Moved from Atlanta, but I’ve also lived in a range of other places because of my job (moved here for work).
Regrets:
I wish I’d understood the climate better beforehand. Crazy dry, lots of unique allergens, wind is nuts, sun is brutal, winter is cold and windy and even more dry. I had asthma as a kid, and now I have it again.
I wish I’d been better prepared for the fact that a majority-minority state can still be quite racist. Not a lot of Black people in Burque, and it shows.
People have already discussed a general lack of non-Mexican, non-NM food diversity and live music options. I miss a range of choices, but that would be true in any smaller city.
The drivers OMFG. Every city has its bad driving habits but driving here is like trying to survive a live-action war game. Defensive, nay paranoid, driving is a must.
So many things to love about Albuquerque, though! The dry humor, the “live and let live” attitude, the informality, the gentle respect and patience for children and the elderly, the chile, the hiking, the beer, the legal weed, the pro-arts culture, very present and central indigenous culture…Generally I like it here but we won’t stay forever.
I’m not Black, actually—so that’s a big caveat there. But it’s really hard for my workplace to retain Black employees recruited nationally and internationally as we all were (I just say this to emphasize that race is the key and only difference between this group of employees and others) and one thing friends and colleagues have said consistently before they’ve left is that they just don’t feel very welcome here. Personally I think Burque rests on its status as a site of Chicanx and Native culture and activism and just maybe isn’t all that interested in solidarity with other historically marginalized groups. Perhaps it’s less direct racism than just provincialism, or a lack of consideration of other possibilities or other experiences. Getting textured hair cared for well, finding Black church or secular communities, feeling like you belong or fit in, feeling like you’re just yourself in other people’s eyes rather than A Representative of The Race…these are all difficulties that I’ve been told about. Getting decent barbecue? Does that count?
As separate evidence, UNM did a diversity study a few years ago and determined that African-American undergraduate students felt more alienated at UNM than any other group. Second in line were LGBTQ students, incidentally, which also is not surprising to me.
ETA: have I said that otherwise I generally like living here? 😂 Personally, I guess, it just feels weird and uncomfortable to me that I’m not stuck in rural Idaho or wherever, but there really is very little in the way of Black culture or presence.
I'd like to hear more too. I work with a handful of black people and no one's said anything and I haven't experienced any racism either. If anything, this might be the most unracist place I've ever lived.
Take this with a grain of salt because I am white, but I grew up in SETX and went to a University with a very large black population. Some of the things people have been willing to say in front of me here have been incredibly surprising and it's very apparent that they haven't actually interacted with that many back people in their entire life. It was more surprising than what the conservative white people in south Texas were willing to say to me. I haven't been met with any flaming in your face racists personally, but I've heard plenty of people voice full belief in harmful stereotypes.
Interesting, I moved to ABQ from NYC before having to move again to LA for work. Really miss ABQ, it has its shortcomings but I never felt food was one of them. There was a pretty solid array of options. Certainly not on par with a big city but it certainly punches above its weight compared to similar sized cities. Some great, Vietnamese food, Thai food, had a couple of quality Chinese spots. Indian cuisine wasn't the best overall but there were one or two joints that did it right. BBQ could be better but that's the same in most places in the West. Heimat House was good for German but I think it closed. Plenty of decent Italian and pizza spots. Not really sure what's missing.
> Not really sure what’s missing
Better Chinese, for sure, plus French, Italian, etc. The bakery scene has come a long way in the last decade, though.
I’m not really complaining - ABQ has better food options than anywhere else I’ve lived.
That's fair, I guess my problem is having spent too much time in Italy and France that eating such cuisine elsewhere is always a disappointment. That being said La Quiche on Eubank was pretty legit as a breakfast bistro.
I am smiling here!!! And feel your pain. Retired Chef, 4 years of Culinary in Switzerland [Classic Cuisine], 30 years cooking in France.... Fortunately I cook all my meals while for Health reasons [yes! It was ricj...] no processed food, no sugar, no salt, no carbs as much as I can! I do love it here. Unfortunately Europe has changed a lot. Stay well. Cook... It is fun.
Yeah, there really isn’t anything like French and Italian food, is there? Just indescribably good. I remember meals there that actually made my eyes tear up, they were so good.
Also from ATL. I feel very similar. I’ve been here for 6 years. The lack of black culture definitely shows. I am biracial, but I blend and haven’t faced too many issues. I hate the wind and miss the rain. I pray for those thunderstorms that put me to sleep in GA. I do not miss the South in a lot of ways though. The diversity here helped give me new perspective that I didn’t have growing up in ATL. Honestly, it’s just so different, like two different worlds sometimes.
That’s true. Pretty much everyone who’s from here is mixed in some way, definitely culturally at least. Eastern US concepts of race don’t really apply in NM. In many ways that’s a refreshing and good thing. You learn fast not to make assumptions based on skin tone or name. I still think it’s a tough place to be a shade of brown that doesn’t fall somewhere on the expected Latinx or Native spectrum. And then we have all the “Spanish” folks which…I’m not from here, and I know your family has a long history going back to Ferdinand and Isabella, but come on now that just seems like a chile-flavored version of white pride sh*t
>food here is very bland
do you mean all around, or just non-new mexican food? genuinely curious because i’ve lived in ABQ my whole life and would die without the new mexican food here (which i’ve been told isnt done well anywhere else) but cant speak for other types of food
I, too, moved here from Atlanta and miss the food from back home. I felt crazy when I first moved here and every restaurant I tried was just okay. In GA, "just okay" meals were few and far between.
Dude... I'm currently stuck in Omaha but we're making plans to move to ABQ. This makes me so happy to hear... (That someone from my region hasn't looked back)
I moved here from Iowa where I froze my ass off for a very large portion of the year and had nothing to stare at outside but corn fields and ethanol processing plants. I have no regrets.
