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The original poster mentioned that Albuquerque is isolated. I agree. However, there is a benefit to that. This is one of the very few large cities in the United States that has maintained a truly authentic and historic culture that is readily seen in its architecture, food and people. It is not generic in any way. Most large US cities tend to look all the same nowadays, and are shaped primarily by commercial and corporate interests. I like to explain to outsiders that living in Albuquerque is the closest thing to living in a foreign country in the US. Albuquerque keeps a foot firmly planted in its proud history and culture, and makes no apologies for that. It is authentic. I like that.
The original poster said that the "parks are terrible." In Albuquerque, you cannot thinks of parks as they are thought of traditionally in most big cities; with basketball and tennis courts, hot dog vendors and running tracks. In Albuquerque, think of 'open spaces', not parks. Here you hike, and cycle, picnic and camp in beautiful open spaces. The Elena Gallegos Open Space at the foot of the Sandias is, to my eye, one of the most fascinating and beautiful 'open spaces' I have ever seen in an urban setting. Albuquerque has some of the best open spaces I have seen in any big American city. They could not have the Balloon Fiesta here if ABQ had the density of most mid-large US cities.
I personally don't think the 'homeless' problem downtown is what it appears to be ( I live downtown too). By some published estimates, Albuquerque has the second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in all of the United States. We are also home to most of the brainpower doing weapons research in this country (Sandia Labs for one). The military industrial complex is doing far more here than we could ever imagine. Now, when is the last time you've seen anyone in military uniform around here? I am personally convinced that many of those 'homeless' are in fact military/police eyes and ears. The government has a lot of secrets here, and much like the Stasi in the GDR, their presence is woven deeply into the everyday fabric of life in this city. So treat the 'homeless' nice. I've resigned myself to the fact that if an inevitable water shortage doesn't wipe out Albuquerque, a nuclear conflict will.
As cities go, I find Albuquerque to be friendly. It does not have the gated community mindset that grips much of California and Phoenix, AZ, our closest big city cousin. People tend to be more relaxed and tolerant of diverse cultures here. If you are inquisitive and open to new cultural experiences, this is one of the best places to live in the US. If you are afraid of strangers, you may find Phoenix more to your liking - lots of gated communities.
No matter where you live, if you focus on the negatives, you will eventually find them so annoying that you will leave. There are negatives here, but lots of positives as well. It's just a matter of what you focus on.
I moved to Albuquerque two years ago, and wanted to give my own two-year report on the city. My husband and I moved here after spending five years in Cleveland, and before that, we lived in over ten mostly major cities all over the US and one in Canada (Vancouver) including NYC and Chicago.
We really enjoy Albuquerque. It has a distinct culture & food scene, great weather, and friendly people, plus a reasonable cost of living. While Abq is far from having a foodie scene of any sort, we have become addicted to chile, particularly red chile. My favorite places are Mary & Tito's and probably Frontier. If/when we move, I'll be one of those people ordering Hatch chiles online. I now crave raw oysters because of their scarcity here, but I know I can get a fix at Petite Louis on Thursdays & Fridays, or at Seasons on Fridays and Saturdays. Last week we stumbled upon very good oysters at Sharky's on Central west of the river -- plus the other seafood we had there was very fresh. Can't believe I haven't heard about this place. It's all outdoor seating. Do go.
I agree with many posters that drivers are not the best here. The concept of merging seems particularly foreign to many, and right, signaling is always optional. People in big white trucks tend to be the most impatient. I don't get it, because on foot people are always polite. On the plus side, the traffic here pales in comparison to a lot of places -- although, I know, had I needed to drive on Paseo del Norte regularly during the long construction period, I would be singing a different tune.
Here in Abq we rented in Nob Hill for a year and bought a house a year ago in the Country Club area between Old Town & Downtown. We liked both, but this downtown neighborhood seems a little funkier and tighter in terms of neighbors. There's a fair amount of crime in both areas (plenty of house break-ins), but I can't say I feel unsafe walking even after dark (although I'm with my husband then). Which brings up one of the most interesting things that struck me about Abq, and that's the lack of streetlights. It's actually dark here in the city neighborhoods in some places. I'm not complaining either. It's nice to be able to see the stars, and I'm not one who thinks that more lights = greater safety necessarily. Yes, we do have a significant homeless issue here, and it's sad...
