Albuquerque, NM (Rio Rancho, Las Vegas, House: apartments, motel, rent)

[EnjoyEP]

To the original poster of this thread -

I feel like you have gotten some very biased, slanted reactions to your original question. The negativity has been disappointing. All folks are entitled to their opinions, however, if you look at any sizable cities in ANY states in other "state" forums on this site, you will see the same standard, canned responses that you are getting here: "crime is high, poverty is high", etc.

I am guessing that most of the negative responses you are getting here are coming from folks who enjoy living in very small, rural type towns. And yes, compared to towns of 2,000 or 10,000 people, Albuquerque - like all other sizable cities in the nation - has more traffic, a higher crime rate, etc. But that is just a given considering the size of the city.

However, if you are familiar at all with living in a "big" city, Albuquerque is a tremendous choice.

Some of the people speaking so negatively about the city here also are referencing the tremendous growth rate of new people into the city. Honestly, if Albuquerque was such a horrid place to live, would it be one of the fastest growing cities in the US?

There are pros and cons to Albuquerque, like everywhere. But I moved here about three years ago from the Midwest, and while I am not certain I will stay here forever, I have to say that it is overall a tremendous place to live.

The pros:

-The weather: Yes, it is colder than Phoenix or southeast Texas, but I am not so sure that that is a bad thing. The sun shines over 310 days a year, there is rarely a day without sun. It is a desert, so the air is very dry (very few mosquitos!). Days are often very hot in the summer, but usually top out only at 102 degrees at most. Springs and falls here are just about the best weather you could imagine - 70s or 80 in the day, and cool, crisp, clear nights. Winters get very cool at night - 20s and 30s are common once the sun sets - but days generally bring 50s, and even some stretches of 60s. Golf is truly year-round here, but it is true you can still a few times see some snow.

-The natural beauty: Yes, it is brown, but isn't that a given in a desert? Las Vegas and Phoenix are much, much browner! On the east of the city - only a few minutes from much of the eastern portion of the city - are the beautiful Sandia Mountains - (peak is 11,000 feet). On the west is the West Mesa, a very scenic elevated desert area, which includes some dormant volcanoes. Through the middle runs the Rio Grande, which produces a greenish snake of huge green trees - Cottonwoods and the like - that runs through the middle of the city called the bosque - it is truly an oasis in the desert, and is beautiful in late autumn. And often times the first freeze here doesn't come until November, so while there isn't as much "green" as Chicago, per se, the green that is here lasts much longer into fall, and develops again much earlier the next spring again.

-Culture: I could not believe those that stated Albuquerque has no culture. People, have you ever traveled to other major cities around the nation?! There is more culture in Albuquerque than most areas! There is a huge blend of Mexican, Native American, Spanish, and "Gringo" cultures here, and as such, you find much more of a NATURAL rich culture than you do in many areas.

I could go on and on. But I have a wife, and we have a 1.5-year old daughter, and I have never felt a shred of crime or aggression in the 3+ years of living here (I live in an old neighborhood in the NE area of the city in a modest, 1,200 square foot home). Sure, I would not hang out on the east portion Central Ave. at midnight on a Friday, but again, there are areas like that in EVERY major city in the nation.

Crime statistics show Albuquerque kind of "below average" for safety in the U.S. for sure, but it is a far safer place statistically than places like Phoenix or Tucson. And you know what? I have spent much time in Phoenix and Tucson, and never for a minute felt threatened there. Just live in the vast majority of areas of the city that are safe!

As for the schools, yes, I am sure most are bad, but most public schools in most big cities in the US are like that too. That is what private schools are for. (And no, I am by no means rich or even above middle class. There are plenty of affordable private schools out there that are not just for the "elite").

Albuquerque LEADS the country's major cities in percentage of the city covered by parks - with over 25% of the city covered by the beautiful parks here. It is a tremendous city for spending time outdoors.

The sunsets here will take your breath away...almost every night.

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[EnjoyEP]

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The Balloon Fiesta for 2 weeks in October is great. Roasting chile every year from August through early November brings tremendous smells to the air every day. Old Town is a wonderful area for shopping and historical sight-seeing (there are not many places like Old Town in other major US cities). We are only 45 minutes away from historical Santa Fe. Our International Sunport (airport...you can tell by the name how sunny it is here year-round) is a perfect size - tons of flights, but not nearly the hassles of airports like Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, etc.

The Mexican and New Mexican food here is superb (and cheap!). But there are many tremendous Chinese, Thai, Italian, Mediterranean, etc., restaurants as well.

