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* You want your kids to grow up with a more developed sense of power, entitlement and detachment. (Some kids need that, and some kids end up with too much of that despite a thoroughly public school education; it's just a mild bias I've noticed as my peers have aged along with me).
Personally that is the main reason I choose private school for my son.
Like most people here, I strongly suggest living in Albuquerque if your work is in Albuquerque. Quite a few people who work in Santa Fe live in Abq to save money, but it seems crazy to pay a lot more to live in SF and do the commute the other way. Albuquerque's got a better infrastructure for most of the things you need for day-to-day living. I wouldn't rent in an apartment complex in Albuquerque if I could avoid it. As opposed to apartment life in some other cities, the life in Albuquerque complexes tends to be weirdly isolating (while still offering the joys of thin walls and shared laundry facilities.)
Here's my 2 cents on schools and neighborhoods:
NEIGHBORHOODS: To me the most livable areas of Abq are Nob Hill and the North Valley. You can't really go solely by quadrant here, as the quadrants are enormous, and the range of neighborhoods and accommodations in each one can range from really creepy to absolutely sublime.
Nob Hill is the university area and the only truly walkable area of the city. It's also probably the liveliest part of town. As in all university areas, there's more property crime there and the rents are higher, but it may be worth it for quality of life. You'll have grocery stores, libraries, shops, restaurants, a movie theater, bars, places of worship, parks, live theater and music, children's activities and more, all within walking distance.
The North Valley is very different. Although it's reasonably close to downtown, it can feel very rural, and it is considerably more green than most of Albuquerque. It's got the Rio Grande Nature center and access to the bosque trails, but, even close in to downtown, it's not a particularly walkable area otherwise. I'd be a little wary of the near N Valley areas up to a mile or so north of I-40 and Rio Grande Blvd or I-40 and 12th St, as they can get a bit shady. Just steps beyond that, though, the Matthew Meadows area is one of the most pleasant neighborhoods in the city.
A 2- or 3 bedroom house in either the N Valley or Nob Hill will rent for between $1050 and $1500/mo, usually including utilities.
Lots of people on this type of site recommend that people moving here look in the NE quadrant. I'm not sure why. I guess it's because rents are a bit lower, it's more suburban-feeling, and because it's considered to be "safer". Sometimes I think it may just be code for "don't pick the SE and SW, because they're full of Mexican immigrants." It's true that parts of the South Valley are seedy and have gang problems, but parts are absolutely beautiful, affordable and full of nice people. Parts of the NE are very nice, too, and there are whole neighborhoods of McMansions in the Sandia foothills, but it has its sketchy areas as well. What you're looking at in most of the NE is a sort of cul-de-sac and strip mall culture. You can probably get a much nicer, bigger rental there for your money, though. You'd just have to drive everywhere. Quality of life in those areas depends largely on how nice your immediate neighbors are, something that's hard to tell until you've lived in a place for a while.
If living in a quiet, natural setting, kind of removed from the city appeals to you, Corrales (not to be confused w/ nearby Rio Rancho) might be an option. It's a gorgeous area just north of the Albuquerque city line, on the west side of the Rio Grande (about 20 min drive to downtown Abq with no traffic). Even though it's kind of removed, there's a nice feeling of community there. A lot of people raise horses and operate small farms. In recent years, some nice little restaurants and shops have popped up. One big draw of Corrales for people with small children is the Corrales International School, a K-12 charter school, the only K-12 school offering an International Baccalaureate in NM. Even though advertised rents are high, even higher than Nob Hill and the N Valley, you can still find some good rental properties in Corrales, often with huge yards and amazing views, in about the $900 range for a 2 BR.
SCHOOLS: I wouldn't put my kid in private school for grades 1 through 5 in NM, maybe not even 6 through 8, unless I were stuck in a really bad area. I'd definitely plan on it for high school, though, if at all possible. Bandelier and Monte Vista (both fed by the Nob Hill and the adjacent Ridgecrest neighborhood) are two good public elementaries, but I'm sure there are others. What I think is probably the best public middle school in the city, Jefferson, is also fed by Nob Hill.
