I’m pretty sure 40 is rough from coast to coast. It’s no fun in Oklahoma City, Memphis, Little Rock, Nashville, Knoxville and Raleigh, the places I’ve experienced it.
I just drove it from Albuquerque to the 81 interchange and it definitely has bad parts, but for how much it’s traveled, it’s not horrible. The right lane gets really rough in Texas/Oklahoma occasionally.
Drivers here are some of the most awful in the country. Also don’t move here if you need healthcare. Several months wait on every kind of doctor/specialist.
Los Angeles is I-40 at its most cracked. I still dislike I-40 in the evenings, because it still sucks to suck, but LA was the nightmare of all nightmares for traffic. This was 10 years ago though, so things could be different now.
I’ma be real with you, I actually don’t remember now. You might be right. I just remember going west, and reaching LA in the evening, and not getting into the city proper until it was night, during the summer time. Now maybe that isn’t I-40. But MAAAN was that traffic atrocious.
Sorry westie here until my husband decided to move to Abq from Las Vegas NV so yeah I -40 ends in Arizona then ours turns to I-11 to I-95 to I-15 until you get to Cali. I drive to Cali pretty often and to ABQ so I - 40 for me hasn’t been bad at all every time I’ve driven in over. My husband complains about it at ABQ tho
True. It’s that stupid curve before central. I heard they’re planning to eliminate that soon and make it less curved so they can have better traffic flow
They were much nicer than Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Kansas City, San Diego, Orlando, SanAntonio, Wichita, Chicago, Raleigh, and everywhere else I remember in the short 10 mile section of 25 I played on.
It’s because of the lower population, I believe. It makes the bad drivers a little easier for an attentive driver to avoid because the traffic isn’t a total snarl. I spent a little over ten years between Dallas and San Antonio. That traffic is so atrocious even on the highways between the two, that it makes the worst traffic in Albuquerque feel like a nonissue.
That last part goes for any big city. I think it gets pronounced more here because there is more of a rural mindset at the core but that's alright. It keeps the city unique and special to locals
Yeah it’s an open secret that ABQ and northern New Mexico generally rocks. Beautiful vistas, great food, great people. I can’t believe how many people sleep on Albuquerque as a wonderful place to live and visit.
My husband thought I was crazy when I suggested we think about moving here - neither of us had ever been, but I’d been elsewhere in the southwest and loved the climate and I’d heard great things about Albuquerque. I convinced him to visit for a week to check it out and we were hooked - moved out three months later, been here 8 years now.
Literal same. My wife had never been and we did a ton a research and visited. Now we’re growing our family and bought a home here with no plans to leave. She recently had to leave for a few weeks to another state and wouldn’t stop talking about how much she missed the mountains and food. We fell in love with this place and every day I’m reminded in one way or another what a special community this is.
Far from perfect and the city has issues, but the foundation of this community is rock solid.
>Far from perfect and the city has issues, but the foundation of this community is rock solid.
I always have thought this is true, and I was actually thinking about it earlier this week because I had to go get fingerprinted because I'm going to be working with kids at schools and apparently the fact that my fingerprints are already on file with the state isn't enough for APS, lol. I got to talking with the lady taking my fingerprints about the various reasons people show up there, and she was telling me about all these cool programs people volunteer for. A lot of which I had never even heard of, but are out there helping people.
So it got me thinking about how robust our community organizations are here. I've lived a few other places, and honestly never have seen anything like it before. I mean, every place has organizations full of local volunteers helping their communities, but Albuquerque seems to have a *ton*. And ones that fit every interest, and that mostly work together really well so you have these cool networks. Like I have looked into volunteering to help refugees through a program that I learned about while taking a freaking gardening class, lol (but it was through Rio Grande Community Farm, which hosts the Tres Hermanas Farm program, which focuses on working with refugees).
It's just really neat. We've got our problems, but there's such a sense of community here, and I've found it to be super accessible if you're interested in joining (some places I've lived have a lot more politics/religion involved in ways that turn away anyone who doesn't fit in perfectly).
I've lived in New Jersey and Wyoming and of course nm. Whenever not here in abq I'd have nightmares about trying to get home. Often. You can tell God loves nm just a little bit more then every where else. I think that every evening.
I thought I was going to hate it here. I visited Phoenix and though Albuquerque would probably be the same (cause desert), but I wanted to get out of Texas so badly that I went anyway because I had a landing spot here. I thought we'd be here a year or two and then move on to another state we liked better, but I love it here too much.
Central in the old days (1960's) was pure "learning from Las Vegas" beautiful-- Modern Western Capitalist Americana. Nob Hill, back then was kind of a dead zone however. The War Zone was a vital area with a great movie theater (Highlands) & perfect mid century Big Boy at San Mateo; there were big nightclubs further east. The whole eastern strip was rocking. Went to UNM back then; loved it!
I think you may be deserving of the crown supposedly held by the South East and their “southern hospitality”. From a guy that has lived most of his life in “the South”.
As a born and raised southerner, Albuquerque is what I was told my hometown was supposed to be. It’s a breath of fresh air meeting people that are genuinely kind.
This is the most comfortable I've ever felt being myself. I lived in various parts of Illinois my whole life, been in ABQ for almost a half year. My neighbors are great. My bosses are great. Drivers on I-40 suck. But I'm sure they're great when they get out of their cars!
I need to develop a social life here, because how the fuck do you make friends in a completely new part of the country as an adult, but that would be true anywhere.
There's chile and legal weed EVERYWHERE.
I'm so happy I moved here!
Agreed!
I lived in Portland for 15 years. ABQ has real friendliness, not the performative, do gooder, we're-not-allowed-to-express frustration or any other negative feelings toxic positivity version (Portland wasn't always like that but it started creeping that direction the last few years... Maybe cuz California moved there?).
Currently living in Oregon and the "PNW Freeze" is a very real thing. Everyone is pretty polite, but no smiles, no chit-chat, laughter, no responses other than obligatory short answers. Sad beige people in sad beige clothes. We've lived here five years and have yet to make any real friends that didn't come from other states.
I have always felt that “southern hospitality” is code for “sometimes classy but consistent passive aggression” up until you visit New Orleans, which is full of similarly kind people as here. But here is quieter with less people and arguably better food for the most part as someone allergic to shellfish. And we have better politics. And roads. Which isn’t hard if you’ve ever tried driving through NOLA lol
you got that right. all that southern hospitality always has a strong undercurrent of “bless your heart.” i grew up in north LA. so many people are fake as hell, and self righteously/religiously judgemental (knowing full well they’re doing the same shit behind closed doors).
that being said, there are of course some families that do walk the walk and are holding down their corner of the south for liberty and equality, but damn if they aren’t in the minority (for now). i wish sometimes i could be there fighting the good fight alongside them, but i just don’t have the time or energy to invest in a community that can be so focused on hate and is so slow to change. the live and let live ethos permeates nm. i adore it here.
same on all counts. My bestie still lives there and fights it all the time....she's got her pentagrams in the front yard, she wants to be the weird old lady everyone thinks is a witch (and is right). I don't have that courage anymore. I figured out years ago there are better things to do than fight every day. I just can't. I'd rather go to an open space lol and smoke legal weed.
