Miscellaneous questions about Albuquerque (Santa Fe, North Valley: job, homes, campus)

[vegaspilgrim]

I have a bunch of random questions about Albuquerque, and rather than start a dozen threads for each one, I'm putting them all in one. Don't laugh, these are all serious questions (some more serious than others).

1. What kind of fences do Albuquerque neighborhoods typically have? Do they have those block walls like in Phoenix? Wooden fences? Chain link? No fences?

2. Does NM have license plates on both the front and back bumpers of the car?

3. Where is the nearest decent ski area to Albuquerque that offers a wide variety of terrain and plenty of snow? How long does it take to get there, assuming you drive the speed limit?

4. Does anybody here know anything about the Business School at UNM-- in particular, their accountancy department? Is it worth attending this school for a master's degree program as an out-of-state student?

5. Is anybody on this forum an accountant? Would ABQ be a good or bad place for someone who wants to start a career in accounting (public accounting or corporate accounting)?

6. Does ABQ have problems with scorpions? cockroaches? black widdow spiders? brown recluse spiders? termites? Africanized bees? rattlesnakes?

7. Does ABQ have a decent bike route system? Bike trails? Low traffic pedestrian grade intersections with stoplights?

8. Do any homes in Albuquerque use xeriscaping, desert plants, rock gardens etc? Do they have turf lawns?

9. Where are the boundaries of the "NE Heights" area? Is this widely considered the best part of town?

10. What is your opinion of Gardunos Mexican Restaurant? They have one in Chandler, AZ, and it's pretty popular here. Is that considered a good example of New Mexican style food?

[observe]

I could answer a few of these.

1. Most of the neigborhoods in Albuquerque have Block walls
2. New mexico has only one plate per vehicle.
3. The closest Ski area is Sandia about 20 minutes by car, not alot of different terrains however a decent place to ski.
6. Cockroaches are present mostly in the NE heights, the West side not too much, as for all the others you mentioned. Well not any worse than any other high desert city.
7. Albuquerque has a great bike trail system throughout the city, not sure how many miles, but I would guess over 100 miles of trails.
8. Xeriscape is in all of the newer neighborhoods, lots of the older neighborhoods in the heights have grass.
9. The boundries of the NE heights are to the south Central Ave. to the West the railroad tracks, to the North Sandia Reservation....and of course to the East the Sandia Mountains.
10. Gardunos is an ok restaurant, there are several throughout Albuquerque. However there are several other Mexican or New Mexican style restaurants that are far better than Gardunos.

Sorry I coudn't answer all your questions.....I hope this helps!

[AndyJ]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

3. Where is the nearest decent ski area to Albuquerque that offers a wide variety of terrain and plenty of snow? How long does it take to get there, assuming you drive the speed limit?

4. Does anybody here know anything about the Business School at UNM-- in particular, their accountancy department? Is it worth attending this school for a master's degree program as an out-of-state student?

3. As mentioned, Sandia is right on the other side of the mountain from ABQ. However, if you're looking for terrain I'd go to Santa Fe, Taos, or any of the southern Colorado resorts. Angel Fire is way too crowded for my taste. Taos will open to snowboarders next month. Ski Santa Fe is about 75-90 minutes away, Taos ~3-3.5 hrs, and most of the so. Colorado resorts 4-5 hours. Pajarito is a smaller area by Los Alamos, but fun and not anywhere near as crowded as the other resorts in the area, and is about an hour and a half from ABQ. Not as varied terrain, however.


4. As far as the business school at UNM (Anderson), it's generally well thought of, and highly ranked in several areas. There was another recent thread inquiring about Anderson, but I don't have the link; I'm sure it's still somewhere on the ABQ forum. I don't know specifically about the accountancy dept. at Anderson.

I see you're in Arizona right now. If you're an AZ resident, I would look at Eller School of Business at U of A in Tucson. I went there for several years, and knew a lot of people getting MIS or other business degrees, and apparently it was considered one of the best programs in the states. On the whole, I'd say it's worth staying in-state if you have residency, and money is the most important issue for you. If not, then I would recommend looking into UNM and Albuquerque. Out of state tuition is up everywhere, and I think that UNM is actually probably one of the better deals in the West right now.

[abqsunport]

1.) Almost always Albuquerque has a block wall fence. However, some really old (seedy) neighborhoods might have some chainlink, but I doubt you will find too much.

2.) New Mexico only requires that you have a plate on the back. If you move here, make sure you get the plate with the Scenic Sunset, not that dumpy yellow one.

3.) Sandia 15-25 minutes, but I would recommend Santa Fe which is just over an hour or Taos (2 1/2)

4.) Anderson School of Managment is usually regarded high. It may be worth it to get your masters.

5.) I do think there is a market for accounting, not sure how sprawling it is, however.

6.) Albuquerque does have a reasonable problem with roaches, so make sure you bleech your drains. We do have black-widows but as I am sure you know, usually you find them, they don't find you. We do have rattlesnakes in the mesa, but they don't usually come into any established residential area. We have scorpions but not to the extent of Phoenix and Arizona.

