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Location: THEN: Paso Robles, Ca * NOW: Albuquerque, NM
519 posts, read 1,696,836 times
Reputation: 262
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My .02 cents is that I didn't have allergies UNTIL I came to Albuquerque. I constantly have a stuffy nose (every morning) and sneeze quite a bit .. even when taking meds/homeopathic solutions.
I was back in California for three weeks until June 6th (with no allergies), and on the morning of June 7th, I woke up with a stuffy, snotty nose.
I've also been battling dry skin patches ... apparently all the lotion I've been putting on and the water I've been drinking hasn't been enough.
Granted, I've been here since August, but I hope my body adjusts 'cause this is real annoying.
Haha. Yeah they do have Geyser's in Milwaukee. Can't say I have purchased any in a while.
Thanks so much to everyone especially Enjoy EP that is an awesome comparison! Thanks so much for taking the time to write that all out, it is really helpful!
One thing I haven't heard anyone mention anything about is the arts community. I didn't mention it explicitly in my original post, but my SO has a BFA in dance and although its not something she necessarily wants to do for a career she would like to have the option to take class and possibly teach. She has lots of experience teaching dance, especially working with children. I know the film industry is growing in ABQ, but I was curious about the fine arts and the dance community in general. Is this something that she will have the opportunity to indulge in?
Also as I am doing my preliminary research I am trying to check out neighborhoods. For those of you familiar with Milwaukee I love the Eastside and Brady street areas. Are there areas similar to these in ABQ? We are 25 and 26 years old and not ready to live in the suburbs or anything just yet (not that that is a bad thing). We are just looking for similar areas to those I just listed in MKE. Places with younger people, locally owned businesses, walkable etc. or are there any specific boundaries street wise i should keep in mind when looking at renting apartments?
On that last note, how is the public transportation in ABQ? We are toying with the idea of getting rid of one of our cars when we move. Are there certain neighborhoods where you can get away without cars ie: walking, biking, hell i'd even do a moped!
Thanks again! The information has been so helpful so far!
One thing I haven't heard anyone mention anything about is the arts community. I didn't mention it explicitly in my original post, but my SO has a BFA in dance and although its not something she necessarily wants to do for a career she would like to have the option to take class and possibly teach. She has lots of experience teaching dance, especially working with children. I know the film industry is growing in ABQ, but I was curious about the fine arts and the dance community in general. Is this something that she will have the opportunity to indulge in?
If you saw me out and about in my tie with Blackberry in hand, you'd probably realize I am not in the position of strength to totally allude to the dance / arts community!!
However, from everything I am aware of / familiar with, Albuquerque has quite a strong (and emerging) arts and dance community. Especially in the Nob Hill / UNM / Downtown areas.
One resource she might want to just peruse to check out possibilities / openings, would be the weekly alternative "newspaper" - The Alibi (it is kind of like a slightly less liberal version of Milwaukee's Shepherd Express) - check out this site: alibi
You might also note that Albuquerque is only a 50 or so minute drive from Santa Fe; SF is only 75,000 people, but obviously is one of the more famous national names in terms of a destination for vacations / getaways, etc. SF has a strong arts / dance scene. Taos - about an hour away from Santa Fe, also I believe has a strong arts / dance scene.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
Also as I am doing my preliminary research I am trying to check out neighborhoods. For those of you familiar with Milwaukee I love the Eastside and Brady street areas. Are there areas similar to these in ABQ? We are 25 and 26 years old and not ready to live in the suburbs or anything just yet (not that that is a bad thing). We are just looking for similar areas to those I just listed in MKE. Places with younger people, locally owned businesses, walkable etc. or are there any specific boundaries street wise i should keep in mind when looking at renting apartments?
Yep, very familiar with the East Side (lived there for a few years with my wife in the early 00's and Vitucci's has always been one of my favorite MKE area bars)...
The place you want to be looking with a very, very similar vibe / feel is Albuquerque's Nob Hill neighborhood, or, just outside of it in the UNM area. Very similar feel with obviously a New Mexican / Southwestern twist.
This possibly even more so: Route 66 - Nob Hill-Highland Albuquerque, New Mexico Historic Route 66 (http://rt66central.com/route66/old-west.shtml - broken link)
*Note, from those sites even, I find that the area is hosting a "First Friday Artscrawl, Citywide" on June 6.
