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Old 11-05-2010, 11:22 PM
 
Location: Maricopa County, AZ
55 posts, read 77,033 times
Reputation: 58

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I'm a 28 year old male currently living in the Phoenix area, and rather than visit individual places by plane or bus, I plan on putting in my 30 day notice to leave my Phx-area apartment (I'm on a month to month lease now) and then exploring places on the road by car. While this is a risky move, it will probably save me a lot of money if everything goes without incident. My car is just a little over ten years old.

Again, I will be doing this haul by myself (with just my cat in tow) and with my belongings in my trunk. Most of my family is either deceased, distant or criminal/unreliable, and most of the people I know in Phx (i.e. friends) have either joined the army or moved out of AZ for other opportunities. Things are that bad over here.

My first question: Has anyone moved by themselves via car, with no human help, or something like what I might do? Would you recommend it? What are the worst case scenarios? What PUBLISHED resources would you recommend to research before such a trip?

The two places I have in mind in NM are Las Cruces and Albuquerque. Based on what I've read so far, they seem to be cleaner than the sooty hellhole that is Phoenix, and quality of life/appreciation of surroundings seems to be better, too. Culture-wise, I'm not very picky. I'm originally from Northern California (The SF Bay Area to be exact) but the "wine, women and song" stage is in my distant past. I've been a mild mannered ADULT for some time now.

As far as either of the above cities, how would you describe the:

1.) average rent for a 1BR apartment (in a middle class section of town)
2.)
job quantity in customer service, accounts receivable/payable, pharmacy technician and prior authorizations?I've been out of work for 2 years, and the only office-related industry the Phoenix area has to offer now is collections. No more of that for me!
3.) PEOPLE? In the Phoenix area, folks are generally nice to you if they want something from you. Otherwise, everyone seems very snooty and detached. (Scottsdale was once called by NYT "the Beverly Hills of the Desert" - whoever wrote that NYT article is right on the nose.)Is Las Cruses or Albuquerque the same way or different?

This is my first-ever post on City Data, and while I've "lurked" on other forums on this site, I haven't looked too deep in this forum's archives, so I apologize (in advance) if similar questions have already been asked and answered.

Thanks!

Last edited by DisciplesOfTheWatch; 11-05-2010 at 11:24 PM.. Reason: copyedit
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Old 11-06-2010, 01:32 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts
9,501 posts, read 16,393,888 times
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I can't give you advice on New Mexico per se I don't live there, but I do believe this.

Your young and you have nothing holding you in Phx. You don't want to stay there and in that there is your answer. You should take the plunge and go for it. You only live once make the most of it.

With that said though I only recommend taking the plunge if you feel you are finacially able to. Meaning you have a 10 year old car and you live in Phx. I assume you have put some miles on the vehicle, so there is always the concern of very costly car repairs. You need housing. Motels are expensive and eat up ones funds in no time, many times before they even realize it is happening.

I have moved in my life but for the most part it has been due to job transfers. I always knew I had a steady paycheck in the new community. Perhaps before you give up your place in Phx you could make a trip over to New Mexico, and make sure it is the right fit for you. If you feel you need more time in deciding you would still have your place in Phx, and that is comforting to know you still have a place to hang your hat. If so it would give you some time to review your trip or consider other options you might think of. Think about that alternative before giving up your place in Phx.

I have been to Albuquerque and I found it very wide open and spacious. I loved the view of the Sandia mountains. I think climate wise it would be an improvement from the Valley of the Sun. It seems to be a very live and let live sort of place, and that is a refreshing trait for many people that settle there. Las Cruces I have never been there.

I think its great you are considering doing what you feel you need to and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Im sure you will receive tons of advice and info on the local areas you requested.

Best of Luck.
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Old 11-06-2010, 09:10 AM
 
Location: Abu Al-Qurq
3,689 posts, read 9,145,100 times
Reputation: 2990
Avg. rent for a 1BR in middle-class Albuq: $550. Probably more expensive than in Phoenix. Check craigslist for a better representation.

