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Boy oh boy I can't believe the mis-information as to weather on here.
ABQ and New York? Are you kidding me? No comparison.
A typical 48 degree winter day in ABQ, with the sun out and dry ......totally pleasant.
A typical 48 degree winter day in NYC, with overcast and fog and rain......totally sux. ( I lived in north Jersey for 6 years - I know what I am talking about).
If you just look at the stats, ABQ would seem to have one of the better climates anywhere in the nation. Dry nearly all the time, hot in the summer but dry - not insufferable humidity like everything E of the Mississippi and not 110 like the desert.
10 or so inches of snow a year - just enough to be cute but not so much as to be a pain in the rear.
And I know what I am talking about there too. I lived in Denver for a year and a half. ABQ is 5 degrees or so warmer on average (a plus) and gets one-sixth as much snow (another plus).
I would be there in a New Mexican minute if I could convince the wife that there are other places to live besides horribly overcrowded and expensive Southern California.
OH MY!! MorrisGreenberg, I have been looking in Austin TX. Just outside of it, Round Rock. Are you Familiar? What can you tell me please?! I have heard traffic is bad, but is it bad only going into the city and around within the city? Allergies? High cost of housing do you mean renting too?
breezzy32, my sister lives in Round Rock. She and I grew up in Georgia. Round Rock and Austin in general can be insufferably hot. This past summer was one of the worst ever, with 100 degree highs often, severe drought, dangerous fires. My wife and I have visited and driven through Texas several times, and she has declared we will never live there.
We are in our late 50s and starting to think about retirement. We are not really happy with the idea of staying in Atlanta in retirement. I have always loved Colorado and have family there, in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins. I thought I had my wife talked into the Denver area, but lately she has been saying she thinks the winters would be too brutal for her.
I am an obsessive researcher. I've looked everywhere, and for what we want, Albuquerque is looking like the best bet. We are avid cyclists, and want to be able to ride our bicycles for errands and for fitness, without unnecessarily fearing for our lives, as many days of the year as possible, and Albuquerque is looking promising. We are planning a scouting trip there in a few months.
Traffic in the Austin area is frightening. We rode our bicycles there and my normally unflappable wife had panic attacks because of the traffic. Remember, we're from Atlanta, we know bad traffic.
I can't speak to housing costs or allergies, but the weather is awful unless you love high temps, a lot.
OH MY!! MorrisGreenberg, I have been looking in Austin TX. Just outside of it, Round Rock. Are you Familiar? What can you tell me please?! I have heard traffic is bad, but is it bad only going into the city and around within the city? Allergies? High cost of housing do you mean renting too?
I lived in the Austin area for many years. The traffic is bad around and in the city. There are only a few main highways and only one major north south highway which is Interstate 35. I35 is a main transportation highway for the central part of the state and on north to OK, and so it is very busy all the time. That area is humid and hot starting about April on through about October(30 or more consecutive days over 100 degrees is normal). It is also called the allergy capital of Texas. I could travel north to Dallas and I swear I could feel my sinuses unclog once I passed the town of Temple.
First off, many of the private owner landlords don't post on craigslist due to scams. They tend to simply put a 'For Rent' sign out in the front yard. Some will post in the ABQ Journal. Your best bet for an private owned rental is to simply drive around in the neighborhood where you want to live. That's what I did when I moved here, and it's what I'll do when I decide to move in closer to my client base next year (west side).
The cold here is different from cold in a humid climate. My mom finally got it when I was talking on the phone with her one day. She was 55 degrees and humid (and had the heater on), we were about 52 degrees, sunny, and I had the front door open. I jokingly call it the 'tropical index' and to me, sunshine and no/low humidity means the day will often feel a good 10 degrees or more warmer than the actual physical temperature.
I live in a 2 bedroom triplex, washer/dryer, and I work from home at least half the week on the computer. My electric and gas bills combined are rarely over $100, usually more like $65. They'll be closer to the $100 in Dec/Jan/Feb and as low as $40 combined in the summer. Of all the places I've lived (Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Baton Rouge, Phoenix, Miami), ABQ has the cheapest utilities, period.
