Thinking of moving to Albuquerque any advice?

My sister lived in Albuquerque & it was great. The food was great, the weather wonderful, housing was fairly cheap and its centrally located to Santa Fe, Dallas and not that far Las Vegas. There are a lot of military retirees in the area, but apparently car insurance are really high due to all drunk driving accidents and there's fairly serious drug problem. There are a lot of transplants in the area so while you said you aren't very sociable, it could be kind of lonely depending on the community you live int.

Thanks r1 I also hear that car break-ins are a big thing there too. Seeing bars over the windows of houses wasn't exactly a cozy thing, but then again I didn't get a chance to go all over the city. I'm sure there are safer places. I was right near Old Town for the duration of my stay.

I had my car stolen while eating in Old Town! I lived in Rio Rancho about 15 years ago and the crime wasn’t too bad in that area.

I've never lived there, but have been for business multiple times. It is fine. It is like a lot of mid size American cities. Plenty of movie theaters, grocery stores, etc. Everything 99% of people would need to live a comfortable life. If opera or stage theater is your thing, then ... you may have trouble, but like I said, 99%.

There are good and bad neighborhoods like any city. Public transportation is not great (but outside of select east coast cities and maybe Chicago, where is it good?).

I've considered moving there myself because you can get a mansion for what a studio costs in Boston, San Fran, etc. but the only thing I'd caution about is the weather. It isn't brutally hot like Phoenix or Palm Springs, but ... it gets hot (low to mid 90's every day from June to early September). Too much for me, but if you can stand it (and every place has A/C).

Here's a 102-year-old house for $899,000.

[R4]: No opera? Really? Within 1 hour's express train from Albu to SFe, and a taxi drive to one of the most innovative opera companies in the world?

I know that Santa Fe has a vibrant arts scene R6, but the OP ruled it out, so I didn't mention it. Plus, I've been on that ride, and while the train ride is nice, it is (driving to the station, getting on the train, train time, getting off the train, Uber, rinse repeat), a 5 hour ride (RT) to see a 2 hour show in Santa Fe. Not worth it IMHO if you are a regular.

I lived there in the 80’s. If you like the outdoors, central and northern NM is great. However, it is a bit provincial, and the crime is bad... the food is good, and the arts in santa Fe are amazing. I thought summers were mild.. winter can be cold. It takes about 6 months to aclamate to the altitude. Live the the NE heights if you can.

I LIKED IT THERE, YES NO HUMIDITY IS NICE, SO ARE THE NATIVES. ENJOY UR NEW LIFE THERE.

[quote]there's fairly serious drug problem

Really? Who knew?

R7 What opera do you know of that is a mere 2 hours?

They never forgot me

OP, no offense but you seem extremely spoiled. Marin County? Really? A condominium for two grand? Thank your lucky stars you aren't living in roach-infested government housing in East Kentucky.

r13=Kim Davis

Damn, R12, you beat me to it. Ethel Mae Potter. Albuquerque never forgot her.

R13 Yes, indeed I am spoiled. So spoiled in fact, that I am thinking of moving to the tropical paradise known as Albuquerque. You nailed it. Well done you.

R14: Is Kim Davis all you know about Kentucky?

R16: Typical Generation X: immature, sarcastic and self-centered. You should be spanked.

Touché R11. Add another hour to my RT time.

You rent and your job is transportable; doesn't sound like it would be much of a gamble. On the off-chance you didn't like it after two years, you could always move.

Thanks r19. That is very true, though move to where from there? I guess I'll cross that bridge later if it comes to that. I do shudder to think how much it is going to cost to haul my shit to NM from here. But I'll probably save that right back after a few months of way less rent. I also think now is the time to start throwing/donating a ton of crap I've "collected" over the last 30 years. There is a term (and a book!) for it, Swedish Death Cleaning. I know, so cozy sounding, but some great ideas behind the grim title.

I was just there a few days ago for the first time - gorgeous natural scenery but I could feel the affect of the altitude.