Job quantity: There is usually a large amount of turnover and thus jobs available at call centers such as Citibank, Verizon, etc. It's perhaps a stage above collections but it's nonetheless not for most people. HP may still be hiring at their new center. No idea on the other industries. Albuquerque's unemployment level is not significantly better than Phoenix's. I'd strongly suspect that the unemployed here (with exceptions, of course) tend to have less work ethic than in Phoenix, though. Just my experience hiring and firing people.

People: Haven't noticed much difference between Phoenicians and Albuquerqueans in terms of disposition, to be honest with you. As with all locales, you tend to get back a version of what you put forward, and without knowing you personally, can't say you'd be any happier (or less happy) here. The uber-snoblike behavior that Scottsdale is famous for exists a bit in Santa Fe and perhaps the odd enclave north of there, but haven't seen much like that in Albuquerque.

I can't think of any Phoenix suburb or area that's most like Albuquerque; there's a fair amount of grittiness like you'd find in downtown, and a fair amount of 1950's suburbia that Tempe and Mesa remind me of. In terms of size, imagine Mesa with no adjoining communities.
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Old 11-06-2010, 09:38 AM
 
Location: Maricopa County, AZ
55 posts, read 77,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
Avg. rent for a 1BR in middle-class Albuq: $550. Probably more expensive than in Phoenix. Check craigslist for a better representation.
Actually that's $100 CHEAPER than what I'm paying right now for a Tempe 1BR apartment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
Job quantity: There is usually a large amount of turnover and thus jobs available at call centers such as Citibank, Verizon, etc. It's perhaps a stage above collections but it's nonetheless not for most people. HP may still be hiring at their new center. No idea on the other industries. Albuquerque's unemployment level is not significantly better than Phoenix's.
So far it sounds like the job situation in Abq is better than the Phoenix area. You send your resume/cover letter and you're lucky to get even a rejection letter. Many companies here have closed down, went bankrupt, or shrunk their employee pool and consolidated the extra tasks to tenured employees. I'm not looking for a high wage/career, as I understand most office jobs are not "advancement driven" - if it's a living wage, I will be satisfied. In addition, I have - and will have - a side business in internet sales.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
People: Haven't noticed much difference between Phoenicians and Albuquerqueans in terms of disposition, to be honest with you. As with all locales, you tend to get back a version of what you put forward, and without knowing you personally, can't say you'd be any happier (or less happy) here.
People in the Phoenix area are simply miserable, humorless and flat, and come with the mentality of "If I don't know you, I'm not sure I'm gonna like you," or, what was mentioned earlier - people who "befriend" others just to try to get what they want.

The Phoenix area has gotten a lot of slack on the national news as far as the economy and the average mentality are concerned - unfortunately, a lot of what has been mentioned is true. Come February 2011, I will have lived in AZ for 10 years. I've seen/witnessed quite a bit.

Last edited by DisciplesOfTheWatch; 11-06-2010 at 09:41 AM.. Reason: copyedit
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Old 11-06-2010, 10:56 AM
 
Location: Maricopa County, AZ
55 posts, read 77,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimrob1 View Post
With that said though I only recommend taking the plunge if you feel you are finacially able to.
I definitely am. As far as costs, I only plan to spend on compulsory things, like fuel stations. I won't stop at any drive-thru or diner (I don't eat fast food), and the only motel(s) I'll be staying at will be in the cities I'm exploring. If I lodge before then, it will be - again - a worst case scenario: car trouble. Otherwise, my stops will just be to re-fuel, stretch, walk around and get some fresh air.

I haven't experienced any REAL failures with my car in the 6 years I've had it, the only time it didn't start was because of a fuel pump issue or a dead battery. And a couple instances of flat tires (but I do have a spare, just need to buy a wrench and a jack!).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimrob1 View Post
Meaning you have a 10 year old car and you live in Phx. I assume you have put some miles on the vehicle, so there is always the concern of very costly car repairs.
Actually less than 70,000! But that could be a blessing or a curse.

Other than car trouble, because I will be driving in remote surroundings for long periods - well, we've seen it all in the movies. The Kurt Russell film Breakdown or the Sean Penn film U-Turn. I mean, I'm nothing like the main characters in the above films, but the concepts of both films are, well, scary.

