Bernalillo (to rent, places to live, bars)

[rybert]

I went to High School in Moriarty... lived about 10 min. from the school. There is a lot of land out there at reasonable prices.

Things I would be worried about are:

Jobs... unless they build that horse track... but who wants to work at a horse track?

Water... Santa Fe is trying to broker a deal to pipe water from the Estancia Valley area (think I Drink Your Milkshake)

Fuel Costs

[MovingSouth...Somewhere]

Hi Rybert,

Thanks for the repsonse, but you didn't really answer my questions about the school---safety, outsiders etc. The other issues don't concern us much...you must keep in mind where we are moving from...Gas is $4.73 (just went down this past week or 2, topped out at $5.15) and it is a town of 2500 people...need I say more?

The water issue is worth checking into and I will keep it mind. Thanks.

Our main reason for moving is finding better schools for our kids. The small town atmosphere that we thought would be so cozy has turned out to mean that the kids have NO opportunities here. No AP classes, no Honors classes. At the moment we don't even have a foreign language offered because the one Spanish teacher quit.

We undersand and look forward to the new cultural experiences that await in NM, but we want to try to get it right this time. That being said, I want to make sure that the kids are happy at school and feel welcome. If they are happy and have good educational opportunities, everything else will fall into place...assuming we don't die of thirst because there is no water at our new house .

So did you like your school? Did you go to college and feel prepared for it? Are there gangs? Do you speak Spanish? Are there high school that are notorious for gang violence or anything else that we should know about?

Any other input is greatly appreciated!

Much thanks!

[rybert]

Moriarty was an excellent school.

They have a very good gifted/AP/Honors program.

One of the top Civics programs in the state.

Excellent Track & Field.

They also have FFA, which was awesome!

Yes I went to college and was prepared.

Gangs? No... no gangs.

Spanish... I'd say 3% speak it... the rest are really white (Mormon) or have some Spanish heritage.

As far as gas is concerned... maybe I should have simply stated that we should all live closer to our places of work.

[MovingSouth...Somewhere]

Thanks a bunch, Rybert! That is exactly the info I was looking for! Now if I can just find the same out about Manzano, Bernalillo, Belen and Los Lunas...those are pretty much the areas that we have found nice big family homes(3-5 beds) on 2-5 acres in our price range.

And for what it is worth, my husband and I currently work and live on our property here...so we can't live any closer! But that may not be the same once we get relocated...we'll see though.

[rybert]

As far as the entrepreneurial spirit is concerned... Moriarty has it!

A friend of ours was a nurse in ABQ and decided to move out to the country and start making goat cheese. So far they are expanding like crazy (you know how well cheese sells in Santa Fe, Taos, NE Heights, etc.).

[catman]

Moriarty seems like a good place to retire, too. I'm considering it. Commuting back and forth to ABQ seems like it wouild be an expensive pain. But it's close enough to go to once in a while to stock up or for special occasions.

[Krisjb]

I'm also planning on relocating to NM. I hope to work in a ABQ public school, but I'm not sure if I want to live right in ABQ. I'd love to be in Santa Fe, but that's too much of a commute and probably expensive. I want to love in a fun place where there are things to do. Suggestions?

[rybert]

Have you ever visited ABQ? It's really a very great city! Fun place with lots to do... only ABQ or Santa Fe.

[Krisjb]

No...just the airport! Pretty just much Santa Fe b/c my mother has lived there for years, and I have a friend in Rio Rancho. Is ABQ pricey? I'd like to start out someplace where I can meet people, see some local bands, get a feel for the local scene....things like that.

[rybert]

I think homes in ABQ can be priced a bit too high, but in this market you'll have a better range of options in your price range (keep in mind interest rates are pretty low right now... so buy buy buy).

The RailRunner now runs between ABQ and Santa Fe. So you won't necessarily have to drive to visit your family and friends in Santa Fe.

With all that said... I am moving back to ABQ to be as close to my family as possible, so nothing I can say will persuade you to be away from your mother (assuming you want her coming over to your house every other day to bug you).