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Everything I know about ABQ is from Breaking Bad. Just kidding, I've looked into the city a bit and it seems nice. Not horrible but not spectacular either. Midsize city with over 300 sunny days a year. Seems pretty brown given the desert environment. I like the sunshine but I enjoy nice thunderstorms, fall foliage, and winter snow way to much to enjoy the ABQ climate, I think I'd get depressed. Like most cities its size I feel like it's lacking a certain signature something, if that makes sense. But overall I say it's a pretty decent city. Being born and raised on the east coast I'd never never see myself moving there but I could see if you had family or was born there, there wouldn't be much reason to leave.
I don't think it gets many thunderstorms but I know it does have fall foliage and even some snow. It wouldn't be my ideal place to live weatherwise but I've been in worse... way worse.
I visited New Mexico a few years ago, but I only spent like 4 to 5 days. The air in NM was very dry, which I hated. I've heard of horror stories about poverty on New Mexico forum, but I didn't feel poverty in New Mexico was more severe than any other state.
ABQ is the largest city, it's pretty big and dynamic. I didn't visit Santa Fe, though. Santa Fe sounds like an exotic place to me, I'll go back to New Mexico just to visit the northern part next time.
ABQ...meth...just kidding. I have no real thoughts about ABQ. As for New Mexico as a whole, very beautiful and underrated state in terms of outdoor recreation.
I posted on the Albuquerque forum how much I enjoyed a recent trip to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. New Mexico is like Arizona's quieter, friendlier cousin. New Mexico really seems like what Arizona would be without Phoenix, especially with Tucson and Albuquerque looking very similar and being of similar sizes.
Before my trip, I had traveled through Albuquerque several times and had been there for a wedding, but that was about it. Each time my stay there was pleasant. I have heard that Albuquerque has an extreme issue with property crimes, but I have yet to be a victim. The people seemed pretty friendly and interesting. Many of them had a positive response when we told them we were from Phoenix. Most people normally turn up their noses when I've told them I live in Phoenix, so that was definitely a pleasant experience. Other aspects like the food, drivers, and weather were all great. Albuquerque seems to be in that weird phase where it's definitely not a small town and definitely not a major city. I would go back in a heartbeat.
I visited New Mexico a few years ago, but I only spent like 4 to 5 days. The air in NM was very dry, which I hated. I've heard of horror stories about poverty on New Mexico forum, but I didn't feel poverty in New Mexico was more severe than any other state.
ABQ is the largest city, it's pretty big and dynamic. I didn't visit Santa Fe, though. Santa Fe sounds like an exotic place to me, I'll go back to New Mexico just to visit the northern part next time.
Now this is just my conjecture, so take it with a grain of salt I'm not going by any data, but I think the poverty rate is more localised to the Indian reservations out there, since American Indians generally have some of the highest poverty rates. Also, add in the Mexican immigrants which generally, legal or illegal, tend to be poorer than most demographics.
Albuquerque has very good weather compared to most of the country. I prefer a very lush climate myself, but for the part of the country it is in it has enough moisture and some of the foothills are semi-arid and not desert.
I was there in the summer and it was around 90 during the day and cooled off once the sun went down. The morning was very nice and it is very sun in the morning. It clouded up in the afternoon.
I have not been there in the winter but it is relatively mild with a high around 50 in the winter. It also warms up quickly in the spring.
The city was cleaner then I thought and better planned then I thought also. Compared to a majority of the cities in the Southwest it is relatively decent.
I was there in the summer and it was just perfect about 90 with very little humdity, cooled off nicely at night.
It also has a huge university in the middle of the city, which makes it interesting.
I have visited and the one thing about Albuquerque is the very low motel rates in the city. They have many, many motels in the city that are decent for an extremely low price.
In 2009, I paid $26 a night for a motel with nice towels that was clean and updated.
I was thinking of taking a little trip there this summer and I know one extended stay was offering rates of $24 a night if one stay's 7 days.
I also remember the produce prices at the local grocery stores, yikes talk about shocking inexpensive.
I also remember being shocked by the low rents when I visited. The rents for a decent apartment are what people pay for parking in many similar sized cities.
I personally to be honest if I go back would visit Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Las Cruces has the mountains and a huge university plus very mild winters.
Other parts of New Mexico, I personally don't see myself ever visiting. I have been through much of the state on the interstates.
I have been to Santa Fe when I was younger and I really was not into it personally. But I had relatives who really liked it. I know the architecture was very interesting and it had very nice summer weather.
It seemed like the entire time I was in Santa Fe with relatives we went from one gallery to another and also took an architecture tour I think also.
Now this is just my conjecture, so take it with a grain of salt I'm not going by any data, but I think the poverty rate is more localised to the Indian reservations out there, since American Indians generally have some of the highest poverty rates. Also, add in the Mexican immigrants which generally, legal or illegal, tend to be poorer than most demographics.
Makes sense to me.
On my trip, I found Socorro to be kind of poor but it seemed to be pretty safe. ABQ looked better than major cities in the South like New Orleans.
We took the train to ABQ a couple of winters ago, rented a car and drove around for several days, including a couple in Santa Fe and a couple at the Tamaya resort.
We were surprised to like a recommended walk-thru light show in a park near Old Town. We walked around in downtown a bit but were told that wasn't really a good idea.
I suppose the big impression we had of ABQ was of a really big small town, it seemed folks seemed to know each other better than in similar size cities. We had some trouble figuring out what economic activity corresponded to miles of sprawl, maybe also a bit akin to small towns where one often wonders "what do these people do?"
We felt less apprehensive walking around in Santa Fe but as we eschewed the gallery area we were left wondering at the area's upscale reputation nationwide. Our impression was a more historic but dustier version of Asheville.
For us the highlight was the cuisine. We live in central PA where food tends to be bland and boring (chains have spicier offerings than locally owned restaurants here). After a few days I decided I preferred green but my wife favored red.
Now this is just my conjecture, so take it with a grain of salt I'm not going by any data, but I think the poverty rate is more localised to the Indian reservations out there, since American Indians generally have some of the highest poverty rates. Also, add in the Mexican immigrants which generally, legal or illegal, tend to be poorer than most demographics.
There is alot of poor reservations in New Mexico and especially the small towns down by the border area. But there are many other towns that have high poverty rates. Most people that visit NM see Albuquerque, Santa Fe and the touristy areas but dont really see how the majority of New Mexicans live. The state is very rural and sparse.
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