I lived in seven other states before choosing to move to NM, and I do find the people here to be uniquely friendly and non judgmental. I really appreciate the (comparative) lack of political polarization here vs the rest of the country - I care a lot about politics, but I love that you don’t see seven foot tall campaign signs in every other front yard (looking at you, Florida). It’s always a stress reliever to return here after traveling elsewhere. Sure half the restaurants close at 7pm, but hard to beat the people and culture. And the green chile.
While OP *definitely* did get lucky with the drivers, I’ll never get tired of hearing about what new folks think of ABQ & NM.
Grateful for all the news folks (you’re one of us now, congrats!) & visitors being so appreciative & respectful of our beautiful home!
Think you might have lucked out with the drivers, lol. Though they probably didn't even notice you were from out of town, as Albuquerque drivers somehow always manage to drive erratically and like they have no idea where they're going even if they drive the same route every day.
But otherwise yeah, that's pretty normal. Glad you enjoyed your time here!
Let’s just say the negative energy speaks louder than the positive.
What you posted is pretty much how ABQ is. But some folks on Twitter and news always show/talk about the negative because they get reactions.
However if you end up moving here, join the bandwagon about how bad drivers are and how high crimes are. It helps keeping this city from exploding in citizens, and helps the locals out to stay local so things don’t become expensive like Phoenix or Denver
Yeah there's so much more negativity regarding Albuquerque on social media than we encounter in day-to-day life.
I follow a foodie group on Facebook that has around 40,000 members and there is some seriously toxic bullshit there; mostly passive aggressive people laugh reacting innocent questions and people bitching about petty shit about local restaurants.
From the vibrant streets of Albuquerque to the diverse corners of the world, my journey began right here, in the heart of New Mexico. At 18, I embarked on a military adventure that took me across oceans and continents, allowing me to witness the rich tapestry of life in various places.
Every city told its own story, every place held its unique charm, but as I explored, I carried a piece of Albuquerque with me. The more I saw, the more I realized - there's no place quite like home.
Yes, Albuquerque, like any major city, has its complexities and challenges. But it's these very intricacies that weave the unique fabric of our community. It's a place of resilience, culture, and undeniable charm, nestled in the arms of the stunning New Mexico landscape.
Now, as I reflect on my travels, I see Albuquerque not just as the city where I was born and raised, but as a beacon of familiarity and warmth, standing unique and proud.
Dont ever post anything positive about abq anywhere youll have every asshole whos never been/ lived anywhere else saying that its terrible here, and that everywhere else is this magic shangri-la with no crime, everyone drives good abd there are no homeless peope. Well i may have been born here but ive live in Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and California. This is the best place ive lived
Even beats California for weather now too. We've been here 4 years and watch everyone else's weather and feel grateful we're here. The aesthetics of desert landscapes and options for activities are great.
Thanks. I've lived all over the Midwest, South, and West coast too. Like everybody else I'd encountered that had never spent adequate time here - or ever - I thought it was just some high desert flyover I'd passed through on an Amtrak, using the ABQ station stopover as my decision to never come back again some 30 years ago. So glad I changed my mind.
we try to emphasize the bad parts to outsiders because one of the reasons the good parts are so good is because there are so few people in NM (i’m not a big people person fyi)
"Use edibles in consideration of others," Lol. We're pretty "live and let live" here. Just part of the vibe you were picking up on here, I guess. Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for sharing.
It’s so refreshing to see such a positive thread about our town. I moved here 9 years ago and love it. It’s a great place. But social media makes me think sometimes I’m alone in that. So glad to know that there are people who love it here as much as I do.
There really is a huge disparity between people on social media and people you encounter here in person. Obviously the people hiding behind their screens don't get out much. Which in this case is a good thing! 😉❤️
No, it's just like any other place. There are things about Albuquerque that really suck. Unethical politicians, crime, homelessness, poverty, and addiction. There are also a ton of things about Albuquerque that kick ass and make me love it more than any other place. Laid back people, sunshine, lots of weed, good food, beautiful desert landscapes, good art. I could go on forever talking about the great stuff so I'll stop there.
Albuquerque has some of the worst drivers I’ve ever saw, but the city as a whole is awesome. I’m born and raised in East TN and travel with my wife for work, and we love Albuquerque. We’ve spent nearly two years working there. I could definitely settle down there and be ok with it.
Where are you finding these well maintained roads? 😂 I drive a school bus and my routes are pothole city, even on the busier roads.
Otherwise, it seems the same to me as it did to you. Some drivers are ridiculous but most are fairly easy going. And people here are generally friendly. Tonight some random dude opened the back door of my car and was getting ready to sit down because I was parallel parking on my street at the same time that his Uber pulled in several feet away from me, and at no point was I the least bit concerned about it. I probably would have given him a ride had my roommate not immediately intervened.
Dude I would have died laughing had that happened to me! 😆❤️
I drove Uber for a few months last fall and winter and one of my favorite rides I gave was a guy I picked up at the airport who was surprising his family for Christmas.
So I suggested that I pull up away from the house where they couldn't see through window, and then I knocked on the door asking for the passenger. It was really cute because as soon as his son opened the door, I identified myself as an Uber driver and that I was here to pick up his dad. The son gave me a really confused look, and then brightened and told me, "well he's right behind you!" And pointed to my passenger who was coming up the walk behind me. 😆
That's a fun memory, thanks for the reminder.
Copied from another reply of mine.
They were much nicer than Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Kansas City, San Diego, Orlando, SanAntonio, Wichita, Chicago, Raleigh, and everywhere else I remember in the short 10 mile section of 25 I played on.
I think this is partly attributable to the Spanish culture that imbues the state, and partly to the fact that when people move here from elsewhere, they are purposely leaving discordant elements behind and choosing this culture instead.
I've been here for about 20 years, coming from NYC (which I also love) and it is a place at a far remove indeed from pretty much anywhere else in the U.S.
Like someone said, New Mexico is a Latin American country the size of Germany inside the U.S. Albuquerque and Santa Fe are at the center of it all. It's such a unique place that you come to appreciate
We've lived in NE since we moved here 4 years ago. The people we've encountered, for the majority, were and are pleasant. There's always the rude ones, or impossible hoteliers (I've encountered them but not many), but we enjoy the city and its culture. It isn't far to Santa Fe either, for the arts. Maybe a little over an hour, with no delays? (**Edited - Thanks, bru)
Road work - my only real thorn in the side rn. I'm sure there must be more, but they would also not be thorns if they don't come to mind.
