Visiting in June, with retirement fantasies. Neighborhoods? (Albuquerque, Rio Rancho: transplants, real estate)

[tee el cee]

Hi all,


We're visiting in June for a vacation/gathering at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya. I'm getting the retirement/relocation itch, so even though I've never been to Albuquerque, I also want to check things out. What neighborhoods/suburbs should we tour for potential retirement spots?

We appreciate areas that:

• are "safe"
• are walkable
• have high speed internet (do I have to say this anymore?)
• are near a university/college
• have a liberal vibe
• are not age restricted
• have a good school system *

* We're older parents who may retire with one still in school.

BTW, much will depend on how I take the heat. Generally, I strongly dislike hot weather, but I'm mostly familiar with hot+humid areas. What is life like in the summer? Do people rush between the house AC and the car AC?

Also, we're techies. So if someone wants to tell us about the opportunities for software engineers and tech marketers/tech managers/program managers/etc. that might be of interest, too! (I can search job sites, but things like what sides of town have good commutes to the likely work areas...)

Thanks!

[TheMagicWander]

I heard there's a hot air balloon fiesta in Albuquerque. not sure how often it is though

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by TheMagicWander

I heard there's a hot air balloon fiesta in Albuquerque. not sure how often it is though

There are various balloon events...


The most famous is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta their website is at: https://balloonfiesta.com/

It will run from: OCTOBER 5-13, 2019

Their schedule: https://balloonfiesta.com/files/gall...0-19_no_CS.pdf

[SunGrins]

You are visiting in our hottest month so don't draw a hasty conclusion. There might be a day or two that reaches 100 degrees but humidity might be single digits. I and most other people use an evaporative (swamp) cooler, not AC. I was skeptical at first but it does a great job at a fraction of the cost. AC is available in newer homes but some transplants jump to AC without realizing that there is another option. Desert nights are cool so I only run the swamp cooler about ten hours a day. This is high desert and the heat isn't like in Arizona and the humidity is usually very low. The sun will get to you before the heat will. Winters are short and mild with sunny, 50-degree days quite often. Night temps are often in the 20s. Snow lasts a few hours or maybe a day or two.

You will probably want to live on the same side of the Rio Grande as your workplace. Traffic is generally not too bad but the bridges are bottlenecks.

I live only a few miles from the Tamaya in Rio Rancho and I like the area as a retiree. I live in a sparsely developed area and would not call it "walkable" except for the sake of exercise. Some Albuquerque areas would be walkable to cafes, bars or stores. There are no real safety issues and the Rio Rancho schools are good. The University of New Mexico is in Albuquerque. There are several campuses for CNM community college. I don't know what internet speed you need but it seems adequate for my needs -- but I'm not a techie. New Mexico is a pretty much a blue state and Albuquerque is reasonably liberal. I seldom encounter anyone who is very extreme one way or another. The general attitude seems very tolerant and nonjudgmental. It is a multicultural place with several languages spoken and nobody really cares.

[nazz]

Nob Hill is walkable. No doubt you'll end up there at some point and have a nice time. It gets plenty hot in the summer, like most places. Albuquerque is an easy place to live.

Read through the local threads, everything you want to know is found here. Be seeing you ...

[ingsoc75]

I don't think the bridge on I-40 is a bottleneck in itself for the morning rush hour commute.

It's the merging of Coors traffic onto I-40 eastbound and that damn sun that slows traffic (and the crashes, there are lots of crashes).

On overcast days (which I cherish), my morning eastbound commute is usually easy.

[Albuquerque101]

If you will have a school aged child you plan on sending to public school, I highly recommend looking in the La Cueva school district, which is considered the best one in Albuquerque. That district is in the far NE side of town, which is safe as well and not a bad commute to most places. What is your budget?

[tee el cee]

A balloon ride is already booked.

[tee el cee]

Originally Posted by Albuquerque101

If you will have a school aged child you plan on sending to public school, I highly recommend looking in the La Cueva school district, which is considered the best one in Albuquerque. That district is in the far NE side of town, which is safe as well and not a bad commute to most places. What is your budget?

(Pops open real estate site.) Damn, there's some money in that area. I'd prefer to pay less, but could go to $600k. Serious views would help sell my wife. (I saw some at $625k)

[tee el cee]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

This is high desert and the heat isn't like in Arizona and the humidity is usually very low. The sun will get to you before the heat will.

Got it. So even if it feels comfortable, watch out and wear sunscreen.