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My husband and I are moving to Albuquerque in August and purchase a home. We have a 16 yr old daughter so high schools are very important. Your responses to "young couple moving to albuquerque" were very helpful but I noticed that the responses were from 2008.
The economy everywhere has changed so much since 2008 have your opinions changed on neighborhoods? What about high schools? I'm looking for a safe, quiet neighborhood with an excellent high school.
Thank you for your help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnjoyEP
Since you are going to be renting (rather than buying), that significantly affects my response to you.
Here would be my suggestions:
TOP AREA and ZIP CODE TO CONSIDER:
-----I would especially advise towards zip code 87111 (area in ABQ's Northeast Heights)...although I would probably stay WEST of Juan Tabo Blvd.* (more on that reasoning in a bit).
My wife and I rented an apartment as brand new residents to the city in 2003 for six months before purchasing a home, and we rented square in this zip code near the intersections of Academy Blvd. and Eubank Blvd. NE.
To this day, this is probably my favorite area of ABQ among many favorites. Very close to the mountains. Easy to navigate, main roads. Beautiful landscaping. Close to restaurants, grocery stores, fast food, etc. Very safe and family oriented, but not too too upscale either.
Just a wonderful area of Albuquerque for living, some great views and parks, and some very nice rentals / apartments in this area.
TOP FIVE ZIP CODES TO CONSIDER OVERALL:
-----87111, 87113...
They are in the Northeast side of the city - the most desirable portion of the city in general terms and it has the most affluent areas. The Northeast is the closest to the Sandia Mountains and has the best mix of retail, stores, restaurants, best infrastructure, etc., because it is the oldest area (although there are still many areas that are being developed the farther north you go).
To me, the Northeast Heights is the best area of the city - in general terms, maybe next to the North Valley - to live in, and these are the best two zip codes to live in.
*Why do I say live WEST of Juan Tabo? Well, some of the nicest, neatest houses and views are east of Juan Tabo, and living east of Juan Tabo is generally very desirable.
However, Juan Tabo and east of it is about a mile to the foothills of the Sandia Mountains.
And, if you are like me, one perk of moving to ABQ partially is for the awesome year-round weather. While areas east of Juan Tabo are still nicer and certainly more mild than most northern areas of the US, the altitude goes sharply up in these areas (within a mile or so of the foothills of the Sandia Mountains) and thus temps can be considerably cooler.
For instance, I lived about 2 miles west of Juan Tabo, and it could often by 53 degrees at my house. You head 2 miles east...a little past Juan Tabo...and it might be 48 degrees.
In that same example, by my house, I would get an average (in that area) of snow 8-9 inches per year. East of Juan Tabo, they can get more like 12 to 15 inches. Still not huge or significant, but if I am going to live for the warmth, I am going to want to stick to the 95% of the city of ABQ that is the warm side!
Hopefully that makes sense. Altitude in most of ABQ is in the 5000 feet range, however, once you get well over 5500 feet (east of Juan Tabo), temps are affected.
However, again, you can find just tremendously nice rentals and apartments in the Juan Tabo and Tramway areas too with amazingly gorgeous views, so if "mountain stuff" and views are more important to you than warmer weather, these areas would be hard to beat too, and again, are in this 87111 zip.
-----87107 is a great one...the North Valley. The North Valley is probably the most expensive large section of ABQ to buy a home in, but it is probably my favorite one. It gets warmer in the days and cooler in the evenings (due to the valley geography), but it is just so scenic. Plus it is a centralized location, close access to everything.
This is a very desirable place to live. And, if you are not used to living in a desert city, this is where you'd still see the most "green"...although being a desert city, certainly you won't find nearly as much as you do in the summer in the Midwest, Pac NW, Southeast, etc. (except for the cacti and yuccas!).
I would live in the North Valley first and foremost if I could, but it is just too pricey for me. But I am a buyer more. For rentals, you may be able to find some nice properties / deals, and this area would be hard to beat.
It runs near the beautiful Rio Grande river, and is a great area for outdoor recreation, dogs, etc.
-----I would also highly advise you consider portions of zips 87109 and 87110. These are zips in ABQ's Northeast Heights and include some of my favorite, nicest areas in ABQ.
The problem here is that there are also portions of 87109 and 87110 that you wouldn't want to live in as much as other areas. Not that they are especially dangerous or crime ridden, but they are mediocre areas that you'd probably be better off somewhere else.
I lived in my home for the majority of my "ABQ life" in the 87109 zip code and really enjoyed the area tremendously. If you can find places near Osuna Rd. (by Arroyo del Oso golf course) and Wyoming or Pennsylvania or Louisiana, this is a great zip. True-blue Albuquerque, a nice, safe area, and not overpriced.
However, if you get too close to Montgomery Blvd. or west, you'd probably want to look elsewhere.
87110 is near ABQ Uptown shopping center, and the ABQ Uptown area in general. Again, super nice, and the warmest area in general in ABQ weather-wise. This is in a great, central location too, to ABQ. I would live here in a second, but again, some areas are really nice and some, while by no means terrible, are more mediocre than you'd want compared to other areas.
OTHER GOOD BETS TO CONSIDER:
-----87114 and 87120 are good, "safe" zip codes ("safe" not meaning for crime, as there are plenty of safe crime zip codes in the city, but by safe I mean that in most any of these areas where you'd end up, they are very decent areas); these are on the West-to-Northwest Side of the city, a fairly desirable area of the city, more middle-class than the Northeast Side (which is an overall upper-to-middle class area).