...you'll get a good idea of the streets that make up / compose the Nob Hill area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
On that last note, how is the public transportation in ABQ? We are toying with the idea of getting rid of one of our cars when we move. Are there certain neighborhoods where you can get away without cars ie: walking, biking, hell i'd even do a moped!
Well, in the Nob Hill / UNM areas, it is very amenable to walking / biking, etc., and you see tons of it. Lots of sidewalks and distances are not too spread out. Another good advantage is simply ABQ's weather - rarely do you it "too cold" or "too rainy" or "too snowy" to get out and walk / bike...the sunny, temperate / warm, and dry weather makes such "transportation" quite advantageous.
Other than that, I would say ABQ's public transportation is fairly similar to Milwaukee's (primarily city buses with common and regular routes fairly normally); Albuquerque does boast a "Rapid Ride" bus system...buses that cruise (especially in the Nob Hill / Downtown areas on Central Ave.) at heightened speeds that get preferential treatment with stop lights. All ABQ buses that I am aware of have bike racks on the front of them.
Also, ABQ offers the high-speed train - The NM Railrunner - that runs currently between ABQ, Belen (30 miles to the south) and Santa Fe (60 miles to the north). This is a nice option especially if heading to Santa Fe, although this is fairly a standard north-south route runner...
Hopefully that all helps!! Let us know if you have any further questions though.
My .02 cents is that I didn't have allergies UNTIL I came to Albuquerque.
That is crazy! Ugh, you have my condolences.
It seems like the desert is very, very polarizing as it relates to allergies. For example, my wife has the worst allergies of ANYONE I have ever met...they are just AWFUL in humid / wetter climates such as where we are in the Midwest and in the Southeast, the East, etc. - just horrible.
Yet, when we moved to the desert-bone dry Albuquerque, her allergies were extremely, EXTREMELY better the whole time we were there...almost non-existent.
However, like you truckzter, I know that there are others who suffer mightily during the spring in ABQ.
Its very person-by-person in relation to the climate that gives them problems, unfortunately, it seems.
Thought you could use another opinion from a Alb. resident relocated to the midwest Most of the important things have been touched on (weather, city layout, scenery, "feel"), but I thought I'd also point out that MKE has quite a bit more industry going on than Alb. Not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing, but driving through MKE I'm always surprised at how many smoke stacks, factories, etc, that you can see from the interstate. In contrast, Alb. seems to be mostly commercial activity. I could be wrong, but that's just my impression.
On allergies...well I've had allergies both in NM and here in central IL. The only difference is when I get them. In NM my allergies seemed to peak in the fall, and here they peak late spring. It pretty much just depends on the individual. Another thing I thought I'd point out is if outdoor recreation is important to you, Alb. has MUCH more oppurtunities for hiking, camping, or just getting away within a decent (say...3 hour) drive than MKE does. My suggestion would just be to take a trip and see how you like it.
Millwaukee and Albuqueque are both cities on Earth. End of similarity.
Well thank you for the insightful and useful response.
Enjoy EP, thanks again for the great information. What are the neighborhoods in ABQ? So far i have come across Downtown, Nob Hill, Old Town, Uptown and The Heights. Any I am missing? Thoughts on them?
We will be renting and don't mind apartments, but it would be nice to have a small 1/2b house. Is the Nob Hill area going to be conducive to this? Do you have any thoughts on living downtown? Is it dead, vibrant, worth it etc?
Are there any specific streets in Nob Hill to avoid? I have done the college scene and don't mind mixing it up with the undergrads but I don't want it to get to be obnoxious. Also from reading people seem to say the Nob Hill area can be spotty so I was wondering if there were any streets in specific to avoid?
When we were looking at Austin our budget was $600-$1000 a month for small one beds. One of the things that attracted us to ABQ was the possibility of being able to spend less on housing. Were we correct in that assumption?
Finally although this isn't a huge concern because we will have a car and the Sandias are right next to ABQ, I am an avid hiker and climber are there any neighborhoods that would give better access to the mountains than others?
Also my SO and I were just talking about how it is so great that people are willing to take the time to comment on things like this and help us narrow our focus. It is so appreciated!
No problem man. Think nothing of it. I love ABQ, wish I never would've moved away. Although primarily I wish I lived there still, I am always happy and willing to help folks make a smart, informed decision about moving there themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
What are the neighborhoods in ABQ? So far i have come across Downtown, Nob Hill, Old Town, Uptown and The Heights. Any I am missing? Thoughts on them?