The architecture that some here have maligned is beautiful, and so distinctively unique to New Mexico! The pueblo, adobe styles give you a feeling of living somewhere unique in the nation, and the brown against the beautiful blue skies are a wonderful contrast.

I could go on and on...and already have. But hopefully this gives you a more pleasant picture of Albuquerque. And having just moved here 3 years ago from half-way across the nation, I would have no reason to be "naturally biased" to the area.

Oh, and being a "grigo" in this area, I have never for a second experienced a shred of racism. You'll find that stuff everywhere throughout the world, but it certainly is no worse here than any other large city, and in many ways is far, far better.

I do find it to be polarizing. Some people just will not give Albuquerque a chance. They hate living in a desert - hate the desert landscape - or just think Albuquerque is "too big." (If you think Albuquerque is too big, try spending some time in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Las Vegas, Houston...the list goes on). And it is distinctive and different. I find that pleasant about the area, but others hate it. And all opinions deserve respect. But I sometimes wonder, "well, you knew it was a desert, and you knew it was a metro area of 800,000 before you moved here. If you didn't like those aspects, why did you move here in the first place?"

Sure there are negatives. As the city continues to grow, house prices are shooting up rapidly (although, contrasted to many, many places in the nation, houses are still terribly affordable). Traffic is getting much worse with people moving in so rapidly, but it is still far better than many areas in the nation. The tap water doesn't taste good - (although that is what bottled water is for). The job market highly centers around high-tech/engineering, so people with more general business backgrounds sometimes find a tougher go of things (although that is my background, I just have a bachelors degree only, and have done just fine).

Oh, and about that stigma of low wages here, I am sorry if that has been some folks' experience, but having previously lived in Milwaukee, WI, I find the wages here to not be too terribly different.

There are cons here for sure, but honestly, the pros far outweigh the cons here, and having seen many, many areas and regions of the country and the world in my short life, I can say that Albuquerque is a superb place to live.

[catman]

But I agree with your point of view. I have visited Albuquerque several time and its traffic is nothing compared to the nightmarish situation encountered daily in the Dallas-Ft Worth area. I'm surprised that more people don't murder each other in traffic out of pure frustration. Every weekday evening, there is an almost-stationary line of vehicles 15-20 miles long and three lanes wide trying to get into Ft Worth from the east.

I LIKE the desert environment. It may look nice and green around here, but try out the humidity and the bugs for awhile and see if you don't like a drier climate after all. Albuquerque doesn't have many 80+ degree nights, in which one walks outside and starts sweating at 4 AM.. Besides that, I like the way the desert surroundings look. I think I need to move!

[dj32]

I am new here (please no bashing!) but have been reading this forum for months. I don't know what I can say that EnjoyEP hasn't already said. I am so happy to see someone talk about the beauty, culture and uniqueness that is Albuquerque. I agree, if you want small town, rural life, that is not for you. If you don't want "outsiders" moving in to NM maybe that is why you are so negative?? I've been visiting my inlaws in Albuquerque (who have only lived in the city, in Altura Park area, Twin Parks, now close to Nob Hill) and have never once been scared or seen it has high crime. Yes, Albuquerque'
s crime is higher than some, but have you seen the stats that is is FALLING faster than most? This city is an undiscovered gem and THAT is why are are seeing so many people who would have once considered Phoenix, Tucson or even Denver moving there. We live in Denver and are contemplating a move right now. I am excited about the prospect of lower housing and yes your housing is CHEAP compared to most metros in this country. I am excited about the rebirth of Nob HIll, Albuquerque Uptown and the city and developers trying to reinvigorate this town! IT is exciting to see the growth and change. The growth and diversity of people coming in the last 3-5 years is nothing short of amazing.

What I find baffling is that Albuquerque seems to have this lack of confidence, or disregard for itself? It's like people are afraid for things to get better? Have you guys seen the press given to Albuquerque from the likes of Forbes, Kiplingers Finance, Sunset Magazine,etc?/ These are just articles I've read in the last few months! Anyway, I am rambling now but I woudl take beautiful albuquerque over manufactured Phoenix and VEgas any day!

I look forward to getting to know you all and posting more!

[finmqa1]

ABQ is a wonderful place and getting better every day. Cities our size generally have a hard time fighting crime especially if they are experiencign the growing pains we are. This crime is isolated in a few locales throughout the Southeast and Southwest areas of town. I have lived here my whole life and the only crime against me was my car stereo was taken in high school. Our weather certainly makes us one of the most liveable cities in the southwest.

