Moving to Albuquerque - what do I need to know?

Ignore the people who do not live in ABQ. Do you already have employment secured? If so, in which part of town is your future work located? I recommend finding housing close to where you work--you may be able to take the bus and have one car for your household. If you are looking for an apartment instead of a house, then I wonder if you are trying it on for size, as it were. Central Avenue is a mess right now because of the rapit transit swindle pushed by the mayor and city council. Avoid living on Central west of San Mateo or Louisiana--giant headache. The construction even affects Old Town (Plaza Viejo). Flat running is in the bosque. The cross country course at ABQ Academy is not flat. The two-mile loop around the north golf course (UNM) is not flat on the western leg of the loop. The Taylor Ranch area on the West Side may interest you if you do not have to make a workday commute across the river. Great views, small public library close to the cliffs, easy access to the petroglyphs, shopping district (including running store that does NOT sell Nike products!), community center, large park with duck pond and horse shoe pitches, straight forward foot and bicycle access to the bosque (very busy intersection to cross but has lights), and if you do have to commute across the river--depending on your destination--the Blue Line may work well for you.

The cops are basically jerks, even though they are under a settlement agreement with the DOJ. Most of the politicians are highly unlikeable. Lots of museums and arts and culture in town or close enough for day trips. It is in a desert. That means it is usually dry and hot in the summer. Please do not come and start a fire in the bosque or the mountain forests. It is windy in the spring. Monsoon season is July and August. It rains on the Fourth of July about nine out of ten years. Chile roasting starts late summer. Balloon fiesta in October--definitely should visit at least once--take in a mass ascension and a balloon glow. Best place to see adults with little-kid joy and awe. Some years the snow is good in the Sandias; some years it is not good. It snows in the city about three times during the season, and the snow will usually melt the next day because sunny is the norm. In late winter or early spring it is possible to ski in the morning and have a picnic in the afternoon if you have such an inclination. Golfing is year-round. Flying days 300+ per year because sunny is the norm. Downtown Growers market is probably the best (Saturday mornings). Green over red, but some will say Christmas.

Drivers in ABQ don't rate in terms of bad driving compared to FLA. They may have some bad stats because of the high alcoholism and drug addiction rates, but driving is safe for the sober there. Running from 6500ft to up to 10k ft in the Sandia Mountains is great. You go up the interstate, take the last exit before the mtns and drive right up to the trailhead on any # of streets. You can even live comfortably up there and still train lower in the Bosque (by the Rio Grande, totally flat and about 5000 ft, a quick drive there and you can do very long runs) and possibly use the UNM track or local tracks around 5200 ft. Great views. The temperatures are cool at night and early morning so even when it gets into the 90s during the day you can run in very comfortable weather. You can also do workouts on the golf course and on campus at UNM with the track club that uses it. They also meet for early Sunday long runs around ABQ. Green chile is a good thing; don't touch the red stuff, and don't run back from the mtns to the UNM area at night.

Hatch chilies wrote:

While ABQ has crime, a quick google search shows that it's not in the top 30 cities nationwide for violent crime or murder. Posters on this board are prone to hyperbole and this thread is no exception.

Lived in ABQ for several years...assuming you have some money and can live in a decent neighborhood, crime is not an issue. Also ABQ has few suburbs so the affluent areas are actually in the city and some of the public schools are quite good (e.g. La Cueva high school)

The running/weather is great. Good luck with your move.

Splendid promo...now if only the Southern Cal fair weather transplants would move to ABQ instead of Denver, where overpopulation is now the rule. But all these SC transplants, who say they prefer the ABQ climate over Denver's, complain that there's no jobs --- no jobs in ABQ?...imagine that. Why doesn't your city officials get off their duff & try to attract some big businesses down there?

The problem is how many drivers are sober on the roads, especially late Fri & Sat nights? That's one reason I use the Rio Grande on my raft. 😁 I like Las Cruces better..good running country in those desolate trails.

I moved to ABQ about 10 years ago. Where to live? The Northeast heights is probably the best area for price although its not near the cool people in Nob Hill. If you live up near the Sandia Tram in the NE then getting on great running trails is just out your door. Crime is a serious problem in ABQ. Drunk driving is out of control as is murders and theft. ABQ was just announced at the #1 in the country for cars being stolen. The culture in ABQ is backwoods. People want to do things the way they did they 100 years ago. While some may think that is positive, its not. There is the prevailing attitude that doing crap work is just fine, and that is a byproduct of the worst educational system in the country. Every year NM is rated as the worst, or next to worst educational system. I'm a teacher and the students in NM are borderline idiots. But on the bright side the hiking is great, the weather outstanding with something like 300 days of sunshine per year, and the burritos are amazing. Honestly, I don't know why any young couple would want to come to NM. Much better choices in sunny places.

