Review from long time resident
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7/21/2013
I have lived in Albuquerque for 13 years. It has grown quite a bit in that time and feels much more like an urban area than it did when I first moved here. I like the west in general. People are tolerant of others, have a sense of individualism, and value personal liberties. New Mexico has great outdoor opportunities with the exception of water sports (though it can be had as well, with a little tolerance for often low water levels). Albuquerque offers the usual city attractions. Though since we are a bit out of the way, we don't always get as many concerts as other equally sized towns. To say the area is 'ghetto' is in part true. Mostly because there's a lot of poverty in the state which means there are a lot of poor and poorly educated people which makes it feel a little behind the times and brings urban issues in the city as well as in the remote areas of the state. But there's also a certain casual-ness to the area which is both charming and at times not so charming. This is the kind of place where about 20% of the people in the grocery store line are in their pajamas. That is to say that people can be too casual here and relaxed in their personal standards. One things for sure that people here are 'real' and lack any pretense. Like many people say, the weather is great. You can get a little rain starved and the winds can be annoying, but if you just want to be outside, weather rarely interferes. The sun here rarely stops shining and that is mostly a plus but most of us enjoy the rare breaks we get from it. I can't speak for the schools as I don't have kids. But there are a few good charter schools and a few very good private schools if the public options aren't appealing. Mostly what I'd say about NM is that it can be a culture shock for anyone who didn't grow up in the Co/Ut/Az/Tx area. It is just so different from the midwest, east coast, and west coast that people can get disappointed. NM will always be limited in its growth due to limited amounts of water, which is a positive in my mind. If you're under 35 and moving here, it can be a difficult place because not a lot of 20 and 30 somethings chose Albuquerque as their destination, unless they have a job that brings them here. Therefore it can feel a bit like an 'older' town (and this is even more true in Santa Fe in my opinion). However, in Albuquerque there's enough of a young person's scene to not get lonely. Like any place, come stay a while before you move here. Visit the parts of the city that are both desirable and undesirable. I'd suggest you check out Nob Hill, Downtown, and Old Town areas to get a sense of the places that offer entertainment/food/social venues. Most of New Mexico is rural and it is a huge state land wise, so it takes time to drive to other places. Colorado is nearby and offers a lot. The Grand Canyon isn't far away. You can also drive to Mexico in a few hours.
John | Albuquerque, NM