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To the OP: ABQ is not a retirement community (though Rio Rancho, a suburb of ABQ is somewhat), and plenty of young people (myself included) have moved to ABQ in recent years. There's a major university in the middle of town. There are amazing opportunities for hiking, biking, rock climbing, etc if you're outdoorsy. Denver has these outdoors opportunities as well, but not quite the diversity of options (or diversity of population). From what I remember demographics are similar to Tuscon, AZ - another town of ABQ's size - though in my experience, Tuscon has more retirees and more in the 18-22 college demographic, whereas ABQ has a larger number of 20-30 somethings, but that could just be my perception.
I would say Nob Hill and downtown are good bets - but anywhere within about 1 mile of downtown/university area you should consider as possibilities, if you're looking for a walkable pub/cafe scene. There are also a number of newer condo/apt buildings in these areas.
As for education - I know many here who are passionate teachers and are doing fine on their salaries, it's not exactly the horror story that Billygoatthekid paints it as. You will find lower salaries, but again I'll say what people have been saying all over these boards for years - ABQ is a darn cheap place to live, especially if you are in your twenties, don't need alot of space and are renting. You'll be amazed if you're coming out here from the east coast.
Looks like I'll be moving to ABQ in a couple months. Neighborhood safety is my prominent concern. Does anyone have recommendations for safe, quiet neighborhoods? I'm middle aged, and am not focusing on nightlife so much.
2 middle-aged GWMs will be moving to Albuquerque. Neither of us have ever been to Albuquerque but are moving there from the mid-west mainly for the weather. We are not into the "scene" at all. We are looking for a newer home (less than 5 years old) @ $400K, not too far from restaurants and shopping (Walmart is not the kind of shopping I mean.) I don't want a large yard or a neighborhood full of kids. We highly prefer an area near jogging/biking/running trails since we both are physically active. Must not be near noise makers, i.e. airport, hospital, fire station, busy highway, etc. We will not be commuting, both telecommute from home, so good internet service is a must. Can anyone offer recommendations of area(s) to consider (other than "don't move here, stay away, we don't need your kind here, etc!") We are considering renting for one year to check the area out ourselves, but only if we could find a furnished rental home, but moving twice is a real hassle. Any thoughts?
Ha, so moving 4 times must really suck!? That's what I did, I moved around ABQ for the last 4 years until my job took me elsewhere. $400k is a solid, more than ample amount for Abq. With that budget, I would recommend neighborhoods along Paseo Del Norte from I25 east to Tramway. Living off Tramway might be possible with that budget too, though some of those houses get up near 7 figures and above. Tramway or "the foothills" is regarded by many as the best/richest/most exclusive and beautiful part of the city, and home prices reflect that. Take a drive around there and it's easy to see why. I'd recommend the square created by Paseo Del Norte, Tramway, Academy, and Wyoming. This corner of town is probably what you're looking for.
For fast Internet, you'll inevitably go with comcast cable Internet, you might want to opt for the higher speeds available, and their dvr's are archaic with hands down the worst customer service I've ever experienced. DSL from century link I have never used, but if they offer some high speeds, you might want to try that out too, if you plan on having a home phone # as well.
2 middle-aged GWMs will be moving to Albuquerque. Neither of us have ever been to Albuquerque but are moving there from the mid-west mainly for the weather. We are not into the "scene" at all. We are looking for a newer home (less than 5 years old) @ $400K, not too far from restaurants and shopping (Walmart is not the kind of shopping I mean.) I don't want a large yard or a neighborhood full of kids. We highly prefer an area near jogging/biking/running trails since we both are physically active. Must not be near noise makers, i.e. airport, hospital, fire station, busy highway, etc. We will not be commuting, both telecommute from home, so good internet service is a must. Can anyone offer recommendations of area(s) to consider (other than "don't move here, stay away, we don't need your kind here, etc!") We are considering renting for one year to check the area out ourselves, but only if we could find a furnished rental home, but moving twice is a real hassle. Any thoughts?
Zip 87104 (West old town) has some newer houses, walkable to restaurants and shopping depending on where you go exactly, and the river trail nearby.
To OP......I'm moving to NM to be a teacher also shortly.......one cool thing about NM teacher licensure is it guarantees at least $50K with a Masters. ($30/$40/$50K for BS/BS + 20/Masters) Pleased to find this out when getting my NM license.
