ABQ or Tacoma (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Ruidoso: credit, how much, home)

[Nedely]

Allergy problems can get BAD here for anyone with allergies. It's desert, but there's still plenty of stuff in the air to make you sneeze.

There is too many repeat DUI offenders. Too many drunk driving crashes. Everyone my mother and I know from work drinks their paychecks away, which surprises me because we both work in education! The native New Mexicans I've asked link drunkenness to a lack of things to do in ABQ.

Bad drivers here is a well known fact, but what isn't so well known is the fact that these morons can't park right. They park in red zones. They park in the crosshatch pattern next to a disabled parking space. They park in a disabled parking space without a placard, without being disabled. Maybe they are mentally disabled, but then how did they manage to get a license?..... And I'm also shocked to see so many cars with breathalyzers in them. It's just ridiculous.

I don't know what it is. I think a lot of the people from here have a "don't care, do whatever I want" attitude about everything. That goes right along with the "do it half assed, do it tomorrow" attitude.

I know those are not the specific pros or cons you were looking for, but that's the best way I can describe the observations I've had of the people while living here. I'd personally go to Tacoma. I'm from a large city and miss having lots of stuff to do. Oh yeah, seafood here exists in a couple of specialty seafood stores, and there's a couple of seafood restaurants, but that's it. And it ain't cheap!

I've lived here for three years and have done and seen all that there is to do and see in ABQ. Except getting arrested for DUI, getting drunk weekend after weekend, and smashing my car and killing someone in the process, while in a drunken stupor.

You have to make up your mind about where the two of you are going to go, but if you'd rather live in a larger city then you know what choice you have. Your wife could always find another job as a physical therapist in a couple of years, possibly commanding more money. The IT sector is bad all over. Just the nature of things right now.

And jghoo, there is a difference between New Mexican and Mexican cuisine. I won't go in to the details of the difference, or the details of the cuisines, but a lot of New Mexican food is green chile. Green chile burgers, hot dogs, green chile cheese fries, green chile stew, green chile pizza, green chile this, green chile that. I'm not knocking it, but it's as if the people here don't know anything else..... They have something against Mexican food because of the lack of green chile (or so they say). As if it's somehow SUPPOSED to have green chile or something.

[jghoo]

Originally Posted by observe

What the!!! The literacy, poverty, teen pregnancy and military population that have to live off of food stamps because of the cost of living in Tacoma!
is all true.........That is what you meant right?

I see your culinary expertise is lacking when it comes to telling the difference between New Mexican Cuisine & Mexican Cuisine..........as they are very different if you take the time to pay attention to your plate & taste buds!!!

Also may I add thet the PNW has one of the HIGHEST suicide rates in the Nation!

At no point did I imply that NM would lose in a comparison I simply recommended doing it. Not surprisingly you took it upon yourself to assume that was my intention. I believe its a well known fact that WA & AK have very high suicide rates due in part to the oppressive gray and rain. I HAVE SINCE BEEN SHOWN THE SUICIDE RATE STATEMENT IS INCORRECT

Still no one tells me the difference between the two food types. instead I get "pay attention". Thats rich. posole I understand is a NM soup, also I had not had stacked enchiladas before coming here. It is my understanding that New Mexicans may be afraid of cumin? As if anything could overpower the beloved green chile. The fact is a desert is not a place filled with natural food resources. theres nothing wrong with that, its just the way it is.

I might direct others to the following site which will help them so they can enjoy the difference between mexican and new mexican cuisine.

EatingNM: Cuisine



Cheers.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by jghoo

I believe its a well known fact that WA & AK have very high suicide rates due in part to the oppressive gray and rain.

I just do not agree with that. It may depend on a lot of factors and intrepretations, etc. But I had observed in the past that heavily populated portions of the NE United States, going down to Maryland had been the highest suicide rates. In the following article WA and AK were number 36 and 51 (Wash DC was counted): Depression and suicide rates state by state - USATODAY.com



Rich

[jghoo]

WOW Poncho, that is great. I have lived in the NW all my life and subscribed to the "wives tale". Thanks for clarifying.

Great post.