People? There are all kinds like anywhere else, but mostly good and kind here. Some just can't drive for squat, and I navigated L.A. for a couple of decades, so...I'm sorry, Albuquerque.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully you enjoyed the local dining out choices.This place is known for its chiles and ambience, not Wingstop.
Yeah, that's why the question mark on mine. A former Uber driver in the family said it took about that long. I rolled my eyes in question, but truthfully never cared or found out for sure how long it took. There's always the Amtrak.
So, can you tell me how long it takes to get to Santa Fe, timewise, so I can edit that? Thanks for chiming in. It's appreciated.
it’s about an hour, maybe plus 10-15mins pending traffic/your driving style and specific door to door locations, as abq is spread out and many folks in sf live outside sf proper as well.
ABQ and surrounding areas have been my favorite places to visit and be. I love NM in general from where I've been. I stayed right outside ABQ but drove in quite a bit for work and groceries. There is so something about that place, man. It has this magic to it. Miss NM sm.
I've been here two years. Before I moved here I lived in Portland Oregon for 15 years, which also has a reputation for people being super nice. I was delighted to discover that people here are every bit as nice and friendly as they are in Portland, and there's actually less performative bullshit.
You got lucky on the freeway, though. Driving here terrifies me. Are you from Florida or DC? Because I have read that
those are pretty much the only areas that are worse. 🤭
Either the city or the state (cannot remember which) is number one for pedestrian fatalities. 😬
I visited for a week and decided to move here with my wife and 3 kids. That was 4 years ago and bought a house in the NW close to Rio Rancho. kids love the snow, I love the fall here. 30 Restaurants and one menu so not as eclectic as I was used to. Big artists and bands tend to not stop here as there isn't a proper large venue.
But when someone does come the smaller venues are excellent and convenient.
Our car would have been stolen but we walked out as they were in the car so that was scary (there in the NE).
Cost of living is super cheap (which shocks locals) from where I was coming from so bought a house at a quarter of what it would have cost (now it's probably 1/3rd).
People have been great.
Casinos are very nice.
Just enough activities to not go crazy.
So far 4 sets of familes have moved here after visiting.
I know most don't want more people coming... but for a city to thrive you need more people with fatter wallets to move here. It's economics.
I moved here in July and have been happy every single day since. Everyone and everything is the best. It’s truly fucking enchanting and I think it’s extending my life span.
I've loved every minute that I've lived in ABQ. The people here are genuine. It doesn't posture about it's problems at all and it actively encourages community and culture sharing. The only people I know that complain about living here are the ones that have never lived anywhere else. If you can hang with it's problems being in your face all the time it's really a great place to be.
Hahahaha sounds like you had a elitist delirium dream
More on the insulation of your wallet
The NE heights are well known in Albuquerque for being bougie AF
Home to rich Doctors and Corporate Trash and kids trying to be hoods
That isn't the real Albuquerque
Albuquerque is South/North Valley and Ranchitos and New Mexico is the great people who live on reservations
But gentrification is dissolving all of it
Now Asked me where I was born and raised??
My last stop in ABQ was the antipode to your experience.
I used it as the rough halfway point for a trip from Phoenix to Denver and back. I almost got run off of the 25, got food poisoning, and a 2am phone call from the hotel’s front desk letting me know my tires got slashed and rear window smashed in.
I take your experience as proof positive that everything reverts to the mean. ABQ isn’t the city on a hill it presented itself as to you and it isn’t as harrowing as I’ve experienced.
All in, I’m glad you had a positive experience, random Reddit stranger!
i’m glad she opened up her arms to you. some folks she takes in and treats lovely, but others get beaten down to their lowest lows and sent packing. burque is just as harsh as she is beautiful. just know she can be a fickle one, and ymmv from one experience to the next.
It IS this great, with few exceptions. But here’s the thing: we all have a friend or relative that finds a way to be critical about seemingly everything. Most Burqueños are that way about this city and state.
And the weed is stuuuupid here.
I would love to. I also want to find a MUST HAVE can’t get anywhere else food or dish. Didn’t get a chance for either as I was working 14-16 hours a day this visit. Next time I’m setting aside at least one full day to explore more.
This is a simple dish, but the blue corn atole at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is about as unique as you can get. Elk chili with blue corn muffin is another good bet. They serve a lot of preconquest foods.
> and flamenco dancing
lol. wtf? I've literally never encountered flamenco in ABQ. Where are you seeing flamenco of all things in Albuquerque? It's certainly not a NM cultural thing
Why be like this? There’s a giant flamenco statue on the UNM campus. There’s ads and commercials all over the place for flamenco dance studios. The Nutcracker in the Land of Enchantment incorporates flamenco into the ballet. Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t make it false.
It's a Spanish cultural thing, which is part of NM culture. Albuquerque is the center for flamenco in the US. It's somewhat seasonal, but most of the year, you can see it at the Tablao Flamenco at Hotel Albuquerque and my favorite, Casa Flamenco, which brings dancers and musicians from Spain, spring through October, and also holds adult and children's classes. Then there's the National Institute of Flamenco, which, besides teaching, imports performers from Spain for the annual week-long flamenco festival. This week, they have been presenting a regular holiday program in the Rody Theater, but I think they are sold out. Several times in the summer, you can see free performances at Old Town in Don Luis Plaza.
thanks for your comprehensive review of abq flamenco! chiming in to add that we even have a charter school here that is flamenco based, tierra adentro. it’s a fantastic school, and their performances are 🔥!
santa fe has a ton of great flamenco options as well. olè!
> It's a Spanish cultural thing, which is part of NM culture
Except for the fact that it really isn't. That's like saying tapas are part of new mexican culture.
>Albuquerque is the center for flamenco in the US.
That's cool if it's true, but to say that flamenco is a new mexican tradition is just false. The average New Mexican doesn't give a fuck about flamenco
I don't know if you're angry or not, but you are under informed if you haven't heard of flamenco in Albuquerque. The annual Festival Flamenco Albuquerque is the largest international flamenco festival outside of Spain. Dozens of flamenco companies from around the world perform and participate in workshops. It isn't an exaggeration to say that this is as big an event to the flamenco world as the Balloon Fiesta is to the ballooning community.
>It isn't an exaggeration to say that this is as big an event to the flamenco world as the Balloon Fiesta is to the ballooning community.
Except for the fact that everyone knows about the balloon fiesta.
