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I'm considering Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and El Paso. Never been to any of these cities unfortunately so hopefully you can give me some input. What I'm looking for is a place that I can ride a bike year round as comfortably as possible. I don't have/want a car to get around so weather is probably the biggest thing to take into consideration. The less snow, rain, and wind(headwinds on a bike suck) the better. Of course super high temps aren't ideal either.
I'm looking into these larger cities because I figure jobs will be more plentiful than smaller cities. I've mostly worked production/factory gigs and while I don't particularly enjoy them they pay the rent, but I would really like to get into courier work via bike though. I'm guessing Las Cruces being a lot smaller than the other cities might make it the hardest for me to find that kind of work, or work in general. Also schools are something to consider. I have a G.I bill thats just been collecting dust. I can't see myself attending a 4 year school but a trade school or something 2 year would be doable.
A little about me. Single, early 30's. Very live and let live. Partying/nightlife is completely out of my system, mostly a homebody unless I'm out on the bike. Not into the rat race. Try to keep physical possessions to a minimum. Just looking for a warmer place to call home. Thanks for any help.
Albuquerque is very windy and gets the most snow and is the coldest of these cities. I'd pick either Las Cruces or El Paso if I had your priorities and preferences.
Albuquerque is very windy and gets the most snow and is the coldest of these cities. I'd pick either Las Cruces or El Paso if I had your priorities and preferences.
I guess I can cross ABQ off the list then. Too bad though, I've heard a lot of good things about it. May I ask why you would pick Las Cruces or El Paso over Tucson? Also, would knowing but a few words of spanish be anything to worry about living in Las Cruces or El Paso?
I guess I can cross ABQ off the list then. Too bad though, I've heard a lot of good things about it. May I ask why you would pick Las Cruces or El Paso over Tucson? Also, would knowing but a few words of spanish be anything to worry about living in Las Cruces or El Paso?
Honestly, it's just about weather. I think Albuquerque is the best of these cities all around, with Tucson close behind. But Tucson is extremely hot in the summer and hot for a longer time than any of the other cities. Tucson has still been getting into the 100s lately, while Albuquerque is already down into the 80s. And we only saw triple digits 4 times this year, which is just above our average of 3 such days a year.
El Paso and Las Cruces are in the middle in that they don't get as hot as Tucson in the summer and don't get as cold as Albuquerque in the winter. They also see less rain than Tucson and less snow than Albuquerque. That's why I would choose them if I was you with your stated priority of being able to bike comfortably and be in a place with warmer weather. Tucson is desirable to me in every other regard, but the heat is an absolute deal-breaker for me. But perhaps you could make it work. But then perhaps you could also make the wind and cold of Albuquerque in the winter work as well, I don't know.
Your only other priorities were job market and education. Tucson and El Paso have the lowest unemployment right now, while Albuquerque and Las Cruces have the highest. Tucson would probably offer the best chance at jobs as a bicycle courier. Tucson also has the best-rated university of these cities with the U of A, followed by UNM in Albuquerque, NMSU in Las Cruces, and UTEP in El Paso last. Albuquerque, IMO, has the best community college in CNM. CNM has its Workforce Training Center with training programs specifically for the work you mention.
Lastly, I think you'd be okay in El Paso without knowing much Spanish, but it wouldn't hurt to learn some more if you end up living there. There may be areas of town and situations where you will run into people who don't know English. The downtown shopping area is the biggest problem area I know about for that, but you could also run into this in certain restaurants/shops in other areas of town. In Las Cruces knowing little Spanish is much less of an issue.
Honestly, it's just about weather. I think Albuquerque is the best of these cities all around, with Tucson close behind. But Tucson is extremely hot in the summer and hot for a longer time than any of the other cities. Tucson has still been getting into the 100s lately, while Albuquerque is already down into the 80s. And we only saw triple digits 4 times this year, which is just above our average of 3 such days a year.
El Paso and Las Cruces are in the middle in that they don't get as hot as Tucson in the summer and don't get as cold as Albuquerque in the winter. They also see less rain than Tucson and less snow than Albuquerque. That's why I would choose them if I was you with your stated priority of being able to bike comfortably and be in a place with warmer weather. Tucson is desirable to me in every other regard, but the heat is an absolute deal-breaker for me. But perhaps you could make it work. But then perhaps you could also make the wind and cold of Albuquerque in the winter work as well, I don't know.