[Nedely]

Originally Posted by jghoo

At no point did I imply that NM would lose in a comparison I simply recommended doing it. Not surprisingly you took it upon yourself to assume that was my intention. I believe its a well known fact that WA & AK have very high suicide rates due in part to the oppressive gray and rain.

Still no one tells me the difference between the two food types. instead I get "pay attention". Thats rich. posole I understand is a NM soup, also I had not had stacked enchiladas before coming here. It is my understanding that New Mexicans may be afraid of cumin? As if anything could overpower the beloved green chile. The fact is a desert is not a place filled with natural food resources. theres nothing wrong with that, its just the way it is.

I might direct others to the following site which will help them so they can enjoy the difference between mexican and new mexican cuisine.

EatingNM: Cuisine



Cheers.

Haven't been to that site yet.

Posole is Mexican in origin. Not New Mexican. That the New Mexicans act as if they invented it is another matter. The posole here is a big let down. I've had it in restaurants and they don't know it's supposed to be served with garnish. The Frontier serves it with a flour tortilla and honey. Not a corn tortilla. And as for the enchiladas, they're enchilada casseroles. I've had it one of two ways; with chicken, white cheese, and green chile, or steak, cheddar cheese, and red chile. Neither of these are the real thing.

Carne adovada here is another bad excuse for the real thing. Real carne adovada is a marinated pork steak. Here's it's shredded meat in red chile. Similar stuff to what most Mexicans make tamales out of. And one thing I don't get is green chile and queso. I don't get it because, some how adding melted cheddar to green chile suddenly gives it a Spanish flare or something. "Oh, it's not cheese anymore, now it's queso."

There are pretty good authentic Mexican restaurants here in ABQ. Just gotta know what real Mexican is in the first place.

[hopeful transplant]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

I just do not agree with that. It may depend on a lot of factors and intrepretations, etc. But I had observed in the past that heavily populated portions of the NE United States, going down to Maryland had been the highest suicide rates. In the following article WA and AK were number 36 and 51 (Wash DC was counted): Depression and suicide rates state by state - USATODAY.com



Rich

Poncho - thanks for posting that, it's very, very interesting. I also just went with the 'old wives' and thought WA had everyone beat, (except AK). I was surprised to see that NM had more suicides than WA...per 100,000, if I'm reading it right....that really me...

[observe]

Originally Posted by Nedely

Haven't been to that site yet.

Posole is Mexican in origin. Not New Mexican. That the New Mexicans act as if they invented it is another matter. The posole here is a big let down. I've had it in restaurants and they don't know it's supposed to be served with garnish. The Frontier serves it with a flour tortilla and honey. Not a corn tortilla. And as for the enchiladas, they're enchilada casseroles. I've had it one of two ways; with chicken, white cheese, and green chile, or steak, cheddar cheese, and red chile. Neither of these are the real thing.

Carne adovada here is another bad excuse for the real thing. Real carne adovada is a marinated pork steak. Here's it's shredded meat in red chile. Similar stuff to what most Mexicans make tamales out of. And one thing I don't get is green chile and queso. I don't get it because, some how adding melted cheddar to green chile suddenly gives it a Spanish flare or something. "Oh, it's not cheese anymore, now it's queso."

There are pretty good authentic Mexican restaurants here in ABQ. Just gotta know what real Mexican is in the first place.

Hence some of the differences between New Mexican & Mexican food....Bravo mr helper!!

[mortimer]

dpgtfc surmised:

> 3. More to do outdoors - I love camping and hiking.. wife doesn't

Nope. Put those down as a wash. There is about the same amount
of that in both places. They are different. There are no temperate
rain forests in New Mexico, but you'll usually get better weather for
doing the hiking.

Mountains in NM can be well above treeline.

[nmguy]

It looks like the poster's priorities revolve around a desire to consume seafood. He's never going to get that in NM.

Why doesn't he settle in Tacoma where he can eat fish to his heart's delight?

New Mexico is a magical place, but it isn't for everyone.

[Towanda]

Originally Posted by nmguy

New Mexico is a magical place, but it isn't for everyone.

Are you sure maybe you shouldn't be staying here, nmguy? Not all that many magical places out there....