The best private school in the state is Albuquerque Academy. It's a very Type-A, Ivy-league-oriented, competitive school, with amazing facilities and a huge endowment. I'd say the next best is probably Bosque Prep. It's a good school, but very laid back -- much better suited to a bright but shy kid, perhaps, than Academy, but it gives the kid only what they put in. If you want an excellent education there you can get it. If you want to waste time and do the minimum to pass your courses, that's also possible. One thing I love about Bosque Prep is that they have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and they enforce it in a very effective, gentle way. They also have a neat ecology program wherein kids actually do research projects based on the ecosystem of the neighboring bosque and river. Since there's not a lot of funding for formal research into that topic, students there have had papers published in scientific journals and their studies have influenced city and state policy.
If private school for high school turns out not to be an option, there are a couple of good charter schools in the city, too. I'd say Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School is the best, then Amy Biehl. Both, I think, are high school only, and Cottonwood offers an International Baccalaureate program. If your child is of high school age, I'd definitely look into those along with the private schools. And, as mentioned, Corrales International School is a new charter that is still working out kinks at the middle- and high-school level, but it's widely considered to be fantastic for K-5.
I suggest minimizing the commute first. Among other things you can use the saved time to help your kids with their school work. That will do more to help them learn than any private school and does not cost you anything but time.
FWIW - I just retired from a one hour+ each way for over 20 years. I do not miss it at all.
Thank you for your input. This has been the most helpful reply. I'm printing it out and bringing with me as I look around for places to live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rowly104
Like most people here, I strongly suggest living in Albuquerque if your work is in Albuquerque. Quite a few people who work in Santa Fe live in Abq to save money, but it seems crazy to pay a lot more to live in SF and do the commute the other way. Albuquerque's got a better infrastructure for most of the things you need for day-to-day living. I wouldn't rent in an apartment complex in Albuquerque if I could avoid it. As opposed to apartment life in some other cities, the life in Albuquerque complexes tends to be weirdly isolating (while still offering the joys of thin walls and shared laundry facilities.)
Here's my 2 cents on schools and neighborhoods:
NEIGHBORHOODS: To me the most livable areas of Abq are Nob Hill and the North Valley. You can't really go solely by quadrant here, as the quadrants are enormous, and the range of neighborhoods and accommodations in each one can range from really creepy to absolutely sublime.
Nob Hill is the university area and the only truly walkable area of the city. It's also probably the liveliest part of town. As in all university areas, there's more property crime there and the rents are higher, but it may be worth it for quality of life. You'll have grocery stores, libraries, shops, restaurants, a movie theater, bars, places of worship, parks, live theater and music, children's activities and more, all within walking distance.
The North Valley is very different. Although it's reasonably close to downtown, it can feel very rural, and it is considerably more green than most of Albuquerque. It's got the Rio Grande Nature center and access to the bosque trails, but, even close in to downtown, it's not a particularly walkable area otherwise. I'd be a little wary of the near N Valley areas up to a mile or so north of I-40 and Rio Grande Blvd or I-40 and 12th St, as they can get a bit shady. Just steps beyond that, though, the Matthew Meadows area is one of the most pleasant neighborhoods in the city.
A 2- or 3 bedroom house in either the N Valley or Nob Hill will rent for between $1050 and $1500/mo, usually including utilities.
Lots of people on this type of site recommend that people moving here look in the NE quadrant. I'm not sure why. I guess it's because rents are a bit lower, it's more suburban-feeling, and because it's considered to be "safer". Sometimes I think it may just be code for "don't pick the SE and SW, because they're full of Mexican immigrants." It's true that parts of the South Valley are seedy and have gang problems, but parts are absolutely beautiful, affordable and full of nice people. Parts of the NE are very nice, too, and there are whole neighborhoods of McMansions in the Sandia foothills, but it has its sketchy areas as well. What you're looking at in most of the NE is a sort of cul-de-sac and strip mall culture. You can probably get a much nicer, bigger rental there for your money, though. You'd just have to drive everywhere. Quality of life in those areas depends largely on how nice your immediate neighbors are, something that's hard to tell until you've lived in a place for a while.
If living in a quiet, natural setting, kind of removed from the city appeals to you, Corrales (not to be confused w/ nearby Rio Rancho) might be an option. It's a gorgeous area just north of the Albuquerque city line, on the west side of the Rio Grande (about 20 min drive to downtown Abq with no traffic). Even though it's kind of removed, there's a nice feeling of community there. A lot of people raise horses and operate small farms. In recent years, some nice little restaurants and shops have popped up. One big draw of Corrales for people with small children is the Corrales International School, a K-12 charter school, the only K-12 school offering an International Baccalaureate in NM. Even though advertised rents are high, even higher than Nob Hill and the N Valley, you can still find some good rental properties in Corrales, often with huge yards and amazing views, in about the $900 range for a 2 BR.