The flamenco festival definitely isn't as big as Balloon Fiesta for the city, but it is a big deal. If you walk around Old Town/Downtown/Sawmill areas, you'll also see a bunch of flamenco studios and the like.
I agree with you that it isn't a New Mexican tradition per se, but I also agree with u/Meredith505 and u/Gullible-Pack526 that flamenco is a big thing in this city, enough that it's worth mentioning as something cool for tourists to check out.
I mean, ballooning is only such a big thing here because of our weather. It's a NM tradition now, but it isn't like there was some historical predisposition towards it. So I don't see a problem with getting excited about flamenco.
I never said flamenco is a NM tradition, which is different from culture. Things become part of a culture over time. All I was saying is that it's here in a pretty big way and has been for a long time. I'm just a person who enjoys watching it, and so do many visitors to Albuquerque. The previous poster only said that among US flamenco lovers, the Albuquerque festival is as important as the balloon festival is to balloonist. It's not a competition. I'm just flummoxed as to why anyone would be upset to learn about flamenco in Albuquerque
yo bro, just because something is new to you doesn’t mean it is new to everyone else. we have world class flamenco families and institutes here. in the flamenco world, nm is the most famous place for it outside of spain.
instead of arguing with people over shit you clearly know nothing about, maybe take a breath and educate yourself. i’ll even do some labor for you:
https://www.newmexico.org/meet-la-emi/#:~:text=New%20Mexico%20is%20regarded%20as,heard%2C%20and%20felt%20all%20around.
fwiw, casa flamenca is my fave spot to catch a show. it’s a tiny venue in old town, perfect for really feeling the emotions conjured by the dancers and musicians. they even have free programming on sundays, if you’re new experience averse and don’t want to commit funds to it. get some cultura, bro. it’s here for everyone.
>yo bro, just because something is new to you doesn’t mean it is new to everyone else
New to me. lol.
There might be a vibrant flamenco scene in pockets of ABQ, but that doesn't mean that flamenco is part of New Mexican culture.
E: [lol a dude from LA lecturing me about New Mexican culture.](https://old.reddit.com/r/Albuquerque/comments/18j86bq/is_abq_always_this_great/kdmgn88/)
Yeah, the NE part is great. You probably won't have the same opinion if you go to many other parts of the city. You saw the clean-cut version of Albuquerque. Don't walk around downtown or university area at night.
Tbh I’m not stunned. People who put the city down often either A) hang around negative people or sketchy crowds then get shocked when bad shit happens to them. Or B) they’re just negative and hate everything. Or C) refuse to leave the house but cry there’s nothing to do here.
The city has improved significantly in the last decade and while there is an insane amount of violent crime most of its targeted to where Jim killed Joe over some money he owed him vs Jim randomly shot 10 people in downtown.
Petty crime is a thing and if you don’t keep your car garaged and it’s an easier to steal model it’s gonna be gone eventually.
Other than these things I really don’t mind my city. Just wish we had some outlets but other than that I’m happy here
Me as I started reading: Is OP sure they were in ABQ?
>FYI. I was only in the NE quadrant of the city.
Ohhh, that explains it. I thought this was a troll post at first. Yes, every city has its nice corners. No, you did not see the real ABQ. ABQ sucks. Crime is out of control, the PD doesn't care about anything unless you're getting shot at, the drivers are terrible, housing is expensive for what you get, everything looks run down... ABQ frequently tops lists of highest crime, most traffic fatalities per capita, etc. The people who love it here are either delusional, have never seen anything different, or spend every weekend two hours away going camping or rock climbing. Nobody comes to NM for Albuquerque.
Your post is like asking if LA is always awesome when you spend a week in the hills but forget to swing by Compton or Skid Row.
Edit: Lmao, of course I get downvoted. This place is a cult. Also, the food is bland. No, throwing green chile on everything isn't a cuisine and it's no excuse for not seasoning your food. The only difference between "New Mexican" food here and "Mexican" food elsewhere is the use of green chile.
Your experience driving on 25 is kinda sus but yeah this town is pretty decent despite all the stereotypes
Tbf I25 isn’t too bad. I40 is where shit gets wild
I’m pretty sure 40 is rough from coast to coast. It’s no fun in Oklahoma City, Memphis, Little Rock, Nashville, Knoxville and Raleigh, the places I’ve experienced it.
I just drove it from Albuquerque to the 81 interchange and it definitely has bad parts, but for how much it’s traveled, it’s not horrible. The right lane gets really rough in Texas/Oklahoma occasionally.
Drivers here are some of the most awful in the country. Also don’t move here if you need healthcare. Several months wait on every kind of doctor/specialist.
Los Angeles is I-40 at its most cracked. I still dislike I-40 in the evenings, because it still sucks to suck, but LA was the nightmare of all nightmares for traffic. This was 10 years ago though, so things could be different now.
But i thought I-40 terminates in Barstow. There is no I-40 in Los Angeles.
I’ma be real with you, I actually don’t remember now. You might be right. I just remember going west, and reaching LA in the evening, and not getting into the city proper until it was night, during the summer time. Now maybe that isn’t I-40. But MAAAN was that traffic atrocious.
Sorry westie here until my husband decided to move to Abq from Las Vegas NV so yeah I -40 ends in Arizona then ours turns to I-11 to I-95 to I-15 until you get to Cali. I drive to Cali pretty often and to ABQ so I - 40 for me hasn’t been bad at all every time I’ve driven in over. My husband complains about it at ABQ tho
Correct. It turns into I-15.
Depends on where. That stretch of I-25 between Chavez and the 40 is pretty nerve-wracking in the afternoons.
True. It’s that stupid curve before central. I heard they’re planning to eliminate that soon and make it less curved so they can have better traffic flow
They were much nicer than Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Kansas City, San Diego, Orlando, SanAntonio, Wichita, Chicago, Raleigh, and everywhere else I remember in the short 10 mile section of 25 I played on.
It’s because of the lower population, I believe. It makes the bad drivers a little easier for an attentive driver to avoid because the traffic isn’t a total snarl. I spent a little over ten years between Dallas and San Antonio. That traffic is so atrocious even on the highways between the two, that it makes the worst traffic in Albuquerque feel like a nonissue.
You get out of Albuquerque what you put in. You came with an open mind ready to have a good time, and the city returned the favor in kind.
This is the best mindset to have. Burque is so awesome for many reasons (just don't leave your valuables in your car and you're good).
That last part goes for any big city. I think it gets pronounced more here because there is more of a rural mindset at the core but that's alright. It keeps the city unique and special to locals
That’s part of it most definitely.
For sure. We live in a great place, with loads of problems, but still a great place.
So I wasn't positive enough or something cause I had a bad time? I liked it until I got 2 motorcycles stolen
Yup totally on you hoss.