Your only other priorities were job market and education. Tucson and El Paso have the lowest unemployment right now, while Albuquerque and Las Cruces have the highest. Tucson would probably offer the best chance at jobs as a bicycle courier. Tucson also has the best-rated university of these cities with the U of A, followed by UNM in Albuquerque, NMSU in Las Cruces, and UTEP in El Paso last. Albuquerque, IMO, has the best community college in CNM. CNM has its Workforce Training Center with training programs specifically for the work you mention.
Lastly, I think you'd be okay in El Paso without knowing much Spanish, but it wouldn't hurt to learn some more if you end up living there. There may be areas of town and situations where you will run into people who don't know English. The downtown shopping area is the biggest problem area I know about for that, but you could also run into this in certain restaurants/shops in other areas of town. In Las Cruces knowing little Spanish is much less of an issue.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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I would choose El Paso, as someone who lives in AZ, Tucson is the Fresno of AZ; and Albuquerque gets too cold and snowy winter (one flake is too snowy for me)
I would choose El Paso, as someone who lives in AZ, Tucson is the Fresno of AZ; and Albuquerque gets too cold and snowy winter (one flake is too snowy for me)
Yeah but the snow is gone by noon. Personally I think ABQ is too cold for me and I live here! But as I recall I used to make snowmen as a kid in El Paso, too! Ive said it before, I'll say it again, Tucson if 8in of snow a year bothers you, and you like super summers (I sure do), ABQ if outdoorsy and biking is more your thing (winter sports included). I chose outdoorsy. I get cold but seldom bored.
I'm considering Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and El Paso. Never been to any of these cities unfortunately so hopefully you can give me some input. What I'm looking for is a place that I can ride a bike year round as comfortably as possible. I don't have/want a car to get around so weather is probably the biggest thing to take into consideration. The less snow, rain, and wind(headwinds on a bike suck) the better. Of course super high temps aren't ideal either.
I'm looking into these larger cities because I figure jobs will be more plentiful than smaller cities. I've mostly worked production/factory gigs and while I don't particularly enjoy them they pay the rent, but I would really like to get into courier work via bike though. I'm guessing Las Cruces being a lot smaller than the other cities might make it the hardest for me to find that kind of work, or work in general. Also schools are something to consider. I have a G.I bill thats just been collecting dust. I can't see myself attending a 4 year school but a trade school or something 2 year would be doable.
A little about me. Single, early 30's. Very live and let live. Partying/nightlife is completely out of my system, mostly a homebody unless I'm out on the bike. Not into the rat race. Try to keep physical possessions to a minimum. Just looking for a warmer place to call home. Thanks for any help.
Tucson has a very friendly bicycle infrastructure (lots of bike lanes) and the light rail is ok. Tucson has terrible gridlock because it only has one freeway on its outskirts at that. In comparison to Phoenix... Tucson has much better weather, as well, and a lot better parks in my personal opinion.
Tucson does get brutally hot like the rest of Southern Arizona, so that is a concern. Tucson, like Phoenix, is in the triple digits for about 5 months of the year (April-September give or take) so that is something to take note of. Triple digits can be deadly here, and people die from it pretty regularly.
Albuquerque is the coldest, with El Paso being the neutral option. I don't know where they stand on employment but you did say you didn't know Spanish, which may be a concern with a border city (El Paso and Las Cruces practically share a metro). El Paso might be the best option, though
Albuquerque has a short windy season in the spring...maybe four weeks when it is noticeable a few days a week. If it was windy there would not be a hot air balloon culture in Albuquerque. That's a bogus claim.
Snow is most often less than two inches and gone by 2 PM. We get that maybe three or four times a year. Snowfall varies depending on what part of town you choose. Neighborhoods up in the heights near the Sandia foothills will get more than on the west side by the volcanoes.
Summer temps top out at about 100. The record in ABQ is 107 some years ago. Humidity is commonly in the 20s and often single digits. June is the hottest month. Most people have swamp coolers and not AC. At over 5000 ft. in elevation the sun will get you before the temperature will.
December is the coldest month with temps getting into the 20s a few nights and in the 50s in the afternoons. My goldfish pond did not freeze last winter.
The "monsoon season" will bring rain usually in July or August but you might see rain but not get any. Where I live (west heights) we had a pretty dry season. Rain is a local event and sometime torrential for ten minutes.
Within the city of Albuquerque there are 400 miles of bike trails or street bike routes. Outside of town there are many more bike trails. White Mesa Bike Trails is only one example but there is a tremendous amount of back country. This is the 5th largest state with only 2 million people...lots of room for bikes.
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