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Hi!
Sorry to start a new thread about this, but I keep reading about the crime in Gallup here and there in various posts and I just don't get it. Not that I'm offended, but where is all this crime going on? I lived there for 3 years as a teacher (02-05). I was keenly aware of the official crime statistics and that Gallup was listed as having an "above average" crime rate. It worried me early on and really put me on the defensive, but I slowly realized that this was just a nice quiet little town. The worst I ever witnessed or even heard about was panhandlers/ bums asking people for money. This happened to me a few times in 02-03, but the new mayor, Bob Rosebrough (father of one of my students!) really cleaned that up.
Look at the official statistics on the Gallup, NM page of this site. You see a couple dozen rapes per year; scores of burglaries/ vehicle thefts. Pretty high numbers. This does not sound like the town I knew at all. Can someone tell me what the deal is? Where is all this crime???????? If someone asks me about Gallup, all I can do is give info based on my own experience, which contradicts these stats. Have I been giving bad advice? Did I just happen to live in a really good part of town? I'm kind of a homebody/ family man but I'm not a complete shut-in. I got out every now and then. Never had any problems! I lived in the Park Apartments complex across the street from Ford Canyon Park at the top of Ford Drive. I knew people who lived in many different parts of town, though. Several of them had lived there all their lives and could tell you pretty much anything good or bad about the town. We are even seriously considering moving back soon.
Anybody else who lives/ has lived in Gallup baffled by the crime statistics? Can anyone shed some light on the statistics for me; specific incidents; anything happen to you or someone you know? I'll admit the town is a bit ugly and run-down, but crime???? I never idealized or fell in love with the place, so I don't think I'm being naive. Be honest. Am I crazy?
I, too, am wondering about Gallup. I am considering a job that will bring me to the area. I am very interested in this job and I think of it often. But I have always gotten a weird vibe in Gallup. I don't know what it is.... But I, too, have always heard a lot of things about crime in Gallup and hesitate to pick up my life and move there...
Am I out of my mind to have this negative vibe? I have enjoyed many a cup of coffee in that cafe that's next door to the theater with the big marquee... And I've explored the places where tourists go--Route 66 and the downtown where the pawn shops are... I've been to the flea market on the weekend and thought it was great...
But we haven't explored the neighborhoods or housing options... Is everything there that fake Santa Fe style stuff? Is there a historic housing neighborhood?
And is it safe? By safe, I DO NOT MEAN SEGREGATED. I am not looking to live in a gated community or anything like that. I dig the diversity and multiculturalism of New Mexico. I'm just wondering if I can park my car on the street without getting tires slashed or windows broken, can I go for a walk, is there a high rate of burglary? I ask as a former resident of New Orleans--where my car was vandalized twice, but my home never broken into--and St. Louis--where my car was was vandalized once and someone shot in front of my apartment--and Chicago--where I've never had a loss of property or any damage.
Of course, there are no guarantees in life, and one cannot guarantee "safety," whatever that is, but.... I'm really interested in that job but a bit nervous about Gallup.
I would guess most crime is alcohol related and happens in and around bars and where homeless people hang out. I'm a public defender in Albuquerque and alot of crime you don't see or hear about because it involves homeless people, and it is often very violent. I meet lots of homeless people with big ugly knife scars. I'd guess there is also gang related crime in Gallup, which may usually be gang on gang events, so you don't see it much. Just a guess.
Again, based on my own experience, you will find Gallup to be perfectly safe an I highly recommend it. There aren't many subdivisions/ gated communities, so most of the people I knew lived on city streets. They felt perfectly safe and I never heard of any vandalism. As I stated in my earlier posts, the mayor that was elected in '02 has prodded law enforcement to really crack down on the lowlifes. I lived in an apartment and felt perfectly safe as well. I am a teacher, so with all the time off, we would leave town for 2 weeks during Christmas break, 1 week for Spring Break, and 2 and 1/2 months during the summer. My apartment was NEVER broken into. If you are still considering the job and wouldn't mind living in an apartment (2 bedrooms, 1 bath), call ReMax/ Combined Investments and ask if they have any vacancies at Park Apartments. If I ever move back, that is where I would want to live again.