Taxes - yes, we have an income tax, but it's fairly low compared to CA or even AZ. We don't tax everything (no tax on groceries or rent), but AZ does tax both of those (city taxes). Your overall sales tax here will vary on what county/city you purchase in, just like most any other state. ABQ is 7%, other areas are lower or higher, depending.
I'm a single female and I work all over the metro area, some times not leaving a client office until after dark (usually in the winter). I've never had any problems here and have yet to be in an area where I feel threatened. The crime (and perception of crime) is all a matter of perspective and where you're moving from. I'm not saying there's no crime here, there is, but I don't think it's senseless random crime like you see in many other larger cities (a good bit here seems to be drug related). This city is a kiddie park compared to areas of Miami or Houston. Also, the overabundance of burglar bars on the older houses tend to make newcomers think crime is rampant.
Of all the areas I've lived in as a kid and an adult, by far the people of ABQ are the friendliest and most accepting.
The cost of living here his awesome! I moved here after living in the bay area for 16 years. Out there, I made decent money but was still never able to live on my own! Always room mate situations. The last place I lived in California, I shared a house with 4 other people and just for my room alone was $630 a month, not including my share of the bills and personal expenses. When I moved to Albuquerque, I found a nice one bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood across from the Coronado Mall for $490 a month, utilities included! I got by just fine working a job making $10 an hour!
One good thing about life in the mountain southwest is that climate varies greatly with altitude; the great variety of altitudes and climates means that you can get some nice variety nearby. There are typically at least a few days of the year when people in Albuquerque can choose between skiing up on Sandia or golfing, tennis, etc., down in the city.
OK, rather than start a redundant thread, sort of... I'm going to *bump* this one up and offer a bit more for ya'll to advise.
I'm a healthy, disabled 51 yr. old, single woman, lookin' to move... POSSIBLY to Alb., NM. It has been highly touted as having excellent walkability and transportation, and in a *cough* few years, I can be considered a *coughs again* senior citizen, and from all I've read, they're treated very well.
I'll be buying outright.... no mortgage, paying for taxes, insurance and the blah blah blah of living... yanno, phone, utilities, HOA dues, *I cannot live in a home, 'cause duct tape only goes so far.... And then there's food, basics like toilet paper and paper towels... (You'd be surprised how us poor learn to live without shampoo and soap... so many things do the trick, all in one.) Pathetic, TRUST ME, I know.... and living on $1,000 a month. Yup, you read that correct. A month. Hello, SSDI. >
'mkay, that brings this post up front: What do ya'll KNOW about a disabled but not needing assisted care, female, single, hoping to make new friends, used to riding a motorcycle and PO'd she can't anymore, wanting to move here... and being ABLE to live here?
Whatchoo got?
Oh, and I have an English Bulldog who comes along with the mix. *of nuts*
The real reason I'm posting is the ridiculous comment that ABQ and NYC have "similar weather". I lived in NY for 42 years. The 2 areas are night and day weather wise. Raw temps MIGHT be closer then say ABQ and Phoenix or something, but the climate in NY (anywhere) is nothing like the climate here.
Relative humidity make all the difference in the world, as does the amount of sunshine. I'll take a 100 degree ABQ day with 10% humidity then an 85 degree day in NY with 55-60% humidity (which is downright uncomfortable). A 40 degree sunny ABQ winter day (which is normal) is not even remotely close to the typical winter NY day (which is colder, and snowier). If you happen to get a "warm" winter stretch in NY with temps rising to 40, it's because of moisture and it's usually raining and grey. (which makes it feel gloomy and colder).
Look, I get that ABQ isn't for everyone, but lets be a little realistic.......... It has it's faults and drawbacks, but weather ain't one of them. It's nearly perfect in that department (IMO).
The real reason I'm posting is the ridiculous comment that ABQ and NYC have "similar weather".
No one in this thread said "similar weather" it is like the children's game telephone, gossip, pass the message etc...
You are correct that relative humidity makes a lot of difference. The term "Heat Index" better reflects the condition. A temperature of 90°F at 100% humidity is more dangerous than 106°F at 40% humidity. Also exposure to direct sunlight can increase the Heat Index by up to 15°F.
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 07-09-2013 at 08:35 AM..
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