Placitas VS Edgewood (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho: rent, how much, house prices)

[Ridgeback72]

My husband and I will be moving to the Albuquerque area some time this year. We are in our 30's so we will need to commute to the city for employment. The 2 places we like best in the area are Placitas and Edgewood. I keep hearing how much snow they get in the East Mountains and how bad the highway is in the winter with the snow and trucks. This is steering me more towards Placitas. Is the winter really that much worse in the East Mountain areas? We are looking to purchase 1+ acres of land someplace quiet where you can see the stars at night. Any help would be appreciated.

[kensgirl]

I'm definitely more familiar with Placitas than Edgewood. It's a beautiful area with some killer views. Homes are lovely and southwestern and spread out. However, the "downtown" area is very small. For nightlife, you either head into ABQ or up to Santa Fe. Also, the roads in Placitas snake up and down, making it fun to drive in the snow. As to Edgewood, I know many people who love living in the East Mountains. You may want to move this post to the ABQ page for more input from Edgewood residents. Also, Edgewood is probably more affordable. I don't think you can get an acre of land in Placitas for under 100K. Obviously, visiting both areas is the best idea. However, if you just want to check out property prices, etc. you can access the public MLS pages at ABQREALTORS.com - Official site of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of REALTORS®. Good luck with the move

[Zoidberg]

I think that for the ABQ metro area, both are terrible for cold, wind, and precipitation. Placitas more expensive than Edgewood. Weather is slightly drier in Placitas for the most part.

I think it'd be nice if you could work a little harder at finding a neighborhood you like that doesn't require further clogging up an already congested freeway. There are plenty of wooded areas near/in the mountains (Tijeras, Carnuel, North 14, South 14, Four Hills, anything E of Tramway) for not much higher prices and much shorter commutes to the big city. For best starlight, recommend N. or S. 14.

[Pintada Kid]

The Weather is definately Colder in the East Mountain area then in Placitas. Belen and Los Lunas has warmer weather and close to Albuquerque. Read the East Mountain Telegraph or the Independent to know more about the East Mountain which i like because of the country life but if you dont have to Drive in Bad Weather through the Canyon the east mountain area is nice and so much Activities going on in the Summer and they have some good Schools. I Would definitely rent a month or two in the area to make sure you find what you want because N.M. is a Wonderful State with Wonderful People. el pintada kid

[ABQSunseeker]

Well, let's see. Edgewood is snowier and colder. If you live in the lower parts of Placitas near I25 the weather is very similar to Albuquerque. Above the "S" curve, at about 6,000 ft, Placitas gets colder and snowier but maybe not as much as Edgewood.
Placitas is far more striking geographically and scenically. Pretty impressive vistas.
But houses are more expensive than Edgewood.
If you don't live too far into Placitas then I would say the commute into central Albuquerque is easier. Only 1/2 hour to the airport on a straight run.
All depends on your tastes and budget.

[EnjoyEP]

I agree largely with ABQSunseeker.

First off, if money were no issue, and I was given both of these as my two choices of where to live, I would pick Placitas in a heartbeat.

Placitas is just amazingly gorgeous. One of the most physically beautiful areas in the ABQ Metro area, and just incredibly scenic.

However, I think it may have been a bit understated here thus far just how much more expensive Placitas is than most areas in Albuquerque metro. I mean, Placitas is a very pricey place. You really can't find many nice houses (and most houses in Placitas that were built in the last two decades...which is most of them) in Placitas for under $300K. The housing in Placitas is built to an upper-end crowd, and it charges upper-end prices. There are some scattered homes in Placitas built decades ago that don't fit this "mold", however, Placitas really started to boom recently, and with it, all of the housing that exists is really priced at a premium.

Compared to Edgewood, the cost of housing in Placitas is just in a different stratosphere.

Having said that, both cities are much colder and snowier - fairly considerably in most portions of both towns (although as Sunseeker said, there is a little slice of Placitas where it isn't as pronounced) than ABQ. Altitude is everything, and where ABQ is generally at 5000 feet in altitude, these towns are both over 6000 feet and in more "mountainous" exposures, thus, the weather commonly can be 10-to-15 degrees colder in these areas and snow is much more of a realty in both than it is in ABQ, although even more so in Edgewood.

Edgewood feels much more "rural", "small town", "blue collar", etc. Placitas feels much more "affluent", "suburban" (although in a very scenic, isolated way), and "white collar".

If budget isn't a big issue to you, than I would say Placitas would be hard to beat. But if money is an issue, than Placitas living may be kind of an issue.

One thought: Perhaps you would like to consider living in Corrales. It is much closer to ABQ than the other two are, it is extremely more temperate weather-wise than the other two (its weather is essentially the same as the North Valley of ABQ), etc. Plus, it still has many open, rural areas, etc.

Like Placitas though, Corrales is a pretty expensive area.

Good luck to you!

[nmguy]

I am retired and have lived in Placitas for almost five years.

I live close to I-25, so my ride to Abq. is about 20-25 minutes, depending on traffic.

House prices in Placitas have increased pretty dramatically since I moved here.

These are the things that I like about Placitas . . .
* Beautiful views
* Feeling of independence
* Friendly, but not intrusive neighbors (we look out for each other)
* Sense of history

Here are the negatives . . .
* Windy weather when we're between seasons
* Relative long drive for groceries . . . We go to Smith's in Rio Rancho

I like living here because of the natural beauty and the proximity to Abq. and Santa Fe.