Best retirement--Albuquerque, Austin or Phoenix? (housing, building, location)

[finmqa1]

The Northern end of Rio Rancho has beautiful for much less than Placitas, Corrales, High Desert, and the North Valley. Downtown Albuquerque would be easily accessible via the new Rail Runner commuter train. But if you can afford Corrales or the North Valley those win hands down!!!!

[Ruth Rosenthal]

Thanks. I saw something in "North Valley" that interested me, but I wasn't very familiar with that area, so I wasn't sure if that would be a good place for us or not. I will look there, plus Placitas and the northern reaches of Rio Rancho. Just out of curiosity, does the new Rail Runner run on weekends and during the day, or is it just a commuter train?

[abqsunport]

Really it is pretty much just a cummuter train. Only a handful of times each day on weekdays. Here is a link to the schedules and such:

Official Site of the New Mexico Rail Runner Express

[abqsunport]

Originally Posted by Ruth Rosenthal

Thanks. I saw something in "North Valley" that interested me, but I wasn't very familiar with that area, so I wasn't sure if that would be a good place for us or not. I will look there, plus Placitas and the northern reaches of Rio Rancho. Just out of curiosity, does the new Rail Runner run on weekends and during the day, or is it just a commuter train?

Be sure savy though, because a lot of areas claim to be "north valley" or North East Heights. Be very careful. I would recommend the Valley north of Paseo Del Norte. Atleast stay north of Montano at the very least.

[yukon]

DCTalk, where to retire is solely your decision, but it sounds like you might need to take your likes and dislikes and rank them by "Non-Negotiable" and "Would be Nice". I was considering Phoenix, Denver, Dallas and ABQ, and once I seriously ranked my "wish" list, my perspective on each city changed dramatically. Once you acknowledge what you absolutely will not do without, versus items you're willing to trade off on, things will fall into place.

Having said that, ABQ ranked at the top of my list because of the 4 seasons (and none being extreme), the friendly people, the laid back attitude, the (still) reasonable cost of living, and it has the best air quality of the 4 areas I considered. My only concern was the ABQ job market (which has been laid to rest after my last visit). What I can't find in ABQ will only be a $60 DING! fare away, in PHX or Dallas, and I can visit friends at the same time. ABQ offered the most items on my must have list, with the fewest trade offs for me.

[Trkstp Tina]

My husband would kill me for saying this because he loves Albuquerque and hates Texas, but having been to all three cities, now a resident of Albuquerque and also being a former DC resident, I think Austin might work best for you. Santa Fe is beautiful, but it has a bit of a pretentious feel to it. For some reason, I always feel like if I lived there, it would be really hard to meet people and make friends. But that just might mistaken impression by me, I don't know. I think it might also feel pretty small after a while.

I LOVE New Mexico, and it's indeed one of the most beautiful and special states in the country. But I have found it personally a hard place to move to. If you're moving from the East Coast, it feels kind of isolated. The people here in Albuquerque are friendly, but to me it doesn't have a strong community feel. (I'm sure some people will disagree with me on this.) I have found that the neighborhoods--at least the one that I'm in--are not very social. When we moved into our house, we became close to our next door neighbors, but no one else even came over to welcome us to the neighborhood. It's not uncommon for my husband and I to take walks in our neighborhood and see very few people out. I have a friend in Phoenix, and it sounds the same way in her neighborhood. I've come to the conclusion--maybe wrongly, perhaps some folks will argue with me here--that this is the culture of a lot of suburban Southwestern neighborhoods. People kind of keep to themselves.

Also Albuquerque does have a downtown and Nob Hill, but despite the Rail Runner, it has a very car-dependent and suburban feel, and, of course, so does Phoenix. I can't imagine living here without a car--there are very few walkable areas and what areas there are are very small, especially compared to DC. Albuquerque has a long way to go to have a thriving downtown scene.

So the reason I would suggest Austin is not because I would personally prefer it, but based on what you described, I have a hunch you might like it best. I was there only once many years ago, but I remember a fun and very active downtown and a good music scene. Say what you want about Texans, but they tend to be a friendly bunch and you might be able to plug into the community better. And even though the state is conservative, it's such a big state, I'm sure you'll find people who share your politics and interests. Also, Austin is close enough to other big cities, like Dallas and San Antonio, that you can always experience true big-city amenities. In general, your exposure to arts and culture would probably be greater there and within easier reach. People will say Santa Fe and Albuquerque are artsy places, and they are, but I think the artsy aspect is exaggerated when you look at the many cultural opportunities you can enjoy in a big city. People also talk about how the food is so great here, but compared to places like Chicago, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and Las Vegas, which I think are true restaurant towns, I don't think food in New Mexico is anything to get too excited about. I think you'll find restaurants in New Mexico, Austin and Phoenix pretty comparable to each other.

Just from what I've read about Austin, it sounds like a pretty progressive city. New Mexico is odd in that it seems like it would be progressive but it's not quite there. There's a lot of New Agey businesses out here, but it seems way behind the curve on some things like city planning (lots of sprawl--seems like there are few restrictions on what you can build out here--I think that might be changing, though) and recycling. (We're practically the only people on our block who recycle). There is dog poop all over the trails around here because people don't bother to pick up after their dogs. The medical system that we're in out here (Lovelace) is terribly inefficient. Sometimes it just seems SO laidback here that it's like people work just to collect a paycheck--like there is not a high concern for quality or doing a truly good job. Sometimes a little ambition isn't a bad thing.

If you decide gorgeous scenery, blue skies, great sunsets, slow pace, and outdoor activities are important to you, go with Albuquerque. Despite the negative things I've said here, I do like the city. It's very manageable, and there's a lot to do and see. But otherwise I'd suggest Austin for you, just based on what you described. By the way, I think you did a great job summing up the pros and cons of the cities considering you haven't lived in them.

[Trkstp Tina]

One more comment, and this is actually a negative about Austin. We have friends that moved from Virginia to Dallas last year, and although they are enjoying it, and housing is much more affordable than Virginia, they are dealing with much higher property taxes, higher insurance rates, and higher electric and water bills. Something to think about. They are four or five years from retirement, and they are not sure they want to stay in Texas for those reasons. So make sure you carefully look at ALL taxes AND insurance rates that may affect you in your retirement!

By the way, this same couple recently visited Austin and really liked it.

[DCTalk]

Thanks for your insight, Tina. Gives me something to think about.

I'm wondering what ABQ residents think of the Mesa del Sol project south of the airport. The real deal or just hype? Viable future or doomed to fail? Wise investment or a scam? On paper it sounds interesting and could be the way to go in the region if it works. But I have no way of knowing from a distance if the promise is really there or if the outfit running it is on the up-and-up.

[yukon]

Most states without a state income tax tend to have higher property taxes. When you're looking at the cities, be sure to check related expenses like insurance, too.

[mortimer]

Trkstp Tina warned:

> ... Austin. ... they are dealing with much higher property taxes,
> higher insurance rates, and higher electric and water bills.

That's certainly happening in PHX/DEN/ABQ/TUC also.

Anyone who thinks things in that area are not going to get a whole
lot worse everywhere in the West is dreaming.