kids roam freely (Albuquerque, Dora: apartments, to rent, crime rates)

[Joseph Bleier]

We are considering relocating to Albuquerque from New York City. We are raising 2 kids age 9 and 12 and are looking for a safe neighborhood where they can roam freely to play and visit friends, and with a good high school for an honor student. We want to be within 35 minute commuting distance from the albuquerque veterans hospital.

We are initially want to rent first while we find our way around but then would be looking for a home in the 450K range. Any suggestion about specific locations?

Thank you!

[desert sun]

drop them off in wal mart, kids run freely there

[Nedely]

Originally Posted by Joseph Bleier

We are considering relocating to Albuquerque from New York City. We are raising 2 kids age 9 and 12 and are looking for a safe neighborhood where they can roam freely to play and visit friends, and with a good high school for an honor student. We want to be within 35 minute commuting distance from the albuquerque veterans hospital.

We are initially want to rent first while we find our way around but then would be looking for a home in the 450K range. Any suggestion about specific locations?

Thank you!

We live in the south west mesa area of the city. It's a quiet neighborhood, but there have been some robberies. I watch my nieces and nephews and I would NEVER let them roam freely beyond the neighbors house. But that's just me. Oh yeah, there aren't many children in our neighborhood anyway!

The families here usually keep to themselves. Even the children mind their own business. The few that play in the street look like they will grow up to be "street people" if you know what I mean.

The only thing I can recommend for you is to look into the new development areas that are full of "cookie cutter" homes. Most of the people living in these areas are hard working individuals that like the quiet and keep to themselves. But if I were you, I'd stay in New York. Such a fun place compared to Albuquerque.

Good luck.

[mortimer]

Joseph Bleier wants:

> ... good high school
> ... within 35 minute ... from the albuquerque veterans hospital.

>... to rent first ...
> ... looking for a home in the 450K range.

> .... specific locations?

There are some nice apartments in the Wyoming/Academy area.
Tanoan might be a nice place to home shop and let the kids roam.
It's gated/guarded and as close to "safe" as it gets here.
AVH is an easy shot down Wyoming/Lomas/Louisiana/Gibson.

[berncohomes]

Tanoan is a very good idea as are the cookie cutter homes in that area all serving La Cueva and will mostly fall below $450K

[Tim Rankin]

Albuq, IMO, is not a place where you have to live in a gated community to feel "safe." Although Tanoan is nice, there are many, many other places where kids can run freely. Lots of the neighborhoods surrounding both Sandia and La Cueva HS's fit the bill.

We lived in the Eisenhower Area Neighborhood Association [EANA] area, and there were kids out and about fairly often. My experience has been that kids get out & play at least as much in non-gated communities, if not more often.

[abqsunport]

Stick to the La Cueva High School (this is your price range), El Dorado, and Sandia High School Neighborhoods and I think you will find what you are looking for. Quite a few neighborhoods have private parks and such.

[veggggies]

I'm in Northern Meadows in RR and many kids roam free (even 5 year olds...crazy parents). However, I wouldn't do it! I do love my neighborhood and love how kids just knock on the door and say "let's play". I can't stand setting up "play dates". Ack!

[ABQConvict]

I grew up in the Bronx in the '70s and '80s when NYC was a real cess-pit. Nonetheless, kids roamed freely and had fun childhoods. Shoot, Son of Sam was my neighbor and the video for 'White Lines' was shot a few blocks away. Yet I was free, at the age of 10, to hang out at the grocery helping little old ladies carry their shopping bags to their buildings in exchange for quarters so I could go to the arcade and play Pac-Man until 9 o'clock at night.

Now people in ostensibly 'good' neighborhoods are paranoid and would rather their kids get fat and blind on the couch in front of their Nintendo than let them leave the front lawn. Crime rates are way lower than they have been in decades, What has happened to our society? Nancy Grace got you spooked or something?

;-)

ABQConvict

[karmathecat]

I live on the west side, near Ventana Ranch and our neighboorhood is diverse, some retirees, some young families. Plenty of kids of all ages ( most though seem to be in the 8-12 range ) all over the neighborhood playing, with parents in the driveways watching the little ones. Very safe, with at least 2 police cruisers regularly parked in their owners driveways. I've not heard of any serious crime in our immediate area ( within 4-6 blocks ) save some grafitti which the task force quickly responded to and painted over.
Homes here start in the 200's, all built within 5 years...maybe save some $$ on housing and enroll your honor student in Academy, Pius, Bosque or Sandia.