Reviews & Comments
Augusta, ME
re: Augusta, Maine
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4/1/2022Thanks for the info on the hospital. Important to know. I checked a current source, which says MaineGeneral (including Augusta campus) provides an average level of care and it "is rated high performing in 3 adult procedures and conditions. It is a general medical and surgical facility." https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/me/mainegeneral-medical-center-6110555
Syracuse, NY
re: Honest, local, and fair review
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1/2/2022Thank you, John! You touched on most of the points I'm specifically interested in. Syracuse sounds ideal for me. My spouse may have issues with the number of overcast days per year. (We were in NM for 21 years and have lived in the gloomy Pacific Northwest too.) My main missing bit of info regards the availability of architects and builders who are experienced with the Passive House Standard. That's the sort of new or retrofit house we want.
Albuquerque, NM
re: I love Albuquerque warts and all
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11/12/2019If you make the effort to inform yourself of the city's crime patterns you can do much to remove yourself from future crime statistics. For example, if you have a garage, use it as a garage. Don't leave your vehicles exposed as easy and inviting targets for junkies and punks looking for quick cash or thrills. This is common sense anywhere. I have lived in many U.S. cities and two other countries and property crimes occur wherever there are humans. Criminals are lazy and look for quick, easy targets. Make the effort not to attract that sort of attention. If you don't have access to a private garage or can't park in your garage for unavoidable reasons, don't leave property, personally identifying information, garage door openers, or keys in your vehicles.
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque political environment -
12/25/2013Albuquerque politics: Like the U.S. at large, the political divide is close to even. There are strong communitarian and individualistic views and impulses evident throughout, often in interesting combinations. The pioneer/rancher ethos is strong (which has both libertarian and communitarian streaks), along with Native American, intellectual, and humanist perspectives. There are noisy wing nuts on both sides, but more people seem relatively moderate politically. There's a large Air Force base and sizable active duty and National Guard populations. It's a generally pro gun area, though many anti-gun people are also present.
Albuquerque, NM
Mediocre public education -- a few decent private -
12/25/2013Albuquerque education: Public schools are so-so, and of inconsistent quality. We've not had children in the school system, but one of us volunteers with elementary reading tutoring and sees the damaging effects of several interacting factors: conservatives' relentless campaigns to vilify teachers and undercut real education, poorly managed schools at the system level, and a significant amount of parental incompetence (from an educational perspective). And yes, there are some (a minority of) unqualified teachers who need to be retrained or removed. There are a lot of poor, undereducated parents who don't know how to best help their children learn. It's a toxic mix of factors conspiring against effective public schools. Even so, there are pockets of excellence, though these tend not to be rewarded or reinforced and are difficult to maintain. There are a few good private schools in the area, but only a couple that are secular. Well educated parents who have the ability and time to oversee their kids' learning will be okay. Others' children may suffer inferior educations.
University of New Mexico is here, with a reputation ranging from so-so to superior, depending on academic program. UNM has a reputation for bleeding off too much of its budget to a too-large cadre of overpaid, under-performing administrators. It also has a reputation for its maddening bureaucratic processes and unhelpful lower-and-mid level administrative personnel. I've heard many disturbing stories of staff being blatantly rude and dismissive of students seeking to sign up for classes, change schedules, or take other simple administrative actions. UNM does offer a robust continuing education program that gets much better reviews.
CNM, the local community college, is typical of that kind of school. It's more affordable than UNM, but has fewer programs.
Because there's a large military community, there are a lot of other national universities and colleges (U. of Phoenix, National U., etc.) with physical presence. If you want an education and can afford it, you can get it.
Albuquerque, NM
Crime and enforcement -
12/25/2013Albuquerque crime: There’s a good bit of property crime, mainly vehicle thefts and vandalism, but a lot of break ins. Violent crime is moderate-to-low in our vicinity. Crimes tend to be concentrated to particular areas. A bit of research before choosing a neighborhood will greatly improve your odds of a peaceful life here. The state and metro police seem to have been in relative disarray for a long time. Both have trouble attracting and retaining quality officers. There have been more than a few high-profile cases of police misbehavior that have cost taxpayers millions in lawsuits. In short, law enforcement appears be less professional and effective than needed. There's a sense that some officers are cavalier and abusive, leading to a lack of trust from the public. (One acquaintance recently showed me statistics indicating Albuquerque rates significantly higher for political corruption than does Mexico City!) On the other hand, it is often unclear what officers are supposed to do -- what is appropriate and legal -- in various situations. For example, when is it appropriate to use a firearm? When to engage in high-speed pursuit? These issues seem to lack legal and policy clarity and are made more difficult by ceaseless sensationalized media coverage. Better law enforcement will require both better (more qualified, more ethical) officers and clarity of laws and LE policies. And getting more and better cops means paying them more (as with teachers, etc.).
Albuquerque, NM
Good location for climate and outdoor activities, -
12/25/2013
Albuquerque climate and recreation: Albuquerque has a moderate climate with lots of sunny days. It's a great place for year-round outdoor activities, assuming you are one of the few who does not have allergic reactions to the incredible volumns of pollen that swirl about 10 months of the year. I never had serious allergy problems until moving here--and I've lived all over, including Europe and Asia. I recommend renting for a full year before buying here. Make sure you aren't afflicted by allergies if you’re thinking to stay long term. The other negative, with respect to outdoor activities, is the bike, motorcycle, and pedestrian unfriendly roads. Many drivers are reckless, under the influence, impaired, or simply too selfish to share the roads with others. Drivers routinely and flagrantly run red lights and stop signs. Cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists are maimed and killed regularly. There's also a huge problem with drunk/doped drivers. There are a few nice paved paths, but few of any meaningful length that don't cross roads. There are lots of good unpaved trails in the mountains and foothills, for both bikes and hikers. There’s a snow ski area on the mountain at the east boundary of the city, and another near Santa Fe (1+ hour drive), and Red River and Taos farther north. There’s great hiking and camping, and a fair amount of fishing, across the state.
Albuquerque culture: There's a good bit of cultural variety here to keep things interesting. It's not like in a major city, but many cultures have a presence. You can find most kinds of food. There are a variety of festivals. I would like to see more cultural and racial variety, but it's getting there slowly.