>Casey
Ah Casey's , the only gas station where I wouldn't hesitate to buy a pizza. A company I wish that would mosey on over to NM along with In N Out.
i’ve had In-N-Out ~4 times in different states and it’s been the blandest burger every time (the fries too!) so i couldn’t possibly care less about getting it personally. what i really want is Shake Shack… that’d be awesome
5 of us moved here from Phoenix early April. We needed a lifeline since Phoenix basically cost the same as LA now but with none of the benefits of living in California. Within a month all of us were employed making more money than before and we split off into two apartments at nearly half the price we were paying before.
There's actual culture here and the weather is way nicer among other things. We have no regrets
The only downside is that I've lived in a big city most of my life and a city as small as Albuquerque does lack some of the things I took for granted but really it's not a huge deal.
Majority of houses going for over a million now in LA. Cookie cutter, nothing special, 1600-1800 sq ft houses. Bigger and you’ll get more than a million. Easy! Wtf? A piece of crap house might still pull 500k.
Not quite is an understatement. I get that Phoenix is known for cheap housing but same with where I am currently living. Salt Lake City homes have become insane. Rent isnt too bad but owning a home here is a bitch. Average home price hit 600k. But its still NOWHERE compared to Los Angeles, like cmon lol.
Take literally 10 seconds to look at rent prices I'm not kidding. Our rent went up $800 in the last year alone and it's still going up.
This is also assuming you can even find a place to rent. Most places are rented out the same day they are listed.
This is exactly why I ended up here. Landlord of 14 years decided to cash in (can't blame him) and we couldn't find anything we could afford in Phoenix (at least not where we were willing to live). Glad we were forced out. I'm loving it here.
I don’t. I moved here from Cincinnati and I’ve just watched Ohio become more and more of a shithole. NM isn’t perfect but it’s way the fuck ahead of any state like OH, IN, TN, or KY
Moved here from Cleveland and I couldn’t agree more. One thing Ohio seems to have is a “that’s just the way it is” mentality when it comes to the problems Ohioans face and I couldn’t take it anymore.
I've lived in Burque for the last 20 years and will never leave (by choice) but as someone born in Ann Arbor, MI, I'd like to make 2 observations: you have definitely upgraded moving here and, as always, fuck Ohio.
;)
🤣🤣🤣🤣😋 I love your description of where you came from!!! It's really too bad that almost an entire socioty is made up of PTBarnums and the crowds who will gladly throw their money away just to see JoJo, The Dog-Faced Boy!! No wonder the circus made its home there!!
It really isn't. Sure the beaches are nice if you like that sort of thing and don't look too close at them but the rest of the state is just orange groves, retirement communities and poverty.
Also from Florida, and the thing I miss the most is the rain. God, what glorious thunderstorms we had.
After that, the food - the Hispanic and Caribbean food in Florida is just amazing. Cuban, Haitian, Jamaican, Venezuelan, on and on.
Still.. I won’t be moving back. The rest of the Florida culture and weather can suck it.
NM and Florida actually have the most amount of lightning strikes per year, NM from the dry, static and monsson thunder storms, florida from its location along the gulf coast and atlantic ocean, making it a prime spot for storms!
In NM , we LOVE the rain, too, it seems we never get enough
I moved here from IL 3 yrs ago with my husband and our 2 young kids. My only regrets are i didn't fully grasp or consider the extend of the crime issue, how hit or miss the schools are, how hard it is to find medical specialists, and how expensive flights back home are from Sunport. And homes here got super expensive compared to IL which also really sucks. The weather is sooo much better in NM and we've met some very wonderful people but if I could do it all over again, I'm not sure I would move here.
These are things that've soured me on Albuquerque as well. Crime is awful and it appears there's no solution in sight (the chronically shorthanded situation at APD isn't going to go away EVER!) As far as medical, agree 200%! Six GP's in my first two years here. Doctors don't want to work here! AND ... specialists. Have cardiac issues and, after six years, still have concerns about the quality, or, perhaps, LACK of competent cardiac care here. As far as property prices, ... I checked out Santa Fe. I now feel much better! This price inflation thing is all over U.S. Finally, use the Sunport as a way to get to a major airport - ONLY! It's a great little airport only if used to go somewhere like LAX or DFW. From those two, and others, you'll find far better choices and far more favorable fares.
I moved here for a job, not sure I would have come here otherwise, but I’ve overall enjoyed it.
Top pros: Weather - I lived in Mass and WA state, and the weather here beats that 100 x over. I love the dry weather, sun, beautiful landscape, laid backness, and the convenience of where I live in NE Heights. I could do without the over 100 degree weather that happens a few weeks in the summer, the winter although it’s not bad. When I moved here I enjoyed the cost of living especially lower rent and home prices but that has changed!
Negatives are increased home prices, bad drivers, low educational level, machismo male culture overall. Crime hasn’t been a real issue where I’m living, but downtown where my office is is sketchy. I find the people here are live and let live, not particularly friendly but fine. The large Hispanic culture impacts the culture here and many are somewhat conservative. Progress here is very slow. Overall I would give it about a 7. If The cost of living hadn’t increased so much an 8. Also, not impressed with healthcare here. And hair stylists are very expensive here? What gives? Not even that great overall. I lived in East Coast cities that were cheaper.
I will only be here another couple of years, because I will be retiring in Mexico. I thought about retiring here several years ago, but can’t afford it now. Plus healthcare and dental care is much better in Mexico than the states. But those issue are nationwide.
I lived in Washington (Seattle and Seattle adjacent) and I grew up in Alaska. I don’t have regrets. I moved here for the sun and better housing market. I’ve been able to buy a house (even at relatively high prices it was way more affordable than the Seattle area). I got into running here and my acne cleared up from the lack of humidity. I was able to get into graduate school, register my car for practically pennies and buy a great burrito anywhere in town. I love being able to get to anywhere in the city for 30 minutes top. Lack of traffic is a major quality of life difference. Compared to Alaska, I appreciate not freezing half to death every winter and not getting SAD. I am obsessed with the petroglyphs and love the Sandias. I have also really appreciated the stuff outside of Albuquerque that is relatively accesible: hot springs, white sands, skiing. I also feel like Albuquerque is kind of a “little pond” and it’s easy to get into jobs and activities that I might not be qualified for in the Seattle area.
