Fearful (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe: apartment, condos, crime)

[gaby]

Hi everyone-

My husband and I are seriously thinking of moving to Albuquerque in August. We have only visited two times. The first time nothing bad happened but I just had a gut feeling that there was something very dangerous about the city. I know this sounds nuts but I am someone who pays close attention to "gut feelings." The second time we had a much better time and stayed with an aquaintance.

To make a long story short the fear is still nagging and I have been doing research on the safety of the city. Now that i found this webiste I am completely panicking. Is it really as bad as all of you say? I'm just not sure how an entire state or city could be so awful in this country. Even Louisiana is not that way. I feel that it must be an exaggeration. However, reading this website makes me seriously want to reconsider moving there.

Am I going to be a victim of a crime if I try to raise a family in New Mexico?

Please help us so that we don't make a huge mistake.

Thanks!
Becca

[councilor j]

Albuquerque is not too bad,I have lived here for almost a year now and I have only had my car broken into once. In a couple small towns in New Mexico I have lived in I had several burglaries on my car and apartment.
Here is some news from Albq. I have found on the internet from tongihts broadcast------Man shot and killed near Old Town



Man shot and killed near Old Town
Last Update: 04/03/2006 1:15:49 PM
By: Reed Upton


A man who was apparently cleaning out the trunk of his car was shot and killed Sunday evening behind a drugstore near Rio Grande and Central.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Paul Astorga, the fugitive suspected of shooting and killing a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputy 12 days ago, was taken into custody early this morning in Juarez, Mexico.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
its not always like this, Albq has its days.

[countryrush]

Oh yes, Albuquerque sure has its days. Like the one day I was going home from a class and the person in front of me slammed on their brakes so I had to swerve into the other lane to aviod hitting the car in front of me. Well, I had somewhat cut off a guy in the lane that I had to swerve into. This resulted in him spitting on my car, and at the stoplight get out with a bat and threaten me. Well, needless to say, he didn't do anything, and that was the first time I have ever had to deal with a cop. It is your choice if you choose to move here or not. I have lived in Albuquerque since August and I can honestly say that it was the biggest mistake of my life to choose to move here. Now, my sister moved with me to share a house so we can both go to college, she doesn't think it's bad at all. She admits that there is a lot of crime, but she still likes it. So, its just what you prefer.

[camesquibel]

Not every family raised in New Mexico will be a victim of crime. Yes, ABQ is very dangerous, but if you decide to raise your family here I would be extra careful. It would be a good idea to not venture out once it gets dark and to avoid certain areas of town such as Central. This area is know for prostitutes and car jacking. All my family still lives back in New Mexico and they are fine. I have family spread out in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Espanola, Las Vegas and the surrounding towns. I think that if you try and stay clear from trouble you should be fine.

[Disenchanted]

I'm afraid that I just can't say enough bad things about New Mexico. Yep. lived there all my life, and it just gets worse and worse. Crime goes up. Racism is rampant. Wages are low. Housing costs high. I've lived in Albuquerque, Roswell, Grants, and Las Cruces. In each place the bad heavily outweighs the good. Yes, there are incredibly wonderful people in New Mexico. But having to make double sure that everything is locked down, that you don't make eye contact with strangers, more than cancels out any good there is. Sorry to be so negative, but 48 years tells me it is not going to change.

BTW - the "Central Area" of Albuquerque runs the entire city east-west, over 10 miles. Quite the "bad area", no?

[newbeginnings]

I was planning to visit and possibly relocate to ABQ and can spend up to $70K on purchasing a place - are there condos anyone can recommend?

I'm re-entering the workplace and will be taking some courses, but I'll be living alone. Not being Hispanic or Native American in ancestry and not speaking Spanish, I wonder if this will be a tough place to start over.

I don't know anyone in ABQ, the main attraction for me is a private natural health school that maybe I can make a few good friends at. I plan to volunteer and serve the community as soon as I get there, but again I don't know if being white will be a handicap.

Please give your thoughts on safety, sense of community, and my housing price limit... thanks so much everyone

[Disenchanted]

Originally Posted by newbeginnings

I was planning to visit and possibly relocate to ABQ and can spend up to $70K on purchasing a place - are there condos anyone can recommend?

I'm re-entering the workplace and will be taking some courses, but I'll be living alone. Not being Hispanic or Native American in ancestry and not speaking Spanish, I wonder if this will be a tough place to start over.

I don't know anyone in ABQ, the main attraction for me is a private natural health school that maybe I can make a few good friends at. I plan to volunteer and serve the community as soon as I get there, but again I don't know if being white will be a handicap.

Please give your thoughts on safety, sense of community, and my housing price limit... thanks so much everyone

While speaking Spanish would be a boon, ABQ really is supposed to be part of America. There are few people who speak Spanish only. Language is not really any kind of a barrier.
It can be a tough place to start over, as it is not particularly friendly over all. You will most likely be welcomed by a few wonderful people and be hated as an outsider by the rest of the population.
You asked for thoughts on safety, sense of community and housing limit. I have not lived in ABQ for a couple of years, but my family is still in the area. As others have pointed out housing is ridiculously high for what you get. Much will depend on where in the city you want to live. Watch that there really are some areas of ABQ that are "no go" zones. But there are some worthy places at reasonable prices; you may have to look long and hard, tho. Safety depends a lot on you and your own behavior, because you can't do much about the behavior of others. Don't take chances. Lock doors, learn that most people seem to be offended because you breathe. Be polite. Is being white a handicap? I thought so. But others will heartily disagree. It is all in what you have experienced and your point of view. I have had people I did not know tell me to my face that it was my fault that brown people were in poverty, and therefore they hate me and want to kill me. Too wierd.

[newbeginnings]

Disenchanted, I appreciate your input. I live in a suburb of NYC and have been going to the city to visit my mom, who's in a nursing home there. I'm with my 84 year old dad on the subways,and I feel safe; even in healthcare facilities it's been mostly Spanish, Caribbean and African Americans who are taking care of her. I don't sense any hatred towards my family in particular, when we ask for things, and we know these people are the heart and soul of nursing care, so we thank them sincerely. Relating on an individual level I don't feel hostility, but of course it's in a professional setting - I wouldn't walk through "their" neighborhoods. I was in Tucson last year and my interactions were okay. I wonder what it is that makes ABQ rougher and colder than NY when it comes to race relations and friendliness.

[councilor j]

i dont think discrimination is a part of Albq, from what I see everyone seems to get along great.of course there will be some racism,(I havent seen any)but every town and city has it in America.Its the perfect place for cultures to interact,afterall Hispanics,Indians,and anglos have been raised together since New Mexico became a state, I think its just normal life to anyone from New Mexico.

[Disenchanted]

CounselorJ makes my point. There are some people who will disagree. It is my experience, having lived in the ABQ area for over 40 years, that racisim is strong, and "in your face". It is a mean town. I've been there as the population grew from 90,000 to over 600,000. It just gets meaner & uglier.
I can not say enough that there are wonderful, big hearted, open people in ABQ & NM. The best folks you'll find anywhere. And you will find an enormous number of people who are on the other end of the spectrum who will feel that you are an outsider and should go away. I was in NM from the time I was 4 months old until a 15 months ago. I was always seen as an outsider because I had not been born there. My husband was born in NM, and was still an outsider because he was not hispanic, even tho he speaks fluent Spanish. He has been told "Don't speak to me in my language. You have no right to speak to me in my language!"