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If you think Albuquerque has traffic problems and construction going on all the time, come to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and try driving from Ft Worth to Dallas and back. I honestly can't get from here to there without getting into construction, with a concomitant long, frustrating crawl, without going 20 miles out of my way. In 100+ degree weather, with high humidity, it's especially enjoyable.
I've been to Albuquerque several times, even Central Avenue after dark, and experienced no problems. After what I've read here, I'm surprised I'm alive to type this. I'm sure bad things happen; there are bad parts of any city, and luck plays into it, being in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is that right time? Never mind.).
I am a native New Mexican from Belen (30 miles South of Alb). I disagree that racism is running rampant in Albuquerque. My experience has always been that all people have been accepted. In fact, because of the economy, many, many 'outsiders' from CA and NY have chosen NM to retire and live. In some of the communities that were typically predominantly Hispanic, there has been much change. It is my experience that everyone gets along. The problems are not due to race, rather due to drugs, etc. I can't recall a 'hate crime' being committed in recent years against anyone based on race. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. I hope that you enjoy your stay in NM. And, the people are very friendly. Go into this journey with an open mind. Be careful and have fun. Embrace the traditions, the food, the City, the people. I think you may be pleasantly surprised. Please let us know how things work out for you. And, to those that mentioned that people from Albuquerque were insensitive or rude to you - please know that these people would probably act in the same unacceptable manner no matter where they live. God bless us all.
It would be a good idea to not venture out once it gets dark and to avoid certain areas of town such as Central. This area is know for prostitutes and car jacking.
When i moved here 12 years ago Central Ave. was a rat hole but the city has fixed it up a lot better. New median landscaping on central between San Mateo and Louisiana. Nob Hill has new sidewalk renovations and loft apts. Central on Eubank has a new Golden Corral,Walgreens and several other stores that are brand new. Yes the only section left for extensive renovation is from Louisiana and Wyoming as thats the prostitute/pimpdaddy decrepit area. Even trumbull neighborhood has brand new ''town homes'' going up and paved all the streets etc...
I lived in New Mexico for five years and am FINALLY getting the hell out of here. You ask if it's 'that bad.' UNEQUIVOCALLY YES it's that bad. Crime isn't the only factor.
Let's hear the plusses of living in New Mexico, first... it's cheap to live here, and...
Granted, I was in Portales, which is probably the absolute worst place (but in a kingdom of bad places...) in the state, but I've been all over travelling for work, etc.
Here's a personal story, just a 'recap' of my experience, and hopefully it will cover all of the subjects in regards to what considers a 'standard of living.'
Within the first week I called the cops to investigate my neighbors... they were making meth, of course. The cops investigated... my neighbors were NOT making meth. It was the 'natural' smell of the town.
A month later... another neighbor of mine WAS caught making meth. Perfect place to make it. Hardly anybody notices the smell because of the other, 'natural' smell.
The hospitals in Roswell, Clovis, and Portales sort of "pick and choose" who to treat in the ER. The one in Clovis has been cited so many times this year alone it's ridiculous. Last year they actually sent a live person to a funeral home, who sent him back to the hospital when he woke up. ("I swear to god I'm not making this up" is something I find myself telling relatives in other places a lot). If you're Hispanic or African American you can forget about getting pain treatment. As a white doctor told me he "profiles for drug seekers." The hospitals here aren't even EQUIPPED to handle traumas. You'll get airlifted to Lubbock or Albuquerque... unless you're told to "just go home and put some BenGay on that" which was a doctor's advice to a friend's father during a heart attack.
Good luck getting a dentist appointment. It takes weeks to get in because of the lack of dental professionals (that may be different in Albuquerque), and when you do, you'll find someone who was trained using leeches... OH except for my first dentist here. He had to stop practicing, though, because he murdered the woman he had an obsession with. (I swear to god I'm not making this up.)
My kid's choir teacher threatened to "bash out the teeth" of one of her classmates... and speaking of teeth, don't let your kids brush theirs with the water that comes out of the tap. Trust me. Ask anyone about "Portales Brown" or "Portales Teeth." The choir teacher is still happily teaching.
My kid's geography teacher, that very week, yelled at my kid for correcting her when the teacher told the whole class that "Montreal is a city in France." My kid also got called a "liar" when she told her teacher she'd actually been to the distant land of Canada.
The only fun available in town is the local idea of fun: smoking pot and/or getting drunk and watching reruns of MASH and That 70s Show. THOUGH driving to Amarillo or Lubbock is pretty feasible.
The breast, uterine, and skin cancer rates are among the highest in the nation... New Mexico is ranked highest in pedestrian danger (getting hit by a car), and to put this in global perspective, you can REALLY feel the effects of global warming in NM. The weather's just plain unbearable most of the time, especially between April and December.
What can one do to express how awful it is?
I used to think the people in NM were rude... now I realize they're depressed.
My husband and I are seriously thinking of moving to Albuquerque in August. We have only visited two times. The first time nothing bad happened but I just had a gut feeling that there was something very dangerous about the city.
Am I going to be a victim of a crime if I try to raise a family in New Mexico?
Albuquerque has become a total pit. I lived there when I was a kid in the Northeast Heights area and it wasn't so great even then. Later as an adult, I lived in the Corrales area, and boy, had it deteriorated. You could not pay me to live in Albuquerque again...okay, maybe you could pay me, but it would have to be REALLY BIG bucks!
If you have kids, know that the public school system is simply not an option. The education system throughout NM is substandard but even worse in Albuquerque. Living in Rio Rancho might be safer, but in Albuquerque proper, I wouldn't feel safe without carrying a gun....at all times.