The post by the public defender after yours makes good points. Maybe I was not exposed to some of the violence. When I lived in Gallup, Albuquerque homeless people were notorious for being more aggressive and threatening than Gallup beggars. I always felt safer in Gallup. I routinely watched the Albuquerque news and it was nothing short of horrifying.
Again, based on my own experience, you will find Gallup to be perfectly safe an I highly recommend it.
Thanks for your reply, Rothbard....
Now, may I ask, why do you "highly recommend" Gallup? I ask because I am not entirely sure of what there is to recommend, and I don't mean to sound like a snot...
As I said in my post, I enjoyed the weekend flea market there, but other than that I'm not too sure of what else Gallup has to offer. I love New Mexico generally, but Gallup seems to look a bit ragged and neglected. I just saw in the paper the other day that Gallup just got a $200,000 grant from the state's Main Street program, so things might change a little... I know beautification means nothing when there are people without food or shelter, but it's nice to be able to enjoy a walk in your hometown and get the feeling that your neighbors also enjoy and take pride in where they live.
I'm not a big city person, although I mentioned that I've spent a lot of time living in large urban areas...Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans. I like small towns and I like to move slowly!
But my snotty tendencies are toward things like farmers' markets and organic produce, book stores, and local restaurants as opposed to chains. The spectre of Wal-Mart or Albertson's, the whole strip on 491, leaves me cold. We have that in the college town we currently live in, too, but we also have a locally-owned video store, book store, and a great health-food store and a co-op. My husband works out of the house (online), and the job I am considering is in Window Rock. I think the job would be great, but I am unsure about Gallup as "home," and my husband's concerns are stronger than mine. He went there only once with me, and he did not like it much at all. Again, he only saw the 2nd Ave. and Route 66 downtown area. I think he much prefers Albuquerque, but that's not an option, anyway...
So my question to you is, what did you like about Gallup when you lived there and why would you recommend it as a place to relocate? Is there a sense of community there? Is there a health-food store or a farmers' market or a decent place to buy good produce? Are there community amenities that are unrelated to the Inter-Tribal Ceremonial and the commodification/tourism of Native America(ns)? It's that, really, that freaks me out a bit and gets me down... The relatively wealthy pawn-shop owners. I'm sure Gallup's primary source of income is tourism, isn't it?
I think you wrote in your initial post that you're a "homebody," and my husband is, too. He's perfectly content to sit in the house all day, working and then cooking--he's really into cooking (that's why all the food talk). But every once in a while, you have to leave the house! You just have to get out! So what makes Gallup great?
Hi!
When I highly recommend Gallup, I do so generally speaking. As far as your personal tastes are concened specifically, I would probably reluctantly to mildly recommend Gallup. The "homebody" thing was important. Perhaps I should have elaborated. I was trying to imply that if you like to get out and about a lot, you may get restless there.
The town is ragged and neglected. I let that depress me at first too, but that reaction dissipated after getting to know the character of the people there.
If you like to move slow, small southwestern towns are definately the place to be. I moved to Gallup from St. Louis and really grew to appreciate the difference. We thought we'd try a city again and currently reside in Las Vegas, NV. I now consider leaving Gallup for Vegas the dumbest thing I have ever done.
The big chain stores do loom larger than the locally owned ones on 491. There are 2 locally owned video stores and a few locally owned grocery stores/ restaurants here and there on 66, though. There is also a health food co-op. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it's called or where it is. I just know about it because 2 of my teaching colleagues were into that. (Anybody else on this thread have any idea?)
As far as community amenities, there isn't much. There are 2 Catholic Churches (1 big cathedral) and 2 Baptist Churches, a few smaller churches and an Elk's Lodge. There is a very real sense of community, but it's so hard to describe. Old small towns in the southeast have a warmer, more communal, welcoming feel. Small towns in the southwest like Gallup have a lot of out-of-town transplants who dilute the sense of community, but it's still there. People are friendlier and more laid back than in the big cities I've lived in (St. Louis, MO & Hell On Earth, NV).
What makes Gallup great? I hesitate because to me a "great" time is being left alone to stay home; work out, read, play w/ my baby, play my guitar, plan lessons, watch movies w/ my wife. In a small town, there are just fewer complications and Gallup fits the bill nicely. If I used the word great, I may have gone overboard. Gallup is probably interchangable with many other small southwestern towns. I just get so frustrated when I do go out in the big city that I long for that simplicity again. I tend to be a little negative. I prefer small towns like Gallup for what they lack rather than for what they have.