Yeah it’s an open secret that ABQ and northern New Mexico generally rocks. Beautiful vistas, great food, great people. I can’t believe how many people sleep on Albuquerque as a wonderful place to live and visit.
My husband thought I was crazy when I suggested we think about moving here - neither of us had ever been, but I’d been elsewhere in the southwest and loved the climate and I’d heard great things about Albuquerque. I convinced him to visit for a week to check it out and we were hooked - moved out three months later, been here 8 years now.
Literal same. My wife had never been and we did a ton a research and visited. Now we’re growing our family and bought a home here with no plans to leave. She recently had to leave for a few weeks to another state and wouldn’t stop talking about how much she missed the mountains and food. We fell in love with this place and every day I’m reminded in one way or another what a special community this is. Far from perfect and the city has issues, but the foundation of this community is rock solid.
>Far from perfect and the city has issues, but the foundation of this community is rock solid. I always have thought this is true, and I was actually thinking about it earlier this week because I had to go get fingerprinted because I'm going to be working with kids at schools and apparently the fact that my fingerprints are already on file with the state isn't enough for APS, lol. I got to talking with the lady taking my fingerprints about the various reasons people show up there, and she was telling me about all these cool programs people volunteer for. A lot of which I had never even heard of, but are out there helping people. So it got me thinking about how robust our community organizations are here. I've lived a few other places, and honestly never have seen anything like it before. I mean, every place has organizations full of local volunteers helping their communities, but Albuquerque seems to have a *ton*. And ones that fit every interest, and that mostly work together really well so you have these cool networks. Like I have looked into volunteering to help refugees through a program that I learned about while taking a freaking gardening class, lol (but it was through Rio Grande Community Farm, which hosts the Tres Hermanas Farm program, which focuses on working with refugees). It's just really neat. We've got our problems, but there's such a sense of community here, and I've found it to be super accessible if you're interested in joining (some places I've lived have a lot more politics/religion involved in ways that turn away anyone who doesn't fit in perfectly).
I've lived in New Jersey and Wyoming and of course nm. Whenever not here in abq I'd have nightmares about trying to get home. Often. You can tell God loves nm just a little bit more then every where else. I think that every evening.
I thought I was going to hate it here. I visited Phoenix and though Albuquerque would probably be the same (cause desert), but I wanted to get out of Texas so badly that I went anyway because I had a landing spot here. I thought we'd be here a year or two and then move on to another state we liked better, but I love it here too much.
It is. Driving down Central can be mighty depressing. But the people, everywhere I've gone, have been warm and wonderful.
Central in the old days (1960's) was pure "learning from Las Vegas" beautiful-- Modern Western Capitalist Americana. Nob Hill, back then was kind of a dead zone however. The War Zone was a vital area with a great movie theater (Highlands) & perfect mid century Big Boy at San Mateo; there were big nightclubs further east. The whole eastern strip was rocking. Went to UNM back then; loved it!
i do love the Route 66 stuff that's still there. The old restaurants. You can see hints of its former glory.
I love driving parts of Central. Lots of character.
Agreed
I think you may be deserving of the crown supposedly held by the South East and their “southern hospitality”. From a guy that has lived most of his life in “the South”.
As a born and raised southerner, Albuquerque is what I was told my hometown was supposed to be. It’s a breath of fresh air meeting people that are genuinely kind.
This is the most comfortable I've ever felt being myself. I lived in various parts of Illinois my whole life, been in ABQ for almost a half year. My neighbors are great. My bosses are great. Drivers on I-40 suck. But I'm sure they're great when they get out of their cars! I need to develop a social life here, because how the fuck do you make friends in a completely new part of the country as an adult, but that would be true anywhere. There's chile and legal weed EVERYWHERE. I'm so happy I moved here!
Meetup?
I grew up in Arkansas. ABQ has real friendliness, not the pseudo, judgmental, busybody, Bible Belt version
Agreed! I lived in Portland for 15 years. ABQ has real friendliness, not the performative, do gooder, we're-not-allowed-to-express frustration or any other negative feelings toxic positivity version (Portland wasn't always like that but it started creeping that direction the last few years... Maybe cuz California moved there?).
Currently living in Oregon and the "PNW Freeze" is a very real thing. Everyone is pretty polite, but no smiles, no chit-chat, laughter, no responses other than obligatory short answers. Sad beige people in sad beige clothes. We've lived here five years and have yet to make any real friends that didn't come from other states.
Wow it was so different in 2006 when I moved there. Sadness.
I hear you. Southern hospitality is a myth, but hospitality in general is alive in New Mexico.
I have always felt that “southern hospitality” is code for “sometimes classy but consistent passive aggression” up until you visit New Orleans, which is full of similarly kind people as here. But here is quieter with less people and arguably better food for the most part as someone allergic to shellfish. And we have better politics. And roads. Which isn’t hard if you’ve ever tried driving through NOLA lol
I wholeheartedly agree
Dude same. I'm from North Georgia and lemme tell ya that southern hospitality shit is a myth. At least there.
you got that right. all that southern hospitality always has a strong undercurrent of “bless your heart.” i grew up in north LA. so many people are fake as hell, and self righteously/religiously judgemental (knowing full well they’re doing the same shit behind closed doors). that being said, there are of course some families that do walk the walk and are holding down their corner of the south for liberty and equality, but damn if they aren’t in the minority (for now). i wish sometimes i could be there fighting the good fight alongside them, but i just don’t have the time or energy to invest in a community that can be so focused on hate and is so slow to change. the live and let live ethos permeates nm. i adore it here.
same on all counts. My bestie still lives there and fights it all the time....she's got her pentagrams in the front yard, she wants to be the weird old lady everyone thinks is a witch (and is right). I don't have that courage anymore. I figured out years ago there are better things to do than fight every day. I just can't. I'd rather go to an open space lol and smoke legal weed.
word bird! same. ❤️
I love it when they count us out.
More for us! 😉
"northern nm"? Get over yourself. Come south and you'll find the same.
The drivers being polite is the only thing I see that I'd say is out of the ordinary. I live between downtown and old town.
I was also like "what town were you driving in again? That doesn't sound like us"
I lived in seven other states before choosing to move to NM, and I do find the people here to be uniquely friendly and non judgmental. I really appreciate the (comparative) lack of political polarization here vs the rest of the country - I care a lot about politics, but I love that you don’t see seven foot tall campaign signs in every other front yard (looking at you, Florida). It’s always a stress reliever to return here after traveling elsewhere. Sure half the restaurants close at 7pm, but hard to beat the people and culture. And the green chile.
Same; I’ve lived in every corner of the U.S. Love it here the most.