This is also the side of the city that is much newer...infrastructure and roads and commercial development have slowly caught up to the population growth but still isn't as good quite yet as it is on the east side of the river. GROWTH Is the name of the game here.
This is a very popular spot for families because it is fairly safe, family oriented, etc., but also still relatively affordable.
I would guess that if I end up back in ABQ, there is a great chance I would end up living in one of these codes.
-----87124 - Rio Rancho.
Very close suburb to the West Side of ABQ...essentially the same demographics and makeup as the 87114 and 87120 zips listed. If you were interested through searching in 87120 and 87114, probably expand your thoughts also to 87124, because despite being in Rio Rancho, not ABQ, it is essentially the same thing (and a very nice area). If you have kids and they attend public schools, Rio Rancho public schools are supposed to be far better in general than ABQ ones - in generalities.
-----87048 - Corrales.
Another very close suburb to the West Side / North Valley of ABQ. A more rural, quaint, "hip" suburb, much smaller and more exclusive. A really kind of neat area. Longer commutes from here and a more expensive area of the metro, but really a neat area for outdoor stuff, views, recreation, dogs, etc.
-----87108 - Nob Hill / UNM area.
There are some really neat, funky, unique houses in this area. Older homes with lots of character. An area geared a bit more to vibrant nightlife, the college scene, liberal politics, etc. Very walkable area. More "urban" here than many of the aforementioned. Closer to some sketchier, more crime areas, but overall still a quite safe area.
Hopefully this helped! Many very nice areas of ABQ to chose from...probably just stay away from much of the Southeast and the Southwest (even though there are nice pockets in each) and you'll be well off. Good luck to you!!
My husband and I are moving to Albuquerque in August. We have a 16 yr old daughter so high schools are very important. What areas would you recommend to purchase a home? What about high schools? I'm looking for a safe, quiet neighborhood with an excellent high school.
My husband and I are moving to Albuquerque in August and purchase a home. We have a 16 yr old daughter so high schools are very important. Your responses to "young couple moving to albuquerque" were very helpful but I noticed that the responses were from 2008.
The economy everywhere has changed so much since 2008 have your opinions changed on neighborhoods? What about high schools? I'm looking for a safe, quiet neighborhood with an excellent high school.
Thank you for your help.
Yes, the economy has changed, but since EnjoyEP wrote that very good post two years ago (02-26-2008) I do not see that much change. There are some who might agree or not. I have kids and grand kids who have lived in Rio Rancho for 10+ years. I have grand kids who have attended every grade K-12 in Rio Rancho. There are a lot of factors to also consider which you haven't really mentioned. I guess you have a job? I would try to live and work on the same side of the Rio Grande. My wife has a one way 27 mile commute, but she prefers where we are. We actually own a home in ABQ which is closer, but she wishes to stay.
It would really be to your advantage if you can come out for a visit...
However the most popular high school district in Albuquerque would be La Cueva. If you do not have to live in Albuquerque then I suggest you look at both Rio Rancho and the East Mountains. Both have great high schools and you get more bang for your buck when buying a home.
My job is keeping me on in Albuquerque so I'll work from home. My daughter wants to go to La Cuava so I've been focused on that area but I've heard so many great things about Rio Rancho that I'm curious. How long of a comute is it from rio rancho to the Far NE heights? What do you think about the area in Eldorado? We are planning a short visit in July to look at homes.
Many parents shell out for private school; Albuquerque Academy, Sandia Prep, Bosque School are favorites and are generally well regarded. IMO the higher level of regard is not worth the price of tuition.
RR to far NE heights might be around 20-30 minutes plus traffic. Really an open-ended question, like how far from TX to NM (could be five minutes, could be twenty hours; depends on where specifically you mean)
Eldorado high's cluster (previous use of the term "district" is not accurate; La Cueva, Eldorado, and a dozen other high schools are funded and controlled by Albuquerque Public Schools) runs the gamut from decent to excellent in terms of neighborhood quality. The houses probably average 5-10 years older in EHS vs LCHS clusters, though there's considerable overlap. Quality of education and class sizes between the two will probably be indistinguishable. Depending on your interests, Eldorado cluster may prove significantly easier when it comes to getting to the interesting parts of town, or significantly harder.
Aside from a few high schools in impoverished areas, I'd concentrate on a neighborhood close to your work-related businesses (suppliers, client meeting spaces) first, and worry about schools second. Probably much better, whichever neighborhood you decide upon, to get a house that doesn't require busing 5 miles each way to the HS. Your kid will get into Harvard or get into a lifelong career of welfare dependence, just the same, regardless of school. The amount of time you spend with them and the example you set will probably be a larger determinant of their success than whether the high school is in the 94th or 87th percentile.
Your kid will get into Harvard or get into a lifelong career of welfare dependence, just the same, regardless of school. The amount of time you spend with them and the example you set will probably be a larger determinant of their success than whether the high school is in the 94th or 87th percentile.
I'd add 87112 to the zip code list....east of Juan Tabo You won't get 12-15 inches of snow between Juan Tabo and Tramway (sorry EnjoyEP!) and there are very nice houses in this area. Don't know which school zone it is, though.
If you are looking at public schools, La Cueva is your best bet. We made sure to live in the La Cueva school district for that same reason.
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Moving to Albuquerque
You won't get 12-15 inches of snow between Juan Tabo and Tramway (sorry EnjoyEP!) and there are very nice houses in this area. Don't know which school zone it is, though.
