Tell me about Bernalillo as a place to stay and live (Albuquerque: house, neighborhoods)

[kpl1228]

Good chance for a teaching job in the area, and geographically Bernalillo would be a nice fit I think. But other than seeing a Rail Runner stop, and having dinner at the Range Cafe, I know little to nothing about it.
I like that it's north, and surrounding Indian pueblos would probably stop massive development ???(I'm not a Rio Rancho or West of Coors Rd. sprawl fan at all, but I don't want to live in the middle of nowhere either). We've looked at Tijeras, and Valencia also, but Bernalillo (and that whole northern area north of Paseo Del Norte heading toward Sandia Pueblo) just seems like a good fit. The town seems nice, and seems like a real mix of folks. Not all suburban yuppies, not all bikers, not all Native American, not all Hispanic, not snooty, not all middle class Joes, but instead maybe a good mix of all of the above?
I also do remember traffic being awful heading out of the Range Cafe toward I-25, however, worsening the closer I got to the interstate.
We like that it's close to the city for things we like to do, yet Bernalillo seems to have its own identity, based on what I've read. School system there, locals plus pulling HS kids in from neighboring pueblos, sounds pretty good and unique also.
Our time in western NM taught us that we like having medical care and an occasional night out, and PEOPLE. It's pretty out by Gallup, but man is it isolated.
What are your thoughts? Of course we'll drive around and spend some time there first, but would I, as a fifty-year old, enjoy buying a small house there with my wife and dog and staying forever? Or am I just plain nuts? If so, what am I missing?

[Zoidberg]

I would not live in Bernalillo if I had a choice. Its status as a chokepoint for traffic between unchecked sprawl to the west and the job base (via I-25 to the east) is only going to get worse.

It's nice to be next to the river for some people, but unless US 550/NM 44 was a necessary part of my commute, there are plenty of other places to be next to the river that don't involve Bernalillo's issues.

Live close to your job and drop the "I HAVE to spend at least an hour commuting every day" mentality- there's a need for such an aggressive commute in lots of parts of the country but not in Albuquerque. Leave the train for being a tourist. Odds are that the neighborhoods close to your work will have everything you want.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Good chance for a teaching job in the area, and geographically Bernalillo would be a nice fit I think.

But other than seeing a Rail Runner stop, and having dinner at the Range Cafe, I know little to nothing about it.

There is actually two Rail Runner stops in Bernalillo.

The new Walmart just north of the the Del Webb community and on the east side of Highway 528 is actually in Bernalillo, not Rio Rancho as some think. That area has been growing.

Originally Posted by kpl1228

I like that it's north, and surrounding Indian pueblos would probably stop massive development ???(I'm not a Rio Rancho or West of Coors Rd. sprawl fan at all, but I don't want to live in the middle of nowhere either). We've looked at Tijeras, and Valencia also, but Bernalillo (and that whole northern area north of Paseo Del Norte heading toward Sandia Pueblo)

Drive through Placitas east of Bernalillo for a pleasant view.

Originally Posted by kpl1228

I also do remember traffic being awful heading out of the Range Cafe toward I-25, however, worsening the closer I got to the interstate.

They have been working on that for a few years. Some progress has been made, I'm hoping it will get better.

Originally Posted by kpl1228

What are your thoughts? Of course we'll drive around and spend some time there first, but would I, as a fifty-year old, enjoy buying a small house there with my wife and dog and staying forever? Or am I just plain nuts? If so, what am I missing?

We are retired have lived in Rio Rancho since 1998/99. Things have grown. We could easily move, but just don't want to, there are specific reasons why we stayed...

[threecats407]

I can't add a whole lot for you. II have stayed in Bernalillo for a week at a time on about a dozen occasions. The town itself seems to have about all the retail outlets most residents would ever need including the usual twenty auto parts stores. The one store I have yet to see is a large grocery store but my drives have been limited mostly to 550 and the street that goes to the Range.

What I have found in my few online searches for property was that it seemed limited to newer homes with zero property or older homes that needed work.

Traffic is an issue relative to what you are used to. Complaints about 550 traffic even during rush hours are almost laughable compared to what I deal with at almost any time of the day.

[rwjoyak]

These threads have some info on Bernalillo:

- Just for Fun: Post your knee-jerk perception of the following parts of ABQ?

- Alegria Active Over 55 Community Bernalillo NM (This one is about the active adult community we live in, Alegria, which is located in the newer part of the town on the west side of the river. This part of Bernalillo is more like Rio Rancho in many ways than the rest of Bernalillo. My post #40 in this thread contains links to additional threads about Bernalillo.)

We like Bernalillo but I would agree it's not for everyone.

Having previously lived in larger metro areas (Sacramento, CA and Louisville, KY), I think the traffic congestion problems on 550 in Bernalillo are pretty minor, typically only a 5-10 min slowdown during commute hours. But I also don't have to commute through there every day.

[threecats407]

(This one is about the active adult community we live in, Alegria, which is located in the newer part of the town on the west side of the river. This part of Bernalillo is more like Rio Rancho in many ways than the rest of Bernalillo. My post #40 in this thread contains links to additional threads about Bernalillo.)

Looked online here often. I'm gonna have to take the time to drive around in there this May and see it in person. While I like the idea of a lot at least 1/2 acre it seems the trade off is an older home and I am getting beyond the point where I want to start doing anything more than repainting.

[rruff]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Good chance for a teaching job in the area

Where exactly? I'd strongly recommend living near it.