Neighborhoods: best for walking, best for price, closest to nature (Albuquerque: middle-class, top neighborhood)

[Hubcap_halo]

Hello,

I'm a writer, been to Albuquerque and found it beautiful, especially the surrounding scenery, the Sandias. And I remember this neighborhood on a hill the far end of town opposite the mountains, not too far from a University. Really beautiful. Probably expensive.

Anyway, I'm looking for a neighborhood that probably doesn't exist: cheap, walking distance to a great grocery store with organic foods, and also close to trails or some nature. I've been living in NYC for 3 years and I'm over the urban scene.

If those three things don't all exist in one place, then which neighborhoods have 1 or 2?

I've heard Nob Hill is nice, near a co op, but is more expensive. I'm looking for a studio or 1br in the $500 to $600 range.

Thanks!
P

[Mike Horrell]

I don't have any specific recommendations, but here are a couple helpful links

Raynolds, Albuquerque's Most Walkable Neighborhoods - Walk Score Neighborhood Rankings

Albuquerque - Official City Website

Albuquerque Neighborhoods

Also use Google Maps to get a eye-level view of specific areas

Google Maps

Type in Albuquerque, then zoom in on any area you are interested in.
Streets with blue outlines have photographic coverage at eye level and you
can "walk" down streets, up side streets, rotate your point of view, etc.

Good luck.

[ABQConvict]

You can find what you are looking for within a mile of Nob Hill; easy walking distance and a good neighborhood for restaurants, entertainment, etc.

The neighborhood I am talking about is University Heights and it has a fair bit of choice in your price range but you will be a lot happier with your immediate neighbors and conditions if you can go up to $700 - $800. This area is also called the Student Ghetto because there is a higher density of students living in the area but it is by no means a party/frat-row type neighborhood but rather a lower middle-class area with pockets of gentrification and pockets of mild to moderate scum as you head south and west of the Lead/Yale intersection. All in all, pretty livable with a diverse range of folks. Students, old Hippies, Mexicans, hipsters, retired professors, Artists, and a lot of regular people.

It is literally within 5-15 minutes walk of the Co-op grocery in Nob Hill and all else Nob Hill offers without the higher rents and it is also a lot closer to downtown for the morsel of urbanity that that neighborhood provides. It has the benefits of the UNM campus which for non-students provides a park like atmosphere with nicely cared for gardens and a central pond/lawn area as well as interesting architecture, there are numerous and varied restaurants in the UNM area stretching up into Nob Hill, and there is a supermarket, a green grocer, and a farmer's market all within walking distance in addition to the aformentioned co-op. There are several coffeeshops to choose from and a slew of vintage clothing, and other independent businesses if that sort of thing appeals to you. It is also the best location for utilizing what little public transportation this city has to offer so one can definitely live car-free in the Downtown-UH-Nob Hill area.

Unfortunately, close to nature and 'walkable neighborhood' don't mesh well in Albuquerque. That said, public transport or a bicycle can be used to access the Bosque (river area). To get to the mountains without a car, my suggestion is to make friends with someone with a car ;-)

The neighborhood you describe in your post is probably Ridgecrest which is set back behind Nob Hill and is a great place to take a nice walk from UH/Nob Hill. It is like a little parcel of Westchester in Albuquerque with home prices to match (well, in scale anyway).

ABQConvict

[Hubcap_halo]

Thank you for the thoughtful replies!

[mortimer]

ABQConvict surmised:

> The neighborhood you describe in your post is probably Ridgecrest ....

I don't think so.

The OP asked for "opposite the mountains, not too far from a University."

I don't know what "opposite" means with regards to the mountains, but perhaps it means "away from" as in *not* in the foothills.

They described many many areas in the bosque area.

Try these:
Coronado State Monument
Rio Grande Nature Center
Field and Mountain

To see more, go to flickr - Albuquerque {group} pool and enter [bosque sandia] in the search box.

Even for the first picture, if you are reasonably close to the RR station, you can get to the University easily, so it's "close." For other locations South of there, the Blue Line is sufficient.

> walking distance to a great grocery store with organic foods, ...

La Montañita Coop - Valley - is on Rio Grande. You don't need anything else.

> and also close to trails or some nature.

More trails than you can cover in a year within walking distance.

[ABQConvict]

Originally Posted by Hubcap_halo

Hello,

I [have] been to Albuquerque [...] And I remember this neighborhood on a hill the far end of town opposite the mountains, not too far from a University. Really beautiful. Probably expensive.

Originally Posted by mortimer

ABQConvict surmised:

> The neighborhood you describe in your post is probably Ridgecrest ....

I don't think so.

mortimer, what neighborhood could she be remembering that is on a hill, near UNM and is beautiful and expensive? I stick by Ridgecrest.

If there is another beautiful, hilltop neighborhood near UNM, I want to know about it. I'm looking for new places to walk/ride my bike.


ABQConvict

[mortimer]

ABQConvict - expertly using his editor countered:

> > ... neighborhood on a hill ...

> ... what neighborhood could she be remembering ...

OK, re-reading (again) I'll concede. I was so focused on the ....

> > ... far end of town opposite the mountains ...

... that I just didn't visualize Ridgcrest.

Also, I think I was drunk, but I passed out, so I don't rememer [sic].