I just looked up rent prices in Albuquerque on HotPads and holy shit is it CHEAP! I have no idea where the good areas are but I did not feel unsafe anywhere.

Looks like you can get a good 1BR for less than $1000 a month - or even less than $800 a month. That's pretty incredible.

Don't?

[quote]I do shudder to think how much it is going to cost to haul my shit to NM from here

Things that would cost more than moving:

1 A Carnival poop cruise

2. Cat Eyes brow lift

3. Meth-head boyfriend

4. Thai Lady Boys

5. Collecting pre-revolutionary war china

6. Completing your Towle service for 24

For an urban eldergay it would be a letdown. I lived there for 4 long years. Many married Hispanic men to chose from in the bookstores. Lot's of big belt buckles and fake snakeskin boots. If you like cowboy stuff go for it. Housing is cheap, most people of "means" live in Northeast Heights or the area around the university NobHill . Heathcare is poor , lots of drugs, very few black people , might be a good place to retire in your 70s if you are in good health .

Wait ... there's a NEW Mexico?

Bump

Tucson is similar, but much better choice.

My friend moved there. She became a Deplorable. Then she died.

Not that you will. But stay away from the OxyContin.

[Quote]Looks like you can get a good 1BR for less than $1000 a month - or even less than $800 a month. That's pretty incredible.

I guess it doesn't take much to get queens excited these days. So sad.

What about Santa Fe, anyone?

I love in these threads how someone who lived in a place 30 years ago feels the need to chime in, as if time has stood still since then.

If you want a little more scenery, OP, there are places outside Denver that are cheaper than the city itself, and you could always go in for the nightlife on the weekends.

I lived in Albuquerque for almost a year, my thoughts.

Look for a place in the northeast, near or on the mountains, you're less likely to be a crime victim. Get used to tasteless green chilis in everything. Be ready for heavy snows falls in the winter. Locals are ugly and uneducated.

I hated it and moved away as quickly as I got a job somewhere else.

*snowfalls

They say you don't really know a place until you've lived there 5 years R32.

New Mexico has a high crime rate and a high poverty rate.

The green chile everyone goes on about is tasteless, r32?

I’ve never had it, and this disappoints me deeply.

Bugs Bunny made a lot of mistaken left turns in Albuquerque.

R32 is dead wrong. Hatch chiles are delicious.

Damn good sopaipillas though.

Some of the best food I've ever had in my life was on my recent trip to ABQ. Not just New Mexican food either. There is a pizza place called Amore that is fucking divine. The absolute best BBQ ever can be found at Mr Powdrell's Barbeque House. Their beef ribs are to die for!

Op Flagstaff Arizona is really nice too.

New Mexico just sounds too crime ridden and unsafe. Why move there? You can get cheap rent elsewhere. Move down south for cheap rent. Find a lovely place south of Savannah or something. What about Asheville NC? It’s a nice little town for the gays.

New Mexico? No Thanks.

r41 Low information recommender. Not that it stops them.

No water. Drought. Very serious drought. And then there is no water. Nothing Green, very little green, hardly enough green with so much drought.

Thanks everyone for your input so far! R41 Arizona is totally out of the question. Also, any place with super high humidity and/or serious snow. Especially serious snow as I have a phobia about it. I think I died in an avalanche in a past life or something. I know I sound like a picky cunt, but I'm at least old enough (too old!) to know what I want to avoid.

OP we’ve had threads on Asheville here before. It’s a good inexpensive place to live, liberal and very gay friendly. Not sure about humidity, but id take a little summer humidity over living in crime ridden Albuquerque

People seem to appreciate low humidity but I can't stand it. I was in Albuquerque for two days recently and the humidity was between 5-8% the whole time. My sinuses and nasal passages felt dry and irritated as did my eyes - I had to take out my contacts several times and rinse them because they were desiccating.

Asheville is no longer cheap.

Green chilies are too mild for my taste, I prefer jalapeño peppers or cayenne peppers. I didn't care for the food in general. I like Mexican food, but only from Northern California which has probably been compromised by all gringos. New Mexico's version of Mexican food was too authentic, too much menudo and less carnitas.

