Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Cali Girl - please follow the Gap link below which will show Corporate jobs in San Francisco, New York, and believe it or not Albuquerque. The office in ABQ is where I met my wife. http://www.gapinc.com/public/Careers/car_wwd_hq.shtml (broken link)
However, my argument here is not over retail, and we can certainly agree to disagree. My argument with this thread is that ABQ and NM are portrayed as some Wild West Shoot Em Up state, which I have to disagree with entirely. There are many problems here, as there are in just about any city in the U.S. You just need to know which neighborhoods to stay out of.
You're right finmga1, some neighborhoods are better that others. BUT...the gangs are now making their way to the heights to get the "good stuff". Up in the foothills, where homes are starting at $400k...meth houses are starting to pop up. My good friend is a cop. I wish he didnt tell me 1/2 the stuff he does. Sometimes ignorance is bliss...
There are some some towns up in New England where people dont lock their houses at night, it's so safe. These are towns 1hr from Boston, that's pretty close to a big city. There are places out there that are very safe...much safer than ABQ.
We lived in a small quaint MA town, thought it was perfectly safe- the type of town where you don't lock your car doors when you went in for groceries.
Neighbor's house got broken into, the neighbor 2 houses up the street had a whole basement full of pot and other street drugs and was pushing drugs in the bigger town 30 minutes away. Teen pregnancy out the kazoo.
My small community in PA is now having trouble with kids breaking into vacation homes and with drunk driving. Not so bad as Albuquerque but in todays times no town is safe. Even my grandmother in upstate NY, tiny town of 1000 people locks her doors. Sad really.
Siouxlander, I'm sorry you feel that way about NM. I've lived in Albuquerque all my life (29 yrs) and it must be a TOTALLY different story than Portales, let me give my reasons.
1. I've NEVER had to call the police to investigate my neighbors...all of which have been very friendly and helpful. I have always felt safe.
2. It doesn't smell strange, different or bad at all in Albuquerque. It probably stinks in Portales because of cattle ranches & dairy farms (can't say for sure, I've never been there).
3. Hospitals are very good and attentive and give care/medication to persons of any race. I'm half hispanic, half caucasian & never had a problem getting care/medication.
4. My dentist is awesome. Never had any problems getting in and I'm always taken care of well and she is very professional.
5. The weather in Albuquerque is fantastic. Where else can you truly get all 4 seasons? Spring and fall are especially great.
6. People in Albuquerque for the most part are very friendly & pleasant. Albuquerque is very racially diverse so I've never experienced any racism myself & believe there is not very much here, everyone is accepted. You will always experience rude individuals everywhere you go but it is certainly not the norm here.
Overall I have loved living here (otherwise I would move) and feel proud to say I'm from Albuquerque, NM.
I am a very happy, cheerful person who is not depressed in the least bit, but it sounds like you are so I wish you happiness wherever you go.
Albgirl
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siouxlander
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.
You need to wise up, if not for yourself for your family's sake if they are depending on YOU for protection. Sadly, most men/women head-of-households can't even protect their own family let alone any other decent citizen they see becoming a victim in a criminal incident.
That's disgraceful.
So wake up and smell the reality:
1. NO PLACE is safe, not even your own home.
2. You -- or a family member -- is a victim just waiting to happen.
That it hasn't happened yet is only because there are too many prey animals for the criminals to get around to...but they'll get to you as soon as they can, so please be patient.
And so is Albuquerque in the better parts of town. I'm sure that's the same for Phoenix also, right? I'm just saying no matter WHERE you live nowadays, you need to have a heads-up level of awareness...and the will/tools to act if you need to.
Last time I was in Phoenix was 1980...I suppose, by your words, it has gotten worse since then. But surely, there are parts of Phoenix that are pretty nice to live in?
Sorry...just speaking the truth...human nature is what it is. It always has been. Life isn't all warm-and-fuzzies...it's sometimes very harsh. So just take care of yourself.
Anyway, getting back to the topic re: Albuquerque, to keep this thread more ON TOPIC, I have mentioned "better parts of town" but haven't identified them...I think that would be useful even though it is only MY opinion what parts of Albuquerque *I* would choose to live in. Also remember that for my particular needs I would be looking for an apartment not a house -- preferably, one with a fantastic view so it should be located in the higher elevations of the city (but of course there are houses in these same areas, too, for those looking for them).
1. I tend to prefer newer areas of town/newer neighborhoods, places that are just starting out so they should have some life to them for years to come...before they start to deteriorate and die (most neighborhoods DO have such lifespans). So consequently, the 7 Bar Ranch area north of Cottonwood Mall, up Ellison to Golf Course Rd., there is a lot of new construction going on...new houses rather than apartments, but there ARE some decent-looking fairly recently built apartments in this area (Rio Rancho is close by to the northeast). Nearby are schools (don't know how good they are though) and of course, the Cottonwood Mall -- the largest mall in NM -- lots of eateries (like the nice and newly-built Flying Star restaurant (Corales Rd.) and it's Satellite coffeeshop not too far away on Alameda...both have free WiFi which is neat), banks, Home Depots/Lowes, BestBuy, Starbucks and assorted office/computer stores, car dealerships, tire stores and just about all the other stuff you'd need is within this area. What's alos mice about the Flying Star chain in Albuquerque is that they have a "Petio" outside where people can take their pets with them and sit and eat. I even saw horses tethered outside at the Petio of the Flying Star on S. Rio Grande once.
Don't know about the crime rate in the 7-Bar Ranch area but judging from the newer neighborhood, I doubt it's anything to be concerned about.
