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I'm glad to see more "New Mexico vs Arizona" and "Albuquerque vs Tucson" threads. Some of the smaller cities in the U.S. are also extremely underrated in my opinion. In this case I give a slight nod to Albuquerque, but only because I'm a little more familiar with it.
A lot of the criteria the OP gave seems like a wash to me. Quality of life sort of depends on one's interests. Both have great outdoor activities nearby. Both have a major state university.
Albuquerque's climate lends itself to slightly more distinct seasonal changes, which I like. But I have also seen pictures of Tucson covered in a thin layer of snow, so I know they get some cool air once in a while.
Neither city are on my list of potential places to settle in for the long haul, but I would gladly take a temporary (2-3 years) in either city and probably enjoy both of them immensely.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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They are both peer cities for sure being medium sized metros similar in population with similar urban layout and culture. Tucson is second fiddle in Arizona being in the shadow of Phoenix and attracts a lot more retirees and perhaps more notoriety as a college town. Albuquerque is the 'Big' city in New Mexico and the largest within a radius of several hundred miles so its a bit more isolated. Tucson may have better access to Phoenix and SoCal, but I do like that I can jump in the car here in Albuquerque and be in the very best of the Colorado Rockies within 3-4 hours. Santa Fe is only an hour away which from a cultural standpoint is one of the most interesting cities in the Southwest.
Both cities have a sprawly suburban layout with lots of strip mally boulevards but they also have eclectic neighborhoods near the college campuses (Nob Hill in ABQ and 4th Ave in Tucson). Both have historic districts near downtown (Old Town in ABQ and Presidio in Tucson). I'll give Tucson on the nod for having a better and more evolving downtown. Tucson has a new streetcar line that is in the last stages of construction and will be in service very soon, connecting downtown with 4th Ave and the U of A campus. Downtown is already seeing more investment for residential building, retail, and restaurants before the the streetcar line is in service which I think I fantastic. I'd like to see ABQ do something similar on Central Ave making Nob Hill/UNM campus/Downtown/Old Town more cohesive.
In terms of outdoor activities they are have differences with ABQ being in a more high desert setting sitting between 5,000 - 6,000 feet in altitude, so we do have more variation in the weather and seasonal temperature though I think Tucson actually accumulates more rain. ABQ has a deciduous bosque forest along the Rio Grande River with mostly cottonwood and oaks. Tucson is low desert has the quintessential Arizona postcard scenery with saguaro cacti covered hills on the edge of town and its landscaped with palms and palo verde trees around the city. Both cities have beautiful mountains on the edge of the city and awesome sunsets.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 11-24-2013 at 08:53 AM..
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iknowftbll
Albuquerque's climate lends itself to slightly more distinct seasonal changes, which I like. But I have also seen pictures of Tucson covered in a thin layer of snow, so I know they get some cool air once in a while.
Speaking of snow, we got 2 inches of it on the ground this morning here in the NE Heights of ABQ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iknowftbll
Neither city are on my list of potential places to settle in for the long haul, but I would gladly take a temporary (2-3 years) in either city and probably enjoy both of them immensely.
Exactly! I've enjoyed Albuquerque since living here in early 2012, but I'll likely be moving to Arizona in 2014. I like it here, but don't want to settle long term.
Exactly! I've enjoyed Albuquerque since living here in early 2012, but I'll likely be moving to Arizona in 2014. I like it here, but don't want to settle long term.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iknowftbll
What part of Arizona are you moving to? Tucson?
Phoenix/Scottsdale area most likely. More job opportunities, more centrally located with easier access to Northern AZ/Flagstaff (love that area) and better air service when I travel. I wouldn't shut the door on Tucson entirely if the right opportunity presented itself. I really like the city and it has a sense of character about it that's not found in Phoenix. Either way, I'm looking forward to being in Arizona.
Thanks you guys for your opinions! I feel that the two are very similar, in terms of population size, climate, big universities (Go Cats!), mountains, the desert, etc. With that being said, I was curious to see why someone would choose another, since they share so many similarities.
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