That's my plan right now, to prepare as much as possible for the road trip, and to have the resources available to prepare for any "ifs...".
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Old 11-06-2010, 10:57 AM
 
Location: Abu Al-Qurq
3,689 posts, read 9,145,100 times
Reputation: 2990
Quote:
Originally Posted by DisciplesOfTheWatch View Post
Actually that's $100 CHEAPER than what I'm paying right now for a Tempe 1BR apartment.
You did say middle class. Tempe is above middle class IMO, if only slightly. Certainly above Albuquerque middle class.

(I imagine if you interview a typical resident of Scottsdale, they'll say they're middle class, even though by most standards they're on crack; it's all relative)

Quote:
So far it sounds like the job situation in Abq is better than the Phoenix area. You send your resume/cover letter and you're lucky to get even a rejection letter. Many companies here have closed down, went bankrupt, or shrunk their employee pool and consolidated the extra tasks to tenured employees. I'm not looking for a high wage/career, as I understand most office jobs are not "advancement driven" - if it's a living wage, I will be satisfied. In addition, I have - and will have - a side business in internet sales.
Good luck.

Quote:
People in the Phoenix area are simply miserable, humorless and flat, and come with the mentality of "If I don't know you, I'm not sure I'm gonna like you," or, what was mentioned earlier - people who "befriend" others just to try to get what they want.
Again, not sure you'll be any happier here as far as that goes. With 4+ million people in that metro area, most people can't help but get a very small (and unrepresentative) sample. In fact, I'd say you're describing your experiences in Tempe, and not so much the greater metro area, unless you travel far and wide. They did seem to me a little "different" in Tempe, though not so much in a bad way.
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Old 11-06-2010, 11:36 AM
 
Location: Maricopa County, AZ
55 posts, read 77,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
Tempe is above middle class IMO, if only slightly.
Tempe consists mostly of middle income suburban families and students. Like you said, though, both cities have different standards. I guess when I say middle class, I mean living among a motley group of average, working class citizens (neighbors don't drive Audi AGs and wear Rolexes, but they also don't have silver dental grills and spray building walls with graffiti.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
(I imagine if you interview a typical resident of Scottsdale, they'll say they're middle class, even though by most standards they're on crack; it's all relative)
In Scottsdale's case it would probably be cocaine rather than crack, , but overall, even Scottsdale has its shady parts. Paradise Valley is the "real Scottsdale" if one looked at it from that angle.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
Good luck.
I hope that was typed without any ominous feelings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg View Post
With 4+ million people in that metro area, most people can't help but get a very small (and unrepresentative) sample. In fact, I'd say you're describing your experiences in Tempe, and not so much the greater metro area, unless you travel far and wide. They did seem to me a little "different" in Tempe, though not so much in a bad way.
The 4 million people are mostly elderly retirees, younger families (aged 30s and 40s) and resident legal aliens who speak limited English; people like me generally moved to Arizona for college and whether they finished or not, the smaller number either settle down (with a job, family, etc.) and the larger number moved some place else. When the foreclosure problem hit the area circa 2006/2007, things went south on all fronts. Originally, the only thing that kept me here was the strong job market - that would take the fall along with the housing market.
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Old 11-06-2010, 04:59 PM
 
47,525 posts, read 69,460,589 times
Reputation: 22471
Quote:
Originally Posted by DisciplesOfTheWatch View Post
My first question: Has anyone moved by themselves via car, with no human help, or something like what I might do? Would you recommend it? What are the worst case scenarios? What PUBLISHED resources would you recommend to research before such a trip?

The two places I have in mind in NM are Las Cruces and Albuquerque. Based on what I've read so far, they seem to be cleaner than the sooty hellhole that is Phoenix, and quality of life/appreciation of surroundings seems to be better, too. Culture-wise, I'm not very picky. I'm originally from Northern California (The SF Bay Area to be exact) but the "wine, women and song" stage is in my distant past. I've been a mild mannered ADULT for some time now.

Thanks!
Yes. More than once - it's fun. Just throw some stuff into the back of the car and head on out. I may do it again some day. Just bring what you need and of course what you want - but a trunk of a car can fit an awful lot of stuff. I came to this area from a whole lot further away than Arizona.

