Nice Areas of Albuquerque? (Santa Fe, Rio Rancho: 2009, crime, home)

[lalahartma]

There was a nice area, right outside downtown: an older neighborhood with nice houses and trees......I wonder what that is called. I will check it out next week, when I'm a visiting. I believe it was too the west, but I'm not sure!

[dreamboatannie953]

Originally Posted by NewMexicanRepublican

Anyone too lazy to hit the search button will fit right into those neighborhoods.

I am so let down to find out how gang and drug infested New Mexico sounds. I always dreamed of living there but it sounds like a bad idea now. Are you saying Rio Rancho is bad too?

[Skyszlimit]

Originally Posted by dreamboatannie953

I am so let down to find out how gang and drug infested New Mexico sounds. I always dreamed of living there but it sounds like a bad idea now. Are you saying Rio Rancho is bad too?

Granted, we have just moved here.. It's only been about 2 weeks now, and NOWHERE do I see any gangs!! We live in the NE Heights area (87111) and my husband teaches over at UNM...

Every city has it's 'issues'...

You just need to know where NOT to live... folks on this board will point you in the right direction..

If I told you I lived for 3 years in Miami suburbs, you'd 'think'... oh vey- they must be crazy to live in the jungle, crime streets of 'miami'... but there again- you'd be WRONG! We had a lovely home and really enjoyed all the beauty of Miami and Fort Lauderdale... Again- it's knowing where NOT to live...

Hope you don't ex-out NM.. It's quite beautiful out here!

[mmposting]

Originally Posted by dreamboatannie953

What are the nice areas of Albuquerque to live? What I mean by that is beauty, low crime, ect...?

Your only choice in the matter will be the northeast side of Albuquerque, the closer you get to the mountains, the better. The mountain foothills east of Tramway Blvd. are where the rich live. Neighborhoods to the west of Tramway blvd. are nice. The farther west you get, the less nice they get.

Two more nice neighborhoods worth mentioning:

(a) the neighborhood bounded by Coal ave. to the north and Gibson to the south, with Carlislse running through the middle. IT's called Ridgecrest and it's an old, nice neighborhood.

(b) "Pill HIll" so called because there's a lot of doctors living there: north of I-25 with Indian School road running through it.

Both of these are pretty small neighborhoods so you have to be careful not to get a house "nearby" which could put you in a bad neighborhood.

Avoid the west side of Albuquerque completely. Don't live in the North or South Valleys, these are high crime areas.

Avoid anything around Central Avenue. Central ave is often featured on Cops which should give you an idea.

If you're considering relocating to Albuquerque, you should be aware that outside of Los Angeles, Albuquerque has one of the biggest problems with street gangs in the United States. If you limit your activities to the northeast heights, chances are you'll never have any issues or even have to see any bad elements. But if you go to the malls (even in the Northeast heights) or other popular "public" areas, you will see lots of these type of people. On weekends, probably half the people in the mall are gang-affiliated, tattooed individuals.

If you don't like being around this, than you won't like it.

[mmposting]

This is the "country club" neighborhood bounded by Central Ave. to the north and 12th street to the east.

yes a nice neighborhood, but surrounding by very troubled areas. Lots of prostitution on Central avenue and lots of gangs.

Originally Posted by lalahartma

There was a nice area, right outside downtown: an older neighborhood with nice houses and trees......I wonder what that is called. I will check it out next week, when I'm a visiting. I believe it was too the west, but I'm not sure!

[mmposting]

One more comment. People who say it's nice in NM are absolutely correct. But they are not being specific enough.

The ONE nice thing about New Mexico is the landscape. The climate, the mountains, the beauty of the desert - it's stunning, spectacular and there's nothing like it elsewhere in the United States.

But in my opinion it's the only good thing.

[mmposting]

annie,

you are much better off in Colorado. the same stunning beauty and spectacular weather and scenery.

but immensely safer, cleaner and without the gangs.

it's a night and day difference. people in colorado take care of the appearance of their homes and their lawns. there's no graffiti or trash. there's no gangs (except maybe in Denver in certain neighborhoods.)

it's a wonderful state. i'm in the process of moving there myself, thank goodness.

Originally Posted by dreamboatannie953

I am so let down to find out how gang and drug infested New Mexico sounds. I always dreamed of living there but it sounds like a bad idea now. Are you saying Rio Rancho is bad too?

[mmposting]

go to Colorado or Winrock mall this Saturday (the only two 'regular" malls in albuquerque) and report back what you see there.

Originally Posted by Skyszlimit

Granted, we have just moved here.. It's only been about 2 weeks now, and NOWHERE do I see any gangs!! We live in the NE Heights area (87111) and my husband teaches over at UNM...

Every city has it's 'issues'...

You just need to know where NOT to live... folks on this board will point you in the right direction..

If I told you I lived for 3 years in Miami suburbs, you'd 'think'... oh vey- they must be crazy to live in the jungle, crime streets of 'miami'... but there again- you'd be WRONG! We had a lovely home and really enjoyed all the beauty of Miami and Fort Lauderdale... Again- it's knowing where NOT to live...

Hope you don't ex-out NM.. It's quite beautiful out here!

[mmposting]

Please elaborate on how these are "low crime" and "nice."

I grew up in the South Valley. It is the last place I would want to live.

Originally Posted by NewMexicanRepublican

Westgate and the South Valley.

[lalahartma]

Originally Posted by mmposting

This is the "country club" neighborhood bounded by Central Ave. to the north and 12th street to the east.

yes a nice neighborhood, but surrounding by very troubled areas. Lots of prostitution on Central avenue and lots of gangs.

Thanks! I'm looking for horse property, so I won't be considering that area. I thought it was attractive, tho. I lived in downtown cleveland for years , so I'm not easily put off.