I was surprised by the snow there, but it is a high desert and I had two friends that were trapped in my home for a couple of days because of the amount of snow that had fallen, but there were only two snow storms while I lived there.

But the most difficult part of the climate to get used to (for me) was the dryness. I've lived near the coast almost all of my life and didn't realize how used I am to humidity. it's so dry and brown there. I missed trees and grass, even living through a couple of droughts in CA was better than living in Albuquerque.

The New Mexicans I knew we're men who lived just long enough to sire sons who in turn also died young after their sons were born, despite the women always miscarrying, having still borns, or birthing children who die within a year.

I'd steer clear.

what r32 said,

3 years ago I was living in Queens and hating every second of my life there. It was a specially brutal winter so I walked through knee deep snow to the corner deli for some coffee. There was a magazine at the deli with an article comparing Brooklyn (the center of the universe) to other American cities. Up until then all I knew about Albuquerque was that it was the location for Breaking Bad but in the magazine's article Albuquerque came up looking pretty good. Weeks later I was on a plane to New Mexico. I arrived late at night so my first impression was that it was a sleepy town. "Oh, oh...looks like I fucked up" was my first thought. I headed to the room I had rented at a retired carpenter's house in downtown already regretting my decision but in the morning when I looked out the window I saw 2 giant air balloons floating in the sky, I ran out to get a better look at this spectacle and a weird bird crossed the street. I asked the carpenter "what the hell is that?' and he said "Oh, it's just a roadrunner". That's when I fell in love with the city.

Of course it has many problems, crime being the mayor one. As one meme says: "Albuquerque, come for the green chile, stay because someone stole your car"

OP, I think because you’re unhappy with your condo and yes, people in Marin can be trying, you think you’re likely to be happier elsewhere. But I’m not so sure. You won’t really know what you miss about Marin County until you move away. You’ve said you don’t get out much, but do you really want to trade an amazing climate, Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, Tomales Bay and a politically liberal environment for endless strip malls, extreme heat, cold winters and a lack of greenery?

Lots of bay area gays retired to Silver City and got stuck there wishing they were anywhere else.

Sorry OP I was wrong. You sound like a miserable wretch. ABQ is perfect for you.

I've lived in Quirky 'Burque for two decades. It's got great weather, lovely people and unfortunately many social problems. And my car was stolen too. But hey the Sandia Mountains make up for it and the food is great. And it's affordable. It also has a sense of history lacking in Southwest cities like Phoenix and Vegas. And it's not hellahot. You can ski, bicycle, rock climb and hike to your heart's content. Lots of lowbrow and highbrow culture and Santa Fe and Taos are close. A combo of great and challenging at times. But it's home!

I was born in Albuquerque but I never lived there.

I just left Albuquerque traveling to my sister's. Residents said it didn't snow often or much. I really ,liked the city.

I am here now for Thanksgiving A bit chilly but a nice town.

Learn how to drive defensively and pray... worst drivers I've seen in the States.

Lived there in the 80s when I was in 5th and sixth grade. The crime and social problems were apparent even then. People were friendly and I liked the food. We lived in four hills area in the southeast, but the NE heights were nice too. University area had nicer areas as well. Been back a few times and while the city has grown, its still very recognizable, unlike say Dallas, Denver or Phoenix. Winters were OK, no worse than other cities out west really. The most striking thing is the scenary: mountains and incredible sunsets, fantastic range of colors. Sounds corny but it is kind of a new-agey spiritual place. Central and northern NM are the best, southern part of the state is one big dust bowl.

I am here now. Went out late last night to the dirty bookstore. Lots of handsome latino guys around.

what is this bookstore like? Where is it? That can’t be the all there is to the sex scene. Any bath houses or leather bars?

Back in the late 80's and early 90's all the sex store are near the main drag of ABQ which is Central Ave. Gay bars are also near Central too. The "cruise" parking lot was also there. That was a big place to hit up gays and Navajo trannies who all called themselves "Vanjie." I went to the clubs downtown. There was one I think was called The Zone or The Cave? Everything in the club had big fake rocks everywhere. The front room was a bar and stage and the back room was a dance floor with dance cages. It was fun.

