What is Albuquerque like?

June 20, 2004 7:15 PM

Never lived outside of California, but here I am moving to Albuquerque in a few weeks... I've visited a few times and like it enough there to be happy about the move (I'll be a grad student at UNM, living in a studio apartment north of campus), but what can I expect as far as actually living there goes? What are the people like? The climate? The culture? Any New Mexican MeFites willing to give me their views and advice about the place?
posted by wanderingmind to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

Just moved back to NM - I lived in Abq for 3 years about 5-6 years ago. Very different cities. My memories of Abq are: not that pretty a city (basically big strip-mall type streets with some cute neighborhoods in between), lots of driving to get anywhere (being the West and a sprawling city), cheap, some good cultural diversity just by virtue of being in New Mexico, gorgeous skyline with the Sandia Mountains on the horizon. Lots to do outdoor-wise for the same reason.

Basically your low-pretense, pretty enjoyable desert metropolis, if you can handle (or even enjoy) the gittiness. People you'll encounter at the U are pretty liberal-leaning (recent Gov. Johnson supported pot legalization), though of course not as much as up here in Fanta Se. Not as much cultural mixing goes on as you would think.

They seem to have renovated downtown along Central Ave since my days here - lots more lights and neon. Nob Hill is the posh neighborhood near the U, the usual coffeeshops, boutiques, and brewpubs. Central Ave around there is old Route 66, with great old motels, etc.

O yeah, don't drink the water - there's little enough as it is. Drop me a line if you'd like more details.
posted by gottabefunky at 8:06 PM on June 20, 2004

Your question covers a lot of ground.

North of campus, probably not the best neighborhood. People are pretty much like any other large southwestern city, mostly transplants. Climate is in my opinion ideal, as it has seasonal changes but nothing too extreme. In the summer it may hit 100 or slightly above every now and then, but with low humidity. Late summer is "monsoon" season with drenching afternoon showers. In the winter in your neighborhood you can expect lows to be regularly be below freezing, with occasional snowfalls, some relatively large accumulations, all usually will melt off pretty quickly.

Albuquerque is pretty white-bread, what with the transplants and being a large(ish) city and all. But it does partake enough in the N. New Mexican culture to still be pretty unique. Anglos are the minority population in NM, and the culture reflects that. Unlike many other hispanic areas of the US, the anglo population in NM is much more accomodating, even assimilating into the hispanic culture. Try to pronounce spanish locales and street names correctly (at least in the anglo sense of "correct" for spanish). Green chile is the regional specialty, and expect to become addicted to it if you live there long enough. McDonald's will provide a side of green chile with your hamburger, if you ask.

My (late) grandmother recalled the first pizza parlor that opened on Central avenue in the thirties or thereabouts, and they didn't offer green chile as a topping. She predicted they wouldn't stay in business. They didn't.

Albuquerque has always had an unusually high crime rate. It depends upon, though, how sensitive you are to that sort of thing. I lived for awhile between old-town and downtown, not a good neighborhood, but I didn't mind it so much.

Take a ride up the tram at least once while you live there, it's amazing. For that matter, if you hike, hike up the La Luz trail from the bottom to the top of the moutain. I did that once. (But, um, plan for how you'll get back down if you start late.)

Especially since you're going to be a grad student at UNM, you should go to the UNM basketball games in The Pit. Nothing like it. Even if you're not a basketball fan.

Definitely get out of town and drive around. There's much to see in New Mexico. I prefer the north. If you like to trout fish in the high mountains, drive up to Lagunitas lakes just south of the Colorado border.

You'll find you more easily sunburn at that altitude and bright sun. Albuquerque, like Denver, is almost exactly one mile high in elevation. If you're coming from near sea-level, you'll need several days to adjust. Definitely don't do any hiking or anything strenuous until you do.

Any other questions, I'll be happy to answer. I'm a second-generation native anglo New Mexican (not bad for an anglo, especially one born in Albuquerque).

I don't live there now, however. Much of my family still does, though. And I know people there, too, if you need any contacts.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:17 PM on June 20, 2004

North of campus actually isn't that bad. South of campus is the student ghetto -- lots and lots of undergrads down there, a little scuzzier in my opinion. Stuff is rather cheap, especially compared to California. Not much for nightlife, honestly, but there are a few bars downtown.

If you are going to drive to school, I'd recommend getting a pass for the north lot; it's off of university and there are shuttles that take you down to the campus. Walking is cool, too. Public transit is really pretty much nonexistent. I mean, there are buses, but it's nothing like what I've gotten used to here in Chicago. Be prepared to drive, a lot.

There's lots to do within a day's drive. If you get a chance, go down to Carlsbad Caverns (you'll want to make it an overnight trip, I think.)