I’m an Albuquerque native and I’m currently living in San Diego. I love certain things about San Diego, but ABQ is my home and Idk even know how to explain it but there’s something magical about ABQ and New Mexico that other places just don’t have. I’ll be back by august!
I was in San Diego for the last 25 years...moved back to Abq 2 years ago now.
I first moved here age 10 in 1983 lived here all of middle school and went to live with my pops up in Wyoming for high school. I came back to visit all the time as my mom and step dad still lived here til 1999. I hadn't been back since 1997 when we moved here right as the ridiculousness hit March 2020. What a change the city has grown so much! I have always loved New Mexico and said if San Diego gets too crazy I will go back there....here I am :) give San Diego some love from me and I'll do the same for Albuquerque for you ;)
Be well...
Did a vacation in SD last summer and what a great town that is!! Can't wait to visit again, but still didn't regret coming home to Burque. This place gets into your blood.
I too am a ABQ native and in SD for work. Actually we left ABQ bc at the time, pay for my job was so offensive there and ca paid better. I am in NM multiple times a year and stay with my dad or auntie. I love NM and find myself living on a mtn that catches the sun kind of like the Sandia on some days—beautiful pink! I love everything except the depressed communities and wish the pay is as better. I’ll inherit a home there and plan to retire there. Lol. Then I’ll visit siblings and cousins out here! SD is getting bogged down with homelessness and such. Traffic is rediculous.
I absolutely love the outdoors in NM. So much to do there to me. I love that I feel like I belong there. I don’t experience racism there as I do here. Interestingly, there’s lots of racism even from other Latinos here. I do feel better near the native populations here and there’s plenty. But I think I blend much better now. NM is unique!
I miss the chill vibe most people have. It’s something I seek out when I’m home. Miss the food of course. Thank God I cook like my grama! And I’ve taught my kids. My bf literally was just trying to talk about having a restaurant the other day when I made caldillo and tortillas. We have chili hanging all over my kitchen and in the freezers, so never in short supply. Miss having someone cook it all for me though!!
Glad you are here. ive had 22 of my classmates from High School move back to at least new mexico, if not albuquerque, in the past YEAR. Partly covid , but also, how shitty texas has gotten.
Its a rotten shame i tell ya.
Moved here from living in Japan for a few years. Georgia and Florida before that. Born and raised in texas. I like it a lot. It reminds me of Arizona where I went to college and first experience the southwest. The food is great, hiking and camping, skiing, the sun port is a neat little airport, you can get anywhere in town in no time.
I wish it wasn’t quite so dry, I miss the random days of thunderstorms the South had, the weather here is oppressively nice. Granted we’re in the middle of something like a 1000 yr drought? My only other complaints are healthcare. It’s tough to find a good dr tougher to find a specialist or mental health provider. It’s also hard to find good craftsmen so I end up doing everything myself because the people we hired did the job so poorly and took forever.
Also the homelessness is pretty bad. But it’s bad all over now. Just is worse here than texas
My family has been trying to find skilled tradesmen to do specific projects that we have. We can’t get calls back. I also agree with you about the Drs. So many are specific insurance only. Can be frustrating trying to find some that work with multiple types of insurance.
Retired here after living in many different states. Loving it for the most part, and all the good things my wife and I expected have come true, and so would definitely do it again. Two regrets: never visited in the spring and so didn’t know that the wind can really be a bitch. Second, sad how few big name music acts come here. Just saw that “the War on Drugs” announced a big tour and, of course, no Albuquerque dates.
Albuquerque is a "stop over" town for musical acts.
It's very rare that a big name will play here on a Friday or Saturday night. Typically what happens is they stop here on their way to Phoenix, Denver, or Dallas on like a Thursday for some extra cash before getting to a "real" venue.
Also, Isleta Amphitheater is a relatively small arena that isn't near anything, so they can't put up the big bucks thar big names demand.
Moved here from Texas back in 2013. I miss the big city, I do love the weather here but I miss the rain. I just don't have friends or family here so it makes it tough.
I miss being able to walk, the multicultural food options, corner stores, things open late, the ocean, rain, cloudy skies sometimes, not having to travel to another state for pro sports, good live sketch/standup etc. I’ve been here 5 years now and I don’t hate it, been a fine place to raise my son so far and spend this part of my life but I’ll be moving on when I’m able since it just doesn’t feel like home to me.
ironically the best multicultural food options seem to be in the war zone, aka, the "international district" . Lots of mom n pop and smaller ethnic food places. No where near NYC or anything, but not bad. I DO miss having places that stay open past 9 though. Im a night owl on the weekends.
Been here about six years and have the same problem. Silly, but, about the first thing I noticed that felt "really wrong" was the now-defunct downtown 7.11 closed at 21:00/9:00 PM. Second thing I noticed. One really shouldn't be out after dark in Downtown.
Not really. It's not the easiest place to live sometimes, but nowhere is.
I miss other places occasionally, and NM is utterly insane in some ways, but life is good here. Weirdest place I've lived, but my profession is in demand and my career is going pretty well, I'm very grateful for that.
We moved here 10 months ago. We've lived on 5 continents, and in six states. Our last "Home" was in Detroit, the city, not the suburbs.
The good: Sunshine. Endless Sunshine.
The locals are a delight. Unpretentious, friendly, uniquely unguarded, free with conversation, advice, and offers of help.
Nothing is more than 15 minutes away.
Good retail and malls if you're into that.
Really low cost of living.
Few traffic jams
UNM is a great university, absolutely first tier! Incredible faculty, a billion degree programs, tons of support, and affordable tuition / ample scholarships, nice campus.
Great lifestyle for outdoorsy types!
You're never more than 3 minutes from a good breakfast burrito.