Thanks for all of this great input everyone, I appreciate it more than you know. Keep it coming if you feel like it. The car stealing/breaking into thing is admittedly one of my bigger concerns, and yes, my boyfriend nearly got wiped out crossing the street by some speeding lunatic last time we were there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From the Plains here, but I thought Albuquerque was very ugly. All dirt and scrub brush. Also thought that Santa Fe was the most over-rated place I've ever been. Give me grass and trees and seasons every time. Why haven't you looked around more? Since you work from home, you can literally live anywhere.

Thanks R66 I have been looking but not finding. Beyond frustrating and any suggestions welcome! Not all of Albuquerque is ugly, and I'm pretty much a hermit anyway, so the greenery of Marin is a bit lost on me these days.

If you are afraid of car-theft consider a stick shift car.

Here you go, OP. Looks like all the big touring shows play in Albuquerque.

OP, wherever you go there you are! Moving may make sense, but also consider , you live in an awesome place most would love to live and yet you are “bummed”.

It makes sense to move to save money. Or change of weather ,etc. but you still will have to face your attitude about life, which seems sort of down.

Op, I was recently there and shopped for real estate and was very surprised how inexpensive it is. Nice town and it didn't seem dangerous to me at all. I have made a bid on a place in NE Albuqueque in the hills.

I lived there in the ‘80’s. It takes about 4-6 months to adjust to the altitude. If you’re a type A person, you will hate it there- The locals will take 2 days to put a person on fire out...everything is slow. If you like nature, it is beautiful. The food is interesting. High crime.. rather poor. I liked living there.. would never live there again

I visited a friend once in Albuquerque with a look towards moving there. I've lived most of my life on the east coast and traveled to Europe, Asia and Central America and ABQ was one place where I really felt like a foreigner. Yes obviously I was a foreigner in China but maybe because I expected it to be foreign and New Mexico is in the US so I thought it would be more familiar? I just did not get the culture. Cowboy boots and hats, the beans and corn-based food, the turquoise and silver, the Western Art galleries, all very superficial stuff but just completely uninteresting to me. It was a weird reaction.

r37

No, he made a lot of mistaken right (or other turns). The quote is "I knew I should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque"

Albuquerque cost of living: 8% less than the national average. That and mild winters is all I want.

R62, I know there are 3 gay clubs, 2 in downtown and 1 in Nob Hill but I've never heard of that bookstore. Where is it?

Flagstaff is cold and has tons of snow. Santa Fe is snobby and very cliquey. What about Palm Springs?

Did you end up moving there OP?

it fucking snows there?

What a crock of shit!

Don’t they have tarantulas? I can’t live anywhere with them.

It's Tucson's twin. Same setup with the mountains. Same small city feel. Same generally liberal populace. Colder than Tucson, same intense summer thunderstorms.

It is beautiful. Gentle climate compared to the fly over places. Sunny. I loved going there from Tucson. Cheap living. Great skiing up the road.

OP sounds like you could afford the nicest areas of town and still come out ahead, cost wise. If you don't go out much you should be fine. Get a place with a garage, sounds like.

To those saying " I visited there and it is nice" just can't understand what others are saying. Stay there at least 6 months and then you'll understand. Yes, there are parts that are pretty but there is more to the city than that. Crime has always been high. I lived there in the 80's and 90's. Crime never got me but I knew many who it did. Yes, EVERYTHING is slow there so if you slightly hate that then don't move there. Food is good. It's a very sad place in general. Almost every weekend you'll find the Navajo shit faced drunk { along with the many local drunks} passed out in the streets over the entire weekend. Navajo come into town to drink because it's illegal where they live. THAT is what the saddest part of living in Albuquerque. They hang out everywhere but mainly all up in down Central Ave near the fair grounds, UNM and old town. Tons of liquor store and bars. Things might be different now but back that you were literally walking over drunks. Yes, and it's a poor city and state. At one time when I lived there I think it was ranked as the poorest state? Again, that might have changed.

