Miscellaneous questions about Albuquerque (Dora: theater, best schools, gardens)

[crna06]

We used to walk our two dogs all over Taylor Ranch and found it to be very pet friendly. The only problem for our dogs were the "Goat Head" thorns they would get stuck in their paws. Not fun. Also, we always took our pooches for hikes in the mountains (on a leash of course) and never had any problems. Just be a good pet owner and pick up after them and you should have no issues.

I don't remember a dog park in Taylor Ranch but that may have been built since i lived there. I'm sure a lot has changed in the 6 years I've been away.

[finmqa1]

Originally Posted by crna06

We used to walk our two dogs all over Taylor Ranch and found it to be very pet friendly. The only problem for our dogs were the "Goat Head" thorns they would get stuck in their paws. Not fun. Also, we always took our pooches for hikes in the mountains (on a leash of course) and never had any problems. Just be a good pet owner and pick up after them and you should have no issues.

I don't remember a dog park in Taylor Ranch but that may have been built since i lived there. I'm sure a lot has changed in the 6 years I've been away.

There is a large dog park near the library in Taylor Ranch, and yes you'd be surprised how much ABQ has changed in just the last 6 years.

[camsgirl]

Do you have any suggestions as to good sources to look for employment? I've checked the job service posted on this site and have posted on monster, but am at a loss as to what is a popular venue for local companies to post their openings on. Should I focus on the local paper, or is there some other website or such? (By the way, what is the major newspaper in Albuquerque?)

Oh, I know about goat head thistles, nasty things. They are in abundance here, as well. I guess they like the hot temps. Awful to step on!

[abqsunport]

Originally Posted by camsgirl

(By the way, what is the major newspaper in Albuquerque?)

Albuquerque Journal

ABQjournal | The Albuquerque Journal Online v1.5.3 tab Albuquerque and New Mexico State and Local News, Sports, Weather and Jobs, Cars, Real Estate and Classified Advertising

[vegaspilgrim]

Back to the question of crime and gangs... I was just bicycling my usual morning workout routine around here in Tempe this morning and on a pedestrian bridge that crosses US-60 at College Ave I saw some griffiti saying "505 West Side Burque." What the heck? Is this some kind of Albuquerque gang? They're so busy they're tagging up areas 480 miles away? Are these guys dangerous, something to be worried about?

[finmqa1]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Back to the question of crime and gangs... I was just bicycling my usual morning workout routine around here in Tempe this morning and on a pedestrian bridge that crosses US-60 at College Ave I saw some griffiti saying "505 West Side Burque." What the heck? Is this some kind of Albuquerque gang? They're so busy they're tagging up areas 480 miles away? Are these guys dangerous, something to be worried about?

I would honestly say Phoenix, Tucson, and ABQ have very similar crime rates, AND FOR THE MOST PART it is isolated to a few bad areas of town. I've lived here my whole life and have not personally been a victim (knock on wood), but that is just my opinion.

[camsgirl]

I'm just curious, since it will just be my husband and I moving to Alb. and we don't need to worry about schools and such, are there older parts of town that we would be able to find a reasonably priced rental, and not have to worry too much about getting broken into or vehicle thefts?

Older areas have a lot of charm that new complexes lack. It would, also, be nice if there was a small back yard for our little dog to play in. I've been looking at the rental listings and all the big complexes have a 2 pet max. and we have 3. They have little balconies or patios, too.

Also, our credit rating is in the toilet so we probably wouldn't qualify after they ran our credit history. I'm hoping the private owners would be more understanding.

So, where are the pockets of nice older neighborhoods? I would love to be able to walk to downtown or if there was a dog park nearby.

[yukon]

Hi camsgirl, my credit is lousy and I didn't have any problems with the landlords I talked with. Most of them said the same thing - they were more interested in my rental history (which was good). I also started looking after I arrived, so they could meet me, and I told them upfront what they'd find on the credit report. My landlord was more worried about the new carpet surviving my cat than my credit

[mortimer]

camsgirl (speaking dog) barked:

> Older areas have a lot of charm that new complexes lack.
> So, where are the pockets of nice older neighborhoods?
> I would love to be able to walk to downtown

All the areas W of downtown are a walker's delight. You also have the benefit of being able to walk to and along the river on the bosque trail.

Just about any rentals in that area are likely to be private owner stuff with some rentals out of converted garages or old houses that have been divided/converted.

If you are a good walker (not a wuss) then areas E of the RR tracks are also good since the scale of Albuquerque's downtown is more like a town of 100k rather than a small city of 500k. E of the tracks provides other walking venues like the University area.

Walking from the river to the University and back is more on the scale of an 'urban hike' so might not be suitable for canine footpads on a round trip.

Also, you might check around areas near Central just W of the river where newer subdivisions _aren't_. If they are charming (old) enough, you'll find private landlord rentals.

I think you can measure the safety of the neighborhood by checking it out during the gloaming. Seeing other walkers (hopefully with their pooches) is a good sign.

[Native Sun]

May I say that ABQ is dog-friendly. My wife and I provide some limited support to ASPCA and with the same exceptions you might find anywhere, we have found that a positive pet environment here. The mayor ihas an animal rights mentality and cruelty here is increasingly less tolerated.