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Hello everybody ... writing from New Hampshire ... back from our WONDERFUL 2-week vacation in NM! I want to post this thread mainly to thank so many people who not only gave us ideas, made suggestions and recommendations for our vacation but also encouraged me to just go and talk with people and ask questions. All the local people in NM were an incredible source of information and knowledge, everybody was helpful, nice and smiley (I'm a very smiley person as well, maybe that helped a little bit ) they all seemed to really enjoy a conversation with me (I did most of the talking, my hubby would just sit there and listen, he would only ask a question here and there) Many, many thanks, muchas, muchas gracias to:
... among others. Forgive me if I have ommited somedoby's name. It was an fantastic experience ... and the best part is that my husband liked everything so much that he is now saying "we are making this happen no later than a year from now!!!" We are moving ... New Mexico, get ready for us ... we are coming
We were also very fortunate that we found a good realtor who is willing to help us "from a distance". In fact, he showed us probably 20 houses or more. We drove a lot around many neighborhoods (my hubby did all the driving, I just enjoyed the scenery). He drove a lot ... almost 1800 miles on the rental in 2 weeks! Anyway, we tried to do all the things that each one of you suggested ... but 2 weeks were not enough So, these are some of the things we did:
In ABQ:
- We went to Old Town several (and I mean, several!) times and I bought nice things for our home and presents for some friends here in NH.
- We took the Sandia Tramway and enjoyed a great sunset, although that day was very windy earlier in the afternoon, so it was a little hazy but we could still see the valley. I can imagine how beautiful it must be on a clear day ... I'm sure you can see forever!
- We had dinner at the High Finance restaurant.
- We went to the Tamaya Resort one night, for a glass of wine and some appetizers.
- Oh, and of course we went to the FRONTIER and had a great meal. When we told the girl at the counter we were on vacation, from NH, she said "Oh, then you MUST try our cinammon rolls!" ... mmm ... they were delicious ... just thinking of them makes me salivate (like Pavlov's dogs )
- We also ate at Mariscos Altamar.
- We went to ABQ Uptown shopping area as well ... beautiful, very upscale!
In Santa Fe:
- We went to the Jemez Mountains ... our jaws literally dropped when we saw the Valle Grande (the collapsed crater). Thanks, nmguy, what a great day-trip!
- We had dinner at Los Potrilllos ... hey, enjoyEP, this is for you because you spelled it "Los Portillos" instead of "Potrillos" (which means "the fowls") at first we could not find the place even though we were driving by it all the time because we were at the Holiday Inn on Cerrillos Road and the restaurant is on the same street! Finally, one night we decided to ask the people at the hotel about "Los Portillos" and they said "Oh, "Los Potrillos! ... it's right here, on Cerillos Rd!" Then, it came to me what had happened ... it was a spelling problem!
- We ate at the Shed ... the food was simply fabulous ... yummy ... and the prices so reasonable! Too bad we did no have room for dessert! Next time!
The rest of the time we spent driving around and checking out all the neighborhoods that you, invisible friends, suggested I liked Rio Rancho a lot but I get the feeling that when the wind blows the sand gets everywhere ... even inside your brain! Plus, some local people I talked to said that they have had a lot of problems with some streets getting flooded when it rains. They said that the main problem seems to be that Rio Rancho has grown really fast and is not ready for that, so the sewage system and other things are not able to keep the pace with the fast-growing community.
Also, as you all know, I AM an animal lover and I will be opening a small business with pets once we move there and we are all settled. Because of this and after driving in the city for several days and looking at houses in the NE and NW area, my husband and I came to the conclusion that it would be very difficult for us to live in town and, mostly, to find a place (ideally a house with a detached small area in the back) where I could start my business. Being in the city would always limit me from growing, plus it's almost impossible to find (in any of the nice neighborhoods that we looked at and that we liked) a place that can be residential and commercial at the same time. Somebody suggested Tijeras and/or Cedar Crest to us; so, we mentioned it to this realtor, we drove around the area several times and we absolutely loved Cedar Crest. The realtor showed us different houses there, for 250 to 300k you can find something really nice, from .5 to 2.0 acres with all the quiet setting, trees, birds and things needed for a purr-fect place for pets, plus our own feline and canine family, 6 meows and 1 woof
Anyway, please, I would appreciate any suggestions, recomendations and the like, regarding Cedar Crest. However, as much as I loved the area, I do have one concern: some people told me that I-40 and Highway 14 can get bad in winter with the ice and snow, so people may not always be willing to drive with their pets to my place, if they can take them someplace else in town. Also, somebody (who, I think was triyng to discourage me!) mentioned that there is a BIG problem with fleas and infected rodents in all the Cedar Crest and Tijeras area, and those rodents carry the Bubonic plague and that a boy had died a few weeks earlier. True, I remember that because I actually read it on The ABQ Journal, but other people have told that if I'm careful everything will be OK, that is not that terrible and I should not always listen to people who try to discourage me (maybe this person wants to start the same type of business I want to, that is why she cautioned me "strongly" against going to that area ) Other people suggested that all my guys would need would be to wear flea collars all the time and they would be all set, plus, they will always be indoor kitties but we would like to have a nice patio area, all tiled, in the back of the house with a high fence/wall especially built for them (not that we are not friendly ) so they can hang out with us (NEVER unsupervised) in the afternoon or evening.
