Moving to Albuquerque (Rio Rancho, House: apartment, condo, crime)

[c-note]

Hi!! I'm planning to move to Albuquerque. I've done some research, and it seems like the city is worth a try. How's the commute from Rio Rancho to Sandia? Or should I be looking for a closer place?

Also, a friend told me that Albuquerque has a lot of undocumented people and they really tear up the place. Is there any truth to that?

[_yb]

If you work east of the river it would be better if you lived east of the river due to traffic concerns that will only worsen over the next few years.

Your freind is correct. The illegals have really put a burden on the taxpayer. They no longer have any respect for the US.

[stupac]

Ditto to what yb said. The city is def. worth a try though. East-West traffic across the river can be horrendous and is exacerbated by limited trans-river crossings and the exploding west side population. Illegals do exist, but they fly under the radar so the true extent of their presence is unknown. I suspect that their tax drain is not any worse then a comprable southwestern city, though. As for "tearing up the place", that seems a bit drastic. Crime seems to be down in the ABQ metro area and the quality of life has never been better IMO. Come on out and check see it for yourself though. It's not everyone's cup-o-tea, but it certainly has its charms.

[Chaparral]

Originally Posted by c-note

Hi!! I'm planning to move to Albuquerque. I've done some research, and it seems like the city is worth a try. How's the commute from Rio Rancho to Sandia? Or should I be looking for a closer place?

Also, a friend told me that Albuquerque has a lot of undocumented people and they really tear up the place. Is there any truth to that?

To try and answer your first question, depending on what part of Rio Rancho you live in and at what time your commute might be, you're probably looking at a daily commute time of about 45 minutes (give or take) each way. Like the other posters pointed out, you will be subjected to far more potential delays coming from the west side.

But personally, my commute time would not necessarily be at the top of my list of considerations for determining what part of ABQ to live in. You may want to check out various parts of the city based on other factors. Such as:

• Married/single?
• Kids? If so, are they school age?
• Prefer public or private schools?
• House? Apartment? Condo/loft? Gated community?
• Urban? Rural? Suburbs?
• Ideal price range?

ABQ (and the area surrounding) has a lot of different areas suited to different tastes. Depending on what some of your answers are above, I'm sure the helpful folks on this forum could make some pretty sound recommendations.

And as far as illegals in ABQ go, they definitely add a burden to the public services, but you probably wouldn't notice them very much on a day-to-day basis. Unless you work in the construction industry .

Chap

[Just Dee]

Hello all,

Im relocating from Charleston, SC to Albuquerque, NM. Im having a hard time finding a good apartment to reside. I am currently employeed with Verizon Wireless. . .the address is 7120 Wyoming Blvd NE. Can anyone please assist me in finding a great apartment. I am willing to travel no more than 20 minutes to get to work.

Thanks in advance.

Just Dee

[c-note]

Thanks for the replies. I'll be in Albuquerque next weekend to look for an apartment. Any recommendations? I'm 32 years old and single. Most importantly, I'm looking for a nice/safe area. I have a motorcyle, don't want it to be stolen. I don't like to commute, but will do so if necessary. I'm willing to pay $800 for a one bedroom apartment. Thanks again.

Oh, I'll be working for Sandia.

[michelleleigh]

I lived in Albuquerque for most of my life,its like anyother city you can have good days and bad. As for the illegals I never really had a problem, infact I think a lot of time they were taken advantage of by there employers.

[c-note]

What a coincidence. I'm at Fort Jackson right now and will be moving to Albuquerque in January. I'm going there for a house hunting trip on Veteran's weekend. I'll let you know what I find.

[brikag]

Originally Posted by stupac

Ditto to what yb said. The city is def. worth a try though. East-West traffic across the river can be horrendous and is exacerbated by limited trans-river crossings and the exploding west side population. Illegals do exist, but they fly under the radar so the true extent of their presence is unknown. I suspect that their tax drain is not any worse then a comprable southwestern city, though. As for "tearing up the place", that seems a bit drastic. Crime seems to be down in the ABQ metro area and the quality of life has never been better IMO. Come on out and check see it for yourself though. It's not everyone's cup-o-tea, but it certainly has its charms.

Depite of the comment stupac wrote about crime being down, I would like to believe that. But it concerns me when ABQ moved up two places from #17 to #15 as the most dangerous metro areas in the US. We are still doing more homework before we move to ABQ. We have been doing extensive research on ABQ, you'll be surprised.
goto: morganquitno.com

[stupac]

Originally Posted by brikag

But it concerns me when ABQ moved up two places from #17 to #15 as the most dangerous metro areas in the US.

This is surprising and unfortunate to hear. I cannot argue with the report but last I heard murders were down in the metro area. Of course this is not a good indicator of all around crime, especially property, for which ABQ is notorious for. Still, the day-to-day atmosphere of ABQ doesn't feel dangerous and I have never been in great peril in the city.