its kind of bland, the gay scene isnt really all that thriving. I lived in santa fe for 9 years and traveled the state for my marketing sales job. After a while some people from santa fe give up due to cost and move to Abluq. There is a fair amt of crime. It isnt a heavy idustrial area, or mfg, or high tech........other than the labs at los alamos no place in NM pays that well. It takes around 300K to get into a decent house and nice ones are a lot more/

on the opera question...........there is a summer outdoor opera house in santa fe that I think is suppose to be very good. Im not into it and went once but could have cared less and was no judge. So it would be about 1.5 hrs from Albuq. One of the newer things in that area is a really nice high (er) speed train that goes from santa fe to albuq several times a day. Santa fe is NOT green but it is a nice place and in my opinion is scenically very beautiful. especially the outskirts. It s a much different experience than most of the rest of the USA> The art is good and the crafts but you have to read up on it before you go because if you just stay to the main tourist spots you might be dissapointed. The food is very very good in both albuq and santa fe. Abluq tends to have a lot more chains but if you read up a bit on choices, you wont be disappointed,

I knew the area extremely well and there was a lot to enjoy about living in santa fe and being a freq visitor to albuq. I bailed mainly due to difficulties eventually with the 7000 altitude in santa fe. Also, in santa fe its much easier if you come with a built in spouse. There arent really any gay bars and altho its extremely gay friendly, it is not like you have the option of walking down the castro or santa monica blvd in Weho and getting laid, The gym, santa fe spa, is probably where the hottest guys hang out. In my 9 years there I came to know a couple of (to me) extremely beautifful handsome guys in santa fe..........both now living in albuq actually, but they are somewhat few and far between.

The local vampires are crazy as bedbugs. Avoid them.

Yes, the pace of the city is a bit slow. It's not for nothing that it's know as "Land of Mañana" because every time you'll ask some one when they'll do something or finish a job they will say "mañana!". On the other hand, its people's lack of pretension and attitude is so fucking refreshing.

If I could I'd buy one of those cute little 1930's bungalows in Nob Hill.

Don't go

It’s a great place

You will detest the heat. Don’t do it, OP. I promise you, you will become absolutely unhappy with the weather very quickly.

I can't thank you guys enough for all of this input. I need to hear the shitty bits and the good bits. I have zero fucking idea where else to go. There is truly something magic about the place, at least to me, as it is essentially everything on paper I would hate. But each time I go, it gets better and better.

R72 Thanks for being the one person to mention the altitude. I fucks me over every visit. I know I would likely get acclimated eventually, but that is another "no" to drop in the should I stay or should I go box. Again to anyone here, if not ABQ, where?

OP, I have just the place for you. Call me.

I would say "magic" is in many parts of NM, OP. Try Silver City. It's a lovely small city in a pretty valley in the SW part of NM. It's just as beautiful as any other city in NM. You said you were in your 50's , work from home and not really into the scene. SC is a hidden gem. Plus, it's less expensive. Maybe look into it.

R94, many thanks, will do digging!

OP, people with heart issues can have problems breathing in that altitude. It’s an adjustment.

I know someone who moved to an altitude just a couple thousand feet higher than she was used to, and she said every time she went home she instantly felt better and had less pain (she has a chronic illness).

Heat like that can be really hard to take for people that aren’t used to it. It’s a different lifestyle, for months at a time most people don’t go out unless they have to. Also, it’s very hard on your car. Batteries and tires don’t last as long. I’m in Las Vegas and batteries can go out any time in the summer after two years. Also in any of these desert places there’s water conservation measures going on all the time. Here, the water is very hard and it’s endless wear and tear on your plumbing. I’ve spent thousands on plumbing maintenance I never even heard of when I lived in California. On the plus side, so many Californians have moved here it’s like Little California. When I first came twenty years ago, there were a lot more Republicans and a lot of them weren’t friendly and didn’t want Californians here driving up the real estate prices. There are still some of those around, but they’re mostly old codgers. It’s really striking how Southern Nevada has shifted blue and it’s mostly due to Californians.

