Chicago to Albuquerque (Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, North Valley: fit in, apartment complexes, to rent)

[ChicagoChad]

Hello,

I currently live in the Chicago area where I have spent most of my 36 years. However, I am now ready to make a move to a better climate and Albuquerque is on my short list. I am a self-employed web designer so finding employment is not a concern for me as I do all my work from home which makes my relocation options very open.

I do have a few questions that I would appreciate some answers to:

1. Has anyone who has relocated from a large metro-area such as Chicago felt isolated is Albuquerque?

2. Can you offer 5 names of apartment complexes you would recommend to someone relocating to Albuquerque? ($500-$600 dollar range for a one bedroom)

3. From what I have read so far the NE part of Albuquerque seems to be the best place to live. Is this correct?

Those are my main questions for now. I will probably be visiting Albuquerque in the next couple weeks for a few days and would like to visit some of the apartment complexes recommended here.

Thanks,

Chad

[rybert]

Even as a local I sometimes feel isolated.

Should come in handy for Armageddon.

[joanie55]

Geez, it's been so long since I lived in apartments in Alb - renting a single family home is very affordable - especially compared to Chicago's housing costs. Personally, I would opt for that. I do remember that the Pavillion Apartments on Academy in the far NE Heights are very nice. I think Mountain Run are still relatively nice also. Pavillion has garages though and in general is nicer. You are probably in for quite a culture shock. I moved there from St. Louis and am very familiar with Chicago and it is vastly different. But in some aspects pleasantly so. I was enthralled with the wide open spaces, the beauty of the landscape, the sunsets, the number of sunny days, etc. The culture is charming but not nearly as diverse as Chicago. I'm unclear what you mean about feeling isolated. Alb is a very friendly city, I never felt isolated there. Although if you're not Hispanic (and I get s--- for this all the time) you're never really going to fit in. It's a Hispanic town and there is some resentment toward "white" people, especially Californians who moved there and raised the housing costs. It's also a pretty paroachial town as well. I loved living there for a number of years but eventually tired of the desert climate and began to yearn for a greener, lusher place. It's also a blue collar town, which I also grew tired of. IT's a great place to live for a few years though. Charming culture, access to charming Santa Fe and Taos - great for skiing if you like that. Close to Colorado, which is beautiful to visit. Cheap flights (USED to be anyway) to Cali as well. Good luck to you on your decision.

[ABQConvict]

Originally Posted by ChicagoChad

1. Has anyone who has relocated from a large metro-area such as Chicago felt isolated is Albuquerque?

I'm from NYC; no, I have not felt isolated in Albuquerque. It is not quite the cultural/fine-arts mecca that Americas biggest cities are but it is a pretty vibrant and diverse city all things considered and pretty unique as well. Definitely a lot to discover here.

Originally Posted by ChicagoChad

2. Can you offer 5 names of apartment complexes you would recommend to someone relocating to Albuquerque? ($500-$600 dollar range for a one bedroom)

You will get a better list of Apartment complexes from other members here than I could give you but I will say that Albuquerque is not so densely populated as to be an 'apartment' city. That said there are plenty of complexes if you really don't want to live in a house. I doubt you will find much that isn't run down or dodgy in your price range. Shoot for $700+ for an apartment and $800 - $900+ for a 2 bdrm house.

Originally Posted by ChicagoChad

3. From what I have read so far the NE part of Albuquerque seems to be the best place to live. Is this correct?

You will most likely get a chorus of "YES!" on this one, but in my opinion, that is like saying, "I need to eat, Chinese cuisine seems to be the best food to eat. Is this correct?"

Depends on your taste.

ABQConvict

[mortimer]

joanie55 mentioned:

> Alb ... if you're not Hispanic (and I get s--- for this all the time)
> you're never really going to fit in. .....................^^^

If, by getting [fee-cee-s] for "this" view, means that people disagree,
then I'm officially dishing out some excrement.

I don't feel like I don't fit in. Never have (here, in my 25th year in ABQ).
I don't know any Anglos who feel that way. It doesn't mean they aren't
here ( and feeling "unfit"), but I don't know any. ( I probably wouldn't
like them. I'm small-minded like that. )

> It's a Hispanic town

I don't agree. <=== not giving shee-ite, but am disagreeing.

There's a lot of Hispanic influence here.
It was originally a *Spanish* town.

> ... there is some resentment toward "white" people,
> especially Californians who moved there and raised
> the housing costs.