Hi! When I was born, my father was stationed at Kirtland AFB but we left shortly there after. Since then we have contemplated moving back, but never did. Now I am in a position to where my parents are ready to retire and we all want to move back to Albuquerque (35 years later, but better late than never right???). Anyways, I have a bunch of questions, can anyone help me?
1. I have a 9 year old biracial daughter and I would like to find the best school for her that has a limited amount of bullying (her school was on the national news for a bullying incident, so I guess I'm a bit paranoid about that) but has an exceptional staff with a great academic program. She will be going into the fifth grade and I really can't afford private school at the moment, so what are the public schools like?
2. I have a bachelor's degree in History, but most of my background is clerical/administrative. What is the job situation like? Will I be able to find work and if so, how long should it take me? What is the median income of an entry level clerical position? Where are some of the best places to work?
3. The area I live in right now is very light on social activities, both youth and adult. Around here, if you aren't into soccer, lacrosse, football or basketball you are just out there and for some reason people act like the arts is a naughty word. Basically I live in a super rural farming community (oh and hunting, it seems to be the only thing people think about after harvest time). I want to engage my daughter and myself in a multitude of activities, any suggestions?
4. My mother will be with me while my father finishes selling our farm (see, told you farming community) and getting his things together to retire, then he will be joining us and the two of them will buy their own house. She is not in the best of health, she is anemic, high blood pressure, severe nerve damage in her legs, and has asthma. None of the doctors here care about helping to treat her problems, they just prescribe pill after pill that doesn't work. How are the doctors and hospitals there? She says that once she gets there and out of this dismal community, she will feel much better and wants to paint the town red (and hit Cottonwood Mall).
5. I'm terrified of spiders, you would think I wouldn't be given that we live on a farm and every harvest there is an influx of spiders coming in the house from the fields, but I still scream like a little girl every time I see one. I have heard of tarantulas on the mesa and out in the bosque, but how common are they in town? Stupid question, I know, but I gotta ask.
6. I drive on back country roads for the most part. I drive sometimes in Columbus, but only when I have to go there for work purposes. See, told ya rural community.... Anyways, it isn't that I "can't" drive in traffic situations, I just prefer not to. How is traffic down there and how is driving there compared to Ohio?
7. Since my nearest neighbor is about a mile from me and crime is virtually unheard of here, what is the crime situation like down there? What neighborhoods have the highest amount of it? See, pretty straightforward question
8. Costs of groceries, gas, and utilities are a big concern. I know, I could look at one of those cost of living estimators, but I wanted to get an actual human side of the story.
Anyways, I think that is all I can come up with at the moment. We will probably be moving in June so that kiddo can finish out the rest of this school year, so we definitely have time to think about things. Thanks for all of your help!!!!!
Moving to Albuquerque in 6 months...opinions wanted.
My wife is retiring later this year and we will be buying a home in Albuquerque. I'm leaning towards the Ventana Ranch area. Any suggestions for a nice neighborhood will be greatly appreciated. We currently are in Southern California and hate it. Traffic. ...fake people and ridiculous prices. Looking forward to starting over. I'm in sales and she is a loan document notary.
Depends on your budget. Lots of nice areas in ABQ. If you haven't visited with this goal in mind, do so, after checking out different neighborhoods online. I'll throw a few suggestions here which qualify as nice in my opinion. Sandia Park, Cedar Crest, and Tiejaras. These three are my favorites.
My wife is retiring later this year and we will be buying a home in Albuquerque. I'm leaning towards the Ventana Ranch area. Any suggestions for a nice neighborhood will be greatly appreciated. We currently are in Southern California and hate it. Traffic. ...fake people and ridiculous prices. Looking forward to starting over. I'm in sales and she is a loan document notary.
Funny, when I think of Ventana Ranch I think of California and traffic. It's not that it's expensive, with tiny homes, or old housing stock, but if you're looking for a change from the Southern California lifestyle, you need to dump the whole mentality of "I have to live as far away from everything as possible and I'll just drive in and fight the traffic". If you really do crave that lifestyle and just want to be out of California, Ventana Ranch might be just your speed.
Ventana Ranch is still what I'd consider a neighborhood, with the homes all similar to each other in age and median income bracket. If I never needed to leave the house and had no ties to the area, it'd be just fine.
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Thinking of moving to Albuquerque
Moving to Albuquerque in 6 months...opinions wanted.