Well, there are legions / tons of "neighborhoods" in Albuquerque...remember, while this isn't a titanic city, it isn't a tiny one either (population of a 1/2-million with a metro of 850K).
Thus, I couldn't start to get to all of the specific neighborhoods. It would be like for Milwaukee starting to talk about Enderis Park, Lenox Heights, Washington Heights / Highlands, Sherman Park, Bronzeville, etc., etc., etc. ...you could literally go on forever.
However, I will say this -
Typically, when folks talk about Albuquerque, they allude to the "four quadrants"...while technically these four semi-equi-sized quadrants are separated by Central Ave. and the main railroad track-lines, for all intents and purposes (and to folks like you and I that haven't lived in ABQ for decades), the dividing lines are where I-25 and I-40 - two huge US interstates that cross in the middle of Albuquerque - divide.
Look at a map of ABQ and you'll see what I mean. The NE quadrant of I-25 and I-40's intersection (known in ABQ as "The Big I") is the Northeast. The Northwest known as such. Etc., etc., etc.
Going beyond that, I would say Albuquerque roughly breaks down this way:
-Northeast Heights (the Northeast area as I just described above...overall, the most "desirable" of the four quadrants, although there are many desirable areas in the others as well)
-The Far Northeast Heights (there are more official definitions I suppose, however, these are the more affluent areas even farther out - say, east of Juan Tabo and north of Paseo Del Norte)
-Uptown (in the NE, although very close to the I-40 intersector...a predominant retail / business section with a growing residential [condo] populace)...
-Northwest (a newer, rapidly growing, semi-suburban in feel portion of Albuquerque; feels more like Rio Rancho in many regards [a quickly growing suburb]; overall clean, new and nice, although perhaps missing some "authentic" history or "charm" of the older portions of ABQ)
-Southeast (includes the ABQ Sunport and the Kirtland Air Force Base...much of this has a reputation as more gritty, crime-ridden, poor, etc., however, it also includes the Four Hills area - very affluent near the mountains - and the SE Heights...a newer area with nice residential development, as well as the areas close and surrouding the Sunport and KAFB)...
-Downtown (more in the Southwest quadrant, although you wouldn't generally associate it as such; very nice, more residential than most city downtowns)
-Nob Hill (you know all about this by now in the south section of the city)
-UNM area (very closely related to the Nob Hill area; not the affluent sections like Nob Hill has)
-South Valley (in the Southwest...this is one of those more-similar areas that you hear many folks say...'DON'T GO or LIVE in the SOUTH VALLEY'....actually much of it is pretty and I think it isn't all too bad, but probably an area you wouldn't want to live in)...
-Southwest (some of this is like the descriptor of the South Valley - above - but some areas are coming on, or, aged / historic in and/or near Downtown and very decent)
-North Valley (to me, the nicest - although in many areas the most affluent and pricey - area in Albuquerque. Close to everything and very, very scenic and very nice)
-Rio Rancho (new, nice suburb of 70,000+ on ABQ's far northwest)
-Corrales (more rural, river-lining suburb - very nice - fairly affluent - suburb of ABQ on its northwest)
-Bernalillo (an old suburb of ABQ that used to have a sketchy rep, but now is emerging as a kind of bedroom community to ABQ)
-Ranchos de Albuquerque (a very exclusive, very affluent 'suburb' of ABQ right in the middle of the city - next to the North Valley)
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
We will be renting and don't mind apartments, but it would be nice to have a small 1/2b house. Is the Nob Hill area going to be conducive to this?
Absolutely Nob Hill would be condusive to that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
Do you have any thoughts on living downtown? Is it dead, vibrant, worth it etc?
Albuquerque's Downtown is quite residential...actually, I have seen reports where ABQ's Downtown is rated so much more residential (in percentage of actual residential developments / residents) than most any other city in the West including Denver, Phoenix, etc.
Transversely, ABQ's Downtown isn't the typical mammoth skyscrapers, sprawling mass of high-rises, etc., that one necessarily associates with a Downtown.
Overall, there area many great areas you might consider living in Dowtown. Look at areas around Silver / near the Flying Star Downtown, etc.
To be honest, Downtown is so near Nob Hill and the UNM area, etc., that it almost blends into being a very similar area.
