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A little background: I'm female, single, caucasian (if that matters), and in my early 20s. My family is originally from WI but we've lived in Las Vegas for the past decade or so. Vegas is alright, but I'm more than ready to get out and try something new. I'll have the opportunity to relocate in a couple years, with no strings attached, so I'm trying to get a feel for different cities to add to my research list. I'm interested in ABQ for a few reasons: decent proximity to home, the unique culture, the mild climate (the 115 degree summers out here are killer).
But I have a few questions.
1. Is the nightlife / singles scene really as bad as people make it out to be? I'm not a huge partier, but I do like to get out every now and then and have a good time. I'm not looking for a replica of Vegas nightlife (I don't need it), but it would be nice to have a decent scene to hit up on occasion. And...well, it would be nice to meet some quality men in the 25-35 range. Decent prospects in ABQ? Also, I've heard that it's hard to make friends...is that true?
2. Is the city's population generally health-conscious? Also, I know that the local cuisine is a big deal in NM, and I think that's really cool. But I have special dietary restrictions. My digestive system is messed up, so I'm very sensitive to sugar and can't eat fatty or greasy foods. I have to eat healthy. Can someone with such restrictions find good food in ABQ? I haven't tried the local cuisine yet, so I have no idea what it's like.
3 How's the air quality? The New Mexico sky looks amazingly clean in pictures, but I know that pictures can be deceiving. Is there bad smog? Can you see the stars at night?
4. On a similar note, is the city/county doing anything to preserve nature? My biggest pet peeve about other southwestern cities is the fact that we've allowed construction to run rampant into natural areas that should have been preserved.
5. Average incomes seem unusually low, which is a bit worrisome to me. I know that costs of living are lower, which is probably why incomes are low, but I have to ask - is there a decent white collar population? (I work in finance, so the presence of a white collar population is relevant to my profession).
1. Is the nightlife / singles scene really as bad as people make it out to be? I'm not a huge partier, but I do like to get out every now and then and have a good time. I'm not looking for a replica of Vegas nightlife (I don't need it), but it would be nice to have a decent scene to hit up on occasion.
I think its decent enough. I am married in my early 30s so I am probably coming from a much different perspective, however, remember that ABQ is a college town (University of New Mexico), so where there is a decent-sized university, typically you'll find at least decent nightlife for 20-somethings.
Obviously there are far, far more places than I am listing, but hopefully that gives you a good start.
I would strongly recommend you visit the Alibi's website - the Alibi is ABQ's free weekly "alternative newspaper" that comes from a younger / college or 20s-ish slant. The politics are all liberal, if that's not your thing, that's fine...its still a good source to find nightlife types of options in terms of bars, nightclubs, concerts, etc.:
Will ABQ have nearly as much "nightlife" as a Vegas? Of course not. Almost no city in the world does.
Also, ABQ is a city of 500,000 and a metro of 850,000, so it isn't going to be the 5+ million metro Phoenix or the 3+ million metro Denver or so. However, for a town of its size, (or really any town of any size), I would imagine you'd find plenty of spots to do stuff if you wanted to if you are realistic to its size.
Quote:
Originally Posted by radraja
And...well, it would be nice to meet some quality men in the 25-35 range. Decent prospects in ABQ? Also, I've heard that it's hard to make friends...is that true?
This would be better served by someone a hare younger, a lot more single, and with a similar perspective to yours...hopefully others will chime in. I wouldn't imagine you'd have huge problems here, although things like dating partners, friends, etc., are just so subjective - it just often depends upon circumstances, no matter where you live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by radraja
2. Is the city's population generally health-conscious?
Due to the great year-round weather and mountains / topography, the town appeals strongly to outdoors nuts. So yes, there is a strong emphasis in many circles of the city on outdoors health and fitness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by radraja
Can someone with such restrictions find good food in ABQ?
Yep, there are a lot of health food / vitamin stores and specialty grocers as well that cater to food restricted diets.
I know plenty of folks in ABQ with items like celiac disease and they do just fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by radraja
3 How's the air quality? The New Mexico sky looks amazingly clean in pictures, but I know that pictures can be deceiving. Is there bad smog? Can you see the stars at night?
I always found ABQ's air quality to be startlingly good, especially for a city of size. Rarely notice any discernible smog. The sky is very vast, bright, and open for the most part. Can almost always see a bright, vivid open sky of stars at night (much more than I see up here in Milwaukee, WI).
