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Actually, the official boundaries of "The International District" WOULD be a good frame of reference. Most of us know the rough boundaries.....off Central between San Mateo and Wyoming??????
Trust me, if you're in the War Zone, you'll know it. People SHOULD be concerned about crime in Abq, it is seriously bad. I love the city, have a lot of good friends there and would move back in a new York second if it were not for the crime, which has a randomness to it that is scary. Look, this is not some sort of closely held secret. Just look at the news sites online every day like I do, and you will see violent crime pretty much every single day. This is not normal, and it has been going on since I went to UNM in 1985, but admitted it was nothing like it is today. One would almost have to be purposely ignoring it to say that it's not what it is, and many of the locals are getting fed up w/ it, as all the news sites are making plain.
Unfortunately, what they refer to as the International District is largely on Central Ave in the University are, which can be pretty crazy at times. Great places to visit like the Frontier restaurant, and the college campus is one of the most welcoming I have ever seen. It's really a great campus. There's art galleries near the restaurants, coffee houses, it's one of my favorite areas besides Old Town. But until they do something abut the safety in the city I am not moving back.
Unfortunately, what they refer to as the International District is largely on Central Ave in the University are, which can be pretty crazy at times. Great places to visit like the Frontier restaurant, and the college campus is one of the most welcoming I have ever seen. It's really a great campus. There's art galleries near the restaurants, coffee houses, it's one of my favorite areas besides Old Town. But until they do something abut the safety in the city I am not moving back.
That's not where it is. The University neighborhood is west of the Nob Hill neighborhood, which is west of the International District.
Anybody can look up the boundaries: Lomas Blvd. on the north, San Mateo Blvd. on the west, Wyoming Blvd. on the east, and Gibson Blvd./KAFB on the south.
Although I'd say what people call the "war zone" has expanded east along the Central Ave. area to at least Eubank Blvd. I've never heard anyone refer to the University area as "war zone," just "student ghetto."
I think the main thing that changed was that we now have data which we didn't collect then. And we have the Internet where people can do research and obsess. So you were blissfully unaware of what was happening, which makes you think it is "bad" now.
Like any city, areas that were once new grow old, and experience decline. So neighborhoods inevitably change, and then cycle back. What used to be perceived as "safe" before may not be as "safe" now, but it's not like it's really that bad anywhere. Much of the city's housing was built in the years after WWII, and so large areas are showing their age (like me).
I have lived in Albuquerque since 1990 and have felt safe all this time, like you described yourself in the 80's. I'm not afraid to go anywhere in the city. I know elderly widows in their 90's who still get around by themselves and don't seem bothered by anything.
It should be noted that the neighborhoods you mentioned were much newer when you lived there. Those neighborhoods now are older, and since 1990 much of the population growth has taken place in the west side. The NE heights is also a very large area, with infill being the main growth factor for the past 10-15 years now. I have also noticed a change for the worse since 2014 in places like Quigley Park, Bel Air, San Mateo/Montgomery and the Uptown/Hoffmantown regions.
It should be noted that the neighborhoods you mentioned were much newer when you lived there. Those neighborhoods now are older, and since 1990 much of the population growth has taken place in the west side. The NE heights is also a very large area, with infill being the main growth factor for the past 10-15 years now. I have also noticed a change for the worse since 2014 in places like Quigley Park, Bel Air, San Mateo/Montgomery and the Uptown/Hoffmantown regions.
I lived there until 2019.
The rapid growth on the West Side and in Rio Rancho have contributed to the decline of neighborhoods on the East Side of Albuquerque, since people would rather move to a new area than invest in an aging one. This is a normal process not unique to Albuquerque. In their turn, the newer sections on the West Side and in Rio Rancho will experience their own decline. But we're getting far from the original topic.
I have been looking at houses in those 1950s east side neighborhoods roughly in the $300k range and, if well maintained, they put some of the newly built tract homes to shame, at a lower price tag. You could not build those houses for the asking price. Plus they have larger yards and some space between houses. Some have retained the original mid-century modern design features and built-ins. Most seem to have been modified over 70 years. The architecture styles are a mixed reflection of the era (flat roof regional style, California ranch style, standard suburban ‘50s styles). Some of the neighborhoods might benefit from being a conservation district.
Rio Rancho, like Albuquerque, experienced unfettered growth. Both could have benefited from a heavier dose of planning in the early years of the development boom. Developers call the shots in RR at present because there is so much room and demand is high. The combined Rio Rancho (city) and RR Estates area is nearly 170 square miles.
I have been looking at houses in those 1950s east side neighborhoods roughly in the $300k range and, if well maintained, they put some of the newly built tract homes to shame, at a lower price tag. You could not build those houses for the asking price. Plus they have larger yards and some space between houses. Some have retained the original mid-century modern design features and built-ins. Most seem to have been modified over 70 years. The architecture styles are a mixed reflection of the era (flat roof regional style, California ranch style, standard suburban ‘50s styles). Some of the neighborhoods might benefit from being a conservation district.
Rio Rancho, like Albuquerque, experienced unfettered growth. Both could have benefited from a heavier dose of planning in the early years of the development boom. Developers call the shots in RR at present because there is so much room and demand is high. The combined Rio Rancho (city) and RR Estates area is nearly 170 square miles.
Rio Rancho is an interesting place. It was basically built by AMREP, a land speculation company. Many of the early subdivisions there were placed where AMREP had contiguous holdings. That's a big reason why they built their 'downtown' out in the middle of the dunefields. The excuse why they built it up there at the time--mid 2000s-- was that all the growth will make that area all developed in a couple years, which was a total lie by the City. So yeah.. RR 'planning' was intentional and not to the benefits of the residents.
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