do you regret moving to albuquerque? (Santa Fe, North Valley: real estate, apartment, coop)

[rybert]

My brother-in-law just moved into an apartment complex to the West of UNM... I don't think you could get me to walk around that place at night. During the day it is mch better.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Nedely

I'm not going to bash Albuquerque, but I am going to talk about my own experiences and feelings. In all honesty I have mixed emotions about this place. My husband and I have received wonderful job opportunities since we moved here which is great. I think most of my regret is due to the people I've come across. I don't understand why there are so many drunk drivers. I don't understand why everyone at my job feels the need to talk to me about drinking. It's annoying. I don't care what people do, therefore, I don't want to hear about how they have to have booze every day after work. Maybe if I was 20 it would seem cool, but 20 was a long time ago for me. Also, Everyone I know complains about how far something is in the city like a bunch of wimps. Most people here don't realize how easy it is to get around. The fact that you can go from one end of the city to the other on either highway in a mere 30 minutes is great. Still, you have people that stay cemented in their neighborhood and gripe when they have to drive more than 10 minutes or so. Ridiculous. Those that don't complain about having to drive don't do anything outside of work or school.

I'm not much of a desert person, but this climate is nice. Sure it's brown, but it's cool. I don't feel like I'm melting, which is how I feel whenever I'm in certain parts of Arizona or Nevada. The sunsets are beautiful. The strong winds I can do without. Whenever I need nice forest, I just go up north an hour or so.

I'm from a big city, so Albuquerque doesn't offer much in the way of things to do. However, I have learned to make the best out of this city and deal with it. I'm at a point in my life where I have to concentrate on my long term goals and save up as much money as I can. Living in a small city with a slower pace of life is fine for now. That doesn't mean I'm going to stay here.

I grew up in a warm climate and I've grown tired of hot whether. I love beaches. I love snow and freezing temperatures. When the time is right I'll be moving on to a cooler place. It's just too bad my parents refuse to come with me.

I share some of your views: we moved to Valencia County 7 years ago and have re-located to AR. the main reason we left was to be a little closer to our family, but there were other reasons as well:

Aside from the winds (which are awful) and the long alergy season the weather in the ABQ area can not be beat: The sunrise and sunset are surely an act of God.

Our neighbors and friends were great.

We loved our community involvement and our little church.

We didn't think anything was all that far from where we lived except for medical facilities in an emergancy.

The bad: yes, drunk driving was number one. We may have all been able to remember when we drank too much and drove too far, but most of us didn't have 10, 12 or 15 DUIs.

We found so many people lazy, take the shopping carts all over the parking area at Wal Mart, how hard is it to put them where they belong?

The welfare rolls were growning and growing. I know this is true many places, but I think worse in NM.

Crime is off the wall.

If it wasn't for our family we would have spent the rest of our lives in NM, but I can't say I am sorry we left...

[wee_sassenach]

No regrets whatsoever here. I come from a small little English market town, and I feel just as safe in Albuquerque at night as I do in my home town, as long as I avoid the bad areas that every town/city has. I feel more integrated into a community here, I love the weather, and the food, and the access to the outdoors.

I do get tired of how long the summers are here. I find the drivers here to be terrible, but luckily all my friends and family here are good drivers. I can't buy the kind of clothing here that I like, but I can buy good stuff online. Public transportation is coming along in Abq, which is great.

[Trkstp Tina]

I agree with the posters who say crime in Albuquerque is really overblown! Maybe we should send the folks who fear crime to the ghettos of Chicago, Philadelphia or Detroit for a day, and they can see what high crime is really like.

[mattywo85]

I regret it only because coming from Chicago I lost all major league sports as well as things to do. In Chicago you can do just about anything and everything at all times of day and here in Albuquerque its very limited. I also have to say coming from a city where aggressive driving is a must, people here are to cautious, haha. Not only that but the job market out here is decent but definitely not as many jobs as Chicago. I also miss having more then one type of weather all the time. Don't get me wrong the warmth is nice but I need variety.

[honu1]

I regret leaving ABQ and frequently look for job postings there so I have an excuse to move back.

[lemon&lime]

I am probably moving back at this point; about 60% of my stuff is packed. Mostly I can't handle another gloomy, negative winter in Salt Lake. I'm trying to focus less on regrets and more on how much better I'll probably feel.

[berncohomes]

Originally Posted by wee_sassenach

No regrets whatsoever here. I come from a small little English market town

What small little English market town?

I originally hail from Cheshire.

[berncohomes]

I grew up in the UK, in a smallish town not too far from a major city (Manchester), I originally moved to NJ, just across the Walt from Philadelphia and have been in Albuquerque for just over three years, living in Nob Hill, Central & Old Coors area and now the foothills.

We felt very safe in New Jersey, we lived in a small town not too far from the city where the major crime consisted of kids skateboarding on the sidewalk. England was safe except for the nightlife, always fighting, something you don't see here in the states.

I loved Nob Hill, very safe area too, we then moved to Central & Old Coors area and that was a very different story, for over a year we never left the house at night, we had an electric garage door opener installed so we did not have to get out of the car outside if we came home at night. This was a new development with nice new houses but in our time there we had two arson attempts on a neighbors property, gunshots were heard several times and on the day we moved a body was found behind our house, a drug overdose. We now live in the foothills and feel very safe again, close to beautiful mountains and nice parks.

Albuquerque does have a crime issue, it also has a police issue, the issue with the police being that they are understaffed and underpaid. We need more money for our police department, pay them more and hire more the only way we can fight crime.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by berncohomes

I grew up in the UK, in a smallish town not too far from a major city (Manchester), I originally moved to NJ, just across the Walt from Philadelphia and have been in Albuquerque for just over three years, living in Nob Hill, Central & Old Coors area and now the foothills.

We felt very safe in New Jersey, we lived in a small town not too far from the city where the major crime consisted of kids skateboarding on the sidewalk. England was safe except for the nightlife, always fighting, something you don't see here in the states.

I loved Nob Hill, very safe area too, we then moved to Central & Old Coors area and that was a very different story, for over a year we never left the house at night, we had an electric garage door opener installed so we did not have to get out of the car outside if we came home at night. This was a new development with nice new houses but in our time there we had two arson attempts on a neighbors property, gunshots were heard several times and on the day we moved a body was found behind our house, a drug overdose. We now live in the foothills and feel very safe again, close to beautiful mountains and nice parks.

Albuquerque does have a crime issue, it also has a police issue, the issue with the police being that they are understaffed and underpaid. We need more money for our police department, pay them more and hire more the only way we can fight crime.

Boy are you right about the police, way underpaid and that is why they are so understaffed...

Nita