Visiting ABQ, NM for an interview / potential move

[AFC-911]

So, I know there's a super long thread about Albuquerque, but things might have changed since then.

Anyway, I'm meeting a network for a Producer / Editor position. I'll be flying in on Sunday to check it out.

Anyway, I've been hearing some not so great things about the place from numerous people. What's the opinion of the Pelican brain trust?

A cursory Google search shows me there's at least a decent amount of swing dance events. And I am excited about the prospect of learning how to ski and there's the hot air balloon thing.

But I also hate tex mex.

[tadd]

I did my post doc out there. Loved it. Sometimes wish I had stayed.

Weather is awesome. Green chille is awesome. Had a great home, 2.5 acres just across from the river, grandfathered well, 5 minutes from work... all for $122k. I would have paid the place off last year after only 10 years.

The bike trail between albq and santa fe was a great afternoon ride.

Sand dunes for off roading in the Scout II.

Oh, and flying star pie. Just pie.

[G60SuperCharger]

There's a great deal on a fixer upper there. The seller will be happy to show you around.

[vash]

You don't like tex mex?! IMHO that's more Austin Texas anyways. Deep fried chimichangas and stuff.

I spent a lot of time there. Had a blast. Haven't been for a long time since my friend moved to Tucson.. Good luck with the interview.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

[tcar]

Grew up there... may move back one of these years.

Loved it.

Frito Pie at the Route 66 diner.

Central Avenue is the old Route 66.

Skiing is only 30 minutes away, unlike the terrible drive and traffic here in Colorado.

[sammyg2]

When I was in my teens and 20s I spent a lot of time in ABQ, loved it. Eventually wanted to move there for good.
Then something happened. They MOVED the town.

They didn't move it very far, just a little bit to the LEFT.
But that was enough to ruin it for me.




But at least they didn't move it as far as they did to Taos or Ruidoso.

[MMiller]

Originally Posted by AFC-911

But I also hate tex mex.

You're in luck....you won't find any in the state. You will find New Mexican food on every other corner however.

The good.... 2nd best weather in the country after San Diego, amazing sky and vistas, plenty of access to open country if you love the outdoors. Relaxed lifestyle cuz it's the land of manana.. Choose between living in the valley near the river or in the mountains.

The bad... If you are raising a family poor public schools, poor economy in general, somewhat like living in a third world, can be a plus or minus depending on your perspective. Singles life fairly weak too if your a younger guy looking for a mate.

I have lived here three different times in my life. In the late 60's then in late 90's and for the last 10 years. It works for me but the high desert is not for everybody if you love water, green and trees....but the weather is spectacular!

Happy to have a serious conversation with you on the phone about particulars that might help you with your decision. Or if you decide to move here help you get the lay of the land on areas of town to live in. PM me if you're inclined.

[GWP911T]

My wife and I chose to raise our family here after coming to Albuquerque with the Air Force. My two oldest graduated from the best public schools in the city (we paid a premium to live in that school district) and are excelling at the University of New Mexico. The lottery scholarship means little to no debt. My youngest is in private school because we wanted to move to a different part of town.
My sons both have gone to the weekly swing dances at one of the community centers. Its usually filled to capacity.
You can live in a downtown industrial loft, turn of the century bungalow, mansion, farm, etc. We live near the University/ Nob hill area which puts us close to great restaurants, sports and art.
There is a strong car culture here. Lots of impressive custom works and a disproportionate number of exotics for a town of our size. Cars don't rust here like other places.
Skiing and snowboarding in New Mexico is great- the weather and relatively small crowds mean more slope time. I prefer to ski Santa Fe as their lifts are more modern. The mountains are great in the summer for biking, climbing and hiking.

PM me if you want to talk or meet when you are here.

[aigel]

From FL it may be an upgrade. From CA it is a clear downgrade. I have pondered the place, half a dozen visits over the years and have come to the conclusion it isn't for me. At least not while working. The place has a lot of upsides for some people (as you can read!), so I will tell you mostly what I see as the negatives, for balance!

I find the place a bit one-dimensional in terms of culture. The food is great, but there aren't that many choices besides the southwestern fare. Green or red salsa? Haha! Not a lot of diversity. White, Hispanic (new and old), native american, the rest is 3% or less ...

It definitely is a defense town with an air force base, nuke lab etc. and it has that atmosphere. That is not a good atmosphere, even though I greatly respect everyone serving the country and working on science to advance our nation. But you can tell there is just not a diverse workforce / background. Sure, you may escape that a bit in old down town or close to the uni - or a trip to Santa Fe, but it still isn't a hopping town in my book.

Climate is interesting but a bit "arid" and not terribly nice in the winter. There is a lot of nothing surrounding the city and you better like gravel! There have been extended droughts and we all guess it isn't getting any wetter in the West any time soon. There are some awesome areas at high elevation and in spring and fall it is very beautiful. Hunting and fishing abound. But that's not where you will live. You will live in a large high plane sprawling with 3/4 of a million people. There are some nice spots along the Rio Grande and biking, running, hiking, but again fairly limited close by.

There is no road course race track. There is no ocean. The next big city is many hours away and still in Colorado and not that much different.

UNM was mentioned. Good option for affordable in state college but with all due respect, not the uni you'd pick if you had a nationwide choice in state universities. University of Florida ranks an order of magnitude higher in nationwide school rankings.

Crime rate is HIGH. Double the national average. It varies by neighborhood but still not cool as for a low crime area, housing prices are high. I found a nice house in a nice area is 300-400k, for example at the foot of the Sandia Mt. That's a lot of dough considering where you live. My dream is living on a ranch with a 10+ acre lot. Not affordable anywhere close to town ...

