Sick of all the Albuquerque and New Mexico bashing... (Las Cruces: transplants, university)

[pjkatz]

Please allow me to vent:

Originally Posted by tito

Every city, including the ones with the most crime like Saint Louis, Detroit, LA and New Orleans (using a few examples), have nice urban islands in which life is safer and comfortable, but those areas aren't accessible to the average person. The reputation of high crime index in a city, doesn't change because of the existence of those "islands" and doesn't prevent those cities from growing in population; so, there most be a trade off that attracts newcomers.

Well, I guessed I lived most of my life in a "Urban Island" in the Metro Detroit area. Guess what, where ever I went I was careful, just more in some areas then others. Yea, I never heard guns going off, but our house was broken into when I was a kid. A dead girl's body was found in the woods near I lived. I grew up in what was joked back then as "Lilly-White Dearborn", supposedly very safe. Look up Orville Hubbard ,the Segregationist Mayor we had then, you will understand how much of a island I grew up in. I consider myself an average person, despite that and more. Maybe it is kind of like the saying "no man is a island" neither is a city.
As people have said here, every place has its good and bad points. Yes ,even Detroit has good points: 3 very good sports teams (the Lions have never counted) which are all downtown. They just had one of the biggest Auto Shows, which has been happening since the 1950's. They have the Detroit River where you can watch freighters from all over the world go by. There is another country on the other side of the river. Each July they celebrate the 4th and Dominion Day for Canada with fireworks in the middle of the river, about a million come each year to watch. I still love listening to Motown, Bob Seager and Aretha Franklin. Then there are the all of the island suburbs, which each have their own unique identity to them, but would not of grown and are also now suffering economically, because of what is happening with Detroit.
Sorry for the tangent, but just like those from Albuquerque I get sick of the bashers. All who just complain instead of trying to do something to improve things. All talk, no action.
Detroit has suffered major plant closings and job loses these past few years. There are no jobs to replace them. There is no tax base to support the schools or needed services either. Recently it became news for a while during the Republican primary. But, the news cycle will change and their be a new "hot button issue" instead of the economy.
Mitt Romery who claimed his Michigan roots to win, just today said in South Carolina "I left Michigan in 1965". I guess he does not need his Dad's glory as our former Governor anymore, now. I could go on, but will stop now......
So, anyway I am coming to Albuquerque, no matter what the bashers say. I live in Erie, PA right now and believe me I could say a lot of negative things, but I will miss looking out at Lake Erie sunsets, drinking beer cheaply in little neighborhood bars and the people whose ancestors who immigrated from Europe to work in factories here, which all but have gone from here now also.
I expect there will be some bad things about about Albuquerque, but I think the good will over-weigh them. I choose to see the good and help with the bad.
All of you negative people can leave Albuquerque before I get there!

[6 FOOT 3]

Nice post pjkatz !!!

6/3

[catman]

pjkatz: A very good post, I agree. As a professional musician, I have always like Motown music a great deal. And speaking of the Lions, they counted when Barry Sanders was on the team. You have a great attitude.

[Synopsis]

I like Albuquerque and New Mexico. I think New Mexico is one of the prettiest states in the country. I love the weather there and dry conditions with low humidity. Mountains, what more can you say? Albuquerque may have a higher crime rate than average, BUT I see that it has fallen every year and is now below that of most major cities.

I have never lived in Albuquerque but I've been through there and it's a nice place, with beautiful scenery and great weather.

[pjkatz]

Thanks for the compliments and reputation votes. & I am brand new to this form and love it for many reasons.
Also, with this thread and the apartment thread I have gotton a lot of great infomation. I will be posting a new thread there about asking for recomadations on where to live when I move there. I get some what lost when neighbodhoods are mentioned, then have to pull up a Goggle map to figure out the locations. It's a good thing I was #3 in the USA in map reading in 3rd grade!
I can not afford the higher end appartments, but whant a nice (& safe as can be) location that accepts cats without having to pay for additional rent. What a rip-off that is. Kids can cause damage also....it discrimination against people who for what ever reason don't have kids and/or enjoy the unconditional love pets give (Minus the hairballs....)!
But when I am ready, I be looking for requests for suggestions later on.
Here is my new motto that I came across:
"Change your thinking, Change your choices, Change your life"
My other is less insightful, but it's more fun motto.
If something happens that could upset me I start singing to myself:
"Jimmy crack corn , and I don't care..........
At some point, I with google that song and find out exactly what it means. But for now it means whatever I or you want it to mean.
Don't let fear stop you from living your dreams, PJ

[catman]

With reference to your 'new motto', I recommend instead examining (as objectively as possible) your thinking, choices, and life, and changing what needs to be changed. If it's working, don't fix it!