2. The area roughly encompassed by the rectangle of Wyoming/Alameda/Spain/Tramway, and some areas east of Tramway in the lower part of the Sandia Heights and up into the High Desert area. A few apartments complexes in this area and lots of homes. Some new construction but most of the houses are older but still fairly recent. More construction is going on in the High Desert/Sandia Heights areas, but homes there start a about 500K and go up to 1M or more (nice large yards though and houses not too close together). These have OUTSTANDING views of either the Sandias (and real close to them and hiking trailheads into same) or the city of Albuquerque down below in the "bowl" and beyond out to the "Los Volcanes" way out to the West. Sandia Heights/High Desert tends to get SOME snow if there is snow in the area due to its higher elevation, even if Albuquerque does not. There is a hiking/cycling trail along Tramway and one can see lots of people using it...walking or riding with their kids/pets. Supermarkets are nearby, eateries, Starbucks (again). Not as many a variety of places like the Cottonwood Mall area but quite adequate. At the intersection of Paseo Del North and Wyoming, if you lived there, you'd have a Smiths supermarket, a very large Starbucks (my favorite one, Albuquerque motorcycle cops like it, too: I sometimes park my v-twin cruiser next to their bikes on the Starbucks patio sidewalk), Wells Fargo and a Chilis within walking distance. The County Line restaurant is at the northern end of this area on Tramway (just before you go "down the hill" towards the Sandia Casino) and it's a real nice place to go eat...much like The State Line restaurant in El Paso, TX...they could be sister restaurants they are so alike.
Again, don't know what the crime is like in this area but it doesn't seem like it would be worth worrying about.
[Item # 3 continued in next post due to word limit restrictions...]
Last edited by cloudcroft; 01-12-2007 at 12:01 AM..
3. Finally, an older part of town called 4 Hills...not a very large area of town, located near the "gap" in the Sandias where I-40 meets central, and I-40 goes through the mountain East. Mostly made up of older but decent and fairly large houses but some newer condos or apartments are in the area, too. A hiking trailhead is there, too. A supermarket is nearby, a Starbucks across the street from it, with other stores in the strip mall there. Go any further than the Starbucks/strip mall, however, and you're on "dreaded" Central Ave...after dark all the assorted low-lifes/druggies/homeless/psycho-vets/hookers and whatever else come out...not a good pace to walk about. But 4 Hills is higher up and I doubt these "questionables" get into that neighborhood.
Again, I'd need to look at police reports to see if any of the stuff that goes on at Central gets up into 4 Hills...I doubt it though.
So those are the 3 areas *I* would look at were I moving to Albuquerque...for an apartment or a house.
As for "eclectic" Rio Rancho (the older parts of that city) up on the Mesa N.E. of Cottonwood Mall -- with newer houses next to older houses, a "diverse" mix rather than homogeneous neighborhood -- Rio Rancho doesn't have much happening. Intel is THE big deal up there, taking up a few large blocks. A few apartments, fewer really nice ones, some supermarkets of course, and one NEW/just-opened by now I guess (and the only one) Starbucks between the Hilton Garden Inn and Village Inn (the ONLY chain coffeeshop in the area) -- all right across from Intel -- some banks, a Target, K-Mart and Walmart further down HWY 528 (AKA: Rio Rancho Blvd., going to Bernallilo), some eateries...and that's about it. You have what you need in Rio Rancho, but it's spread out more.
So that's where *I* would look to live were I to move to Albuquerque.
Where NOT to go?
Old Town area (downtown), Central Ave. area, and S.W. Albuquerque starting at the Coors Blvd./Central intersection and going East into downtown and then up Central. Again, I don't know what the crime rate there is but you can read about things happening in this area regularly...and it just LOOKS like crime waiting to happen as run-down as it is.
There are several Startbuck's in Rio Rancho for goodness sakes! LOL There's one in Bernallilo too and one by Pet Smart down by Cottonwood Mall.
There are tons of golf courses in Rio Rancho, an Irish Pub, lots of city activities, Defined Fitness which has some great exercise classes and different festivals and events at the various parks. There is also the new arena that recently had The Blue Man Group and I believe The Moody Blues are coming, not to mention Santa Ana Casino too.
The Starbucks in the strip mall near Cottonwood Mall bordering the Coors Bypass is not in Rio Rancho, it's in Albuquerque. Rio Rancho does not "start" until you climb up to the Mesa on Alameda and see the sign, "Welcome to Rio Rancho" (!!) -- where Alameda turns into Rio Rancho Blvd (AKA: HWY 528) -- somewhere in the vicinity of the Perfection Honda dealership. You don't get to R-R without "climbing the hill."
Yes, there are LOTS of Starbucks in Albuquerque, but only ONE in R-R and it's brand new.
And yes there's one in Bernalillo on the main drag (NM 550, not far from the Denny's, which are scarce in Albuquerque...Village Inns reign) out there very close to I-40 Exit # 242 Bernalillo, before you get to South Hill Rd. (where the USED to be Quality Inn & Suites was...hotel is still there but it was bought out by some Indians)...but that's about 14.5 miles from Cottonwood Mall and 13 miles from Rio Rancho/Intel area.
But really now, who in Rio Rancho or Cottonwood Mall area would want to drive 13 miles to go to a Starbucks in run-down/depressing Bernalillo?
And who would want to go to the also-run-down casino in Bernalillo, when there is the much nicer Sandia Casino to go to?
[rhetorical questions]
-- John D.
Last edited by cloudcroft; 01-12-2007 at 04:36 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
NM is great, sorry you feel this way
