Commuting from Santa Fe to Los Alamos (Albuquerque, Pojoaque: apartment complex, renting)

[sisyphus89]

I am going to start to work at LANL this fall.
I visited Los Alamos and Santa Fe during my interview and although I liked the scenic view and quiet atmosphere at Los Alamos, there are too few cultural and shopping opportunities at Los Alamos.
It might been OK with me but probably it would be asking too much for my spouse.

So, I'm thinking about commuting from the north side of Santa Fe with daily commuter bus.

Although I heard during my interview about people commuting even from AB, I'm curious about if this is a reasonable and practical solution.

I'll really appreciate any comment on this matter.

[Julia2sf]

Personally, a commute from Albuquerque to Los Alamos would be too much for me. Especially if you're doing it on a daily basis. The traffic on I-25 can be crazy some days.

The northside of Santa Fe (even Casa Solana) can be pretty pricey, but one neighborhood you might want to look at is Vista Primera, near where 599 and Airport Road intersect.

Jacona is about mid-way between Los Alamos and Santa Fe, I'm guessing about a 20 minute drive to either location. That said, not sure if it fits the shopping and culture bill. Not sure how cheap, or conversely, expensive the area is either.

[sisyphus89]

Thank you for your advice, Julia2sf.

I'm looking at the north side of Santa Fe mainly because of the commuter bus stop.
I guess that there should be no traffic problem between Santa Fe and Los Alamos and I'm wondering if driving to Los Alamos daily is also a reasonable option.

We're thinking about renting a condo and I found "Reserve condo" is located at the perfect location for the commute to Los Alamos.

I'm wondering about the general atmosphere of the neighborhood of this condo and if there is any other condos around this area.

[Zoidberg]

If LANL offers compressed workweeks to you (4/10, 9/80) then the commute should be more tolerable.

Could be worse, like INEEL and have everybody on a 4/10, with 1 hour bus ride each way for everybody. Or at Tonopah where they push you onto an unmarked 737..

[midwestgrl27]

My husband is beginning a post-doc position in late fall at LANL. We explored living at the Reserve or the apt complex next to it, Los Pinones. Both seemed nice when we visited last year, but he thought the distance would bother him. But I think we're going to try to live in Pojoaque at Butterfly Springs Apts. Pojoaque is pretty much equal distance between LA and SF. I talked to the apt manager and he said that many people who live there commute to LANL. The apartments seemed well kept and safe, although pretty simple. Plus, they have a w/d hookup which neither The Reserve or Los Pinones have, and are significantly cheaper. Some of the downsides are that there is not a pretty view of the mountains, they don't have the amenities (gym, swimming pool, fire pits) and I doubt there will be much social/cultural activities compared to SF. But if you want to keep in contact as newbies to LANL, send me a private message of an e-mail,facebook, or myspace account. Good Luck!

[midwestgrl27]

Oh and by the way the commuter bus stops in Pojoaque.

[sisyphus89]

Thank you for the information on Pojoaque.

I remember seeing the casino at Pojoaque on my way to Los Alamos from Santa Fe. I didn't know that there is an apartment complex there and I will certainly look into that possibility.

I am also not sure that it is wise to live in Santa Fe far from the Lab since doing science especially experiment requires some flexibility in working hours.

It is a difficult choice between the convenience of life outside the lab and the work inside the lab.

[GregW]

Compared to commuting from southern NH to Boston by bus any commute in NM would be a cakewalk. I just wish I had gotten the job in LANL 30 years ago but they canceled the project when Regan was elected. The oil/gas industry was not happy with the thought of geothermal energy cutting into their profits so they got the progran cut. As far as I can tell the same bunch have the same attitude today.

[olgi]

Hi!
We have been coomuting from Santa Fe to Los Alamos for 5 years now, the traffic is never bad, and it's a very picturesque drive.
First 3 years we lived on the southern end of town and the commute took an hour.
Nowdays we live west of 599 and the commute takes about 45 minutes, but it's a very stress-free commute. The best neigborhood to live for commute to Los Alamos is Casa Solano. From there the commute should be about 40 minutes. We live off Camino La Tierra.

Olga

[sisyphus89]

Originally Posted by olgi

Hi!
We have been coomuting from Santa Fe to Los Alamos for 5 years now, the traffic is never bad, and it's a very picturesque drive.
First 3 years we lived on the southern end of town and the commute took an hour.
Nowdays we live west of 599 and the commute takes about 45 minutes, but it's a very stress-free commute. The best neigborhood to live for commute to Los Alamos is Casa Solano. From there the commute should be about 40 minutes. We live off Camino La Tierra.

Olga

Thank you for sharing your commuting experience.
I remember it was quite scenic drive from Santa Fe to Los Alamos.
I'm wondering if you have any problem due to snow in winter since I remember the final section of road up to the hill was quite narrow and has a lot of curves. I'm not sure how often the road will be closed during the winter.