7.) A big national bike team was here just a week or two ago training. We are absolutely fantastic for biking, you just have to research were to go.

8.) We have a lot of Xeriscaping. Mostly iin the newer neighborhoods though. We are very protective about water, so you won't find too many big green lawns.
9.) The North East heights is considered North of Central. However, you want to be in the Far Northeast Heights if you can--thats the top area. However, there are so many exceptions to this rule that you will just have to scout out the area and find something you like. Nob Hill, Four Hills, etc. are areas that aren't NE but are great areas.

10.) I like Gardunos, and you arizonians love it. I have been to the one at the Fashion Center, and you guys make it more upscale than it is here. I frequent the original Gardunos alot (4th Street), and it doesn't get as big of a draw. New Mexicans aren't willing to spend a fortune for Mexican food. If this helps, Chipotle Grill would not last in New Mexico for a week. That isn't our food. We have a knock off of Chipotle called Chilacas that is far more New Mexican. We don't use hot sauce, jalepenos, etc. We use green and red New Mexico chile's. You will have to come and try some.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by AndyJ

I see you're in Arizona right now. If you're an AZ resident, I would look at Eller School of Business at U of A in Tucson. I went there for several years, and knew a lot of people getting MIS or other business degrees, and apparently it was considered one of the best programs in the states. On the whole, I'd say it's worth staying in-state if you have residency, and money is the most important issue for you. If not, then I would recommend looking into UNM and Albuquerque. Out of state tuition is up everywhere, and I think that UNM is actually probably one of the better deals in the West right now.

Thanks for the response, AndyJ. I'm actually a Colorado resident for tuition purposes (not AZ), since I'm still classified as a dependent of my parents. I have a full ride scholarship right now, which is the only reason I'm attending ASU; otherwise I'd be paying $17,000 a year in out-of-state undergraduate tuition. My in-state backup school I'm applying to is CU Denver, a branch campus of the state flagship school (CU Boulder). That being said, I have also applied to UA. Do you think if I went to UofA, it would be easy to get a job in Albuquerque if that's where I decided I wanted to be? Are there alumni connections between the two states?

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by abqsunport

10.) I like Gardunos, and you arizonians love it. I have been to the one at the Fashion Center, and you guys make it more upscale than it is here. I frequent the original Gardunos alot (4th Street), and it doesn't get as big of a draw. New Mexicans aren't willing to spend a fortune for Mexican food. If this helps, Chipotle Grill would not last in New Mexico for a week. That isn't our food. We have a knock off of Chipotle called Chilacas that is far more New Mexican. We don't use hot sauce, jalepenos, etc. We use green and red New Mexico chile's. You will have to come and try some.

Some great nuggets of information there, abqsunport. Believe it or not, I actually like block fences. They look much better than wooden fences or ugly chain link and they hold up forever. Glad to hear ABQ is pretty bike friendly. I'm not a hard core cyclist by any means; I don't even own any of those neon jumpsuits or anything like that; I just like bicycling for fun and for exercise. Out of curiosity, have you ever heard of a Phoenix-area "New Mexican" chain called "Los Dos Molinos"? How does that place stack up with the real thing?

[vegaspilgrim]

Oh yeah, and another question I forgot to ask:

11.) What big city do people in Albuquerque (Albuquerqueans?) relate to the most? Like which city's professional sports teams do people tend to support?

[EnjoyEP]

1. What kind of fences do Albuquerque neighborhoods typically have? Do they have those block walls like in Phoenix? Wooden fences? Chain link? No fences?

>>>>>ABQ's fences are VERY Phoenix-esque. Mostly cinder-block walls. Very similar to Phoenix. (This helps add to your heat island question too). Some wooden ones in the older sections of the NE Heights. El Paso, TX has nicer walls, but ABQ's are similar to Phoenix's.

2. Does NM have license plates on both the front and back bumpers of the car?

>>>>>Just the back, no front. I found this odd at first, but there are other states like this as well.

3. Where is the nearest decent ski area to Albuquerque that offers a wide variety of terrain and plenty of snow? How long does it take to get there, assuming you drive the speed limit?

>>>>>The Sandias on good years are great and they are obviously only a 10 or 25 minute drive away.

Otherwise, Santa Fe offers great US-class skiing which is only about 45 to 60 miles away.

Taos Ski Valley is nearly legendary and that is about 120 miles away. Tremendous skiing.

Los Alamos is in the moutains - great skiing areas - only about 75 miles away.

Red River / Angel Fire, etc., world class skiing - only about 200 miles away.

4. Does anybody here know anything about the Business School at UNM-- in particular, their accountancy department? Is it worth attending this school for a master's degree program as an out-of-state student?

>>>>>(sorry)

5. Is anybody on this forum an accountant? Would ABQ be a good or bad place for someone who wants to start a career in accounting (public accounting or corporate accounting)?