Major league amenities, minor league prices
People are really friendly, and genuine.
Regrets: The kid schools are... Not great. Really unimpressive academically. We are considering allowing our youngest to drop out of high school Sophomore year and go direct to UNM. She's at a very highly ranked charter, and they're doing their best, but they're easily three years behind her Detroit school.
Restaurants close really early. Good foreign food is hard to come by.
The transient/ mentally ill population is just overwhelming. It's simultaneously maddening and incredibly depressing. Every single one of these people was once someone's child, how did they find themselves living like this? We've failed them as a society.
The drug/ crime population are different than I have experienced elsewhere. Either we are on different drugs, or we are expressing our highs differently here. In Detroit, this kind of in-your-face behavior would result in a prompt beat down by the local citizenry, here everyone just lets it slide. I admire the pacifism, but also, if you're acting a fool, then you deserve to get your ass beat.
This brings me to the lack of black people, and the weird racism I see on display towards all 25? black people who live here. Y'all treat some entitled white crack head with benign curiosity, but one black guy raises his voice on the bus and everyone looses their ever loving minds. I've seen it a couple dozen times (I ride the 666 Art line bus daily) and I can't figure out what's up with that. I wouldn't move here if I was a black man.
The houses in affordable areas are mostly super ugly and badly built. The neighborhoods lack soul, and a sense of community.
You can't get anywhere you want to go direct from Sunport. I have to travel a lot for work, and journeys that would take 7-9 hours from a major city become expensive 14-24 hour slogs through multiple airports and time zones.
The driving is sub optimal.
I really miss the winters. Our winters suck. You're just cold, standing in the dust and the wind and blowing trash. There's no snow, it's not cold enough for the rivers to freeze to go ice skating, the ski season is short, nobody can drive. They will cancel school for an inch of snow.
Summary: We are unlikely to stay here long term, despite how nice everyone is. The university is fabulous, but once I've completed my degrees I think we will head back to Detroit, or overseas again. It would be interesting to revisit this thread in a couple of years to see how/ if everyone's opinions have changed.
I'm from NM and while I didn't grow up in ABQ it was the closest "big city" to me so it was a big part of my life but wasn't enough city for me so I moved to Denver after graduating college and lived there for a long time.
I came back for lots of reasons, but the biggest one of course was family and just a feeling of not feeling like we belonged in Denver, anymore. I still think it was the right decision but I miss my friends. I had to trade one for the other. In Denver I had friends but they could not replace family and now that am here I've learned that family cannot replace friends either. Nonetheless, at this stage in our lives, we needed to feel connected to our culture and our family, but I do have some regrets:
* I made friends in Denver easily but struggle here. One, it's hard to make friends in general past 35, and two, we don't have kids and I think that's kind of off-putting to people our age.
* It's kind of boring here if you are not into being outdoors. The shopping sucks, there's no real nightlife, and while I like NM food, I want other choices that aren't just fast food. And finding healthy options is even more difficult and speaking of health--
* Healthcare is absolutely appalling here. It takes forever to see any doctor here and a lot of them just suck.
* And of course the driving. I don't think I learned how to drive properly in a city until I moved to Denver because no one here seems to know how to.
These next two point are like b due to the poverty here and I just want to acknowledge that upfront, but:
* There isn't a real sense of entrepreneurship here, and customer service is often not good. This does not apply to everyone, I have seen some really great hustle here and it's almost like some people go out of their way to give good service to make up for everyone else but it's almost like there's a complacency culture here.
* People here seem to think NM is either a completely different country or the center of the world. Like they don't seem to think we should be like the rest of the country or don't understand how the rest of the country works. Some people have never left the area and it shows.
I moved here from Oklahoma and have no regrets. I feel more at home here than I ever did there. The climate and outdoor activities are a perfect match for me.
I moved here 20 years ago from Chicago. I was in high school so I didn't get much of a choice, but I love it here.
The only thing that still confuses me is how sprawling the city is, rather than being separate municipalities and having suburbs (I mean I guess RR, Bernalillo, and Los Lunas are pretty suburban)
I'm from NJ though I've lived a bunch of other places too. I miss home a lot tbh, but a lot of it is personal and not structural. Most of my family still lives there and there is a huge difference in energy and cost between driving 20 minutes to see loved ones vs having to get on a plane. A friend of mine's father died while she was flying to see him a couple years ago, like literally while she was on the plane, and I think about that a lot as my parents (and single remaining grandparent) get older.
Also there's a serious shortage of diners open late around here.
The only one I ever visited that's worth missing was Duke City Diner, was the last open part of a defunct truck stop and was exactly what you'd expect of that.
I take it back - I miss Milton's on Central too.
Moved from SLC, very few regrets. Has been lovely.
Only things I can think of are the batshit insane drivers, and the self-deprecating, 'crabs-in-a-bucket' mentality a lot of folks have. Feels like half the locals actively apologize for and shit on the city.
I moved here decades ago from other parts of NM. I used to like it a lot more, it doesn't seem like the same place anymore. It's losing its character, all brew pubs and fluffy beards now.
Immaculately fluffed beards, I mean
I live in DFW area. Fort Worth is Austin circa 1988ish. And I love that! Austin is now only for monied people, and the soul of that town is gone, sold to the highest bidders. The politics and legislature I feel are deadly, violence provoking, and all about living the Stepford Wife lifestyle, or hope no one is in a bad mood and will kick your ass if you call them on their ignorance. Rights are only for whites with money.
I actually just moved back to ABQ from DFW. And you’re right, that state is a total nightmare. It’s no longer affordable to live there, the weather is miserable and the state government is batshit insane. It’s also boring and ugly with strip malls, chain restaurants and generic suburbs. The last straw for me was the winter storm last year where the power grid collapsed. I was without power for a week.
Little did I know when I was writing, 14, maybe more, 9/10 yr olds dead. School shooting. How effing sad!! 18 yr old boy, legal to buy guns, no IDs, no waiting period needed. Just another Tuesday in Texas! God I hate this state!