If you’re concerned about being in a place with future water shortages, stay away from the American Southwest. Thanks to global warming, I think it’s all going to settle down to the northeast having one brutal winter after another, the southwest becoming hotter and dryer over the years, in our lifetimes.

I wish I knew a good place myself. I’ve been visiting southern Arizona on short trips and it’s nice, but it’s a super red state and there’s huge swaths of the state with nothing in it. Considering how high real estate is, if there’s nothing there, there must be a good reason.

Albuquerque does have a cute mayor, so that's another positive thing.

Add me to the list of DLers considering Albuquerque. Though in my case, it's for retirement in (hopefully) 15 years. This thread has given me a lot of food for thought. Thanks!

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any experience with Utah? I think it's more beautiful than NM. Are the summers not as hot? Are the Mormons too much to deal with?

I'm just searching for affordable housing and drier, mildER winters than what I'm used to (in Pittsburgh) -- I don't need the tropics or a blistering desert.

I'm thinking about doing ABQ and Santa Fe for a week-10 days over the holidays. (Driving from LA. ) I really don't want to deal with snow (although I have an AWD SUV.) Should I risk it?

Utah gets cold and a decent amount of snow in winter. It is prettier than NM - especially Southern Utah. Pockets of methhead deporables but also hippies. Long distances between places. And a few pockets of Mormon craziness.

Las Vegas area may be warmer in winter as well as easier access to stuff. But defeats the purpose of moving somewhere beautiful.

Only reason I’d consider NM or UT is the stunning nature - but not very practical for retirement. Bad health care acces, driving required, absence of social interactions and support.

[QUOTE]Add me to the list of DLers considering Albuquerque

Could it be that Albuquerque is going to turn into a DLers Mecca?

The weather is perfect for caftan wearing and I've seen some really beautiful turquoise earrings.

I just hope there's enough hot cholo cock for all of us.

We should all chip in and buy property near ABQ to open the DataLounge Retirement Center. Our slogan could be something like, [italic]Pointless Bitchery in the Sunset of Life.[italic]

I'm in!

I just think that, in order to avoid confrontation, no pasta nor mayonnaise should be served in the center

If the choice is between Las Vegas or Albuquerque, which one would you pick?

Albuquerque has the bookstore with lots of Mexican meat so I vote for it.

r104 Las Vegas, NV or Las Vegas, NM?

[quote]We should all chip in and buy property near ABQ to open the DataLounge Retirement Center.

There's already a gay enclave in New Mexico.

[QUOTE]If the choice is between Las Vegas or Albuquerque, which one would you pick?

Albuquerque average temperature in July: 94 Las Vegas average temperature in July: 105

I pick Albuquerque.

Bumping to see if three years and one pandemic later, DLers are still curious about Albuquerque

PS: "I lived there in the 80s and...." responses are unhelpful as it's unlikely things have remained frozen in amber for 40 years.

Hey OP- I grew up in Albuquerque (and go back to see people on occasion). Yes- the crime can be bad in some spots, but honestly it’s no worse than in most larger cities. The weather is actually kind of pleasant- it’s nice to see snow on occasion (and the city shuts down for that anyway), and since you work from home it isn’t something you have to personally deal with a whole lot. Plus side is seeing the mountains daily. And like everyone else has said- if you don’t like it you can always relocate again.

[quote] its centrally located to Santa Fe, Dallas and not that far Las Vegas

WTF? It's a 9 hour drive to either Las Vegas or Dallas.

What area(s) of Albuqueque would be best for a gay person to live in? Are there areas in the city that are sort of walkable/hip/have lots of coffee shops but not a lot of crime?

It is almost an exact copy of Tucson, even down to the huge mountain to the NE. Not as hot as Tucson, and has the usual summer monsoon season of thunderstorms. I really like it.

So you would recommend Albuquerque over Tucson R114 or more or less the same?