>>>>(sorry...although I know some accountants post here, hopefully they'll chime in; accountants are needed though in almost every big city)

6. Does ABQ have problems with scorpions? cockroaches? black widdow spiders? brown recluse spiders? termites? Africanized bees? rattlesnakes?

>>>>>The biggest problems are with cockroaches as others have said. After that, there are rattlesnakes all over in the rural areas, but do not really get near the urban areas.

7. Does ABQ have a decent bike route system? Bike trails? Low traffic pedestrian grade intersections with stoplights?

>>>>>Absolutely. Albuquerque has got to be one of the most bike-friendly areas (and climates) in the US. Biking is HUGE in Albuquerque.

8. Do any homes in Albuquerque use xeriscaping, desert plants, rock gardens etc? Do they have turf lawns?

>>>>>Almost all of the newer homes / developments use xeriscaping. Some of the older areas / homes use more lawns or greenery, but that has really been phased out.

9. Where are the boundaries of the "NE Heights" area? Is this widely considered the best part of town?

>>>>>The "official" boundaries are a bit different, but I always used where I-40 and I-25 intersect...the area in the Northeast of that four-way intersection is the NE Heights (I know typically it is supposed to more by bounded by Central Ave. and the railroad tracks).

This overall is probably the best quadrant of the four, although other areas are really nice too, including the North Valley, Nob Hill, the Northwest Side, etc. But yes, homes in general are the priciest here, the restaurants/retail/residential is the most established, and it is the "best" portion of town in perception.

10. What is your opinion of Gardunos Mexican Restaurant? They have one in Chandler, AZ, and it's pretty popular here. Is that considered a good example of New Mexican style food?

>>>>>I had two good friends living in the Phoenix metro area...which Chandler is a part of. Sorry to say, while I don't hate Phoenix by any stretch, Phoenix metro - despite its huge size - can't hold a candle to Albuquerque metro in terms of good eats.

Gardunos in Albuquerque (many locations) is so-so at best. Not bad for a big chain, but seriously, you could get better New Mexican cuisine at probably 50 different spots in Albuquerque - and that is said without exaggeration.

[Chaparral]

Originally Posted by abqsunport

2.) New Mexico only requires that you have a plate on the back. If you move here, make sure you get the plate with the Scenic Sunset, not that dumpy yellow one.

I suppose everyone has their own opinion, but as far as the "Scenic Sunset/Balloon" plate goes: I infinitely prefer the "classic" yellow and red plates.

Originally Posted by abqsunport

9.)However, there are so many exceptions to this rule that you will just have to scout out the area and find something you like. Nob Hill, Four Hills, etc. are areas that aren't NE but are great areas.

I would also add the NW Heights and the North Valley for consideration. "The best part of town" is a highly subjective exercise in ABQ, but the Far NE Heights and North Valley would land on most people's lists.

Originally Posted by abqsunport

10.) New Mexicans aren't willing to spend a fortune for Mexican food. If this helps, Chipotle Grill would not last in New Mexico for a week. That isn't our food. We have a knock off of Chipotle called Chilacas that is far more New Mexican.

As a matter of fact, Chilaca's didn't fare so well themselves. Most, if not all, of them have closed or changed over to a new name. Garduno's is OK, but have become more corporate overall. You can find the names of many other, and in many cases better, places in the "Favorite New Mexican Restaurants" thread.

In reference to vegaspilgrim's latest question: NFL-wise, ABQ is pretty evenly split between Dallas and Denver. Baseball leans toward the Dodgers and Rockies, with a smattering of Diamondbacks, Cubs and Yankees.

Chap

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Oh yeah, and another question I forgot to ask:

11.) What big city do people in Albuquerque (Albuquerqueans?) relate to the most? Like which city's professional sports teams do people tend to support?

For part "A" of your question, I would say to a certain degree a split between Denver, Phoenix, and El Paso, however, honestly, Albuquerque is great in that the people don't generall commonly have an inferiority complex towards bigger regional cities. They are fiercely proud of their city, and their scope of reference is New Mexico, in which they are by far the biggest city. That is one neat thing about ABQ to me.

As for the professional sports teams, I would say by far the biggest team supported is the Dallas Cowboys. Closely seconded is the Denver Broncos. MLB and the NBA just aren't as big in Albuquerque, as the UNM Lobos kind of fill the basketball void, and the Albuquerque Isotopes have a great minor league baseball following.

I know the Texas Rangers - Arizona D'Backs - Colorado Rockies had a few minor league games in ABQ a few years back in a series and those games were attended quite well. ABQ is a GREAT baseball town; I just don't know if any MLB team in particular has a massive following (maybe the Dodgers due to their old association with the city via the old ABQ Dukes). The NBA? Probably the Sacramento Kings due to being owned by Albuquerqueans the Maloof brothers and the Suns due to Phoenix being close by, but really, ABQ like many cities in an NFL town and the Cowboys (closely followed by the Broncos) are kings.