A lot of people who bash ABQ lived here several years ago. In the past 5 years there has been tremendous growth and revitalization of run down areas. Downtown has come such a long way and I believe it will truly be a wonderful Urban Center in the coming years.

[observe]

I dont know where some of these people that are bashing Albuquerque actually come from, but it sure isn't Albuquerque. They make it sound like Bahgdad, just crime riddled and homeless people on every corner. Or they can't find a job that pays more than $6.50 an hour. Well Mc Donalds pays that, almost every other job pays more, or your just not actively looking right. Anyway, Albuquerque is a modern booming city that is becoming a high tech hot bed. The metro area is adding about 9,000 new homes a year and is adding about 12,000 residents a year. The current population of Albuquerque is about 515,000 with the metro area at about 850,000. And will soon hit the 1 million mark. I think what scares some of these people is the rapid change and rapid growth, some people just dont like change. If you are a motivated person and love a progressive community, the changes will suit you. At the same time the area has its small town rural feel, Corrales, Los Ranchos and Placitas. So the Metro area has alot to offer everyone, it's a great city if you have an open mind.

[roni]

I just move to Albuquerque from Austin. I thought it would be nice and a great place but I was wrong. The houses here are just as expensive as in Austin but way way uglier. Every house I have seen looks just the same. The colors of the buildings are ugly. The drivers suck!! The people here are rude and don't care about anybody else. Even the school bus drivers are horrible. I have seen 3 school buses driving recklessly. I would not raise my children here. I have only been here for 9 months and I am already looking for a way out.

[casden]

ABQ (Albuquerque) - is a unique and wonderful city. I no longer live there, but I am planning to move back there in the near future. From most of the research I've done the economy there is actually very good.

What I find really interesting is that there are a few very negative remarks about the city that have been greatly exagerated and generalized about the entire area - and most of these comments are written at an 8th grade level, and with no statistical data to susbstantiate any claims. Now I'm not claiming that crime is not bad in specific areas of the city, but by no means is it rampant and in the streets everywhere!

Any city in any part of the US (and I've been to probably every major city in the US) have crime, you just have to know the areas where the crime is and avoid those areas. I did that when I lived in the Bay Area and now that I live in Chicago. If you want to see crime try spending some time in certain areas of south Chicago, or spend a night in the Tenderloin in San Francisco.

I lived in Albuquerque a few years back and I still go back to visit friends, but I don't see the city with the same world view as those naysayers. The ABQ that they see is like another planet compared to my experiences there - but then, we all have our own world views that influence our outlook on where we are. I especially had to laugh out loud when one person said that ABQ had "Very little culture and art (unless you like indian stones and mexican rugs)." - what rock is this person living under? The ABQ I know is really an amazing place with awesome hiking, sking and golfing. The heritage sites (pueblos, ancient ruins, historical areas) around ABQ are unlike any in the entire country. There are really great museums near Old Town (the historic center of the city). The rugged landscape surrounding the city is very dramatic and beautiful. But these, of course, are my opinions of the city.

That being said, anyone planning a visit or planning on moving to ABQ should not base their decision solely on these posts. Also, I would try to determine which comments seem a little more realistic about a place - any place.

[rob1in]

Moved here five years ago because had to. In 3 months I will be back for goo in N.Y.C. I'm glad I have small cities. Although I have to admit it is a very beautiful city, their is really nothing to do for someone under 40 years of age. Yes I admit for those 40+ consider it a place to visit or even live if you like tiny towns because their is a little culture and alot of stuff for old people but speaking from an 18 year olds perspective, for 18 year olds everyday is just torture living and breathing here. I miss my home town, N.Y.C., Only three more months trapped here then I graduate high school and I'm back in paradise Yaaah!!!!

[observe]

Originally Posted by rob1in

Moved here five years ago because had to. In 3 months I will be back for goo in N.Y.C. I'm glad I have small cities. Although I have to admit it is a very beautiful city, their is really nothing to do for someone under 40 years of age. Yes I admit for those 40+ consider it a place to visit or even live if you like tiny towns because their is a little culture and alot of stuff for old people but speaking from an 18 year olds perspective, for 18 year olds everyday is just torture living and breathing here. I miss my home town, N.Y.C., Only three more months trapped here then I graduate high school and I'm back in paradise Yaaah!!!!

New York City Paradise? Sure pal whatever! See ya.....hope you enjoy the RAT RACE!