SCHOOLS: I wouldn't put my kid in private school for grades 1 through 5 in NM, maybe not even 6 through 8, unless I were stuck in a really bad area. I'd definitely plan on it for high school, though, if at all possible. Bandelier and Monte Vista (both fed by the Nob Hill and the adjacent Ridgecrest neighborhood) are two good public elementaries, but I'm sure there are others. What I think is probably the best public middle school in the city, Jefferson, is also fed by Nob Hill.
The best private school in the state is Albuquerque Academy. It's a very Type-A, Ivy-league-oriented, competitive school, with amazing facilities and a huge endowment. I'd say the next best is probably Bosque Prep. It's a good school, but very laid back -- much better suited to a bright but shy kid, perhaps, than Academy, but it gives the kid only what they put in. If you want an excellent education there you can get it. If you want to waste time and do the minimum to pass your courses, that's also possible. One thing I love about Bosque Prep is that they have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and they enforce it in a very effective, gentle way. They also have a neat ecology program wherein kids actually do research projects based on the ecosystem of the neighboring bosque and river. Since there's not a lot of funding for formal research into that topic, students there have had papers published in scientific journals and their studies have influenced city and state policy.
If private school for high school turns out not to be an option, there are a couple of good charter schools in the city, too. I'd say Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School is the best, then Amy Biehl. Both, I think, are high school only, and Cottonwood offers an International Baccalaureate program. If your child is of high school age, I'd definitely look into those along with the private schools. And, as mentioned, Corrales International School is a new charter that is still working out kinks at the middle- and high-school level, but it's widely considered to be fantastic for K-5.
I've got a buddy who lives in SFe and works in ABQ. He rides the train and likes his situation.
I have met a few RailRunner commuters. One of the shuttle bus drivers in Santa Fe lives in Rio Rancho a few years ago we met a man who lived in SFe and worked in Rio Rancho. Yes, it's possible and does work for some people.
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 02-17-2015 at 06:42 AM..
I commuted from Alb to SF for three years before finally caving in and just moving to Santa Fe. The hour-ish drive everyday isn't bad, but gets really old after a while.
Other than that, it really depends what you're looking for. Alb and SF are two drastically different places.
While Albuquerque offers nearly every major modern convenience, a healthy economy, and a wide selection of neighborhoods, schools, etc., Santa Fe is very "old world". It is one of the most "European" places I have ever seen (much more so lived) in the US. As such, it is culture rich, much more so than Albuquerque. It does have some interesting quirks, but overall can be classified as a sleepy, artistic, high desert small town. I can say, Santa Fe DOES boast some of the best food in NM if not the US, in general.
Personally, i can't stand the infrastructure in Santa Fe, particularly the roads and Water Works, which are some of the worst I've ever seen in the sense of maintenance and upkeep.
For me, it all comes down to this: Do you like your water to come out of the sink looking more like milk than water, mostly due to the awesome fact that Santa Fe itself is older than the US? Do you like replacing your car's shocks and struts every six months because of poorly constructed roadways, even though those roadways lead to beautiful and culture rich destinations?
If so, Santa Fe is the place for you
Alb has a bad rep, what with having been the favorite set of the reality series COPS for years. Oh, and I'm sure Breaking Bad didn't help things... Not to mention any number of national-news worthy crimes, scandals, accidents and the sort. However, Albuquerque does offer some really favorable variables when thinking about a place to live. I'm not about to get all "tourism dept." on here, but a couple things I think are great about Alb:
-Quickest access to a ski area of any metropolitan city via the Tram (the worlds longest aerial tramway).
-A beautiful setting, icluding bieng bordered on the East by the Sandia Mountains, the West by the Rio Grande and history rich mesas, and the North and South by farming villages, pueblos, and reservations (and casinos...).
-More options as far as entertainment and nightlife.
Top 3 private in ABQ:
Albuquerque Academy
Bosque Prep
Sandia Prep
Top Charter
Cottonwood Classical
Top Public High Schools
La Cueva
Eldorado
Sandia
Of course this is only an opinion, an opinion of a native NM that has lived here for over 47 years (on and off!) Most of the public elementary schools in the NE section of town are decent, I would NOT go public from middle school on unless your child has learning disabilities or is gifted. I live in the far North Valley (Los Ranchos) and unless she meets that criteria I would not send them to a public school!
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