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We are relocating to ABQ the second week of April and I need help in making a decision on a place to live. I have a 5 year old so safety and a good school is priority. I was there to visit in February and it was beautiful!! I went after having read the information on this site and it was very helpful. Thanks.
I visited Manzano Mesa apartments (87123) because they are close to my husband's job and seemed to like Manzano Elementary as well. Also, I saw a condo on Craiglist that is located on Stilwell, NE (87112) and am not sure which would be the better area or have better schools.
I have some questions:
- Can anyone give me input on Manzano Mesa apartments and Manzano school?
- Is the area on Stilwell Dr., NE a safe area?
- Does anyone know what elementary school my son would attend if we were to choose the condo on Stilwell or who I can contact for this information? and Are the schools in this area good?
- Any suggestions for applying for a civilian federal government position? I have already posted my resume on USA Jobs. (I have 6 years of service and would like to add to my retirement time. I did not want to join the military again because I don't want to leave my 5 year old son)
- Any other suggestions about employment? (I have a bachelor's degree in business and experience as a dental assistant (2 yrs.) in oral surgery but no certification) I wasn't sure if I should try a temp. agency.
In advance, I really appreciate any information in helping us make a decision. We are really excited about leaving Michigan and pray we will enjoy living in Albuquerque.
To find the schools to match any particular address, visit www.aps.edu, click on schools, click on schools for your address.
Civilian fed jobs include IRS and National Forests in town. I've heard getting into either was difficult but not impossible. As with many things, I think it's about who you know.
Job fairs abound, and staffing agencies may be able to place you somewhere. You can also try cold calling dental offices for some direction. If you have a B.A. in business then perhaps you might want to consider starting up your own business. There are many opportunities that don't require a million in capital up front.
Good luck on your move. As far as neighborhood, it's really much more about the complex than the part of town. In the NE where you've been looking, the trend is that better schools are found further north (though it isn't a night-and-day kind of difference), but there are good and bad complexes everywhere.
Thank you for the website and for your feedback I appreciate it. My own business sounds great and that's always in the back of my mind!!! I will definitely research job fairs.
It will be different living in an apartment complex but we figured it would work for at least 6 months. I will continue looking farther north. On another note, are there any nice places to go spanish dancing? (Tejano, Salsa, Merengue, etc.)
Manzano is a pretty good school, from what I understand, had some friends that went there, and I remember their parents raving about it being quite good... should be one of the better ones in that area of town, though I'd suspect you'd find the best ones in the far eastern part of town, that's where most of the money is, and as property taxes pay for school, the best schools tend to be there... certainly La Cueva is the most well-funded high school anyway.. finding a job anywhere in this economy will be difficult, but I'd recommend possibly getting your certification and trying to pursue that, as from what I understand health care is one of the least affected areas in terms of job loss... NM isn't quite as negatively affected by the recession so far either, so you may have better luck... the unemployment rate is "only" around 6.75% right now
You might be better off selecting the school you like the best, then looking for a place to rent in that area. A lot of nice places in ABQ are privately owned and never make it to craigslist or the newspaper - the owners simply put a "for rent" sign out front. You often find nicer places and better rents with those units. I looked at a couple of Sky Management properties when I first moved here and wasn't impressed with them. It's a case of you definitely get what you pay for with several of the less expensive property management companies around here. JMHO.
Thanks, I will continue searching in the northeast part I believe that is where I would like to start out. I will keep that in mind about Sky Management properties. I want more than anything to be able to drive around and look for apartments for rent but with us heading down there soon, I'm not sure this is financially possible.
As far as employment I know that I will find a good job I just wanted to know if there might be something I have missed during my research. That's good to hear that New Mexico is doing pretty good. Where I am from in Michigan everything is closing. There are so many people who have been affected by this as many others around the country.
I will continue searching until I have peace about it. I knew that if I asked on this forum you all would be a big help! Thanks again.
all I can add about the Manzano Mesa area is it is supposed to be full of people who work on base (mil and dod contractors). Depends whether you like that or not (eg if you had just spent the last 15 yrs living in base housing and wanted to get far far away from living with the people you work with, then that's probably not your first choice of neighborhood). I have heard its a nice place to live, and very convenient for working on base and using base services. Is your husband active duty?
No my husband is not in the military. I was in the Navy for 6 years but I love being around military people. I had thought about joining the Air Force Reserves but with my 5 year old am not sure if that is a wise idea. I want more than anything to be involved with his life in every way. I know that he will grow fast and I don't want to miss any of that. But, I still loved being in the military too. I had actually talked with a recruiter and I believe I only have another year to decide because of my age.
Thank you lisdol for you info. on Manzano. I spoke with the lady from the apartments and it is still available. I also spoke with the other person regarding the condo and it will be available on April 1st. My husband's last day will be April 3rd so we'll be leaving the 4th. I haven't seen the condo yet but the man stated if we like it we'd have no problems. Thanks again.
Find a school North of Menaul and East of I-25 and then go looking for a place to live near the school you pick.......cant go wrong that way
out
Dan
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