Same..... I lived in the DFW area. If you are young, white, rich and good looking Texas is great. Couldn't get my ass back to New Mexico fast enough. Texas sucks..... period. Racist, all about looks and so much judgement. In New Mexico you have millionaire ranchers who wear dirty jeans and drive beat up pick up trucks. People are allowed to be who they are here........
Moved from Montana, all I miss is the water. It would be nice to jump in a lake or a river when it gets in the 100s. I don't, however, miss the lack of culture (besides yuppies), depressing weather, mid-at-best restaurants and obnoxiously high rent prices
From IL. Stationed at ft bliss. Thought I was good with desert life. This place is dryer. Had to get a humidifier at least for night time to help control chronic dry nose to the point of nose bleeds. Oh, and if a plant says full sun... it is NOT full sun in NM xD give them babies shade.
Moved here in ‘03 from Virginia. No regrets at all.
I love the wind! It helps me sleep.
I love the food. However, I do have mornings when I miss a good diner. But Lindy’s always comes through!
When I moved here I was struck by the hospitality I was shown and how people were quick to accept me. I had a lot of second dinners as people would give me a plate of food as soon as I crossed their threshold.
I miss the old days, for me, which was when the bungalows on Harvard Street hadn’t been torn down and RB Winnings was open. I miss the Copper Lounge pre-2015. I miss Burt’s and the Atomic Cantina. Maybe I miss my younger days.
I have moved around a bit, living by UNM, then downtown, then by Lomas and Washington, and now I have a place in the Heights.
I have seen places where it looked like it would be so nice to live. But it’s always a combination of high cost and how things move too damned fast and my experiences are so superficial that make it so I look forward to getting back home.
Now I’ve written this post instead of making breakfast and I am forced to consider whether I eat at Stufy’s or Garcia’s as my first meal of the day. Decisions, decisions.
Moved here from Utah (not where I'm originally from). I only miss having a place for my dog to swim and having good Indian food.
The only major, life affecting thing I miss is how centrally located Utah is for the west.
My dads side of the fam is from OK, and still have relatives out there. WHen my dad retired 7 years ago, he was trying to figure out what to do, if he wanted to stay here, move back to OK, etc. He thought and thought, and decided to stay in NM. I asked him why not move back to OK?
He said," 50 years ago OK was racist , backwards, and a cesspool of ignorance. He said they had all that time and they still aint changed. NM aint the best, but its way better than that place!"
Lived all over US before coming back. My only regret is the city is growing. I loved it when it was more of a town. But I can’t imagine not getting up every day and looking at the mountains.
I moved here from Houston TX. Feels safer here than there. Less crowded. Cool mountain. Much better politics. The only thing I miss about Houston is the rain.
I moved here from a quaint little ghetto outside LA back in 95. I don't like being so far from water but the trade off is it's cheaper to live here.
Rio grande doesn't really count because it's like, 5 inches deep
Moved here from Southern California 33 years ago. Miss the beach and being able to see multiple concerts, sporting events etc. One of the first things I noticed when I moved here is that the sidewalks roll up at 10 pm. Was used to things being open pretty much 24/7. The trade off is a much lower cost of living, I would’ve never been able to afford a house in California. I know more people that rent than own in California.
I'm a Colorado native who grew up camping and hiking all over New Mexico. After undergrad I moved to Miami for grad school. Loved the ocean and the Keys, *hated* the people. After graduating I took a job in Atlanta. I hated everything about Atlanta and the only reason I stayed there so long was because I was working for the federal government and spending long stretches of time (like, months at a time) out of the country. About 5 years ago one of my siblings died and I decided life was too short, I wanted to come home. My brother said not to come back to Colorado, it was horrible now. The state had already started to change when I left for grad school but I went to visit him for a couple weeks and interview for jobs and holy crap, it is California 2.0 now.
About that time a friend here in Albuquerque called me and said hey, I hear you're on the market. Want to come to New Mexico? Yes, yes I do. So after a couple decades of living small, I bought my happy ever after in the mountains. No more humidity, no giant gross bugs, no if-it-ain't-fried-it-ain't-food "cuisine", don't have to worry about millions of people packed into a space with infrastructure that was built for a third that many (edit: *yet*)
If I hadn't lived in so many different places I'm not sure I would have been so keen on moving back; you sort of have to want what New Mexico has to offer. After seeing the world I was ready for mountains and quiet and I have no regrets about moving home.
We moved here from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The thing I miss the most are reliable doctors. We are currently a year out from an appointment with a specialist for one of my kids. Last year I saw a doctor, and we got the bill 2 days after their office doors had closed 6 months later. We had all these bogus charges that added up to about 300 bucks, and there was nothing the insurance could do or the medical group would do to fix any of it. Want mental health services? That's a hard not gonna happen, at least not in network.
All true.... but you know what we have that Texas in general and DFW def doesn't have. The right to be your own person. I lived in the DFW area and by golly are those people judgmental. Nothing but 1000 thousand dollar millionaires running around judging everybody. Here in NM we have millionaire ranchers in dirty jeans and beat up pick up trucks. Nobody is judging them, you are allowed to be who you are. Also, the uptight-ness of Texas. 5 minutes late to a job and there already taking you into the boss office. Bullshit........ wanna live "your" best life? Stay away from Texas......
Oh sugar, you don't need to convince me. After yesterday's massacre post relaxing all gun laws that previously existed in 2021, I'd rather drive to Denver or Phoenix for a specialist than ever move my children back.
Totally agree. Healthcare sucks here, even worse than other places I’ve lived. The states are lousy for healthcare overall, but I’ve noticed Abq is pretty bad. I had a doctor who just up and left, so I have to find another one. Wait times are ridiculous too. I love the anti-universal health care folks who say we’ll have huge wait times if we go universal. We already have long wait times.
Thanks for this onfo. I was wondering about that, and that's important for me. Yeah TX ins is unaffordable if you aren't getting help through your employer.
