also see many other types. Lawyers, Doctors, College Students, Professionals, Nurses, Government Employees... the list goes on. That is probably why I like those areas, because of the diversity. My immediate neighbors are an eclectic group. An administrator for the Opera Southwest, Chemical Engineer, Artist with Tattoos, Grad Students, Retired Labs couple and an Tattooed Electrician (I am IT and wife small business owner). We all get a long and are good neighbors to each other.
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