Should my Dog and I move to Albuquerque or Santa Fe from Oregon (Rio Rancho: apartment, rental)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
After 20 years in beautiful but rainy rainy Oregon I'm ready for a move. I'm worried to leave friends but am hoping new friends won't be too difficult to find.
he things I love to be around are ART, Film, social people who have a purpose in life, animals (dogs), bicycling everywhere slowly, swimming anywhere, late nights. I don't like bars, alcoholics, drugs, crime or elitists. I am probably a "progressive house fellowship christian" if you want a title.
I've been considering San Diego, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Mexico.... I work as a freelance English teacher and a professional photographer around the world so I can really live anywhere. I leave often for work but want a new home base around people who like to do things in life and have purposes.
The only negative thing that I heard about Albuquerque is that it has a high home break in ratio. I REALLY want to feel safe and not worry about my belongings being robbed. I am very street savvy but there is not much a person can do if criminals target your house to rob.
I'd like to hear from anyone living in NM about where to look and where to avoid. Also I would like to not spend too much on a rental and rather save to buy a house in the near future so am willing to experience some inconvenience in order to be able to buy in a few years. Renting a 1-2 bedroom / garden space that is not too far from the artistic markets or from the airport would be ideal. MAybe I'm dreaming but I might as well say it right?
I'm planning now so that I can make this move in one-year!
T
I do speak Spanish. Would love to teach English in Albuquerque or teach pjournalism. Yes have a degree in both and have extended pro-experience.
Please tell me about your experiences in Albuquerque vs. Santa Fe.
Art venues?
Rental prices? (smallish clean 2 bedroom with patio or garden)
Santa Fe is climatically different from Albuquerque, despite being quite close. Colder winters, cooler summers. Its more expensive, but there are some harder to find affordable options. It's probably more "progressive", to a degree at least. I'll let locals comment on that and the arts and film, as I'm not that familiar with the abq scene.
What is your idea of "purpose"? I've heard a lot of people complain that some New Mexicans lack purpose and direction. This usually comes across to me as a thinly veiled racial slur, as they are usually referring to Hispanics. I either don't notice those things, or I don't hold it against people because its none of my business where other people want to take (or not take) their lives. Plus I respect people who live simple contented lives, who don't feel the need to be another cog in the military-industrial economic machine that is helping ruin the planet.
OTOH, it is also refreshing to be around people who have similar purpose, or other interesting purposes in life, so I can I understand that desire. You can can find that connection anywhere by seeking out your interest groups.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f
After 20 years in beautiful but rainy rainy Oregon I'm ready for a move. I'm worried to leave friends but am hoping new friends won't be too difficult to find.
he things I love to be around are ART, Film, social people who have a purpose in life, animals (dogs), bicycling everywhere slowly, swimming anywhere, late nights. I don't like bars, alcoholics, drugs, crime or elitists. I am probably a "progressive house fellowship christian" if you want a title.
I've been considering San Diego, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Mexico.... I work as a freelance English teacher and a professional photographer around the world so I can really live anywhere. I leave often for work but want a new home base around people who like to do things in life and have purposes.
The only negative thing that I heard about Albuquerque is that it has a high home break in ratio. I REALLY want to feel safe and not worry about my belongings being robbed. I am very street savvy but there is not much a person can do if criminals target your house to rob.
I'd like to hear from anyone living in NM about where to look and where to avoid. Also I would like to not spend too much on a rental and rather save to buy a house in the near future so am willing to experience some inconvenience in order to be able to buy in a few years. Renting a 1-2 bedroom / garden space that is not too far from the artistic markets or from the airport would be ideal. MAybe I'm dreaming but I might as well say it right?
I'm planning now so that I can make this move in one-year!
T
I do speak Spanish. Would love to teach English in Albuquerque or teach pjournalism. Yes have a degree in both and have extended pro-experience.
Please tell me about your experiences in Albuquerque vs. Santa Fe.
Art venues?