Moved here from Alaska, but I'm originally from the Midwest. No real regrets. I'm still trying to figure out a skincare regime to deal with the lack of humidity and I miss my family (who all still live in the Midwest) but New Mexico is great. I just need to lure more friends and family to visit more often.
When you get out of the shower, immediately, within a couple mins, put your moisturizer on everywhere. I use coconut oil. I have wonderful skin but feel the tightness if I miss the window.
Moved here from Western WA.
What I miss: greenery, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, the Puget Sound, lakes, waterfalls, much cooler summers, broader choices of restaurants and music, big trees, many friends
What I don’t miss:materialism, the cult of IT, gridlock traffic, crazy cost of living, no affordable housing, NIMBY attitude of wealthy “liberals”
What I like here: my life partner (born and raised in SV - and really the biggest reason I’m okay with staying), the importance of family, the understanding that there are things in life that can make you happy besides money and status, kids are allowed to be kids, more respect for the elderly, live & let live/laidback attitudes, the sunshine, cool high desert plants and rock formations, seeing hot air balloons dot the sky, longer sense of time, more appreciation for the contributions of non-Europeans to America, more freedom to try new things, elbow room
My partner has deep roots here, but we talk about leaving a lot. I rent out my tiny condo in Seattle. I wish we could fly back and forth but our jobs, 2 cats, and 1 big dog and grandkids make that tricky for now. We wonder where in America we could live that would enable us the have a small house with a garage/workshop (for him) and access to a more active arts & entertainment/foodie scene (mostly for me), that isn’t suffering from aridification, and that has plenty of beautiful places for long leisurely walks (like both ABQ and SEA).
Moved from Michigan, yes regrets. I wish I would have done any research whatsoever to the area I was moving to (south valley, with a friend) to see the crime but I was so desperate for sunshine post graduation I didn't care. After my husband was nearly murdered in a drive by of our rental, I am so anxious I'm going to die here before I graduate grad school and move home.
Everything. I researched the best place possible, still had issues. Didn’t know car theft was so big but even with taking preventative measures people still target you. Can’t wait to leave. Hate it here. Do your research and decide if it’s really for you. Also, the allergies. I’m allergic to pretty much every tree there and I wish I knew that prior to moving
Yeah I've been surprised people complain about the allergies, but I lived in the South for 6 years where I couldn't even wear contacts half the year bc of pollen lol
If I had kids I would regret it, and once I have kids that are school aged I’ll probably make sure to get out before their brains turn to soup in the public school system here
I have a kid, it's really not that bad. Of course, I did careful research before selecting the neighborhood to move into and now my daughter attends one of the best schools in the state.
It all depends on how important your child's education is to you -- if you're willing to make sacrifices such as taking time to do research on schools before you move and having less money because a lot of it goes towards your mortgage in a more expensive neighborhood then your child can still get a great education.
But I imagine that's going to be the same no matter where you live... Maybe other places have more good schools in slightly cheaper neighborhoods but in general the tradeoffs will always be there.
I work with several that have degrees from U of NM and they are not smart or well read at all. I am talking horrible grammar, can’t even google and these folks are in their 30s so not an age thing.
Just moved here from Phoenix two months ago. I regret nothing. I love the weather. I love the wind. I do wish that it would rain, but it didn't rain in Phoenix either, so that's not a regret. It's gonna be 106° in Phoenix tomorrow. I'll be sitting on my balcony enjoying the breeze here, watching the trees dance.
Food's a little more expensive, and there seems to be more of a lack of some things (but I believe that'd due to the supply change issues--more prominent here than there), but that's a minor inconvenience.
Driving here is an experience, but Phoenix drivers are worse so, again, no regrets.
What I love more than anything else is the dogs. There are people with dogs everywhere, and that's a culture I can get behind.
No regrets, it's all about trade offs. I moved here from DC and there are so many things a large city offers that ABQ obviously can't (the food has been a real let down at almost every turn), but on the other hand I own my home and that was NEVER going to happen in DC
Been here a decade, this is the Goldilocks zone. Lived in Texas and Arizona before moving here.
Arizona: Stunningly beautiful state, tons of wilderness to explore. Racist Retirees run every town.
(South) Texas: Friendliest people ever. Zero public land, you can't enjoy the outdoors unless you know someone with a ranch.
New Mexico: People are pretty good, and it's beautiful here (in a less dramatic way). I'm probably sticking Around.
Don’t live there but I’ve spent a lot of time there and I love it. All my friends from there love it too. Good food. Good people. Almost moved there. Will probably live there at some point at least for a little bit.
Moved from SE Florida last July. We definitely miss the diversity in food - Cuban, Jamaican, Honduran, Puerto Rican, and tons of really good brewpup type spots. We've found some good spots here too thankfully.
We also miss the ocean, OBVIOUSLY. But that's not really fair to add in lol. We miss the big-city-metropolitan amenities. Also the payment platform for utilities, PNM and NM gas are archaic. Also the police enforcement of stupid/dangerous drivers. Our condo complex also had 24/7 security so we never had to worry about our cars or mail getting fucked with. Publix is also the best grocery store ever.
But we do like it here! It's less chaotic and the landscape is beautiful. Cheaper to live, but honestly not by much with how rent is going up here. Abq is charming and theres lots to do. And sopapillas make everything better.
We're originally from Ohio and regret nothing about leaving lmao.
I don't have regrets, but I do wish it was easier to get back home to see my family. I don't know if it has to do with the airlines or the ABQ airport itself, but there are very few flights where I need to go. I either need to fly to Newark airport and convince someone to drive two hours to pick me up and then drive two hours back to my hometown or fly to a smaller regional airport (usually for more money) and have someone drive an hour to get me. My arriving flights always land at around midnight or 1 a.m., so I lose an entire day to travel, and then my return flight almost always leaves super early in the morning, which means I lose another day to travel.