Oh, and we have Uber, and it's fantastic because the cab system sucks. You don't want to be drinking and driving in this city. There are frequent road blocks. We also now have a bike rental system, although I haven't tried it because I ride my own bike.
Some posters have mentioned that people have very tight family units here, and yes, I'd agree. When a significant percentage of the population is born in one city and stays there for most of their lives, that happens. I found the same to be true of Boston, where I lived for six years. It does make it more difficult for newcomers to make friends, even when people are as friendly as they are here.
Albuquerque is a bit isolated, and it typically takes a flight connection to get anywhere except Phx, Denver or Houston -- and we do have this great red eye to NYC on Southwest. But it is fun to explore this unique state which is easy to do by car.
Personally, I'd like to stay here for several years. There's a distinctive Hispanic and Native American culture that's very appealing, especially when it merges into the food and cultural scene. All is not perfect, but I have a nice life here.
Albuquerque is a bit isolated, and it typically takes a flight connection to get anywhere except Phx, Denver or Houston -- and we do have this great red eye to NYC on Southwest. But it is fun to explore this unique state which is easy to do by car.
Southwest also has a direct flight to Seattle. With that one Albuquerque doesn't seem so isolated.
Southwest also has a direct flight to Seattle. With that one Albuquerque doesn't seem so isolated.
You can also go to...
Atlanta GA
Baltimore MD
Carlsbad NM
Chicago IL
Dallas/Fort Worth TX
Denver CO
Houston TX
Kansas City MO
Las Vegas NV
Los Alamos NM
Los Angeles CA
Minneapolis MN
New York NY
Oakland CA
Orlando FL
Phoenix AZ
Portland OR
Salt Lake City UT
San Diego CA
San Francisco CA
Seattle WA
Atlanta GA
Baltimore MD
Carlsbad NM
Chicago IL
Dallas/Fort Worth TX
Denver CO
Houston TX
Kansas City MO
Las Vegas NV
Los Alamos NM
Los Angeles CA
Minneapolis MN
New York NY
Oakland CA
Orlando FL
Phoenix AZ
Portland OR
Salt Lake City UT
San Diego CA
San Francisco CA
Seattle WA
Is it just me or has the number of direct flights to ABQ dropped? For example, there used to be a direct from Tampa to ABQ on Southwest but it is no more...
Is it just me or has the number of direct flights to ABQ dropped? For example, there used to be a direct from Tampa to ABQ on Southwest but it is no more...
Southwest dropped their flights significantly with the expiration of the Wright Amendment. See ABQ flights?.
Southwest dropped their flights significantly with the expiration of the Wright Amendment. See ABQ flights?.
It was six months or so before that, even, though I'm sure the amendment's pending expiration was on their minds. There are no longer any direct flights on Southwest to/from Tucson or El Paso, for example.
Yes, Southwest dropped 5 flights out of El Paso with the expiration of the Wright Amendment. ABQ-ELP was dropped years ago which was too bad. The flights that used to come from Love Field now can bypass ABQ or ELP on to points west.
My sister-in-law lives in ABQ. We have visited there several times. The weather is good, but as the summer gets hotter there are not that many places to swim. Ditto on the scenery. It's really stunning. She lives on the west side of town which sits up on this high hill. There's a spot I would go down the road at night and during sunset where you can just gaze across the Rio Grande valley and the Sandia Peaks. Sunset is great too. We usually go down to old Town with her kids and it has a great family feel to it. The folks are really friendly we speak with. Still the town seems to have a disproportionate # of people who are below the poverty line. I know what Sobefobik is saying about isolated; it's almost like being on another planet. I'd put this high on my list of western cities to visit. Not sure I'd recommend living there. My sis-in-law is getting ready to move back to Atlanta. It's just limiting in job opportunities. It seems like you need to have some family connections.
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