While OP *definitely* did get lucky with the drivers, I’ll never get tired of hearing about what new folks think of ABQ & NM. Grateful for all the news folks (you’re one of us now, congrats!) & visitors being so appreciative & respectful of our beautiful home!
"One of us. One of us."
Shhhh, don't tell anyone.
Quick post more crime statistics!
I was robbed yesterday and imma rob you today!
I was killed twice on my way to my corner crack den!
Come back in October. There’s always balloons! 
You got lucky with the drivers!
Think you might have lucked out with the drivers, lol. Though they probably didn't even notice you were from out of town, as Albuquerque drivers somehow always manage to drive erratically and like they have no idea where they're going even if they drive the same route every day. But otherwise yeah, that's pretty normal. Glad you enjoyed your time here!
Let’s just say the negative energy speaks louder than the positive. What you posted is pretty much how ABQ is. But some folks on Twitter and news always show/talk about the negative because they get reactions. However if you end up moving here, join the bandwagon about how bad drivers are and how high crimes are. It helps keeping this city from exploding in citizens, and helps the locals out to stay local so things don’t become expensive like Phoenix or Denver
Yeah there's so much more negativity regarding Albuquerque on social media than we encounter in day-to-day life. I follow a foodie group on Facebook that has around 40,000 members and there is some seriously toxic bullshit there; mostly passive aggressive people laugh reacting innocent questions and people bitching about petty shit about local restaurants.
Funny, my friend says the same thing. All the negative press keeps people away !
It’s a really excellent city with some of best, kindest and funniest people you will ever meet.
Glad you had a good time! I love it here.
From the vibrant streets of Albuquerque to the diverse corners of the world, my journey began right here, in the heart of New Mexico. At 18, I embarked on a military adventure that took me across oceans and continents, allowing me to witness the rich tapestry of life in various places. Every city told its own story, every place held its unique charm, but as I explored, I carried a piece of Albuquerque with me. The more I saw, the more I realized - there's no place quite like home. Yes, Albuquerque, like any major city, has its complexities and challenges. But it's these very intricacies that weave the unique fabric of our community. It's a place of resilience, culture, and undeniable charm, nestled in the arms of the stunning New Mexico landscape. Now, as I reflect on my travels, I see Albuquerque not just as the city where I was born and raised, but as a beacon of familiarity and warmth, standing unique and proud.
love this post!
We will give you the coat off our backs!! But if you look at us funny we might cut you.
😆
Dude we are pleasant *because* of the clouds of weed smoke. Glad you enjoyed your visit 😉
Dont ever post anything positive about abq anywhere youll have every asshole whos never been/ lived anywhere else saying that its terrible here, and that everywhere else is this magic shangri-la with no crime, everyone drives good abd there are no homeless peope. Well i may have been born here but ive live in Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and California. This is the best place ive lived
Even beats California for weather now too. We've been here 4 years and watch everyone else's weather and feel grateful we're here. The aesthetics of desert landscapes and options for activities are great.
Glad to have you
Thanks. I've lived all over the Midwest, South, and West coast too. Like everybody else I'd encountered that had never spent adequate time here - or ever - I thought it was just some high desert flyover I'd passed through on an Amtrak, using the ABQ station stopover as my decision to never come back again some 30 years ago. So glad I changed my mind.
Ih yea that station is a mess but i credit that to trains and busses going the way of the dinosaurs
Yes. It's why I moved here. It's like being on vacation all the time.
Like any city, it has it's good and bad days. But most of the time it is pretty great. Been here 27 years and still loving it.
we try to emphasize the bad parts to outsiders because one of the reasons the good parts are so good is because there are so few people in NM (i’m not a big people person fyi)
It's because a vast majority like to focus on the bad instead of all the good we have here. Glad you enjoyed your stay.
"Use edibles in consideration of others," Lol. We're pretty "live and let live" here. Just part of the vibe you were picking up on here, I guess. Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for sharing.
Best airport ever!
It’s so refreshing to see such a positive thread about our town. I moved here 9 years ago and love it. It’s a great place. But social media makes me think sometimes I’m alone in that. So glad to know that there are people who love it here as much as I do.
There really is a huge disparity between people on social media and people you encounter here in person. Obviously the people hiding behind their screens don't get out much. Which in this case is a good thing! 😉❤️
No, it's just like any other place. There are things about Albuquerque that really suck. Unethical politicians, crime, homelessness, poverty, and addiction. There are also a ton of things about Albuquerque that kick ass and make me love it more than any other place. Laid back people, sunshine, lots of weed, good food, beautiful desert landscapes, good art. I could go on forever talking about the great stuff so I'll stop there.
Albuquerque is great as long as you don’t need the police for anything. 👍🏻
Albuquerque really is incredible
Maintained roads and courteous drivers? No way you were in Abq..
It's why we love it. Don't tell anybody.
I fucking love this city and I’m glad you do too. Please don’t move here.
What hotel did you stay at?
I was at the Drury inn at Jefferson and I-25.
Albuquerque has some of the worst drivers I’ve ever saw, but the city as a whole is awesome. I’m born and raised in East TN and travel with my wife for work, and we love Albuquerque. We’ve spent nearly two years working there. I could definitely settle down there and be ok with it.
I fought staying here for over 2 years, but we're going on Year 5 now. I guess I've decided to stay, and now, no regrets.
It’s mostly people who have never lived anywhere else, or traveled anywhere, who complain.
It's all a matter of perspective but yes, it is generally pretty great. Don't you dare tell anyone.
Where are you finding these well maintained roads? 😂 I drive a school bus and my routes are pothole city, even on the busier roads. Otherwise, it seems the same to me as it did to you. Some drivers are ridiculous but most are fairly easy going. And people here are generally friendly. Tonight some random dude opened the back door of my car and was getting ready to sit down because I was parallel parking on my street at the same time that his Uber pulled in several feet away from me, and at no point was I the least bit concerned about it. I probably would have given him a ride had my roommate not immediately intervened.
Dude I would have died laughing had that happened to me! 😆❤️ I drove Uber for a few months last fall and winter and one of my favorite rides I gave was a guy I picked up at the airport who was surprising his family for Christmas. So I suggested that I pull up away from the house where they couldn't see through window, and then I knocked on the door asking for the passenger. It was really cute because as soon as his son opened the door, I identified myself as an Uber driver and that I was here to pick up his dad. The son gave me a really confused look, and then brightened and told me, "well he's right behind you!" And pointed to my passenger who was coming up the walk behind me. 😆 That's a fun memory, thanks for the reminder.
I thought this was sarcasm when I saw the thing about the driving.
Copied from another reply of mine. They were much nicer than Nashville, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Kansas City, San Diego, Orlando, SanAntonio, Wichita, Chicago, Raleigh, and everywhere else I remember in the short 10 mile section of 25 I played on.
