Moving to Albuquerque - what do I need to know?

Property crime isn't the highest in the country, but it is pretty high. Notable enough to where security will be important for wherever we rent. Violent crime doesn't seem that high, though, despite certain posters' assertion to the contrary.

NM gets a black eye in national statistics because conditions on the Native American reservations are pretty terrible and drag down the rest of the state. ABQ will never be Denver, but it is not Camden NJ. Santa Fe and Taos are amazing for skiing and getting outdoors in the summer. Be sure to get a AWD vehicle. Snow removal and road conditions in the mountains can be pretty terrible in the winter.

The first thing you need to know is how to spell it. It's just like it sounds - Albakirkey

after Trump builds the wall it will be hard to get from New Mexico into the United States so make sure your passport is in order

Moving down the road wrote:

Mid 30s and married with no kids. Looking to rent a nice apartment. What parts of town are nice/walkable and where should I do my runs and track workouts?

Any good running groups?

Funny to read some of these idiotic posts. ABQ is a great place to live and run in. The Northeast Heights is the ideal place to be for running and living. A lot of really nice apartment complexes and arguably some of the best running spots in the U.S. You're only 20 minutes from downtown where there are many cool pubs and restaurants. The weather is awesome year round with warm summers (80's-90's) and not too harsh winters (a little bit of snow) but nothing where you can't go out and enjoy a run. Just like any other major city you need to be mindful of where you are with regard to crime. I lived there for 7 years and NEVER had an issue with any crime. Remember, it's the Southwest and cannot be compared to other major Metro cities. If you like a slower pace of life along with great outdoor activities you'll enjoy ABQ.

When you get there, turn left.

https://youtu.be/e8TUwHTfOOU

I would say that I hope you don't live there, but my guess is that you never leave your house, so even if you do live there I'd have no chance of having to interact with you.

The IPA game is strong in ABQ.... lots of good beer in general (if that's something you care about). Some good farmer's markets as well, including at the rail yard. I think it's an underrated city that's revitalizing in many ways.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos was born and raised there!

Great town. Easy airport with wildly cheap long term parking. Access to Santa Fe a plus. Good university. Decent enough food. There are jobs to be had and a reasonable cost of living. I'm going on several visits to friends who live there, and frequent road trip visits.

Look, every town has crime and dangers. A lot of the posts defaming Albuquerque come down to ignorance and racism, I'd wager.

I doubt if much has changed in regards to the main parts of this article: http://www.runnersworld.com/where-to-run/albuquerque-takes-things-in-stride

Ignore the usual blowhards who act like you're going to a 3rd world country. That said, I would stay out of the South West part of town as a general principal. Lots of great running trails. Excellent food in my opinion as I really learned to love green chile. You can get a green chile cheeseburger at McDonalds. Schools are the biggest area of concern and there are not a lot of great ones but that doesn't appear to be an immediate concern. It's hot in the summer but not Phoenix hot, and it does cool off at night. Things are different and are at a slower pace than other places you may have lived. Not as much as say Hawaii but they have their own sense of urgency or lack thereof. There is a La Luz trail from the base of Sandia peak to the top. Also trails from near the ski area on the back side of that mountain, which can get you out of the heat due to the elevation (10K ft). Good luck.

Poor decisions wrote:

See Breaking Bad for accurate description.

I watched "breaking bad ~ the movie," last night.

I expected to not like it at all, but it turned out to be interesting.