So, please, can you give me more info about Cedar Crest?
Also, just out of curiosity... what do you think of Los Lunas?
Thanks again for all your help. It's sometimes amazing how, people that you have never met, can be of such great help. I appreciate your time and your patience with me
Angie&Bill, did you look in Bernalillo? That's where we are buying. It's right in town but I think there you could find a place where you could have a business in your home. Our house will back onto a small ranch with sheep and a burro peeking over our back fence. In fact the burro sold us on the property. Plus it is a short walk to "downtown", and The Range (ummmm) restaurant. If you are boarding dogs I would be interested in knowing more as we will need someone to leave the pups with now and then. Oh, and Placitas would probably meet your needs too and I think either one is a closer drive for your customers. I didn't know there were fleas at Cedar Crest but now that I think about it it makes sense. There are no fleas in the desert so Albuquerque, and hopefully Bernalillo, won't have a flea problem. Ticks are another story, and carry disease. I'm a little worried that since Bernalillo is close to the river we might get some mosquitoes which cause heart worms in dogs.
Try a jar of El Pinto’s sauce in your next meatloaf. They’ll all give you recipes too. All these salsas are great in things like scrambled eggs and other simple dishes.
We ate at El Pinto when I was out there on vacation week before last, and I forgot to buy some of the green chili salsa before I left - thanks for the link!
PS next time you make a quiche, instead of using a pie crust, line the quiche pan with whole roasted green chili's and pour the quiche mix over it. Bake as usual. AWESOME!
Angie&Bill, did you look in Bernalillo? That's where we are buying. It's right in town but I think there you could find a place where you could have a business in your home. Our house will back onto a small ranch with sheep and a burro peeking over our back fence. In fact the burro sold us on the property. If you are boarding dogs I would be interested in knowing more as we will need someone to leave the pups with now and then. Oh, and Placitas would probably meet your needs too and I think either one is a closer drive for your customers. I didn't know there were fleas at Cedar Crest but now that I think about it it makes sense. There are no fleas in the desert so Albuquerque, and hopefully Bernalillo, won't have a flea problem. Ticks are another story, and carry disease. I'm a little worried that since Bernalillo is close to the river we might get some mosquitoes which cause heart worms in dogs.
1. No, we did not look in Bernalillo. We concentrated on Cedar Crest because we really, really liked it and we still do!
2. The burro sold you on the property? I like that ... He and the sheep will be great neighbors!
3. No, I will not be boarding dogs. It will be kitty-heaven only... I'm sorry. But I'm also hoping to find a nice and small doggie daycare/boarding place in the area, ideally home-run, so I can take our Benji a day or two to play with other pals. Living with six meows, he is starting to believe he is a cat!
4. I will look into Placitas a swell. Thanks for the suggestion.
5. I still do not believe the fleas should be a big problem in Cedar Crest. if I keep all my guys with flea collars I'm sure they will be fine. When we drove in the area looking at the neighborhoods and houses, we saw a lot of people walking their dogs, so I don't think it's THAT bad if you take the neccesary precautions. Plus, my guys are and will always be indoor only, they might go out to the deck with me (never alone) but that's about it. I would never let them venture outside alone, plus we will put up a high, high wall, so that thay cannot climb up and jump out. Not that we are not friendly but we want to protect everybody since I was also told there are coyotes in the area (we also have coyotes coming to some small towns here in NH, it looks like they are everywhere) and sometimes hawks!
6. We also have a big problem with the deer tick here. Lyme disease is a biggie but my guys have NEVER got any, never. Benji, our dog, was vaccinated against Lyme because the vets here strongly reccomend it. Last year quite a few dogs were biten by Lyme-infected ticks and a some of them did not make it
7. You should see the mosquitoes here almost the size of a helicopter
... just kidding... but they are big ... and they bite hard... I still remember my first summer here after I relocated from Chile ... everytime we went out they attacked me! ... they literally ate me alive!
Vets here usually keep the dogs on Heartworm all year round, to be on the safe side.
So, having pets here on the Northeast can be pretty expensive: Heartguard all year round for heartworm, Frontline Plus all year round for ticks and fleas because ticks here survive the cold weather in winter. And my cats have all the vaccines you can imagine against everything... and more! Now vets are offering the vaccine against feline leukemia for cats that are outdoor and can get exposed to others with FeLV. I won't be doing that one, though, because my guys do not go out. But I still spend more money on them than if I had a child!
We lived in Albuquerque for about 10 years and left there in 1988. During that time, I sold real estate and I remember three things about Cedar Crest.