Worst case scenario - your car breaks down or you run out of gas so it's not a bad idea to have roadside service.

Either Las Cruces or Albuquerque can be very nice - but that's like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Really how easy it is depends a whole lot on the person, the flexibility one has. I wouldn't hesitate moving without a whole lot of plans made ahead of time but I'm the kind that could live in a campground for a while or anywhere there is at least a shower.

For the cat, I would definitely recommend a cat carrying cage because they feel more secure and you don't have to risk it freaking out and running off.
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Old 11-06-2010, 07:02 PM
 
Location: santa fe
11 posts, read 24,235 times
Reputation: 24
I think ABQ might be a little better for you than Los Cruces- more people, more younger people, more stuff in general. I have to say I find PHX ( and Scottsdale) to be very nice and friendly, but sometimes we all need a change. It's only 6 hours to ABQ, you can easily do a recon visit first. ABQ is a kind of retro place- like going back about 30 years in time- very differant from PHX. which I find to be pretty hip and progressive. And get some of that calming spray at the pet store for your cat if he/she isn't used to car rides. It really works!
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Old 11-06-2010, 11:04 PM
 
Location: Bernalillo, NM
1,182 posts, read 2,460,763 times
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You live close enough to do a series of short (weekend or 3-4 day) trips to ABQ, LC and other places in NM. Before saying sayonara completely to PHX why not bop over a few times and see what you think?

If you don't already have it I'd think about getting a AAA membership. For under $100/yr you'll get roadside assistance coverage, free maps and travel books, and access to an online trip planner. The AAA travel books include motel listings/ratings and maybe campgrounds (can't remember if they show these or not). All things you could use to lessen the risk of road travel and learn more about possible places in NM that might be a good fit for you. Visiting your local AAA office is a good way to find out exactly what they offer.

Not sure just how much driving/wandering around NM you're thinking about doing. Depending on where you go, be cautious about stopping along the road. Down south and in the Bootheel on more deserted roads you could run into some cross-border traffic (and I don't mean between AZ and NM), although you should be okay if you stick to the main roads.

I'd also do a lot of searching/reading on this forum as well as the ABQ, LC and SF sub-forums to get a better feel for different areas in NM. Plus there are lots of other online resources as well. See the following C-D threads and other links for some to start with. These aren't in any particular order.

