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Osmanthus- We have lived in the same house the entire time we have lived here. It is in the Summit Park neighborhood. Not a bad area as far as I know. I really don't mean to scare anyone off. Some people love it, it is just not for us. I always think that if we had moved here straight after Tucson it would not have been such an adjustment. Moving here from Raleigh, however, total wake up call.
BTK- I do not work at Grant but I have heard their population is very similar to ours. It really is crazy how the kids (and the parents) act toward the staff. It is amazing how many times I have been told "It's not my problem" from parents when the kids are in trouble at school. I think they believe that between the hours of 8am and 3pm they are no longer parents. (Not all of course but many at our school)
mrgoodwx- Thank you for wishing us luck. We are actually moving to the suburbs of Austin (where my program is). Much safer according to best places. Violent crime is a 2 and property crime is a 3 compared to a 7 in ABQ for both (def something we looked into). Very comparable to where we lived in NC.
Anyone who thinks Albuquerque was "planned" (at least over the last twenty years) does not know the definition of the word and does not know what a straight line looks like.
Terrible experiences! I have to hand it to those in education, because you would never catch me near that line of work!
I think the comment about parallel universes is quite accurate.
As a single woman who has lived in iffy neighborhoods in Cleveland, and even CoS, I find that a large dog or two does wonders for my feeling of safety. Plus I'm pretty lo-key and rather misanthropic. Not sure how that helps.
Anyone who thinks Albuquerque was "planned" (at least over the last twenty years) does not know the definition of the word and does not know what a straight line looks like.
You know, I can really relate to the parallel universes thing.
I really like Albuquerque and have always had great experiences there. I have some family that live there too, and they never really whine about the city like I hear here in this forum.
...but everytime I come to this forum and read remarks from these few people whose names needn't be mentioned, I suddenly feel depressed!!! It's as though they just zap the energy right outta me, so that I feel as mean, pist, and angry at the world as they do - but everyone's perspective of places is different. So I gotta let it be - and keep enjoying Albuquerque as I always have.
Can't wait to go there this Christmas to spend time with my sister and her husband in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. :-)
In addition to being dangerous, Albuquerque is an ageist, sexist,
racist place filled with people who judge you ...
I know. It's also full of people who generalize and paid whole
groups with a broad brush and complain all the time.
I just hate that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by catrinac
Take it down a notch you grey haired freaks, ...
Oh yeah, I forgot. Full of hypocrites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by catrinac
It is truly scary to think I was happier ... [ ... in SLC ... ] ...
I don't know what's scarier:
(1) Someone who lives somewhere where they hate it and doesn't leave.
(2) Someone who returns to a place that they hate with a passion.
(3) Someone who can't function without crabbing all the time.
in addition to being dangerous, albuquerque is an ageist, sexist, racist place filled with people who judge you based on what they "think" they know about you. I have encountered this almost daily since i got back. Salt lake, the town i am so fond of mentioning:d was not nearly as dangerous and obnoxious. Take it down a notch you grey haired freaks. You don't know me. It is truly scary to think i was happier (and safer) surrounded by cult members (the lds) and mountains (the wasatch front)!!
My husband and I have been here 2 1/2 years. We cannot wait to leave. I love the balloon fiesta and the nature trails but cannot stand the crime rate and the thugs. Just yesterday, someone hit my car twice in traffic then took off and then a guy tried to run us over in a parking lot after he finished yelling obscenities at another driver pulling out. This is just an example of some of the craziness we have seen since living here.
I work at a local middle school and have had at least 3 weapons in my classroom each year since I have been here. Last year while looking for a gun they found drugs on a girl (lots of drugs- she was selling for her mom). My students have no idea how to handle confrontation without throwing punches or stabbing. I do not work in a horrible part of town either.
What people have said about the lack of wanting a good education is true. Most of our kids couldn't care less about school. Parents will not call back or come in for a conference. they figure their kids are our problem for 7 hours a day. Also, this state does not appreciate an educated workforce. I have my M.Ed and because of that get $1 a year extra from APS- $1!
I do have friends here and there are some very nice people but I will not miss looking over my shoulder and having to be hyper aware of my surroundings. I am tired of hearing gunshots from my backyard most Sat nights and having the neighbors sell drugs in front of their house. I do not live in a bad area either it just seems to be everywhere here.
I think people who have lived here for a long time just begin to think this is normal. It is not normal. We have lived in 4 different states and have never felt this way.
Just my 2 cents
It's unfortunate you fell this harshly about the area. Although I don't live in ABQ now, and may return in 12-15 months, I didn't feel unsafe as you present it.
No, I never worked for APS and would not work for a public school system in most parts of this country. What you describe is not limited to ABQ. Remember the shooting incidents at other public school across this country in recent years.
Even in Minneapolis, where the locals there think they don't have a problem at all, there have been gun incidents in their schools, too. I know. I lived in Minneapolis for nearly 13 years.
I would say many people in this country believe how they raise their children, what they allow to watch on TV when the parents are doing something else, allowing them cell phones, and dress in all different manners is not limited to ABQ. It is all over. Just today, someone's senior high school daughter is doing her senior project on "tattoos." Hey, maybe she'll become a sociology major in college. Remember the balloon kid in Colorado? Yea, his parents are raising those kids well, too. They probably got off to a bad start with the naming of the kids.