Quote:
Originally Posted by radraja
4. On a similar note, is the city/county doing anything to preserve nature? My biggest pet peeve about other southwestern cities is the fact that we've allowed construction to run rampant into natural areas that should have been preserved.
ABQ's got many vast spaces of preserved nature, it is nothing like the mammoth Phoenix's or Vegas'. Check out all of the trails and areas around the Sandia Mountains, the bosque along the Rio Grande, the Petroglyphs (with ancient preserved Native American drawings on them) - you'll find preserved nature all over the town!
Quote:
Originally Posted by radraja
5. Average incomes seem unusually low, which is a bit worrisome to me. I know that costs of living are lower, which is probably why incomes are low, but I have to ask - is there a decent white collar population? (I work in finance, so the presence of a white collar population is relevant to my profession).
I agree that average incomes in ABQ are on the lower side, which in general is one of my disappointments with ABQ (however, the cost of living as you say is similarly low). You'd be surprised though - one *can* hit on jobs in ABQ that do pay very competitively, it can just sometimes be a bit more of a challenge to find one.
But indeed - you'd be amazed (at least initially I was) at how big, vibrant ABQ's white collar population is. There are a surprisingly high amount of downright affluent areas, much less middle class / middle-upper class areas.
You've got a huge tech presence in ABQ, especially as it relates to the military, and with that comes quite well-paying jobs and homes, neighborhoods, etc.
Even though ABQ isn't an overall wealthy city and its got a large blue collar segment as well, you'd have no problem finding others in the white collar community.
Thanks so much. I've read some of your posts on other threads too and I must say, you're one of the most helpful people on C-D. The long replies are much appreciated.
As always EnjoyEP is on point and should be living here. Well, he will eventually I'm sure.
With regard to air quality, Santa Fe and Albuquerque are known for their clean air. Check out the site from the American Lung Association: http:/lungaction.org/reports/sota07_cities.html
Nightlife: there are bars, clubs, and music venues downtown and in Nob Hill. I'm within walking distance of a lot of bars and cool restaurants, so they are definitely out there - it's just that for some reason my friends prefer to hang out in restaurants. I think it's because they don't want to drive home drunk...bus expansion is making it easier to get the bus home though, and a few times friends of mine without kids will crash at my place for the night and drive home in the morning.
Singles scene/friends: I met my husband here so it's not all bad Everyone seems to know everyone in Albuquerque but you start off knowing no one, if you know what I mean. If you weren't born here or don't have friends here, it can be hard to get into a group at first...I came here for grad school so I made friends that way, and my hubby's friends are all people from work and his college days. Good news is that once you have a group of friends, you're all set!
Health/outdoors scene: Albuquerque has so many outdoor activities to offer that many people, even those not into outdoorsy stuff usually, tend to participate. Most people take advantage of the great weather one way or another. There are definitely groups of people who don't care what they eat, don't like to go outside, and don't like to get exercise. Car culture is big here. There's a mix, and I think also quite a divide between the two groups. I have specific dietary needs and I don't have much of a problem eating out at all.
Air quality/preservation: the air is unbelievably clean and the sky is unbelievably clear, it is just like the movies and the photos. Sometimes it's so bright in summer that everything seems washed out, I hate that. In the fall sometimes you'll see a brown haze (very light) over the valley from the woodsmoke and from general pollution in town, but it's nothing compared to LA or Houston. I think Albuquerque, through programs like its Open Space program, is doing a lot to preserve both old buildings and wilderness and wildlife areas. I am used to living in the far northern hemisphere so I don't think the skies are nearly as impressive as they are in Scotland or Sweden, but what you can see here is very clear.
Salaries: many couples I know bring home about $100K a year, which seems like a lot to me. They have nice new houses and send their kids to private schools, and they live in neighborhoods where other people do the same.
I'm getting paid more in ABQ than I was in Houston, go figure.
So am I. I'm in accounting, if that helps any, OP.
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Everyone seems to know everyone in Albuquerque but you start off knowing no one, if you know what I mean. If you weren't born here or don't have friends here, it can be hard to get into a group at first...I came here for grad school so I made friends that way, and my hubby's friends are all people from work and his college days. Good news is that once you have a group of friends, you're all set!