Rental prices? (smallish clean 2 bedroom with patio or garden)
As for the home break ins, it's like any other town or city - just depends on where you live. I've been in ABQ 6 years now and neither my car nor my apartment have been broken into. I lived in Dallas and had 3 attempts in 3 different neighborhoods.
The things I love to be around are ART, Film, social people who have a purpose in life, animals (dogs), bicycling everywhere slowly, swimming anywhere, late nights.
They have that in Santa Fe and Albuquerque however swimming is lacking to a degree as compared to living a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean. ABQ has a lot of pools.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f
I work as a freelance English teacher and a professional photographer around the world so I can really live anywhere. I leave often for work
The Albuquerque International Sunport is a public airport 3 miles southeast of downtown Albuquerque and is the largest airport in the state of New Mexico. If you wish to try other airports, make sure you understand that the next major airport is in El Paso, TX.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f
The only negative thing that I heard about Albuquerque is that it has a high home break in ratio.
We have a variety of crime in the area. We have lived in the ABQ area (Rio Rancho) 15+ years this time and have never had our home broken into. You might look at: Crime Related Threads In The Albuquerque Forum
Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f
Please tell me about your experiences in Albuquerque vs. Santa Fe.
Art venues?
We are currently retired and have lived in the ABQ area 15+ years. We visit Santa Fe a few times a year, usually to take visiting friends and family for a visit. We do some photography and videography and try to go to various events.
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 08-16-2014 at 01:01 PM..
The things I love to be around are ART, Film, social people who have a purpose in life, animals (dogs), bicycling everywhere slowly, swimming anywhere, late nights. I don't like bars, alcoholics, drugs, crime or elitists. I am probably a "progressive house fellowship christian" if you want a title.
Art and film are big here, especially in Santa Fe. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the art that's available, and it's very unique to this area as well. Bicycling is also very popular here, and there are several bike-only trails. The speed at which you go is up to you. There's The Bosque paved bike trail that runs along the Rio Grande for 30+ miles I believe. There are also trails along Tramway near the Sandias. And there are others as well. If you have seen my other posts on water activities and swimming, you'd know that it's disappointing here (at least for us folks who moved here from Oregon and Washington).
Sorry, there are a lot of alcoholics here and DUIs are a huge problem. People say there is a lot of crime, but I've never been a victim of it and you don't really see it out in the open. Elitists? Maybe in Santa Fe. I don't see that much at all in ABQ.
Quote:
I work as a freelance English teacher and a professional photographer around the world so I can really live anywhere. I leave often for work but want a new home base around people who like to do things in life and have purposes.
There's some amazing photography opportunities regardless of what your focus is. What do you mean people who do things in life and that have purposes? Most people have a purpose...
Quote:
The only negative thing that I heard about Albuquerque is that it has a high home break in ratio. I REALLY want to feel safe and not worry about my belongings being robbed.
I have lived here for two years and have never had any problems with people breaking into my house or car. I have some friends who have lived here their whole life who live in a great neighborhood, but their house has been broken into six times. So it's really hard to say whether you'll have a problem or not.
Quote:
I'd like to hear from anyone living in NM about where to look and where to avoid. Also I would like to not spend too much on a rental and rather save to buy a house in the near future so am willing to experience some inconvenience in order to be able to buy in a few years. Renting a 1-2 bedroom / garden space that is not too far from the artistic markets or from the airport would be ideal.
How much do you want to spend? What's expensive or cheap to you will differ from somebody else. ABQ is very reasonable as far as rents are concerned. Santa Fe is more expensive. I would say to avoid east of San Mateo and south of Central, though there are some streets in there that aren't too bad. If you're an artsy type person, I recommend Nob Hill. You can get a very nice apartment or duplex for $600-800 here. You can also go much lower if you're willing to sacrifice the niceness of the area and conveniences.
I'm going to post some threads that might interest you. One is one I started explaining why I'm considering leaving the area.
