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I taught in the Gallup-McKinley Co. School District for 3 years (2002-2005). I stay in contact w/ a few people there, one of whom is a veteran teacher. We discuss her job frequently and it doesn't sound like anything has changed for the better. It's kind of sad.
I've lived in Gallup for almost four years. I have enjoyed my time here, but I'm leaving next month with a job transfer.
My two cents:
The panhandling is out of control. I will not allow my wife and children to go downtown after dark. Expect to be approached about half the time you shop at Walmart.
Gallup's lifeblood is supplying alcohol to the Navajos (the Navajo Nation is a dry reservation, so the border towns have a booming business supplying alcohol). The last mayor tried to clean it up, but he left and the new mayor is "old school." Expect the alcohol and street crime problem to get worse, not better. Public drunkeness is not against the law, and it's depressingly common to see public urination, vomiting and bloodshed in the area around 2nd and Coal...the heart of downtown. When the drunks are picked up, if they are Navajo, they are taken to a facility called NCI where they are treated for alcohol dependency, kept for a few days, then released. There will be 30 or 40 people taken in each day, but because it's a civil commitment and not a crime, it isn't reflected in crime statistics.
The superintendent of Gallup-McKinley County schools was recently forced out, by all appearances due to her race. One Navajo politician was quoted in the paper as saying that she should be fired because she's white, he's a lawyer and in his opinion, it's only illegal to discriminate if the jury finds against you. She took a buyout instead of being fired.
It's extremely cold here in the winter. With all due respect, anyone who says winter in the mountains at 6500 feet is "mild" has a different definition than I do. It's pretty common for overnight lows to reach below zero. The lowest recorded temperature was -34 in 1990. I personally quite like the extreme weather swings, but I don't think it's "mild" at all.
On the plus side, Gallup has an extremely vibrant Catholic community and newcomers are made to feel welcome. Summer and fall are spectacular, and I love the red rock buttes. There are several top notch mountain biking trails. My wfie likes to say we're in the middle of nowhere but in the middle of everything. Canyon deChelly, the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque, Phoenix, El Morro, Chaco Canyon, Four Corners, Durango...they are all within about four hours, max.
If I had a choice, I probably wouldn't come here without a good reason.
Last edited by Prodigal Coug; 06-19-2007 at 01:43 AM..
I came upon this old thread because I may have an opportunity to teach in Gallup. How is it teaching in the high schools? I teach science and it looks like all of them need science teachers.I am an avid mountain biker, so the idea of great trail is a definite plus. What side of town are the trails?
Looks like we will have to include Gallup on our research trip this summer. We already like Socorro but are looking around. I am an environmental scientist (air & water quality) with a knack for metal working (been at it more or less since I was 10 years old) so I guess some part time jobs might be available. I am retiring after all.
My wife is currently helping to produce a cable TV show. Is there a local cable studio in the area?
The weather sounds fantastic but so does the weather all over NM except for the very furthest north. The ageing bones are sick of the cold and wet.
Greg, in all honesty, if it were me I would consentrate on Socorro but give Gallup a look, what one person sees as heaven, others see as HELL. We haven't lived in Gallup, have friends that did, we have spent many nights there on trips across 40. I see very little that would appeal to me. The poverty, crime and alcohol problems are totally out of control. I also have found it on the dirty side.
What some people find dirty, others find "unpretentious."
That's exactly why I made the comments I did about some finding a place heaven and another finding the same place Hell. We all have opinions, I hope that is what the OP would like to hear, both sides.
I spent a day in Gallup last year doing photography. It is one of those historic towns along Route 66 which hasn't grown too large to hide its historic flavor. There are lots old buildings and hotels and so on. It's located in a hilly area where there are more trees than in areas further north, which improves the scenery. I didn't have much opportunity to interact with people, but there was a variety of them, like most places. There are many native Americans. The Zuni, Navajo and Acoma Indian reservations are nearby. See [url=http://new-mexico.untraveledroad.com/McKinley/Gallup.htm]Gallup, New Mexico Photo Tour in 691 Images | Untraveled Road[/url].
Been through Gallup several times, my impressions are that it is just another sad looking place along I40, lots of service industry places, but not much else here. If you want any type job, you had better be bi-lingual (Spanish or Athabaskan (Navajo) to have a real chance, as just about every customer who shops here seems to be...
Los Lunas might be a better fit, more of a bedroom community of Albuquerque, but extensively developed along their one I25 exit and the schools are more modern and progressive than most..
Poverty- Gallup is one of the poorest if not THE poorest towns in the state. Its population is actually dropping, very strange for a New Mexican town.
Politics- Gallup is a very liberal town, if you are a conservative like me that is a bad thing.
Crime- Very high I am afraid.
Weather- Quite mild most of the year, very windy in the spring, occasionally very low temps in the winter.
I came across this blog and had to answer I have lived in gallup all my life and recently decided to move. First off it is a very sad poor looking town they don't do anything to fix it up and there are so many drunks around that sleep drink on the streets its ridiculous. They could make gallup look a lot better but they don't even bother fixing the dang roads. And yes lately there had been a lot of crime ally of break ins into vehicles also there has been 2 shootings in the past 2 months 1 shooting occurred on the east side of town at a store a young boy died there is a lot of gang nonsense also. The weather wouldn't be so bad if the city would take care of the roads better so your able to drive on them to get to work then there is a lot of accidents here. The best place to live would be by the hospital think there is a lot of work that can be done here in gallup but no one wants to do it. Drugs and alcohol are a big problem here in gallup even with young adolescents they could talk about opening a rehabilitation center and a homeless shelter if the community would see the city make a difference then we would get together and help clean up gallup but I guess we might have to do it anyways without the city's help just all the long time residents of gallup who love gallup in there own little way need to get together and start to clean up gallup .well I wish u the best on moving here its like 10 years behind of all other city's.
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