Absolutely, if I were you, I would consider it. If I would consider Nob Hill (which, if I were you, I would), I would consider Downtown.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
Are there any specific streets in Nob Hill to avoid? I have done the college scene and don't mind mixing it up with the undergrads but I don't want it to get to be obnoxious. Also from reading people seem to say the Nob Hill area can be spotty so I was wondering if there were any streets in specific to avoid?
Overall, I would say no / don't worry, although hopefully someone like mortimer who has lived in Nob Hill's area previously and knows the area quite well will chime in as well.
To be honest though, in my perception (having not lived in Nob Hill but having visited Nob Hill's area legions of times), if you are good in the Brady St. area, you are more than good in the Nob Hill area. Both are urban, sure, and sure, you can meet the unsavory sort or an occasional panhandler in either area. But both are pretty darn safe and pretty darn "hip" and nice.
I think you'd be startled by how similar the Brady St. area and Nob Hill area in its entirety are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
When we were looking at Austin our budget was $600-$1000 a month for small one beds. One of the things that attracted us to ABQ was the possibility of being able to spend less on housing. Were we correct in that assumption?
Yep, totally. But please, for the love of God, don't tell anyone else. I am hoping and praying like crazy that somehow, someway I am able to coax my wife back down to ABQ as well before housing follows an Austin, Phoenix, etc.
But yeah, in addition to some of the best weather and scenery in the nation, ABQ has tremendous housing prices as well. It really is just a huge largely-still-undiscovered gem in the Southwest. But again, please, don't tell anyone else...
Quote:
Originally Posted by theavrock
Finally although this isn't a huge concern because we will have a car and the Sandias are right next to ABQ, I am an avid hiker and climber are there any neighborhoods that would give better access to the mountains than others?
Best access would be in the Northeast Heights. If you rented in the Heights in the say, oh, Academy Blvd. - Eubank Blvd. intersection area, you'd be a scant 10 minute - at most - drive from the foothills. This is the area my wife and I originally rented in (at a ripe old age of 26, 27, etc.) and it was great for our lifestyles, interests, etc.
To me, you still strike me maybe as more preferring the Nob Hill area, however, even from there, you are at most a 20 minute drive from the foothills.
Unlike Denver, the mountains are close to the city in proximity and accessibility.
God, every time I resond to one of your posts, I crave living in ABQ so much!!
It seems like the desert is very, very polarizing as it relates to allergies. For example, my wife has the worst allergies of ANYONE I have ever met...they are just AWFUL in humid / wetter climates such as where we are in the Midwest and in the Southeast, the East, etc. - just horrible.
Yet, when we moved to the desert-bone dry Albuquerque, her allergies were extremely, EXTREMELY better the whole time we were there...almost non-existent.
However, like you truckzter, I know that there are others who suffer mightily during the spring in ABQ.
Its very person-by-person in relation to the climate that gives them problems, unfortunately, it seems.
Good post, and accurate about the polarizing effect of allergens in Albuq.
My wife had a similar experience to EP's wife. Back east, allergen tests had indicated she was basically allergic to everything [except roaches]. Then she gave birth in '05, and we moved to Albuq in Jan '06. Her allergies improved so much that she stopped taking Zyrtec. We think it was a combination of the birth, and also the southwest climate. Interestingly, we moved back east in '08, and her allergies still haven't returned. Maybe the "southwest effect" is lingering.
Hi all, I just wanted to chime in. My wife and I will also be moving to ABQ from Milwaukee. Whats with the Milwaukee ABQ connection anyway? I will be graduating and we found some good job opportunites down there. We are actually both from CA, so hopefully the native ABQ'eans won't despise us too much.
We'll be looking for a place to rent for about 6 months to a year before we buy a home. My aunt and uncle live in Ventana Ranch, and while that wouldn't be my 1st choice, I do like the young family scene over there. (we are expecting our 1st) Are there still a good amount of younger families on the east side of town, say 87122 zip? Or other east side neighborhoods?
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Most of the important things have been touched on (weather, city layout, scenery, "feel"), but I thought I'd also point out that MKE has quite a bit more industry going on than Alb. Not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing, but driving through MKE I'm always surprised at how many smoke stacks, factories, etc, that you can see from the interstate. In contrast, Alb. seems to be mostly commercial activity. I could be wrong, but that's just my impression.