First, the road to Cedar Crest can be very icy and slow going in the winter.
Secondly, the water contains a lot of metals and minerals and is basically undrinkable. If you looked inside the toilets and dishwashers while you were looking at houses, they were probably the color of rust. My friend lived there and had to carry all of their drinking water from town. She also had to wash their clothes at a laundromat, otherwise everything turned brown.
Thirdly, some of the dirt roads can be very slippery during the times that rain falls. On the south side of Cedar Crest, across the highway, there is a lot of clay in the dirt, which becomes like glass when it gets wet.
If I were going to buy something there, I would use a Realtor based in Cedar Crest because he would know more of the particulars of living in the mountains than a Realtor that lives in Albuquerque.
We are going to return to Albuquerque soon since my husband is going to be transferred back there. I have been watching the posts and am enjoying people's reactions and helpful hints about living in Albuquerque.
We lived in Albuquerque for about 10 years and left there in 1988. During that time, I sold real estate and I remember three things about Cedar Crest.
First, the road to Cedar Crest can be very icy and slow going in the winter.
Secondly, the water contains a lot of metals and minerals and is basically undrinkable. If you looked inside the toilets and dishwashers while you were looking at houses, they were probably the color of rust. My friend lived there and had to carry all of their drinking water from town. She also had to wash their clothes at a laundromat, otherwise everything turned brown.
Thirdly, some of the dirt roads can be very slippery during the times that rain falls. On the south side of Cedar Crest, across the highway, there is a lot of clay in the dirt, which becomes like glass when it gets wet.
If I were going to buy something there, I would use a Realtor based in Cedar Crest because he would know more of the particulars of living in the mountains than a Realtor that lives in Albuquerque.
We are going to return to Albuquerque soon since my husband is going to be transferred back there. I have been watching the posts and am enjoying people's reactions and helpful hints about living in Albuquerque.
You are talking about I-40, right? Yeah, it's one of my concerns. How about Highway 14? Does it also get bad in winter? I'm concerned about both, actually, because as I said in my post, people might not be willing to drive all the way to my place to board their pets with me if the roads are in bad shape Thank you for your help Goldenoldie And I must admit that I didn't really look inside toilets and diswahshers this time but it's something I will definitely keep in mind. I know there will be a couple or more trips to NM before we finally decide where we are buying and when we are moving. The thing is, my husband says, that the longer we wait, prices are going to start going up and, say, 3 years from now we may not be able to afford something we can afford now or in a year.
Somebody in this forum suggested Placitas to me. I've been looking at some info, it seems a very nice place. Anybody out there who lives in Placitas and can give me "first-hand" info, the good, the bad and the ugly?
I see that you posted regarding your desire to open up some form of pet business in the Albuquerque area. My wife and I are planning to move to NM for the exact same reason. We currently have our home and a business up for sale and would like to move to NM as soon as they are sold.
I'd like to know if you would be interested in combining resources and opening up a business together. My wife has managed two separate dog kennels in Chicago. I worked at both of them and have a long history of small business management and administration. Our intention is to open up a kennel/day care facility that would also offer services such as training, grooming, massage, physical therapy, holistic health counseling and a retail area that specializes in high-end health food for pets.
We've been discussing approaching existing businesses or people like yourself in the hopes of creating partnerships. The reason for this is that our home and current business will net us a decent amount of capital, but probably not enough to create the kind of high quality facility that we want unless we have others with whom to combine interests.
I believe the Albuquerque area is ripe for high concept/high end pet care and I think we could do very well with such a business if done with care, diligence and the proper amount of capitalization.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding this offer. Even if you are not interested, I'd love to talk to someone who has the same interests and values as my wife and me.
Check your PM for details on how to get in touch with us.
Saludos
Angie
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Hello everybody ... writing from New Hampshire ... back from our WONDERFUL 2-week vacation in NM! I want to post this thread mainly to thank so many people who not only gave us ideas, made suggestions and recommendations for our vacation but also encouraged me to just go and talk with people and ask questions. All the local people in NM were an incredible source of information and knowledge, everybody was helpful, nice and smiley (I'm a very smiley person as well, maybe that helped a little bit 
) they all seemed to really enjoy a conversation with me (I did most of the talking, my hubby would just sit there and listen, he would only ask a question here and there) Many, many thanks, muchas, muchas gracias to:
So, these are some of the things we did:
even though we were driving by it all the time 
Plus, some local people I talked to said that they have had a lot of problems with some streets getting flooded when it rains. They said that the main problem seems to be that Rio Rancho has grown really fast and is not ready for that, so the sewage system and other things are not able to keep the pace with the fast-growing community.
Cedar Crest water
Thanks, Goldenoldie
but it's something I will definitely keep in mind. I know there will be a couple or more trips to NM before we finally decide where we are buying and when we are moving. The thing is, my husband says, that the longer we wait, prices are going to start going up and, say, 3 years from now we may not be able to afford something we can afford now or in a year.
