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Hello Everyone,
I'm considering moving from CA (high cost of living) to New Mexico. Mainly I'm looking for a change in scenery; literally and figuratively. I have a job lined up and need to convince my boyfriend that moving to NM is a great idea. Or if not, get a reality check from folks that live in NM already who can tell me to keep out! Jaja!
What is your impression/first hand knowledge of:
Jobs; is there work available for folks that don't have a high school or college diploma? Real Estate; what are the great, good, ok and bad areas in NM. I want to eventually buy a house. We will start by renting first. We don't have tons of money, but we do ok. Immigration; is the state immigrant friendly, can undocumented folks have a drivers license, health care, get married, work in NM? Schools; what are some good schools. No kids yet, but one is on the way... Health Care; quality of care (private and public)
I would also appreciate any other information, anecdotes, life stories, you may be able to share. I have a trip planned for the end of August 2014 to do a physical recon of NM. Please give me a list of places I should visit.
Jobs; is there work available for folks that don't have a high school or college diploma?
No college degree - yes, depending on your field and experience. Not sure about the diploma, seems like a lot of employers everywhere want at least a GED.
Real Estate; what are the great, good, ok and bad areas in NM. I want to eventually buy a house. We will start by renting first. We don't have tons of money, but we do ok.
Lots of discussions on the board about this, just do a search, especially if you need school info (I don't have kids).
Immigration; is the state immigrant friendly, can undocumented folks have a drivers license, health care, get married, work in NM?
Yes. You can get a drivers license pretty easily. The job situation would depend on the employer and if they verify or not. Be aware that any employer filing W2s electronically, or using a staffing or leasing service probably would not be able to hire undocumented workers. One way to get around that in some fields is to obtain a TIN from the IRS, form LLC and work as subcontractor receiving a 1099.
Schools; what are some good schools. No kids yet, but one is on the way…
See comment above.
Health Care; quality of care (private and public)
Personally not impressed. UNM is short staffed and way overused (indigent center for the state just about). We do have dentists on every third corner, however.
I will respond with what I actually have knowledge of:
I moved from Southern California in 2012 for school. I have always had private insurance. I have a medical condition (diabetes) which can be costly. We rent an apartment in the Northeast Heights.
Areas: Northeast heights and Northwest area of Albuquerque (I split the city up where the freeways merge (I-25/I-40)) there are other nice areas but pretty much in those two you will find the majority of what you need without the creepy factor of the "International District" aka "The War Zone". Nob Hill (Central Ave. running east and west).
Health Care: It's pretty much split up between a few groups. The operate like HMOs regardless of your insurance type. I've had private insurance my entire life and even though in California, I could see a PCP within a week and a specialist in that time frame too - here, it's a bit different. You can research them if you would like, but mainly you have Presbyterian, Lovelace, and UNM as your main hospitals. ABQ health partners has a lot of locations for physician services and specialists. Many of these doctors are contracted through one of those major hospitals.
Jobs: There appear to be plenty of jobs - just depends on what you want to do. There's tons of chain pharmacies, restaurants, etc.
Food: ...so, about this. I'm not sure where you came from in California. But, I can assure you, unless you never traveled anywhere 20 minutes outside of your city, the food in California is unable to be topped by anything New Mexico has to offer. There are 2 malls (Cottonwood in the Northwest and Coronado in the southeast), 1 outdoor mall (Uptown mall, across the street from coronado). Lots of chain restaurants reminiscent of home: Buca Di Beppo, CPK, Elephant Bar, TGI Fridays, Chili's, Chipotle. But when you're looking for a specific food type like Japanese Ramen, Polish anything... nothing really ever seems to hit the mark.
Areas to Visit: Tram to the top of the Sandia's (Kinda pricy.. go up, have a drink for dinner, and go back down at night to see the city lights), Uptown (outdoor) Mall (I enjoy the retailers there, a bit more high end things), ABQ Biopark/Zoo/Aquarium, Two Fools Tavern on Central near UNM. There are many areas for hiking in the foothills. It's a slower pace out here. Not the rat race of LA. Almost reminiscent of the midwest. Everyone knows everyone out here. So that's my take on it. Good luck to you!
I've been a resident of Albuquerque for about 11 years (still here) and I would have moved away already if it weren't for my boyfriend. He likes it here, has a good job here and likes the desert weather. He's from Oregon. I'm originally from San Diego but I've also lived in other places as well. I've even been overseas (military). I miss green grass, water (like the ocean or large lake or rain), and humidity. I even miss snow a little. Lol! I'd really like to go back to the Midwest again one day. The weather out here is mostly windy, sunny, dry and hot. It's especially hot in the summertime! This is the desert after all. Sometimes there are fires because this state is so dry and windy. It doesn't rain often out here and we always seem to be in a drought but when it does rain sometimes the streets get flooded, especially in or around downtown. This happened just the other day as a matter of fact. It rarely snows here but if it does, it usually doesn't last long. The snowflakes usually melt as soon as they touch the ground.
There are quite a few people that I know who have moved here from California. Even some of the movie industry. TV shows and movies are filming out here right now as a matter of fact so you can always be an extra. I've done it a few times and it's easy money. Work... It doesn't really seem to matter if you have a hs diploma or degree out here. I know people who never finished high school who have jobs. They may be in retail but they are jobs. I have 2 college degrees and I also work in retail. Just like any other place it just depends on the employer and what you want to do. I just heard on the news the other day that unemployment has gone up to around 6.2% in Albuquerque. There is, however, always demand for those in the healthcare industry. Or you could be a movie/tv extra. Real estate... What do you mean by "bad area"? I consider the South Valley, Southwest, Southeast (war zone), and Downtown/University areas "bad areas". Basically anything "south" I consider a "bad area". I live on the west side, near the cottonwood mall. It's a pretty good area. And not too expensive in my opinion. Rio Rancho is a pretty good area too. The current average home price in the ABQ area is somewhere around $250k. Immigration... There have been a lot of things on the news recently regarding immigration. Just look up our local news channels and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for on that subject. I'd explain it more but I'm not sure if it's considered appropriate on this site or not and I don't want to unintentionally offend anyone. As for the whole drivers license thing I'm not sure. I remember something about people getting in trouble for issuing licenses to illegal immigrants a couple years ago but they may have changed the law about that. Not sure about that one honestly. Same with the health care and marriage thing. Schools... The best schools in the area are up in Rio Rancho, not so much in Albuquerque. But I will say that the not so bad schools in Albuquerque would be Volcano Vista HS, James Monroe Middle School and Sunset View Elementary. These schools are all on the west side. Check out the Ventana Ranch area. Health care... I went to UNM hospital once and I will never go there again. It was not a great experience. Like Yukon said previously, it is understaffed and overused. This is true. I personally like the Presbyterian hospitals. Specifically the ones in Rio Rancho.
Some good places to visit out here: Old Town, the zoo, aquarium, Natural History Museum, Nob Hill, and the Tram (if it's not too windy).
I hope this information helps you. Good luck on your trip out here!
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