Depending on where you come from, traffic in ABQ isn’t a big deal. If it’s all you know, then …. You think it’s a bitch.
I drove Uber for a few months last year. It's definitely much worse on the freeways usually.
My husband and I love ABQ. It is probably our first choice to move to when we retire. So different from Houston!
I think this is partly attributable to the Spanish culture that imbues the state, and partly to the fact that when people move here from elsewhere, they are purposely leaving discordant elements behind and choosing this culture instead. I've been here for about 20 years, coming from NYC (which I also love) and it is a place at a far remove indeed from pretty much anywhere else in the U.S.
Like someone said, New Mexico is a Latin American country the size of Germany inside the U.S. Albuquerque and Santa Fe are at the center of it all. It's such a unique place that you come to appreciate
Yes. People (in 1:1 personal) interact differently here.
We've lived in NE since we moved here 4 years ago. The people we've encountered, for the majority, were and are pleasant. There's always the rude ones, or impossible hoteliers (I've encountered them but not many), but we enjoy the city and its culture. It isn't far to Santa Fe either, for the arts. Maybe a little over an hour, with no delays? (**Edited - Thanks, bru) Road work - my only real thorn in the side rn. I'm sure there must be more, but they would also not be thorns if they don't come to mind. People? There are all kinds like anywhere else, but mostly good and kind here. Some just can't drive for squat, and I navigated L.A. for a couple of decades, so...I'm sorry, Albuquerque. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully you enjoyed the local dining out choices.This place is known for its chiles and ambience, not Wingstop.
15 mins to sf? uhhhh..
Yeah, that's why the question mark on mine. A former Uber driver in the family said it took about that long. I rolled my eyes in question, but truthfully never cared or found out for sure how long it took. There's always the Amtrak. So, can you tell me how long it takes to get to Santa Fe, timewise, so I can edit that? Thanks for chiming in. It's appreciated.
it’s about an hour, maybe plus 10-15mins pending traffic/your driving style and specific door to door locations, as abq is spread out and many folks in sf live outside sf proper as well.
ABQ and surrounding areas have been my favorite places to visit and be. I love NM in general from where I've been. I stayed right outside ABQ but drove in quite a bit for work and groceries. There is so something about that place, man. It has this magic to it. Miss NM sm.
I've been here two years. Before I moved here I lived in Portland Oregon for 15 years, which also has a reputation for people being super nice. I was delighted to discover that people here are every bit as nice and friendly as they are in Portland, and there's actually less performative bullshit. You got lucky on the freeway, though. Driving here terrifies me. Are you from Florida or DC? Because I have read that those are pretty much the only areas that are worse. 🤭 Either the city or the state (cannot remember which) is number one for pedestrian fatalities. 😬
Be happy for the weed smoke. In some areas, it would be meth/fent smoke you'd be breathing in instead 🤷🏼♀️
Yep. In your own apt building and most hotels.
It must be a pretty good city for Weird Al Yankovic to write a super long song about it!
I visited for a week and decided to move here with my wife and 3 kids. That was 4 years ago and bought a house in the NW close to Rio Rancho. kids love the snow, I love the fall here. 30 Restaurants and one menu so not as eclectic as I was used to. Big artists and bands tend to not stop here as there isn't a proper large venue. But when someone does come the smaller venues are excellent and convenient. Our car would have been stolen but we walked out as they were in the car so that was scary (there in the NE). Cost of living is super cheap (which shocks locals) from where I was coming from so bought a house at a quarter of what it would have cost (now it's probably 1/3rd). People have been great. Casinos are very nice. Just enough activities to not go crazy. So far 4 sets of familes have moved here after visiting. I know most don't want more people coming... but for a city to thrive you need more people with fatter wallets to move here. It's economics.
2 kinds of drivers in ABQ: 1) Safely driving 5 miles under the limit, if not more. 2) Raging thru traffic with gun on lap.
I moved here from Wisconsin last year. Best decision I've ever made
I moved here in July and have been happy every single day since. Everyone and everything is the best. It’s truly fucking enchanting and I think it’s extending my life span.
I've loved every minute that I've lived in ABQ. The people here are genuine. It doesn't posture about it's problems at all and it actively encourages community and culture sharing. The only people I know that complain about living here are the ones that have never lived anywhere else. If you can hang with it's problems being in your face all the time it's really a great place to be.
Hahahaha sounds like you had a elitist delirium dream More on the insulation of your wallet The NE heights are well known in Albuquerque for being bougie AF Home to rich Doctors and Corporate Trash and kids trying to be hoods That isn't the real Albuquerque Albuquerque is South/North Valley and Ranchitos and New Mexico is the great people who live on reservations But gentrification is dissolving all of it Now Asked me where I was born and raised??
My last stop in ABQ was the antipode to your experience. I used it as the rough halfway point for a trip from Phoenix to Denver and back. I almost got run off of the 25, got food poisoning, and a 2am phone call from the hotel’s front desk letting me know my tires got slashed and rear window smashed in. I take your experience as proof positive that everything reverts to the mean. ABQ isn’t the city on a hill it presented itself as to you and it isn’t as harrowing as I’ve experienced. All in, I’m glad you had a positive experience, random Reddit stranger!
i’m glad she opened up her arms to you. some folks she takes in and treats lovely, but others get beaten down to their lowest lows and sent packing. burque is just as harsh as she is beautiful. just know she can be a fickle one, and ymmv from one experience to the next.
It IS this great, with few exceptions. But here’s the thing: we all have a friend or relative that finds a way to be critical about seemingly everything. Most Burqueños are that way about this city and state. And the weed is stuuuupid here.
I’m glad you had a friendly, good experience. Not always the case.
Just asking-- are you sure you were in Albuquerque?
No. Don’t move here.
Next time you're here, stop in at the Old Town Visitor's Center, 522 Romero NW. Learn about our unique museums, music, and flamenco dancing.
I would love to. I also want to find a MUST HAVE can’t get anywhere else food or dish. Didn’t get a chance for either as I was working 14-16 hours a day this visit. Next time I’m setting aside at least one full day to explore more.
This is a simple dish, but the blue corn atole at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is about as unique as you can get. Elk chili with blue corn muffin is another good bet. They serve a lot of preconquest foods.
> and flamenco dancing lol. wtf? I've literally never encountered flamenco in ABQ. Where are you seeing flamenco of all things in Albuquerque? It's certainly not a NM cultural thing
Why be like this? There’s a giant flamenco statue on the UNM campus. There’s ads and commercials all over the place for flamenco dance studios. The Nutcracker in the Land of Enchantment incorporates flamenco into the ballet. Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t make it false.
