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.
Location: In my cat's house, until she finds a better human servant
372 posts, read 390,228 times
Reputation: 812
Hope you enjoy your visit. I'm coming up on my 7 year anniversary living here, ABQ has only managed to grow on me more. The skies here are incredible, despite the prevelance of sunshine there are often incredibly beautiful cloud formations and some of the best vistas anywhere, even just driving around town. I was just talking with a stranger earlier today about how friendly people are here. While healthcare is obviously important, there are other things I take into account living here into the future and the great climate, friendly people are big factors in my staying here.
Thank you Cat5e, Poncho_NM and rwjoyak for sharing your thoughts. Our experiences here are similar in many aspects. We also like MyChart for appointment confirmations, test results and with some participating providers being able to communicate directly. After the balloon races when hotel rates are reasonable we are planning a visit to Albuquerque to check things out. Rio Rancho is of interest but on Google Maps Street View it looks awful baron with little greenery (grass, trees, etc.). Roy
We have been told we don't have sidewalks, clouds, etc, etc etc...
Depends on where you look... Willow Creek Bosque, Rio Rancho, photos I took October 31, 2016: https://www.flickr.com/photos/poncho...57672499589994 (I just noticed there are no Rio Grande photos in this series...)
Hope you enjoy your visit. I'm coming up on my 7 year anniversary living here, ABQ has only managed to grow on me more. The skies here are incredible, despite the prevelance of sunshine there are often incredibly beautiful cloud formations and some of the best vistas anywhere, even just driving around town. I was just talking with a stranger earlier today about how friendly people are here. While healthcare is obviously important, there are other things I take into account living here into the future and the great climate, friendly people are big factors in my staying here.
Amen. Choosing to live anywhere is a balance between what's great and what's not, what's acceptable vs unacceptable. We've found a lot in the ABQ area that is great, many things that are good and none that are unacceptable.
Rio Rancho is of interest but on Google Maps Street View it looks awful baron with little greenery (grass, trees, etc.). Roy
We moved here from the very green state of KY (Louisville area). We quickly realized that the wide open vistas, the wonderful blue skies, the great sunrises and sunsets, the interesting cloud formations and thunder storms (when they occur), and even the wide variety of browns and earthen colors, more than made up for the lack of green. The green that is here provides great spots of color in contrast to mother nature's mostly brown palette.
It also helps that the Rio Grande and its bosque provides a great scenic swath through the middle of ABQ. It's incredibly easy to access, with lots of public space and trails along it through the bosque. Poncho's Willow Creek photos are from one of the parks along the river.
We chose to live in Del Webb Alegria, which backs right up to the bosque adjacent to northeast of Rio Rancho. Living in a 55+ community isn't for everyone, but the location cannot be beat if you're looking for a greener part of the ABQ area. Another alternative, just south of us, is the Rivers Edge developments (I, II and III) of Rio Rancho, which also abut the Rio Grande bosque to the west of the river. And still further south is the Town of Corrales, a very green area that has its own unique characteristics.
Depending on what you're looking for in a home, IMO the above options offer great alternatives for areas that may be greener than other parts of Rio Rancho.
It's hit and miss. Be prepared to be highly disappointed if you're used to a large urban area with top-ranked specialists and huge facilities with short wait times to get in, where you might wait hours instead of months. It isn't that way here.
It was truly shocking to me to come from Cleveland and my primary physician (at the Cleveland Clinic with unbelievable credentials) to come to deal with health care, NM-style. Like going from filet mignon to burgers, basically.
However, once you get used to it, you start planning ahead more and becoming more health-conscious to prevent trips to the doctor in the first place.
It's a different animal. It's still substandard in many ways but it's serviceable if you keep at it. And sometimes you get lucky and find a good provider.
I've also found that many older retirees relocate to NM without doing their homework in this regard, and if they have serious pre-existing conditions, end up with some major misgivings about the whole move to NM due to the medical here.
Be prepared to perhaps be seeing primarily nurse practitioners and physician's assistants also. I've had a couple of good ones, and my newly-found doctor at a Presbyterian branch is a good all-around general practitioner. The specialists? Not so good, to say the least.
As a trade-off, the weather's better than back East and so I'm a lot less sick to begin with, so there's that.
It's hit and miss. Be prepared to be highly disappointed if you're used to a large urban area with top-ranked specialists and huge facilities with short wait times to get in, where you might wait hours instead of months..
In the past 15 years, my wife or I, have not had to wait more than an hour for any of our scheduled medical appointments in the greater Albuquerque area.
In the past 15 years, my wife or I, have not had to wait more than an hour for any of our scheduled medical appointments in the greater Albuquerque area.
Well me either, IF they're scheduled. What I meant by waiting was GETTING the appointment to begin with.
It's taking 3-4 months now to see a cardiologist at NMHI. If you're willing to see a PA or NP, the wait is more like 1-3 months. The docs are good but they need more. Friend of mine has to see a dermatologist, the place she uses is running about 4 months out on appointments.
I'm moving to PHX in a week and I've been calling around down there trying to get set up on various health items. I'm finding the wait for appointments to be less, the testing fees are half of what I pay here (I'm a self pay patient) and being a larger city, there are more docs to pick from.
Well me either, IF they're scheduled. What I meant by waiting was GETTING the appointment to begin with.
Agreed. It has taken me months to get an initial appointment with specialists here. A colleague was told that the neurologist that she needs to see is booking 6 months out. Even as an established patient, it's a month or more wait to get in to see certain doctors. If you don't have major medical concerns, the wait may not be an issue but for those of us who do, the wait isn't as acceptable. I know others have had different experiences but this is MY experience. Healthcare is unfortunately the reason why I will be leaving Albuquerque.
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.
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.