In Gallup:
- No one ever tailgated me on the road.
- I never stood in line at the DMV. (no safety inspection/ emissions inspection/ car property tax either)
- I didn't spend 1/2 of my life in traffic.
- I could sit out on my deck anytime and enjoy the QUIET.
- No waiting period to buy a firearm.
I never considered the situation w/ the natives exploitive. There isn't any palpable racial tension or resentment. Tourism? Good question. I'm not sure how much of the town's wealth is due to tourism. There isn't that much to see, but there are always a few folks passing through on their way to some place else.
A word of warning:
If your husband is not fully on board, it may be best to skip Gallup. My experience is w/ teachers. Most of them arrive from out of town without the right attitude about Gallup. They wind up being miserable and leave after a few short months. A very bitter experience.
I tried to answer your questions as best I could based on my own experience, which may not be extensive. Let me know what you think!
Last edited by Rothbard; 12-14-2006 at 12:28 PM..
Reason: spelling
The libertarian in me is glad that there's no emissions testing for cars and that there's no waiting period for firearms, but the libertarian in me is small and often stymied by the soft-lefty who likes emissions tests to lessen the degradation of our environment, wishes we could support the electric car, and is glad that we have waiting periods for firearms. I've never handled a gun and I hope never to do so. That's just me. I'm not into hunting or shooting targets. I'm not fond of the NRA.
I don't need to go out to bars or restaurants, ever, really--so staying in the quiet of home every night, reading or talking with friends or watching a movie is ideal for us. But, as you say, because my husband really isn't into Gallup, based on the little he's seen of it, it's likely that I'll forego this job opportunity even though I think I'd really, really love it. I don't want to drag him someplace he wouldn't like, even if he also loves to stay at home. I've often thought that, as we Americans become more focused on our own families (and less on our communities) and we can interact with people online (like this!) and buy almost everything we need online, it probably matters less and less where exactly we live. (That's going to bring very interesting changes that we can't begin to comprehend fully.) But I have found the ragged, run-down appearance of Gallup to be a bit depressing, and as one prone to look on the gloomy side of things most of the time, perhaps that's not the best environment for me.
I appreciate your comments! I found them very helpful. It sounds like you should definitely return to Gallup and leave Las Vegas behind.
As a pretty recent Gallupian (as my husband likes to say) I thought I’d chime in on this thread too. We lived there from July 2000 through May 2005. We both would really like to go back. We felt a great sense of community there, maybe it was because of our jobs though. I was a teacher, and my husband was the local game warden. So, we got to know lots of people. We are now living in San Antonio, TX, and I hate it! It is the first time I’ve lived in such a large city, and my first time out of NM. I haven’t been happy since we left. We are hoping to be able to move back to NM in the next six months, and we may eventually find our way back to Gallup.
Things I liked about it: The scenery--I loved the beautiful red rocks. The balloon festival (I can’t even remember the name of it) in December is beautiful, if the weather cooperates. My husband and I enjoy the outdoors, and the nearby mountains are great! We also enjoyed the snow (our first winter there it we had lots, not so much the rest). I liked the culture there too, it was unique. The sense of community, as I had listed before was great. And, the quaint little downtown coffeeshop was a neat place to go. I also liked that it was within driving distance of Albuquerque, where there is always plenty to do.
We lived in different areas of town while there. We started out on the west side, near the high school. I would consider living there again, if we could buy some land. We also lived in town for awhile, very close to the cathedral (btw, there are 3 Catholic churches ). It was a nice, older area that I really enjoyed. I would take my dog for long walks all over the neighborhood while we lived there. I always felt very safe. No break-ins or car damage anywhere near us. Before we moved down here, we lived about 30 miles east of town, near Continental Divide, and that was my favorite, but I’m one who likes living “out.” Another place we would consider living if we moved back would be south of town, off 602. There is a development out there with small acreages for sale.