You will have difficulty finding a place to rent that doesn't require a damage deposit for cats. I love cats, hence my screenname, but my two cats like to scratch on stuff despite my best efforts to discourage them, and there is the occasional accident (beyond hairballs!), so one can hardly blame the landlord. But I certainly wouldn't be willing to pay additional rent. I agree that kids are at least as destructive.

[tecpatl]

pjkatz,
Nice post, fellow Michigander. You'll do well wherever you go, because attitude is the first thing that determines success in a new environment. It's not everything, of course, but it's a big factor in fitting in, making friends and seeing & realizing the positive possibilities of your new home town. PS, you'll also like the sunshine all winter.

[NCR-55]

Originally Posted by Informer

Whats up people with all the Albuquerque and New Mexico bashing.

How about some of the nice things - like a full moon rising over the Sandia mountains, the wild flowers that still bloom in the spring even after months without significant rainfall, the beautiful fall weather, snowfalls that disappear by afternoon, the beautiful rainbows after a summer thunderstorm, and don't forget the beautiful sunsets and crystal clear blue sky and the wonderful cuisine. Shall I go on?

What you get out of where you live is what effort you put into living there.

Not just Albuquerque! After connecting to this site, I had to do some soul searching after reading about some of the other cities as well . However, we are determined to make it to NM after checking out Colorado for options to purchase some ranch property. I will be visiting a few areas in the North Central/East sector and staying at a local "motel" so hopefully I will return with good news! Of course returning implies I made it out with my life! I did not update or purchase any life insurance but I did make sure my Beneficiary Statements are up to date! Hmmm, should I give my wife all my "pass codes" too?

[m92tiger]

There is not a necessarily easy answer to that question....But I believe, that if you are drawn/feel compulsed towards, moving to Northern New Mexico...it is for a God-given reason and you'll eventually learn the reason....

Relocated to New Mexico about 7 years ago for about 6 years...it was an intense, life-changing experience to say the least. And that's just the beginning...

But as far as crime goes...to insert a little insight and experience of my own...first of all, Albuquerque as well as all of NM, I believe, plays with statistics like any other good, thoroughly corrupt institution...so if you find crime statistics to not be ranking high....or performance of schools to reflect something equally high...but in a different sense...you are looking at severly skewed statistics...this is a case proven in fact in court. It's sad...but it's reality. Crime here is high...make no mistake about it. However, it differs from other cities such as Salt Lake City and Denver, which rank just as high in terms of crime statistics...in that it's a lot less segregated and zoned for rich for rich...poor for poor, etc., etc...Ironically, for me, that's one of the beauties of Albuquerque...but it is also why, no matter where you live in the city, more or less, you are a likely target of some kind of crime.

Ok...with my crime point hopefully made, I want to end with this note...Albuquerque is a one of a kind city in the US....and for me, it epitomizes a place where ANYONE can belong...It's this mezcla of misfits that makes it such a uniquely beautiful place...and then, there is the landscape of Northern New Mexico which is beautiful, just as the same landscape is in Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, and Southern Colorado...it's beautiful and I love it.

My sole point is...be prepared for the crime and the hardness of the city, inspite of how small it is...but also be prepared to be completely transformed by this place, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, etc...

Utlimately, I wouldn't trade my experience of living there for anything...it was so powerful in so many ways, that I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

[DaHerd]

Originally Posted by 6 FOOT 3

I wonder if this poster (who lives in portland oregon) read the current thread over in the Portland threads titled ''Portland Negatives'' with over 67 posts??...lol.... gotta laugh !

Yes I live in Portland. And where I live (west hills) it is just beautiful. Awesome views and no ghetto elements rolling on in. Fortunately Portland is big enough to where all that ghetto is way on the other side of the city. I guess the ABQ equivalent would be Tramway up towards Academy. Very nice, but the "hood" is what.... 10 mins away or so? That's just too close and easy for them ghetto folk to roll right on in and jack. No thanks!