Sounds like you don't work well with others and need to be in NY. Denver is worse if that is where you moved to. I have lived in both states and by far prefer NM. The rural places are slow paced filled with welcoming people. Love the monsoon. Love the old folks. Love the sunsets and sunrises. The DMV, you are right. They really suck in NM. Go to the privately owned one's and pay a few bucks. It's worth the money to get treated with respect and not have to wait 8 hours.
Rotusa | Las Vegas, NM | Report Abuse

Somebody call the whaambulance, we've got a cry baby. What a ridiculous generalization. I moved to Albuquerque 8 years ago from Vancouver, BC and not under positive circumstances. I have had the opposite experience. I have found the people here to be friendly and accepting for the most part and any bad experience I may have had would be due to the same reason as anywhere else on the planet, life isn't always perfect. My life in New Mexico has been great. The laid back attitude you speak of is why a lot of people love it here. People are unpretentious for the most part and most of us like that. As for the comment about art? That is a personal preference. Cost of living here is low, the food is fantastic and the skies are breathtaking. Since living in New Mexico I've managed to buy a home, two vehicles, vacation regularity and eat well. The sun is almost always shining and the vibe is laid back. If you didn't like it, fine, sounds to me like you weren't at a good place in your life to begin with, and negative energy attracts negative energy.
Kaylee | Rio Rancho, NM | Report Abuse

Thanks for sharing my opinion. It's hard to get out, though, when you're paying dirt-cheap rent and everything else around it is either way more expensive or way more white-supremacist gringo. Yeah, if you come here as a teacher or a nurse or some other profession, the job that got you here is the ONLY one there is for you. When that ends - as it will inevitably end, if you try to DO anything to help people or God Forbid, teach them anything like Physics or Calculus - you find you can't get another one ANYWHERE. I'm left to try to escape by getting admitted to a PhD program somewhere else. Problem is, especially the states surrounding it don't want you if you came OUT of there. They assume if you've BEEN there you must be "from" there with the "born and raised there" attitude that is what I know they don't want. Now I'm stuck with the additional stigma (apart from being Native American) of being "from" Gallup just because that's where I went TO to teach. The states around it are equally bat-crap stupid and have their heads in their asses. Thing is, because of dirt-cheap car registration and insurance, I want to keep my car registered there (no smog requirements) but driving it will feel like "the yellow badge of courage" is on my car. Even in Denver, I have to tell people I've BEEN TEACHING "out in Continental Divide." What's with everyone's assumption that wherever you go TO, must be where you were born and raised? It's that - whatever the hell that is! Mentality around here that's driving me crazy! I want to go to DIA and fly out of here to another COUNTRY where all that incessant "where you from, where you from, where you from" would be JUSTIFIED, for God's sake.
Penny | Boston, MA | Report Abuse

The things that you describe have nothing to do with the state you lived in. It is more than a little absurd to blame the state for an "infrastructure" of bad landlords and plumbers, yet you're doing it. You say that nobody in the state follows the law or has common sense and decency, so I am guessing that the state lost it's only law-abiding decent citizen when you left. You say the people are full of bitterness and will show no kindness to others yet also make a conflicting statement that everyone in NM thinks it is the most wonderful place on earth. You say drug use in the state is rampant yet a simple internet search shows use of illegal drugs lower per capita in NM than in almost any other state. You lived in Albuquerque for five years while trying to start a brand new career path, and are making a sweeping judgment of the entire state and all of its citizens based on that experience. I get the impression that you must have spent a great deal of those 5 years on or near an Indian reservation since you talk so much about poverty, natives, prejudice and other terms which indicate you are actually talking about racial issues. If you don't like being around native Americans then why didn't you choose to move to the thousands of square miles and many cities of New Mexico with no reservation nearby instead of making sweeping judgments based on your limited experiences? I'm 55 years old and currently live in Colorado near Denver, so basically where you are currently living. I can't imagine posting somewhere on the internet a judgment of the entire state of Colorado based on living near Denver, but let's play the devil's advocate here and pretend my experiences in different states counts for the entire state for the terrible items you have mentioned. I've lived in Douglas County, Colorado for 12 years now. In the past I've lived for 25 years in four different cities in southern New Mexico. I've also lived in West Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, and California. Which state has the friendliest people? New Mexico, hands down. Which state has the highest illegal drug use? West Virginia, closely followed by Colorado. Which state has the easiest and lowest college tuition systems, car registration? New Mexico by a landslide. Which state has the highest percentage of thieves and swindlers? West Virginia, with Colorado in 2nd of the listed states. Now those state comparisons are more than a little bit silly as they are only based on what I saw while living there, just like your statements. But in closing I will state that I really look forward to retirement and moving back to southern New Mexico. It is a place nothing at all like your description.
Jim | Parker, CO | Report Abuse

New Mexico stole 40 years of my life. Never was able to put together enough do re mi to get out of here. Like a glue trap, once you are stuck, you are stuck. It is the worst place in the union, for anything. DON'T MOVE HERE.
alfredo | Rio Rancho, NM | Report Abuse

Everything this poster stated is 100% true. This place has the lowest of the low when it comes to education. And when you interact with anyone in NM you're about to deal with a 10 year old - no matter how old they are. There is absolutely nowhere to turn when a contractor, home builder or any other service provider screws you - and they will screw you! I've been in this hell for over 4 years and cannot wait to get out of this hole. The people are so uneducated tha when you lay out an argument they just sit there and stare at you. Example: we had a new water heater installed in our home. The plumber didn't even use water-proof sealant around the roof protrusion. When it rained our garage was flooded! He never returned to fix the problem. Fast forward a few months and the water pump was super hot. The same plumber came out ansd said: "You sounded really upset when you left your message." To which I replied: "You didn't use waterproof sealant and I called you that day you installed it and you never came to fix the problem." Typical to New Mexico the dummy just stared at me. The food is so lame! Went to the store yesterday and bought Halos (the little oranges) for my wife. Got them home and half of them are rotten! The produce comes from MExico - it is rotten on the store shelves. The people are stupid the cost of living is NOT low - utilities are more expensive than Seattle. Housing is ridiculous! They are all basically falling apart and they want way too much for the little shacks they call homes. What we sold in Seattle for $225,000 would cost you at least $300,000 for a comparable home. Quality does not exist in the language down here - everything is "good enough" - no pride in their work or homes or selves. It is a real hole among holes. Speaking of negative energy - I was hit by a hot air balloon truck as I was walking through an open field. The driver of the truck was a jerk and the police never came when I called to report the truck and license plate#. This place is where incompetents come to die. If you find anyone who likes it in NM they are uneducated people waiting to die.
New | Albuquerque, NM | Report Abuse