As for things I didn’t like . . . At first it was the climate, I came from southern NM, and was used to warm weather year round. I adjusted though, and really began to enjoy the cold--just had to learn to dress for it! Spring was always a long time coming for me though, no matter how long I was there. I didn’t like people coming up and asking for money. I didn’t ever feel threatened, just didn’t like it. I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head. Maybe it’s just because I want so badly to go back though.
I also recall there being a health food coop, but never learned much about it. There was a growing biking community that I had wanted to be a part of (some fellow teachers were involved in it), but I got pregnant just after I learned about it, then had a newborn, so I didn’t get the opportunity to get into that. Maybe if we go back . . . There was also a neat little community magazine that had started right before we left. It listed events going on in the community. I think it was monthly.
As I mentioned, I was pregnant and had a baby while there. I was pleased with all the medical care my son and I received while living there, so that’s another positive for me.
Hi!
I tend to be a little negative. I prefer small towns like Gallup for what they lack rather than for what they have.
In Gallup:
- No one ever tailgated me on the road.
- I never stood in line at the DMV. (no safety inspection/ emissions inspection/ car property tax either)
- I didn't spend 1/2 of my life in traffic.
- I could sit out on my deck anytime and enjoy the QUIET.
- No waiting period to buy a firearm.
Okay, I'm just wondering which Gallup you lived in. I recently moved to Gallup, and it's okay as towns go. But I like things like Wal-Mart and franchised restaurants. However, the things you listed here just don't jive with the Gallup I've seen.
- I waited four hours at the MVD to get my NM Driver License and car tag.
- No emissions/safety inspection means that a lot of natives drive around with exhaust choking the person behind them
- I live 1/4 mile from the onramp to Albuquerque, and it takes me an average of 13 minutes to get there on Saturdays, when Natives come in from the Reservation to shop. It's impossible to get anywhere on the West side of town on a weekend--worse than the traffic in Tulsa, where I moved from
-Quiet? Where? I live on the corner of Aztec and Munoz, and the traffic night and day, car stereos, emergency vehicles, and people on foot talking louder than necessary drive me nuts.
- No waiting for firearms? No wonder there's crime here!
I'm sorry to paint the place in a negative light. It is true that most of the crime here seems to be alcohol related. Just drive by the holding facility at 9:00 on a Saturday morning and watch the flood of hungover partygoers recovering from Friday's festivities.
There is good to be had here. It is a beautiful place to live, and the Native American culture is fantastic. Just be aware of what you're going to get if you move here. It was an absolute culture shock for me, moving from Oklahoma.
Again, based on my own experience, you will find Gallup to be perfectly safe an I highly recommend it. There aren't many subdivisions/ gated communities, so most of the people I knew lived on city streets. They felt perfectly safe and I never heard of any vandalism. As I stated in my earlier posts, the mayor that was elected in '02 has prodded law enforcement to really crack down on the lowlifes. I lived in an apartment and felt perfectly safe as well. I am a teacher, so with all the time off, we would leave town for 2 weeks during Christmas break, 1 week for Spring Break, and 2 and 1/2 months during the summer. My apartment was NEVER broken into. If you are still considering the job and wouldn't mind living in an apartment (2 bedrooms, 1 bath), call ReMax/ Combined Investments and ask if they have any vacancies at Park Apartments. If I ever move back, that is where I would want to live again.
The post by the public defender after yours makes good points. Maybe I was not exposed to some of the violence. When I lived in Gallup, Albuquerque homeless people were notorious for being more aggressive and threatening than Gallup beggars. I always felt safer in Gallup. I routinely watched the Albuquerque news and it was nothing short of horrifying.
I used to drive an 18 wheeler from Florida to Vancouver and at times I would run 666 out of Gallup up to Shiprock,Cortez Co, Moab Ut up thru Cresent City to Green River,Ut and if I was going up 666 around the 1st of the month I would see these wine os hitch hiking south to Gallup to buy booz.Did they ever start selling them achohol up in those parts?
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Also wondering about Gallup NM
). It was a nice, older area that I really enjoyed. I would take my dog for long walks all over the neighborhood while we lived there. I always felt very safe. No break-ins or car damage anywhere near us. Before we moved down here, we lived about 30 miles east of town, near Continental Divide, and that was my favorite, but I’m one who likes living “out.” Another place we would consider living if we moved back would be south of town, off 602. There is a development out there with small acreages for sale.