Dear moving down the road

I'm late to the post, having been on a business trip to SoCal where I couldn't get out of fast enough. Being a nearly lifelong resident of ABQ (I moved here in the mid 70's upon growing up in and graduating college on the east coast and raised a family here) allow me to give you my insights, both good and bad, as well as some living recommendations based on your circumstances. First the good: 1) As a runner you'll love it. Great dry weather year round (mostly), great running venues from flat along the river bosque, paved bike paths throughout the city, and trails in the nearby foothills and mountains from easy to technical. 2) relatively low cost of living (compared to say nearby Denver). 3) Best Mexican food in the country from small mom and pop dives that have been around forever (ie. El Modelo on 2nd street) to larger but still great New Mexican restaurants (i.e. Sadies in several locations) practically on every street. 4) Again great weather (moderate year round, not too hot not too cold). 5) Beautiful high desert scenery (its not the sororan desert). 6) Great outdoor activities and culture (nearby skiing, hiking, Santa Fe, and Taos to name a few). Now my observations of the bad (you have to take the good with the bad, right?) 1) Increasing congestion and traffic: ABQ was not designed to hold this many people (@500K) and has become increasingly difficult to get around. ABQ has without doubt the worst drivers who ignore red lights, stop signs and speed limits. Driving wise its still the wild west. (I've driven in Boston, NYC, Philly, Denver and LA and ABQ is the worst. Always exercise extreme caution when crossing lights and stop signs. People do not stop and innocent people, women and children are killed nearly everyday. 2) DWI: another among worst in the country. Be careful driving at night (hell, during the day) from drunk drivers. They're everywhere 3) Property crime: another among the worst in the city largely attributable to increasing illegible immigration and drug problems. Personal examples: My truck was broken into at an upscale Uptown restaurant. My nephew's vehicle was recently stolen from a church parking lot in the NE Heights during a church service! NEVER leave anything valuable in your car. Ever. 4) Public Education has become among the worst in the country: If you can afford it send your kids to private school. If not, public schools are generally better the further up the heights you get. My kids went to public school in the Heights. One went to a prestigious college in Boston, the other dropped out (but is doing well as an adult in another city). 5) Dismal opportunities for kids. I feel sorry for them. 7) Dismal job opportunities for adults unless you work for Sandia Labs, UNM, or are a personal injury attorney. No industry here. (I'm self employed and fortunately was able to carve out a small niche) 6) Drugs: Our rep from "breaking bad" is not funny or cool... Now, my advise to you my young friend: 1) Sounds like you'll be renting an apartment. Avoid: Do not rent on Montgomery Blvd. or the SE Heights/warezone. Your family will not be safe. The further up the heights, generally the safer you are (tho property crime is increasing everywhere in the city). Look: at apartment complexes along Tramway Blvd. Newer, cleaner, and safer for your family and closer to better running, bike paths and trails. Personally, my wife and I moved out to the East Mountains 10 years ago when Alb. started getting worser and worser. We love it. Look at Edgewood. Small friendly laid back town but with all the amenities you need. 40 minute drive to the airport, 35 to midtown. There're are no apartments but housing is way cheaper than ABQ for rent or purchase. We traded a 700K home way up in the foothills for a dream home on 5 acres for half the price. We're surrounded by cattle ranches, 360 degree views of the Sandias, Santa Fe and the Pecos, and unlimited prairies, beautiful flora, fauna and wildlife. I enjoy endless miles of dirt and gravel roads for running and biking with no traffic and easy access to the mountains for the more challenging stuff. So, that about covers the big stuff. Sorry to be so wordy. Hope this info helps you and your family. Best wishes, hope you enjoy the Land of Enchantment!

You need to know to protect yourself and your property.

https://www.abqjournal.com/522279/report-nm-ranks-2nd-in-nation-for-violent-crime.html

Ignorance and racism? How about statistics?

Big Red wrote:

A lot of the posts defaming Albuquerque come down to ignorance and racism, I'd wager.

Beer wrote:

The IPA game is strong in ABQ.... lots of good beer in general (if that's something you care about). Some good farmer's markets as well, including at the rail yard. I think it's an underrated city that's revitalizing in many ways.

I will +1 this post ^^. Don't live there, but am a frequent visitor for family/business. Like the La Cumbre brewery

WTH????? wrote:

You need to know to protect yourself and your property.

https://www.abqjournal.com/522279/report-nm-ranks-2nd-in-nation-for-violent-crime.html

They are currently quite far from being 2nd in the country in violent crime.

Speaking of ABQ specifically and notthe state of NM as a whole, that is.

Thanks for the helpful posts from locals!