Good place socially for young professionals?

[abqsunport]

Hmm, well Albuquerque by no means is just a "old retirement community", we get too cold to ever be one of those in the winters (which isn't really that cold). We are filled with outdoor recreation(rated fittest city in America), have some good local coffee shops (a change of pace from the billion starbucks), some good local breweries, some good local clubs, tons of "non-chain" restaurants (mostly New Mexican, Greek, or Steak), a completely different culture than most of the rest of the U.S. New Mexico isn't called the land of enchantment for nothing, a great deal of people can be really awed by New Mexico (but some really don't like the reds, yellows, golds, scarlets, oranges, taupes, etc. that are often referred to as just plain "brown".)

Take a quick trip this summer, and see if this place is for you. It may not be, but it may just surprise you!!!!!

Best of Luck

-Make sure to look at the photo thread at the very top of this forum-

Watch the extended ABQ video on the right hand side(made in 2006 for the tri-centennial):
Albuquerque photos - New Mexico video

and take a look at this website (and watch the video at the top)
Albuquerque - Albuquerque New Mexico - Albuquerque NM

[aggiewalk]

Originally Posted by garota123

I have been debating moving to Albuquerque for some time now. Currently i'm living in western NC and have been looking into getting a federal career. Just about all the higher ups i've gotten to know in the federal government keep telling me to go to Albuquerque because so many agencies are hiring out there and some federal headquarters have been moved out there now and they are desperate for people.
However I'm a 26 year old single female and I always had the impression that Albuquerque was more of a retiree place, like where i live now. Is there a sizable number of young professionals in this city? How about the nightlife for singles? Any info will help

No, I wouldn't say Albuquerque is full of retirees but many of the people from Albuquerque that reach the "young AND professional" stage usually get out of town. You will not find many people your age starting a career IN Albuquerque. The majority of people that actually relocate to Albuquerque are young families.

With that being said, once you find others your age and status, you will have lots to do. The downtown/nob hill area is great and offer a lot in terms of bars and restaurants... Good semi-pro and college sports... Tons of casinos... and we haven't even started about the outdoor recreation

[yukon]

Dang, I picked the wrong city. Hey jack7y, where are the single guys located?

BTW, I moved here from Retirementville (Tampa-St Pete-Sarasota FL), and there aren't nearly as many retirees here in ABQ. And if they are here, they don't look or act as old!

[jack7y]

Hi yukon,
I would generally say that the single guys are in the cities of western states, but you can have a look for yourself. It appears the maps from "Who's Your City?" are posted online. maps : Who's Your City? by Richard Florida

The personality maps are fascinating too! I used this Big Five personality traits - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia to help determine my personality in order to use the maps effectively. My personality fits Albuquerque, and Albuquerque has a good ratio of single women to single men for a guy who's looking like I am!

[ziaAirmac]

Interesting that there's a retirement destination vibe for Albuquerque out there. Having lived in northern New Mexico, CT, northern VA and Arkansas ( I know...weird) I never picked up on it. I can tell you empirically that walking along the Bosque (the cottonwood forest that surrounds the Rio Grande) on the weekends finds a crowd that's well balanced.

If I were to come into town as a young professional, I'd look at one of the new downtown lofts. The Lofts at Albuquerque High | Loft Apartments, Condos, Townhomes & Retail-Office Space (not endorsing, just gining an example) They're modern, near most of Albuquerque's nicer nightlife options and could potentially be close to your office. Also, your fellow tenants are likely to be young professionals as well due to how they're marketing the lofts. Area's surrounding downtown are still in 'transition' so I wouldn't commit to those areas sight unseen, but any of the new lofts are well placed and within the 'new development' zone.

As far as scenes, there are nice patio bars at some fine restaurants (Seasons, Monte Vista Fire station) and dance clubs downtown that run the gamut from trendy to college bars (UNM is just up the hill) to live music/performance halls. The Melting Pot is a great place to get together with friends.

The stat sites are interesting. I remember seeing similar stats about college campuses showing gender ratios and the like. The truth is, when you make a connection with that great guy/girl it won't matter how many others are out there waiting in the wings. If you make the decision based on what you want, chances are you'll meet someone drawn to the area for the same things you saw and in that way, you'll be simpatico.

'nuff said

[finmqa1]

Albuquerque is slowly starting to gain traction in the single young professinal age category. There has been a lot of job growth the past few years and the aspiring young workforce has been growing with it. That said, you will want to be careful in your selection of where in ABQ to live. The Westside is geared more towards family as is Rio Rancho and other surrounding areas. Nob Hill and EDo (Eastern Downtown) would be ideal, as would some areas of the NE Heights.

As for government work DOE, BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), U.S. Forest Service, Sandia Labs, and Kirtland AFB all have significant operations here, both financial and operational. In fact the Forest Service consilidated their entire Finance and HR operations here several years ago. Due to the significant government presense in ABQ, our local economy tends to fair better than the nation as a whole in times of economic uncertainty.

Visit ABQ a few times, and keep an open mind and I'm certain you'll come to love our city.