If you do end up in Albuquerque though, focus on the positive: the Sandia Mtns. are close, beautiful, and offer lots of recreational opportunites (take a gun with you), lots of great concerts come through town, (take a gun with you), and there are often many roadside stands offering fresh produce (take a gun with you). And don't forget the colorful International Balloon Festival every year, just remember to take a gun with you.
Last edited by english_teacher; 01-02-2007 at 10:57 AM..
Some of these people couldn't be further from the truth. Many have called Albuquerque the Austin for families. The public school system in Albuquerque was ranked #8 by Expansion Management Magazine for Mid-size metros http://www.expansionmanagement.com/s...rticleid=17429
Top Mid-Size Metros
(100,000 to 250,000 Students)
1. Raleigh-Cary, N.C. MSA
2. Austin-Round Rock, Texas MSA
3. Richmond, Va. MSA
4. Honolulu, Hawaii MSA
5. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. MSA
6. Rochester, N.Y. MSA
7. Pittsburgh, Pa. MSA
8. Albuquerque, NM MSA
9. Columbus, Ohio MSA
10. Salt Lake City, Utah MSA
I don't know how many times this debate will take place in this forum, but the perception of Albuquerque, and the things written by some couldn't be further from the truth.
Yes Albuquerque has crime, but violent crime had a significant drop in 2006, while property crimes saw an increase. The reason why ABQ has such a high property crime rate is our relative closeness to the Mexican border. Autos seem to be stolen right and left in 2006. Our crime rate here in Albuquerque is lower than both Tucson and Phoenix yet you don't here people bad mouthing those two cities. For those of you who lived here 4+ years ago, I can promise you things are much better here. I've been here my whole life and the only crime against me was my car stereo being stolen when I was younger.
And for those of you conidering a move here, please do your research. Albuquerque is a city you either love or hate, as you can tell by the many haters in this thread. I guarantee there are more of us who love this city, but we just don't seem to be as vocal about it. Please check out www.abq.org/media.html#rankings (broken link)
to view some of the accolades ABQ has received over the years.
One last thing to add. ABQ is often considered to be a very poor city. If this were true you wouldn't see the influx of high-end retailers pouring into our city. The state as a whole is one of the poorest, no doubt. But so much has been done, and new industries/jobs being added to ABQ that this is no longer true for the Metro Area. Once again I challenge to look at income data with neighboring SW cities. Median income in ABQ is only $1500 less that Phoenix per year, and our median income is much higher than Tucson and El Paso. In fact today, the city's minimum wage was increased to $6.75, compared to the national wage of $5.15. Next year the minimum wage will increase again to $7.15 and $7.50 in 2009. This is something the city and county have chosen to do, while the nations minimum wage lags way behind. So please, those of you thinking of moving here, do your research, and don't always believe what is written here.
Albuquerque is a great place to live if you love the outdoors, blue skies, mountains, hiking, biking, clture, and great New Mexican food! It was ranked as the thirteenth fittest cities in the nation by Men's Fitness Magazine. Of course there are bad areas of the city like any other place, but there is no need to go to these areas. The city has made great progress over the years with better freeways, less litter, higher wages and with good comanpanies opening up shop here, including a growing film industry.
Come see for yourself and take what the naysayers say with a grain of salt. You will find more negative things on the internet than positive. It's just human nature to complain, but harder to get online to praise. I've been here since I was 10 years old and wouldn't move back to the midwest in a milion years.
Nothing wrong with having a gun. It has helped make NM a safer place to live. Purchase a firearm you are comfortable with. Learn how to safely handle and shoot it. Practice often. Think about getting your concealed carry permit.
The violent crime stats have gone down in Albuquerque due to responsible gun owners.
Property crimes are high because of drugs, illeagals, and gambling problems in NM.
One last thing to add. ABQ is often considered to be a very poor city. If this were true you wouldn't see the influx of high-end retailers pouring into our city. The state as a whole is one of the poorest, no doubt.
Hello!
"High-end retailers" ???? WHERE?
These stores are high-end: Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Blomingdales, Sephora (that's cosmetics & skin care), and to a lesser extent, Nordstrom's. If someone wants to shop these stores, they have to go to Scottsdale, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV, or to several select cities in Texas.
NONE are in NM.
However, there is Dillard's (a very low-end dept store staffed by semi-literates) and WalMarts. And Best Buy. And TJ Maxx. And KMart. And Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Maybe these stores are considered "high-end" for NM. But not anywhere else.
~Cali-girl
Last edited by Cali-girl; 01-03-2007 at 11:31 AM..
Reason: added Dillard's - the low-end dept store
These are high-end retailers, what you're talking about are Luxury Retailers. BCBG is high end as is Loop the Denim store at ABQ Uptown, Coach is coming as is Sephora. You will see many more join them in 2007 and beyond. And as for Luxury retailers, Neiman is being recruited and they are scouting a few location. I will admit, I personal do not feel ABQ is ready for Neiman, but certainly Nordstrom would do well.
On another note, someone mentioned if you move here with the right frame of mind you will be enjoy it. This couldn't be more true, my wife moved here in 2001 when Gap moved part of their Corporate Office from San Francisco to ABQ. She absolutely loves it here, she likes the four seasons, and more importantly she likes be able to buy a good size house and still have disposible income left over after paying the mortgage. Of course she misses the museums, parks, and urban core, but we are able to visit often enough.
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Yes, Virginia... New Mexico IS that bad.