I was in several workplaces in ABQ. I know that a good many of the employees were immature. I saw this at several call centers. But, they were call centers. The call centers themselves pretty much hired people off the streets, every day.
As for parking lot stuff, I know it is different in ABQ. It is probably one reason why you will find many speed bumps in lots. But, I was never run over by someone. I was never hit by someone in ABQ. I lived there 20 months. But, then again, I'm a very skilled driver; very skilled defensive driver; and haven't had a moving violation since 1988.
Here in Omaha, just within a month of my moving here, I was nearly hit by some female (I'm a female) backing out of a Walgreen's parking space and I was going about 10 mph. She didn't even look in her rear view mirror. I avoided the crash, my ABS brakes went into good action, and I just stared her down at her until she was out of sight. I figured she was looking at a cell phone.
This will happen all the time now, in every state of the country, until something is done about it on a real serious basis.
I think if you want a real good public school experience, where all the students are perfect, then I would suggest an area where homogeneity reigns. Many students and young kids in ABQ don't come from good homes. Unfortunately, it is cyclical and generational. It is difficult to break that cycle. I saw this in Richmond, VA, for many years that I lived there, too. Only a different culture which had the problems, and still does.
Yes, the parents of these kids aren't involved in many ways, but you fill find that in many public schools in this country. I know someone who has worked at a Falls Church, VA, public school for many, many years. Those kids are multi-ethnic and many are Hispanic. She told me years ago that the main difference between kids in public school and those in parochial/private is that the parents in the private schools are much more involved in their childrens lives. It's all about parental involvement.
I would suggest a public school environment in the Dakotas or a taking a good cut in pay and working in a parochial school system, or within a smaller district.
When you leave New Mexico and teach elsewhere, please give us an update about the school environment in that new area. And, remember the school murder cases were in nice "white" places as Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky.
I feel that some of those fresh out of college seem to think the only job for them is the one at the top.
They do not seem to be willing to work any job just to make ends meet. They want it handed to them, and not have to get their hands dirty.
I can remember after high school I needed a job, any job. I was not too proud to work in a sardine factory canning fish. Not the most glamerous job by any means, but hey it paid my bills. I'm sure being a bank president would of been much better, but it didn't hurt me to do what I did. If anything, I learned and grew from it.
I do see this perhaps as part of the problem. I did have my job opportunities in Albuquerque, and I will admit, I blew them. I was confused and not sure where I wanted to go in my working life. And, I probably have been like that since about 2001. But, with the latest deep recession and what I've seen, I now have a firmer grasp on things.
As for ABQ, I had opportunities in 2008. Quite a few for full time, permanent jobs, at decent pay. But, I didn't see the forest for the trees. I wanted to do other things, too, like do more schooling at CNM, although I did possess a bachelor's degree and even masters work. I just could not give the work world, and only the work world, a shot. I still needed to do more at the same time.
So, I passed up jobs at Verizon and a few other call centers. I didn't keep my mouth shut on a store job after that. I was arrogant. Then, when I got a job in 2009, with a small CPA firm, at a very good pay, I learned to keep my mouth shut. Then, when the recession really hit ABQ, I couldn't find additional work when the CPA got rid of her major account (she was tired of it) and my hours were cut.
Am I a recent college grad. Hell no. I'm 46, and was told a few years by my nephew who was born when I was 25 how he acts on a new job. (He is a senior at the Univ of Delaware, and had a part time job a bank for nearly two years, then was asked by a different bank to work for them, and has been there for nearly two years, in addition to succeeding as a four month intern at KWY TV in Philadelphia and also being asked to volunteer for another semester in the radio production at Delaware, where he recently was asked to interview former Secretary of State Colin Powell.) So, a few years ago, he wrote to me in an email, "I know it may sound snotty, but for the first few months on a job, I don't say much to people. I'm not mean or unfriendly, but just keep my mouth shut. And, it works, and then after that we have good relationships on the job.
No doubt is was a personality flaw with me, but I never learned how to play the game on jobs, until recently. Even in Omaha, where I am now for about 15 months, I had to learn what makes for good employee relationships and what pisses people off.
And, now, when I did get a job at a grocery store, just to have money coming in, I'm doing fairly well, keeping my mouth shut, not gossiping, not talking negatively, and everyone likes working with me - young and older, for the most part. I probably was somewhat immature at times in my lifetime to date.
And, when I didn't get in at a corporate office recently (I think due to my age and many corporations are interested in recruits from college), I figured what I have is ok for now. I decided I don't need that fast track career any more. In fact, I don't even need a career, anymore. And, when I return to ABQ, which probably will happen in 15 months, I figure I will have a different mind set and will gladly take a job paying $8/hour for 30 hours per week, so I can work on my paralegal training for my own business someday.
I know I had the job ops when I was there, and I blew them. I didn't rule out call centers or any similar jobs. I was willing to work at Ross. Steady income is a real plus, and I'm seeing that now even if I'm making $7.55/hour.
For this reason, I will never take on debt again.
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We Built This City on Rocky Road
Bradly? 
Care to explain yourself? 