I always send folks to City Data to check out the data and compare to their home town or places they like: Albuquerque, New Mexico (NM) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders


Hope this helps! Good Luck at the interview and let us know your impressions! Maybe you will like it! It definitely isn't humid!

Cheers,

George

[tcar]

Albuquerque averages less than 8 inches of rain per year, so that classifies it as a desert.

Most years it seems like it gets a quarter of the annual precip in an hour on a July afternoon.

[AFC-911]

Thanks for the well wishes.

It's actually less of an interview and more of a meet and greet. I have the job if I want it. I just don't know if I want to live there.

The offer is a few thousand less than what I was making here in Clearwater, Florida. Cost of living seems to be a wash.

Southwestern fare food will NOT agree with me. Hahaha!

I love the water. But I also love mountains (the Alaska / New Zealand kind)...Not sure if I can do the desert.

In regards to crime rate, I have been hearing a lot about this. That is a concern. Schooling is not a factor since I'm not bringing a family. And since I won't know anyone...Not a hopping town is not a selling point...I can find live music or go out every day of the week here in Tampa Bay.

I AM still applying around. I just sent apps for NBC Universal (Englewood, NJ)& the Golf Channel (Orlando, FL). So, I'm not 100% committed to anything.

[Skytrooper]

My son has lived there for the last 4 years. He loves it.

[porsche4life]

Abq has Sandia peak, so OK skiing not far away. Few hours drive north into the Rockies is some of my favorite part of the country. Gorgeous mountains!

[aigel]

Good additional info. Not having a family to raise will be a plus. I don't know anyone there whose kids did terribly well - it is all about having decent friends when growing up. High elevation mountains do have pine forests, grass etc., so you can get that fix. Also, no family means you can always move again pretty easily - so you may give it a shot!

G

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by AFC-911

The offer is a few thousand less than what I was making here in Clearwater, Florida. Cost of living seems to be a wash.
[...]I can find live music or go out every day of the week here in Tampa Bay.

Never thought I'd say this but.... I moved out of Tampa Bay 2y ago (12y in S. Tampa in a nice area) and went to IMO one of the coolest place in the country (North bay area, just north of the GG bridge). And... I still miss Tampa bay - not enough to move back, mind you, but it is now such a good compromise of good food / things to do / weather / water / housing cost vs size / racetracks! I didn't think I would, but I do... I've never been to ABQ (but have seen other parts of NM), there is no way I'd leave S. Tampa/Clearwater/St Pete for NM ! No way - clear downgrade in food, diversity ;-( Unless you are getting allergic to humidity and want drier weather, or are dying to see some elevation ;-)

[motion]

IMHO Albuquerque is an absolutely dreadful city. I have family there and several rentals, so I am there often.

[MMiller]

Originally Posted by motion

IMHO Albuquerque is an absolutely dreadful city. I have family there and several rentals, so I am there often.

It's not for everybody thankfully...but dreadful may be over stating it a bit.

[72doug2,2S]

No. I've lived in Rio Rancho and I've lived in Sarasota and now SWFL. There's no question, unless I'm literally in the Rockies I don't ever want to be land locked again. The roads out there are mostly straight and flat (Yeah FL too), the skies go forever and the wind will drive you insane.

Whenever I think of that area I remember this song.

...Endless prairie, I wanna leave you
I'm gonna leave you - goodbye!
Because I don't aim to die
Here on the prairie
Where the wind blows so hard
That you have to walk sideways
To keep from flying
I'm gonna leave this endless prairie
Or I'm gonna die from trying

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Panerai

It's not for everybody thankfully...but dreadful may be over stating it a bit.

Exactly. I like mountains and good New Mexican food. I've quite enjoyed all my trips there!


Surprised no one mentioned the Tram, that's a pretty cool thing to do!

[Balloonmeister]

Have lived in ABQ since 1964. Have also traveled extensively in the US and Europe. While ABQ isn't perfect (tell me a place that is), we have enjoyed living here. The climate, with four seasons, isn't too excessive in any of them. No hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Average precipitation is 8" per year, with most falling during summertime thunderstorms. Our house on the east side of the city is at about 6000' and the valley with the Rio Grande river running through it is at about 5200'. It is not unusual to be able to go snow skiing at Sandia Peak in the morning and come back to the city and play golf in the afternoon during the winter.
No one has mentioned the kind of unique cultural aspect of ABQ with the Native Americans pueblos, Hispanics and whites - very interesting and an example of how all cultures are embraced (the Gathering of Nations, a Native American event held each year in ABQ, is the largest event of its type in the world).
Also, ABQ is home to the famous Pit, the underground arena where the University of NM basketball teams play. The Pit was the site of the memorable 1983 North Carolina State NCAA Championship win over Houston, with NCS coach, Jim Valvano running all around the court. The Pit is regularly in the top 25 for attendance every year and was voted one of the top arenas by Sports Illustrated.
Also, there is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held the first week of October, which is the largest ballooning event in the world with over 550 hot air and gas balloons participating.
Some one said all of the roads are straight - just not true - there are numerous great driving roads, with minimal traffic, all around ABQ. The High Road to Taos is a great drive as is the enchanted circle in northern NM.
NM is a relatively poor state, highly dependent on federal gov't spending for its nuclear weapon laboratories (Los Alamos and Sandia) and its military bases. But as one who has lived here for a long time, I can attest that it is a very pleasant place to live.