If you like Mexican/New Mexican food you'll be in heaven. Honestly, I miss the food the most.

But it's really a laid-back kind of place. Manana, and all that.

The weather is nice. In the summer, especially, you might not be used to the aridness, so I might suggest a humidifier.

I lived in Albuquerque for five years, going to UNM for four of them. I grew up in southern New Mexico, near the Texas border. Most of my friends and family still live down that way.

(EB -- how long has it been since you lived there? More than likely we know some people in common. I bet. Somehow.)
posted by sugarfish at 9:02 PM on June 20, 2004

I would also add the Bosque to the list of things to see. It’s the wooded area that runs along the Rio Grande. It is home to large cottonwoods and numerous birds and other wildlife. There are bike and hiking trails and a nature center you can visit. Further south, near Socorro, is the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge where you can spot whooping cranes and bald eagles.

There is also a large Indian population here. Sandia and Isleta Pueblo are near Abq. as well as the various pueblos up north. Each has events that are open to the public and you will see a lot of Indian art here (it’s big on western art as well).

Up here in the capital (some call it Fanta Se due to the large number of New Age channelers and or healers) you can check out the art galleries on Canyon Road on Friday nights (it’s opening night for a lot of them) or drive up to the ski basin if you are into schussing. The drive to Pecos or Taos or Los Alamos is also very scenic.

It is very, very dry right now. The relative humidity can get down into the single digits. They are closing down the forest trails due to the extreme fire conditions. Hopefully the monsoons should arrive in July and bring the regular afternoon thunderstorms.
posted by jabo at 9:15 PM on June 20, 2004

Sugarfish: it's been eight years since I lived in NM, thirteen since I last lived in ABQ. And I suppose I lived in ABQ for a total of five or six years during the eighties and early nineties. I was born in ABQ, lived there 'till I was three, then grew up in Portales. Both parents graduated from HS in ABQ, and so did my maternal grandmother. I've got my father, a grandmother, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. all still in ABQ. Not that many current friends—actually only a couple of Portalesanos that moved there. The lasting friendships I made during the eighties are people who've all moved away from ABQ.

It's a funny town. My grandfather was the Pres and CEO of what used to be the largest bank in NM (before it was bought by a national bank), and I grew up meeting and knowing a lot of people from the crowd of their (grandparetns) peers. It used to be a smaller-type town than it is now.

I volunteered for a while at KUNM ~1990 or so. My ex-wife was very active in the live music community there, bravely trying to get a better scene going.

So, anyway, after only having lived there a total of maybe nine years out of my forty, Albquerque still feels more like "home" to me than any other place. I've got deep roots there. We probably do have someone in common!
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:40 PM on June 20, 2004

Any of you ever seen Lonely are the Brave? Based on Ed Abbey's The Brave Cowboy and supposedly Kirk Douglas' favorite film he was in. Shows you what a cow town Abq was back in the 1960s. (And I say that affectionately.)
posted by gottabefunky at 9:03 AM on June 21, 2004

Lived in Albuquerque from '87 to '98, and before that, lived in Gallup for 12.5 years (K-12th grade). I graduated from UNM in '91.

One of the best things about Albuquerque is the great daytrips in just about every direction. You can do the Turquoise Trail trip (mentioned here) in a day, go to Santa Fe (bring your wallet), hit the hot springs (warning: hippies), or take in the Malpais.

Overall, Albuquerque is relaxed and unpretentious, with a wry sense of humor. I would like to second the mentions about getting used to the elevation, the dryness, the lack of public transport, and the expectation for decent spanish pronunciation. I miss the big sky--perfect for kites, cloudbusting, and stargazing.

The whole nightlife/entertainment issue seems to be improving, as there are a number of individuals dedicated to creating more opportunities. Albuquerque was also ranked highly in Richard Florida's "Rise of the Creative Class", which will probably attract more movers and shakers (and $).

Finally, may I humbly suggest my former employer as a decent source of information on life in Albuquerque.
posted by whatnot at 9:19 AM on June 21, 2004

Oh, and the area north of campus is just fine. Everybody walks their dogs around the golf course there in the evenings. My rentals were in the Nob Hill or Ridgecrest area (East and Southeast), and I would recommend those areas as well.
posted by whatnot at 9:23 AM on June 21, 2004

Whatnot -- you worked for the Alibi?

Dude.

Would it be not cool to ask what section you wrote for?
posted by sugarfish at 11:08 AM on June 21, 2004

No prob. I didn't write much editorial, just a few book reviews and intro pieces. I was hired as a graphic designer, working on ad and section layout and eventually became production manager. What little writing I did at that point was just in-house ad copy. 1995 through 1998
posted by whatnot at 11:58 AM on June 21, 2004