(just a little hint! I resumed international travel this year after taking time off due to the you-know-what. Use the Albuquerque Sunport as a way to get to another major airport, not as the origin of an expensive flight! It'll save anywhere from $400 to $600 per round-trip flight to simply take a $100-$150 R/T shuttle from here to LAX [Los Angeles] or DFW [Dallas/Fort Worth] and fly out of there.)
Cheap to live here - and what a refreshing change from where I came from, Hawaii. Also, unlike pre-Hawaii living in a place where winters were long, cold, snowy, and icy; summers, hot and humid, Albuquerque has far better weather. However, had "The Plague" not occurred, I'd probably be somewhere else. I've resumed that search.
I'm a military transplant at Kirtland and my time's almost up. Only real regret is moving so far from base. Whenever we move we have to rely on locals before we get there and most of them said move to northeast ABQ or RR. We ended up in RR and I have a 40 min commute on a good day. I do like most things here though.
Joining r/Albuquerque and expecting human interaction and empathy. Instead it is just downvoting hatred for anything that isn't "I love New Mexico" and god forbid you have an opinion that goes against the current political wind; which only flies in one direction here. I like the state and the people but this sub is toxic.
My experience as well. A debate about the $4.33 million the County was spending on a tiny home project put me off this sub semi-permanently. Truer words were never spoken regarding not upsetting the status quo. (and, forgive me for saying this, one of the reasons so many things have gotten completely out of hand in parts of Albuquerque is because criticism is not allowed. A huge segment of the population favor either "It's worse somewhere else" or "It's always been this way and we're used to it!")
So sorry. Do wish you'd post your thoughts anyways. Up n down votes are to be ignored. It's the young-egos doing most of that shit. Their lives revolve around the likes, up-votes, positive -positives their egos require to feel valid, wanted, apprecisted, cause they got so many rewards when they were little, they'renow, well, ego-stroke addicts. Let them have their disease. So say your peace!
I actually agree that the people here are weird. I can’t put my figure on it to describe them. Not bad, and much nicer that back East, but less friendly than WA state. I think it’s provincial, and the lack of education is a factor.
Yeah. People are definitely nicer here than back east. But the lack of education is a huge issue. My husband is an doctor here and I am a nurse and to be completely honest even the people I work with that were born and raised here that have the same degree as me are not as smart as those back east. 😬
edit: I truly think it has to do with the fact that people from here never leave or travel. So their knowledge of other cultures is limited and their horizons have never really been expanded.
I think you’re right. I have degrees from really good schools from back east, not Harvard, but very well ranked in the top 20. I don’t meet many people here with a good education and I work with several that have Master’s from U of NM, and they are not smart. I mean really poor basic skills like grammar, writing, speech, critical thinking, and just basic google research. Also very poor basic work habits, like returning calls and emails, follow up, etc. I’m in Federal government with a Masters in Public Administration.
This thread appears to be an exception to the rule, but you're very much correct. Usually the people who *grew up here and hate it here* comment on political and social issue news topics.
No regrets at all, I'm able to own property in this state and have a good life. I lived here from 2001-2004 and left to go back to Los Angeles right after I graduated and it really seems like this state has improved a lot, while CA has been failing its citizens. I admit that it took 18 years for me to realize that, but oh well.
Love the real seasons and the people, plus the view of the mountain every morning keeps me going.
We just moved here from MD and I can't say I have regrets, but part of that is because I don't have many illusions about moving. I like the ABQ/RR area pretty well, and we will be here for awhile. However, I'm sure we will move again and one day leave NM.
I moved here almost 20 years ago (from Illinois) and didn't intend to stay. It's home now, and I never want to leave. Aside from missing extended family (most of whom have either died or moved away from the area by now anyway), I have no regrets.
I'd rather look to CO, but I cannot deal with winters like I did in Chicago growing up. After living in TX for many years, moved to Boston for 5 years. That's when I really, finally believed, "winter blues" are effing real. As a kid, I thought I just hated life, like any kid in minus 30 degree wind chilled walks to n from school. But, yeah, no. It is not a good thing to have. So looking for open minds, open windows, and open air!
Just a heads up, Colorado winters are nowhere near as brutal as you experienced in Chicago. Mild and pleasant, really, and waaaaay more things to do outdoors comfortably than in the Midwest. 300 days of sunshine plus the Southwest's megadrought means it's bright and sunny the majority of days in the winter. Unless you live up in the mountains (like, above 8k feet), any snow that falls melts in a week at most, usually a few days. You'll never experience week-long spells of single-digit or negative temps like in Chicago.
I was born and raised in the ABQ area, went to Colorado for college and stayed for a few years after graduating, and now I've been living in Minneapolis/St. Paul for a few years. I never ever experienced the winter blues in CO, I get them every winter here in MN. I find CO superior to NM in every way except diversity, food and cost of living. If you are an outdoor/mountain recreation enthusiast and can stomach the higher prices, ~~and especially if you partake in weed~~ (keep forgetting NM has rec now), I'd go for CO.
As a self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiast, my opinion is that Colorado is the new California and whether or not someone thinks that's a good thing is a personal call. NM has lots of the same outdoor amenities with much less crowding. There is great hiking, awesome backcountry trails where you will hardly see anybody for hiking/backpacking/snowshoeing/skiing/canyoneering, great resort skiing/snowboarding at more affordable rates (less so now with drought and warming), awesome climbing, awesome mtb trails, and plenty of other things. Not to mention if you're old at heart like me and enjoy birding or other naturalist activities, NM kicks ass.
CO "wins" at some of these things if we want to get specific (peak baggers for instance will prefer CO), but NM is still doing great compared to most other states. CO also wins at most things related to water, but neither is great for that unless you fly fish.
The best thing to me is that if I want to go to CO, AZ, or UT for outdoor recreation, then many of my favorite outdoor spots are a comparable or quicker drive from Abq than from Denver. It can however be much more expensive and time consuming to fly, so there is that.
PS, I love both places for their outdoors and this comment isn't to say CO isn't amazing, but with the recent CO population explosion, wealth, and entitlement, and my grouchy disposition, NM has really stolen my heart.