I've lived in both places. If you are not familiar with Santa Fe, you should move to Albuquerque first. Albuquerque does have it's fair share of crime, lots of petty theft, drugs and drunk driving. All in all I liked living there. If you aren't a criminal then, you shouldn't have any issues / problems really. I lived in the Northeast Heights or as some locals call it, "the Northeast Whites." Somewhat true, mainly Caucasians. Albuquerque has great Mexican food as well. (woops, it's "New Mexican Food"), also remember that the people are called New Mexicans as well (they seem to be annoyed if you say Mexican Culture, or Mexican Food because there is a difference)? I felt Albuquerque was a nice town to live in. I think that the engineering that went into the city is somewhat confusing. There are always "orange pylons" set up everywhere and, nobody is there working. The city is always doing roadwork. Traffic lights seem to take forever. Rio Rancho is somewhat far from the city area (meaning, traffic will make it feel very far, otherwise it isn't when it comes to distance). Also keep in mind that Rio Rancho has the most pedophiles per capita than most cities and also has the most churches as well (strange combination).
Santa Fe (Beware).
There is a mystique with Santa Fe that the country has. It's true....beautiful land, "Adobe Christmas / Playland," wonderful food. Most if not all tourists end up on "the eastside" of town, where the plaza is and all the wonderful hotels and restaurants. If you're a nature lover then, it's wonderful also. I think the only way to really know Santa Fe is to live there! The "Eastside" is really what tourists love and what people expect about Santa Fe. Living there is another story! When I lived there, I developed horrible allergies. Due to elevation (7500+ ft) and all of the different types of vegetation I was stifled with sinus issues and migraines (so if you are an allergy sufferer already, then you might want to just visit). Also, I found the natives (meaning the actual population) to be rude and fake. I found while there that most residents there are self absorbed and will use you. There isn't any change for the good that happens there ( I didn't live near the plaza area nor on the eastside of town). The people are vengeful when it comes to anything really. There isn't any type of professionalism there. If you do not want to follow what is going on in a workplace for instance, "they will find a way to make your life miserable." I had identity theft there within a year, the locals drive as if there aren't any rules or regulations to abide by. Everybody seems to like running red lights so, be careful while driving there. Personally, I feel that everyone there "rides" on the Santa Fe name and uses it to their advantage. I've lived many many places / countries and, Santa Fe is the worse city I've ever lived in (next to El Paso, Texas). You will need patience if you want to live in Santa Fe. It has the feeling of "nobody gives a squat." Which trickles down to the employees working in the stores, the mail carriers, anything and everything there is an attitude of "oh, who cares...just work to get by." Now, I can personally go on with what happened to me in the year I lived there but, I won't....Nothing good really happened there, just a lot of issues and problems. I am currently living in Arizona now and, I am still dealing with mistakes / issues with that city. Hope you make the right choice for yourself and good luck.
I'm a transplant and have lived in ABQ. It's a big city compared to Santa Fe. ABQ is cheaper than SF in terms of housing. It's rougher in my opinion. I opted to live in Cochiti Lake for its beauty and safety. Cochiti has a lake and is close to Tent Rocks. People visit or choose to live here to be away from the city. It's a half hour drive to SF and an hour away from ABQ. I love the fact that it's far enough and in between both cities. I also live the fact that it's safe and has no crime, one of the few places where leaving doors unlocked is common. The town of Cochiti Lake is not to be confused with the Pueblo.
Cochiti Lake is very friendly too. People here help each other out and are protective of the neighborhood. I consider it one of the best hidden and the few Mayberry towns left. Fishing, hiking, and those that enjoy a peaceful lifestyle are residents (retirees).
Here's the deal:
Santa Fe is expensive. Santa Fe has awesome art galleries, lots of great venues for good music, lots of opportunities from there for photography especially up through Tesuque, Chimayo, Truchas, Angel Fire, Taos.
Great food,too. Dogs are welcome in all these areas.
Downside: obviously expensive to rent. Dealing with the locals and traffic on daily basis (if you had to)
I would not even consider ABQ if you are coming from a progressive city like Oregon or Washington.
As for the home break ins, it's like any other town or city - just depends on where you live. I've been in ABQ 6 years now and neither my car nor my apartment have been broken into. I lived in Dallas and had 3 attempts in 3 different neighborhoods.
2 years here and was broken into last Christmas.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.