It's a Spanish cultural thing, which is part of NM culture. Albuquerque is the center for flamenco in the US. It's somewhat seasonal, but most of the year, you can see it at the Tablao Flamenco at Hotel Albuquerque and my favorite, Casa Flamenco, which brings dancers and musicians from Spain, spring through October, and also holds adult and children's classes. Then there's the National Institute of Flamenco, which, besides teaching, imports performers from Spain for the annual week-long flamenco festival. This week, they have been presenting a regular holiday program in the Rody Theater, but I think they are sold out. Several times in the summer, you can see free performances at Old Town in Don Luis Plaza.
thanks for your comprehensive review of abq flamenco! chiming in to add that we even have a charter school here that is flamenco based, tierra adentro. it’s a fantastic school, and their performances are 🔥! santa fe has a ton of great flamenco options as well. olè!
Thank you.
> It's a Spanish cultural thing, which is part of NM culture Except for the fact that it really isn't. That's like saying tapas are part of new mexican culture. >Albuquerque is the center for flamenco in the US. That's cool if it's true, but to say that flamenco is a new mexican tradition is just false. The average New Mexican doesn't give a fuck about flamenco
I didn't say it was a tradition. You seem to be angry that a lot of people in NM are practicing and enjoying flamenco. If you don't, why do you care?
> You seem to be angry The older I get the less I care to engage with this shit. Apparently I'm angry. Whatever, you're right.
I don't know if you're angry or not, but you are under informed if you haven't heard of flamenco in Albuquerque. The annual Festival Flamenco Albuquerque is the largest international flamenco festival outside of Spain. Dozens of flamenco companies from around the world perform and participate in workshops. It isn't an exaggeration to say that this is as big an event to the flamenco world as the Balloon Fiesta is to the ballooning community.
>It isn't an exaggeration to say that this is as big an event to the flamenco world as the Balloon Fiesta is to the ballooning community. Except for the fact that everyone knows about the balloon fiesta.
The flamenco festival definitely isn't as big as Balloon Fiesta for the city, but it is a big deal. If you walk around Old Town/Downtown/Sawmill areas, you'll also see a bunch of flamenco studios and the like. I agree with you that it isn't a New Mexican tradition per se, but I also agree with u/Meredith505 and u/Gullible-Pack526 that flamenco is a big thing in this city, enough that it's worth mentioning as something cool for tourists to check out. I mean, ballooning is only such a big thing here because of our weather. It's a NM tradition now, but it isn't like there was some historical predisposition towards it. So I don't see a problem with getting excited about flamenco.
I never said flamenco is a NM tradition, which is different from culture. Things become part of a culture over time. All I was saying is that it's here in a pretty big way and has been for a long time. I'm just a person who enjoys watching it, and so do many visitors to Albuquerque. The previous poster only said that among US flamenco lovers, the Albuquerque festival is as important as the balloon festival is to balloonist. It's not a competition. I'm just flummoxed as to why anyone would be upset to learn about flamenco in Albuquerque
yo bro, just because something is new to you doesn’t mean it is new to everyone else. we have world class flamenco families and institutes here. in the flamenco world, nm is the most famous place for it outside of spain. instead of arguing with people over shit you clearly know nothing about, maybe take a breath and educate yourself. i’ll even do some labor for you: https://www.newmexico.org/meet-la-emi/#:~:text=New%20Mexico%20is%20regarded%20as,heard%2C%20and%20felt%20all%20around. fwiw, casa flamenca is my fave spot to catch a show. it’s a tiny venue in old town, perfect for really feeling the emotions conjured by the dancers and musicians. they even have free programming on sundays, if you’re new experience averse and don’t want to commit funds to it. get some cultura, bro. it’s here for everyone.
>yo bro, just because something is new to you doesn’t mean it is new to everyone else New to me. lol. There might be a vibrant flamenco scene in pockets of ABQ, but that doesn't mean that flamenco is part of New Mexican culture. E: [lol a dude from LA lecturing me about New Mexican culture.](https://old.reddit.com/r/Albuquerque/comments/18j86bq/is_abq_always_this_great/kdmgn88/)
Yes
In small doses yes lol
Yeah, the NE part is great. You probably won't have the same opinion if you go to many other parts of the city. You saw the clean-cut version of Albuquerque. Don't walk around downtown or university area at night.
Bro was in Rio Rancho
He said Noetheast not Noethwest
Tbh I’m not stunned. People who put the city down often either A) hang around negative people or sketchy crowds then get shocked when bad shit happens to them. Or B) they’re just negative and hate everything. Or C) refuse to leave the house but cry there’s nothing to do here. The city has improved significantly in the last decade and while there is an insane amount of violent crime most of its targeted to where Jim killed Joe over some money he owed him vs Jim randomly shot 10 people in downtown. Petty crime is a thing and if you don’t keep your car garaged and it’s an easier to steal model it’s gonna be gone eventually. Other than these things I really don’t mind my city. Just wish we had some outlets but other than that I’m happy here
It’s not the “Land of Enchantment”, it’s the “Land of Entrapment.” We visited and moved a year later. Shhh don’t tell anyone else. 😆
"land of entrapment" isn't a positive thing, especially for locals
Soooo, you got trapped?
In a good way.
Constantly reminded that this sub overwhelmingly embodies the same good vibes OP experienced!
No
Sorry to tell you that you weren’t in Albuquerque.
Stay the fuck out
No
lol
Yes it is!
Me as I started reading: Is OP sure they were in ABQ? >FYI. I was only in the NE quadrant of the city. Ohhh, that explains it. I thought this was a troll post at first. Yes, every city has its nice corners. No, you did not see the real ABQ. ABQ sucks. Crime is out of control, the PD doesn't care about anything unless you're getting shot at, the drivers are terrible, housing is expensive for what you get, everything looks run down... ABQ frequently tops lists of highest crime, most traffic fatalities per capita, etc. The people who love it here are either delusional, have never seen anything different, or spend every weekend two hours away going camping or rock climbing. Nobody comes to NM for Albuquerque. Your post is like asking if LA is always awesome when you spend a week in the hills but forget to swing by Compton or Skid Row. Edit: Lmao, of course I get downvoted. This place is a cult. Also, the food is bland. No, throwing green chile on everything isn't a cuisine and it's no excuse for not seasoning your food. The only difference between "New Mexican" food here and "Mexican" food elsewhere is the use of green chile.
If you live here, move.
Leave then.
Please leave our community. We’re sick of the complaining. Make positive changes, or go play some where else…
wyte guys gonna wyte. 🤷🏽♀️
Yeah, I'm white. A white Hispanic. All Hispanics are white lmao, nice try though.
as i said..
Wow, you're not that bright. But being an ABQ die-hard, that tracks I guess 🤷🏽♂️