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My situation is a little different than most. My wife and I are retired, and we did move here 2 months ago, but we did not "retire" here, per se. We moved here with one of our adult children who is in the medical field - we share a house, etc. So as far as "doing our research" before coming here, we did do some, but what we learned or thought we knew really was a moot point as far as the decision to move here - we were not weighing one city against another. We moved here because we were joining our child; we did not view this as our final destination, although it could become that (or maybe another location in NM will catch our fancy). Or after 4 years we may run away from ABQ and NM screaming, or we may be staying for the rest of our golden years - not sure what will happen. For now we are enjoying this place, with one exception...
Having said all of that, my perception of crime here is that it is worse here than I expected, but again I did not judge it from afar and base a decision to live here on what I found pre-move. But I can say that there is more crime (my greatest concern is property crime) in my neighborhood than I realized - more house burglaries and auto thefts - than I was aware of before moving here. Not sure what I might have done differently, if I would have looked in another neighborhood, but our choice of neighborhood was driven by the necessity to live within close proximity to UNM Hospital, and this is actually one of the nicest areas/neighborhoods in the city, so the crime rate here is disconcerting since I don't really see a way to avoid the crime if one wants to be near UNM.
I guess what I am trying to say is you can do all the research and planning you want, but sometimes you don't really know what a place is like and how you will feel about it until you live there. I like pretty much everything about ABQ except for the crime problems that are tangible in my otherwise nice, centrally located neighborhood. Hopefully the guy above who is fed up and planning to leave did not buy a house here; I can't imagine moving anywhere without testing the waters in a rental, first.
Edit: just realized this is on a "westside" thread. I don't live on the westside; I live in the general area known as "UNM North Campus" over towards Carlisle and Washington.
My situation is a little different than most. My wife and I are retired, and we did move here 2 months ago, but we did not "retire" here, per se. We moved here with one of our adult children who is in the medical field - we share a house, etc.
We have considered buying a home where our children live, both of who are on the east coast. Considered buying large enough to where they could live. No one involved likes that plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westbound and Down
I guess what I am trying to say is you can do all the research and planning you want, but sometimes you don't really know what a place is like and how you will feel about it until you live there.
Yes, but that does not negate trying some research. But we really don't know the full story. I am fortunate, business brought me out to the Southwest often since the 60's...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Westbound and Down
Edit: just realized this is on a "westside" thread. I don't live on the westside; I live in the general area known as "UNM North Campus" over towards Carlisle and Washington.
No problem. You did not drastically pull the discussion way off topic.
We have considered buying a home where our children live, both of who are on the east coast. Considered buying large enough to where they could live. No one involved likes that plan.
If our daughter had not brought up the idea, I doubt if it would have happened. Once the decision was made to move to ABQ, the idea of living together under one roof just made a lot of sense; she is working crazy hours and shifts, and she did not want to live alone, and we did not want her going home in the middle of night to an empty house. She is able to save most of her paycheck now, and that will put her in a much stronger financial position in the years to come to buy a house or whatever she decides to do.
Living together with adult children takes some getting used to after many years of being empty nesters, though. We are still adjusting to it...but it clearly isn't for everyone, and in fact it may not work for the majority of families. I know some families where adult children are living under the same roof as the parents, but it was usually done out of some financial hardship, not a situation like ours - I don't really know anybody doing what we are doing.
On crime I have been getting a real lesson in my browsing Trulia pondering an eventual move in a few years. My kid has lived in the Louisiana/Paseo area about ten years and has already had a couple incidents. This is not exactly a dump part of the city. Here is just a single couple weeks from Trulia at Menual and Tramway, again not a destitute section. In fact that and northward of there is where I would think many would consider to fairly rid them self of crime. 21 crimes. 7 violent and 14 non. Partial list only 3 weeks and who knows what was never called in.
07/13/2014
Theft
Theft from building
07/02/2014
Theft
Theft from building
06/29/2014
Theft
Theft of motor vehicle parts or accessory
06/28/2014
Theft
Motor vehicle theft
06/27/2014
Assault
Simple assault
06/26/2014
Assault
Aggravated assault
06/25/2014
Theft
Purse-snatching
06/25/2014
Theft
Theft from building
06/23/2014
Theft
Motor vehicle theft
06/22/2014
Theft
Theft from building
Louisiana and Comanche 17 violent 25 non violent. Two weeks! Academy and Tramway 4 violent 3 non. Two weeks!
Having lived in Chicago and later it's north burbs I am no stranger to goings on but I have to tell you once you get out of the city proper, with some exceptions, crime around here drops to almost nothing. Heck even in Chicago there are hundreds and hundreds of neighborhoods that do not come close to seeing two week numbers like these. I'm not talking DUI stuff, that is everywhere. But even the most ardent ABQ boosters or deniers can't be thrilled with these numbers in what most would consider one of the better quadrants of the city. Saying it hasn't happened to you is meaningless data.
Not bashing, still want to move one day, my heart and soul is in those mountains and mesas, daughter and grandD there, but lets not kid yourselves. When you get crime numbers like that in what most would consider the safest retreat from the real dregs there is a real crime issue.
Ex GF moved to RR ten years ago from Chicago. I asked her how she liked it. Answer: A lot more crime!
Menaul & Tramway is mostly multi-family units all the way from Tramway down to Juan Tabo. What isn't multi-family is commercial/business. You always have more minor property crime in multi-family rental than single family residential. I live in this area (on Menaul), have not had a problem in the entire 6-1/2 years I've lived in this unit. My car has not been broken into nor stolen (neither car actually) neither has my neighbor in the unit behind me. We do not park in a garage.
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