People EVERYWHERE resent people with money coming in and
changing the character of the place they live. It is not a Hispanic thing.

> It's also a blue collar town, which I also grew tired of.

I have the opposite impression. <=== not giving shee-ite, but am disagreeing.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by ChicagoChad

1. Has anyone who has relocated from a large metro-area such as Chicago felt isolated is Albuquerque?

I relocated in 03 to Albuquerque (was at that time in my late 20s) from the Milwaukee, WI area...your town's little brother to the 60 miles north.

While Milwaukee at 1.5 million metro is no where near Chicago's mammoth 10-million metro, it is still a semi-big metro; also, with its close proximity to Chicago, I am very familiar with - and used to spending time in - Chicago.

To me, feeling "isolated" was never even a thought or a consideration (and I am fully a 100% city / suburb type...no rural life).

I don't know...to some on the CD Forums - generally those from the obviously very compact and congested Northeast, oddly they find living in an Albuquerque or the like to have a feeling of isolation. I just don't get that mentality. I like living where other people live (henceforth my lifelong strong preference for cities/suburbs over rural areas), however, I don't feel the absolute need to have 10-million people crammed on top of me either.

When you are in the heart of Albuquerque - a metro of 850K - with neat towns such as Santa Fe so nearby - I just think you'd "feel" the same with the same quantities of people where you are than you'd feel in any other biggish city. Sure, you won't have jam-packed streets, taxis, mammoth sky-rises and high rises, etc., but you'll find the same quantities of people moving about.

It is true though, that once outside of Albuquerque, you'd need to do some driving to get to the next big cities (Phoenix and Denver are 450 miles away each, Tucson a hare longer, El Paso about 250 miles away). I don't know...to me, this just isn't a big deal. To others though, for some reason they feel that way. To me, if I lived in San Diego, I wouldn't be driving to LA all that often, or if I lived in NYC, I wouldn't be heading down to Boston too much. But that is just me.

I think it is up to you here.

Originally Posted by ChicagoChad

2. Can you offer 5 names of apartment complexes you would recommend to someone relocating to Albuquerque? ($500-$600 dollar range for a one bedroom)

The Overlook Apartments: strongly recommended

Originally Posted by ChicagoChad

3. From what I have read so far the NE part of Albuquerque seems to be the best place to live. Is this correct?

I don't know if I would say "the best", but surely many, many parts of the Northeast are "among the best" places to live.

Good places to live in Albuquerque:

-NORTHEAST (primarily zips 87122, 87111, 87112, 87113, portions of 87109 and 87110)
-NORTH VALLEY (areas semi-close to Balloon Fiesta Park and Rio Grande Blvd. and Osuna Rd. all very nice)
-NORTH WEST (many areas in the 87114, 87120 zip codes)
-Many areas around UNM, Nob Hill, Downtown
-Suburbs such as Rio Rancho and Corrales

All of these are nice.

[EnjoyEP]

Hey Joanie -

I actually enjoyed most of your post, however, yeah, I guess I am one that would just chime in on this too -

Originally Posted by joanie55

Although if you're not Hispanic (and I get s--- for this all the time) you're never really going to fit in. It's a Hispanic town and there is some resentment toward "white" people,

I am as gringo as gringo can be, and I actually felt that ABQ always was a hare more "white" than Hispanic, although very evenly split. In fact, compared to other places in the Southwest, I was always a little at first surprised that ABQ wasn't a bit more Hispanic.

I believe the demographics show ABQ at 45% Caucasian and Hispanic at 42%. Surely, one can argue that the illegal factor may tilt overall the populace towards Hispanics, but it is very close.

But the bottom line is that ABQ to me was so laid back and in general friendly that most anyone regardless of gender seemed to be fine in terms of acceptance.

I never had a hard time in the least feeling in my element in ABQ and my colleagues / friends / acquaintances and out-of-town visitors all reported similar things.

[AlisonL]

Joanie forgot to mention all the ugly men at the pick-up bars.

[rybert]

Good call.

[ChicagoChad]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

I doubt you will find much that isn't run down or dodgy in your price range. Shoot for $700+ for an apartment and $800 - $900+ for a 2 bdrm house.

Is there a good website that list available Albuquerque homes to rent?

Never even thought of this option because in the Chicagoland area finding a home to rent is way to expensive. However, it sounds more realistic in Albuquerque.

Thanks for the help so far,

Chad