- //www.city-data.com/forum/albuq...ds-forums.html
- //www.city-data.com/forum/new-m...ory-forum.html
- Find Camping - Recreation.gov
- http://www.explorenm.com/, including campgrounds by area
- Campground Directory and National Forest Campgrounds (campgrounds in US National Forests)
- Trip Maps & Guides Directory - NANACT (this one's mostly about trips in AZ but has great maps/guides in Navajo land)
- New Mexico Information, photos and maps, for descriptions and pictures of lots of places all across NM. Also check out the other NM sections (e.g., Scenic Byways, parks, etc.) that are linked on the left side of the main page - Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada Information.
- New Mexico Tourism Department
- Duke City Fix
- Desert Exposure, including back issues
- New Mexico Sightseeing - New Mexico Road Trips - Albuquerque and it's main site, Albuquerque - Albuquerque New Mexico - Albuquerque NM
- The Road Wanderer ~ Historic Highways, Lost Byways and Legendary Journeys
- Legends of America - A Travel Site for the Nostalgic and Historic Minded
- New Mexico Places To Go - DesertUSA
- New Mexico National Parks, National Monuments and Other Scenic Areas - The American Southwest
- TakeMyTrip.com State Map: New Mexico Attractions
- Index (NM state parks)
- New Mexico State Monuments (NM state monuments)
- Welcome to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (NM Indian pueblos)
- Southern New Mexico Travel and Tourism Information: SouthernNewMexico.com, including old articles
- The Mother Road: Historic Route 66 - Turn by Turn Road Description - New Mexico
- NM Route 66 Association
- New Mexico
- VIVA New Mexico!
- NM
- North Central New Mexico
- Welcome to Old West Country, in the sunny southwest corner of New Mexico!
- Welcome to Southeastern New Mexico
- Visitor Information for Truth or Consequences, Elephant Butte and all of Sierra County
- Temporarily Disabled (this one looks like it's down temporarily)
- Visitor's Guide to Northeast New Mexico - Civil War, Route 66, Maps, Recreation, Events
- New Mexico Ghost Towns and Other Little-Known Places
- Ghost Towns and History of the American West
- Ghost Towns | Hundreds of Pictures of Ghost Towns from Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho and Montana
- Ghost Towns in New Mexico and Texas
- New Mexico Indian Country
- Discover Navajo - Navajo Nation Culture, Tourism, Native American Information
- Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau: santafe.org
- About Santa Fe Scene|An insider's guide to Santa Fe, New Mexico USA
- Santa Fe Trail New Mexico National Scenic Byway Home Page
- Red River, New Mexico Family Vacations: Ski Hike Bike Fish Snowboard Cross Country Ski
- The Beautiful Espanola Valley - Trave Guide. Book your hotel and motel rooms here. Lodging in Espanola and all of New Mexico!
- Chamber of Commerce Guide to the Chama New Mexico River Valley
- ABQjournal | Albuquerque Journal Online v2.01 tab Albuquerque and New Mexico State and Local News, Sports, Weather and Jobs, Cars, Real Estate and Classified Advertising (ABQ newspaper, including ABQjournal: Go! Outdoors & Recreation for outdoor and recreation info)
- Santa Fe Breaking News, Santa Fe Weather, Santa Fe Business, Santa Fe Sports, New Mexico Politics, Santa Fe Travel, Santa Fe News - Santafenewmexican.com (SF newspaper)
- Home - Las Cruces Sun-News (LC newspaper)
- Las Cruces, New Mexico
- Mesilla, New Mexico, USA
- Las Cruces, New Mexico travel information
- All About Deming, New Mexico!
- Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce
- Hidalgo County, New Mexico : Home
- Points of Interest
- Independent 11.04.10 (Gallup newspaper)
- http://www.ziapublishing.com/downloads/gvg_08.pdf
- http://www.ziapublishing.com/downloads/grants_vg_06.pdf
- Official web site of the Town of Silver City, in sunny Grant County, New Mexico.
- http://www.ziapublishing.com/downloads/scast_08.pdf
- Home
- Ancient Way Arts Trail || Welcome!
- Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway
- OffbeatNewMexico
- Off the Road: Your Guide to New Mexico MainStreets
- Take a road trip through Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico and travel through the Southwest and Places to Visit in western states Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
- Socorro County Chamber of Commerce Welcome
- Magdalena, New Mexico, Chamber of Commerce
- All About Deming, New Mexico!
- http://www.ziapublishing.com/downloads/dh_08.pdf
- Ruidoso New Mexico Lodging, Cabins, Calendar, Events, Restaurants, Shopping, Skiing and Hiking
- Las Vegas Citizen's Committee for Historic Preservation
- Visit Cimarron, New Mexico!
- Raton Chamber of Commerce
- Clayton New Mexico - Clayton Tourism Department - Sponsored by The Union County Leader
- About Harding County and events-Attractions.htm
- New Mexico Santa Rosa City of Lakes - Lodging Santa Rosa Lake State Park, Route 66 Era, Scuba Diving
- Tucumcari - Quay County Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico
- Southwest Crossroads— Cultures and Histories of the American Southwest
- Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce
- Alamogordo.net,The Alamogordo, New Mexico Website
- Artesia, NM
- Official Carlsbad, NM Website
- http://www.carlsbadchamber.com/
- Roswell, New Mexico Chamber of Commerce Official Site
- Clovis Chamber Home Page
- Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce
- Welcome to the City of Hobbs!
- Welcome to Hobbs - It all happens here

On some of these you'll need to drill down to find NM info. Many are aimed more at tourists or history buffs but overall they should help provide an overall feel for NM, and its towns and cities. I expect more than a few may not be directly on point for the type of info you're looking for. But if you look through all of them you may learn a lot about what I think are very cool things about NM and the entire Southwest. Some may not be of interest at all but thought I'd list as many as I know or could easily find and let you pick through them.

Good luck (meant in a good way ).
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