I like ABQ, NM. It looks like you're in High Noon with Gary Cooper or pick your favorite western with sepia tone coloring. You may cross paths with elite Ethiopian runners from time to time there. I like that there are no pro teams from the four major sports. I am not the only non-football fan while I'm in ABQ, NM.

I have not lived there but visited a lot and am overall impressed with the city. The crime is not as bad as many other cities—including some such as Savannah, Georgia that are always touted as awesome tourist destinations.

The drivers are not as bad as Orlando or Miami or Tampa drivers, either.

There is—expectedly—great vistas and equally great New Mex and authentic Mexican food.

I think you're going to like it overall.

I25N gets you to CO Springs in 5 hrs 45 min and Denver in 6.5 hrs...

athlete46 wrote:

I like ABQ, NM. It looks like you're in High Noon with Gary Cooper or pick your favorite western with sepia tone coloring. You may cross paths with elite Ethiopian runners from time to time there. I like that there are no pro teams from the four major sports. I am not the only non-football fan while I'm in ABQ, NM.

Definitely a western atmosphere; when I was vacationing there I was waiting for Billy the Kid and his regulators to come riding down from the Sandia Mountains 😀. Some of the greatest sunsets I've ever seen going west on I-40 toward Gallup.

Been here 8 years wrote:

Every year NM is rated as the worst, or next to worst educational system. I'm a teacher and the students in NM are borderline idiots.

Yikes!...how long are you going to stay in that profession? It's stressful enough being a teacher these days, but if the students are "borderline idiots"...well, then, my hat goes off to you for staying with it.

ddfun wrote:

You need to know that it is in New Mexico, and is at moderately high elevation.

There's a NEW Mexico?

Never leave anything valuable in your car.

It WILL get broken into...

NM runner 500 wrote:

(S)Nob Hill is where it's at! Great restaurants, pretentious coffee within walking distance.

I've lived in ABQ, St. Louis, Philly, Knoxville, and Denver. In my experience crime in ABQ was no worse than any of these places. Like any major city the crime is localized to areas that you will probably never visit.

Yikes, can't keep a job? On the run from Feds? Dealer?

There's a thing called Google. Try crime stats or FBI. NM top 2 in violent crime and ABQ is very high.

Mexican gang bangers run the city, no ones safe, read about late, former DA. Bodies in the desert...people go missing..

tOnY IS tHAt yOu?

Pendeho wrote:

Mexican gang bangers run the city, no ones safe, read about late, former DA. Bodies in the desert...people go missing..

Geez...sounds like the days of Billy the Kid & the Lincoln County Wars.

Again, I have searched and ABQ is lower in violent crime than where I'm moving from. The petty car stuff is worth knowing, though.

To the poster who asked if we are looking at apartments at first to get a feel for the area, you are correct. Work will be north of 40, just east of 25.

Lots of good advice sprinkled in the thread - I appreciate it.

expect to see someone get murdered wile you are there , or killed in an accident , and violent crime !!

hope you don't have kids !! worst state for teen pregnancy teen violence school dropouts and teen drug use .

if its not too late ...

BAIL NOW !!!

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

If it feels like you've been hearing us tell you about more murders in Albuquerque you have. APD says eight people died in homicides this year.

Target 7's Nancy Laflin did some checking out and found this is the highest homicide rate in the city in two decades.

"The homicide rate, the highest in 20 years." That's what new District Attorney Raul Torrez told lawmakers this week at the Roundhouse. Torrez is begging lawmakers for help.

He said the homicide rate is sky rocketing. So we checked. Torrez is spot on.

According to APD in 1996 there were 70 murders in Albuquerque. After that there was a huge decline. A decade later there were 36 murders. But then when you look at 2016, there were 61 murders in the Duke City.

Twenty-one cases are still unsolved from last year and this year.

the new district attorney is calling the crime rate happening now in Albuquerque a crisis.

He says the city has the highest auto theft in the nation, and that child abuse is out of control. Torrez says the crime rate is so high he needs more money to prosecute criminals

Went to UNM in late 70's/early 80's. Great town - climate is fantastic. Northeast Heights was the place to live - close to Sandia's and great trails to run. UNM is in center of town - micro-brewery's and great food. Good Luck!