Good area for apartment search (Albuquerque: apartment complex, to rent, crime)

[Don B]

Hi,
I am helping my brother move to Albuquerque. I have been using the internet to screen apartments...he is on fixed income, so $500-600 month is ceiling (1 bdrm or studio). Located a few candidates in NE area around Arroyo Del Oso golf course. Can anyone comment on safety and features of this area as well as which direction (north?) to go from there if recommending elsewhere?

Thanks much

[AndyJ]

I happen to live (roughly) in this area, and for the most part it's pretty safe. I know of one apartment complex right by the golf course that has had the police called to it just once in the last year. It's a relatively small complex, and the larger apartments in this area don't seem to have much crime either, certainly no serious crime (murders, etc.). A good source of info are APD crime reports, and if you can actually go to one of the substations (the one on Osuna Rd. is the nearest, just southeast of ADO), they will give you a report on apartments. I believe you can access general reports by police beat online as well.

As far as the features of the area, there is the golf course obviously, but also several parks, and residential areas. Grocery stores are located at Academy and San Mateo, and Academy and Wyoming. There are a lot of restaurants on San Mateo, which is just west of this area. I enjoy living in this part of the city because it's pretty safe, has a lot of options in terms of dining and grocery shopping, and it doesn't have a suburban feel to it (although that may not be a plus in some folk's eyes). If your brother is interested in night life and entertainment, a lot of that is located downtown, and actually isn't a bad drive (10 minutes, maybe 15-20 once you find a parking spot).

At any rate, I hope this helps a little bit, and yes, if you want to look at other areas I recommend going north, or looking on the west side of the city. Good luck to you and your brother in your searching.

[yukon]

I checked out a bunch of places this past weekend in the NE area, here's my observations (for what they're worth, ha!):

If you go south on Louisiana from Osuna, just before Montgomery there is a very nice complex called Villa del Oso. One bedrooms are large, about 700 sf, and they rent for $580 (includes gas for hot water & heat, and water, you pay electricity). No washer/dryer hookups but each building has a small laundry room in it. I checked the place out this past weekend and really liked it. We even talked with some residents and they said they liked the place a lot (nice range of tenants, from students to seniors).

At Academy & Wyoming are two older complexes, Wyoming Apartments and Academy Heights. The one & two bedroom units at Academy Heights include all utilities (or they did a couple of months ago, anyway). Friend of mine used to live at Academy Heights (about 18 months ago) and really liked the complex and neighborhood. One bedrooms at Academy Heights start at $575, I don't have prices handy for the other complex.

La Paloma, behind the Walmart at the same intersection, is very nice, but also more expensive ($750 I think for 1 bedroom).

You might also check out some places on Eubank (north of Montgomery), if that's not too far north/east for you. Prices are a little higher but it's a very nice neighborhood. The Overlook was nice, they have 3 different sizes of one bedrooms and prices start at $575. Mesa Verde, also in the same area of Eubank, has a wide assortment of studios and one bedrooms, the one I looked at was $580 month, but there were two smaller units for less (don't have price handy, sorry). What I liked about this part of Eubank is there's a nice shopping center midway with a grocery store, shops, health club, dry cleaner, etc.

Personally, I didn't care for any of the places we looked at ON Montgomery. The ones east of Louisiana were nice enough, but I don't like living on a road as busy as Montgomery is. Eubank, while 4-lane, was also more residential. And Villa del Oso backs up to a nice subdivision.

I tend to walk my dog late at night, so I always look for neighborhoods where I'd feel comfortable out walking at midnight with a pooch. All these places passed my dog walk test

[Don B]

Thanks to both of you - this is great help as they include some of the apartments I was spotting on the internet.


The other area I am checking now is around Nob Hill.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by yukon

You might also check out some places on Eubank (north of Montgomery), if that's not too far north/east for you. Prices are a little higher but it's a very nice neighborhood. The Overlook was nice, they have 3 different sizes of one bedrooms and prices start at $575. Mesa Verde, also in the same area of Eubank, has a wide assortment of studios and one bedrooms, the one I looked at was $580 month, but there were two smaller units for less (don't have price handy, sorry). What I liked about this part of Eubank is there's a nice shopping center midway with a grocery store, shops, health club, dry cleaner, etc.

Can I get an "Amen" to this!!?? My wife and I - when we relo'd to Albuquerque in early 2004, before buying a house rented at the Overlook for awhile, and we both loved this area of Albuquerque. The area around Eubank Blvd. and between Academy and Osuna is great. Yukon hit some reasons right on the head, combined with there is a great park in the area, it is ultra scenic (great view of the Valleys of the city, the West Mesa, and you are super close the mountains.

The Overlook was a pretty darn nice apartment complex for the $$...nice facilities.

The house we owned in ABQ from 2004-this year was close to the Arroyo Del Oso golf course...only a few blocks away...near Wyoming and Montgomery...this was a pretty nice area too. I guess if I were going to RENT near Arroyo Del Oso, I would try to stay closer to Academy or Osuna than to Montgomery, and not right on Wyoming, but overall this is a really great area of Albuquerque too. ADO golf course is really nice.

I am all about this area of Albuquerque.

Nob Hill is nice too...it is probably less family oriented and more college age / artist oriented.