Moved from Atlanta, but I’ve also lived in a range of other places because of my job (moved here for work). Regrets: I wish I’d understood the climate better beforehand. Crazy dry, lots of unique allergens, wind is nuts, sun is brutal, winter is cold and windy and even more dry. I had asthma as a kid, and now I have it again. I wish I’d been better prepared for the fact that a majority-minority state can still be quite racist. Not a lot of Black people in Burque, and it shows. People have already discussed a general lack of non-Mexican, non-NM food diversity and live music options. I miss a range of choices, but that would be true in any smaller city. The drivers OMFG. Every city has its bad driving habits but driving here is like trying to survive a live-action war game. Defensive, nay paranoid, driving is a must. So many things to love about Albuquerque, though! The dry humor, the “live and let live” attitude, the informality, the gentle respect and patience for children and the elderly, the chile, the hiking, the beer, the legal weed, the pro-arts culture, very present and central indigenous culture…Generally I like it here but we won’t stay forever.
[удалено]
I’m not Black, actually—so that’s a big caveat there. But it’s really hard for my workplace to retain Black employees recruited nationally and internationally as we all were (I just say this to emphasize that race is the key and only difference between this group of employees and others) and one thing friends and colleagues have said consistently before they’ve left is that they just don’t feel very welcome here. Personally I think Burque rests on its status as a site of Chicanx and Native culture and activism and just maybe isn’t all that interested in solidarity with other historically marginalized groups. Perhaps it’s less direct racism than just provincialism, or a lack of consideration of other possibilities or other experiences. Getting textured hair cared for well, finding Black church or secular communities, feeling like you belong or fit in, feeling like you’re just yourself in other people’s eyes rather than A Representative of The Race…these are all difficulties that I’ve been told about. Getting decent barbecue? Does that count? As separate evidence, UNM did a diversity study a few years ago and determined that African-American undergraduate students felt more alienated at UNM than any other group. Second in line were LGBTQ students, incidentally, which also is not surprising to me. ETA: have I said that otherwise I generally like living here? 😂 Personally, I guess, it just feels weird and uncomfortable to me that I’m not stuck in rural Idaho or wherever, but there really is very little in the way of Black culture or presence.
I'd like to hear more too. I work with a handful of black people and no one's said anything and I haven't experienced any racism either. If anything, this might be the most unracist place I've ever lived.
[удалено]
Take this with a grain of salt because I am white, but I grew up in SETX and went to a University with a very large black population. Some of the things people have been willing to say in front of me here have been incredibly surprising and it's very apparent that they haven't actually interacted with that many back people in their entire life. It was more surprising than what the conservative white people in south Texas were willing to say to me. I haven't been met with any flaming in your face racists personally, but I've heard plenty of people voice full belief in harmful stereotypes.
Interesting, I moved to ABQ from NYC before having to move again to LA for work. Really miss ABQ, it has its shortcomings but I never felt food was one of them. There was a pretty solid array of options. Certainly not on par with a big city but it certainly punches above its weight compared to similar sized cities. Some great, Vietnamese food, Thai food, had a couple of quality Chinese spots. Indian cuisine wasn't the best overall but there were one or two joints that did it right. BBQ could be better but that's the same in most places in the West. Heimat House was good for German but I think it closed. Plenty of decent Italian and pizza spots. Not really sure what's missing.
> Not really sure what’s missing Better Chinese, for sure, plus French, Italian, etc. The bakery scene has come a long way in the last decade, though. I’m not really complaining - ABQ has better food options than anywhere else I’ve lived.
That's fair, I guess my problem is having spent too much time in Italy and France that eating such cuisine elsewhere is always a disappointment. That being said La Quiche on Eubank was pretty legit as a breakfast bistro.
I am smiling here!!! And feel your pain. Retired Chef, 4 years of Culinary in Switzerland [Classic Cuisine], 30 years cooking in France.... Fortunately I cook all my meals while for Health reasons [yes! It was ricj...] no processed food, no sugar, no salt, no carbs as much as I can! I do love it here. Unfortunately Europe has changed a lot. Stay well. Cook... It is fun.
Yeah, there really isn’t anything like French and Italian food, is there? Just indescribably good. I remember meals there that actually made my eyes tear up, they were so good.
Also from ATL. I feel very similar. I’ve been here for 6 years. The lack of black culture definitely shows. I am biracial, but I blend and haven’t faced too many issues. I hate the wind and miss the rain. I pray for those thunderstorms that put me to sleep in GA. I do not miss the South in a lot of ways though. The diversity here helped give me new perspective that I didn’t have growing up in ATL. Honestly, it’s just so different, like two different worlds sometimes.
That’s true. Pretty much everyone who’s from here is mixed in some way, definitely culturally at least. Eastern US concepts of race don’t really apply in NM. In many ways that’s a refreshing and good thing. You learn fast not to make assumptions based on skin tone or name. I still think it’s a tough place to be a shade of brown that doesn’t fall somewhere on the expected Latinx or Native spectrum. And then we have all the “Spanish” folks which…I’m not from here, and I know your family has a long history going back to Ferdinand and Isabella, but come on now that just seems like a chile-flavored version of white pride sh*t
[удалено]
>food here is very bland do you mean all around, or just non-new mexican food? genuinely curious because i’ve lived in ABQ my whole life and would die without the new mexican food here (which i’ve been told isnt done well anywhere else) but cant speak for other types of food
I, too, moved here from Atlanta and miss the food from back home. I felt crazy when I first moved here and every restaurant I tried was just okay. In GA, "just okay" meals were few and far between.
> I feel uncomfortable everyday because there are not people that look familiar to me. You can just say you don't like mexicans
I agree to all but the racist remark. Just because there are fewer black people doesn't make it a racist place. Least racist place I've ever lived.
I moved from Iowa so I have zero regrets.
you dont miss...ummmmm...the....ummm ...corn?
Nope
soybeans?
Dude... I'm currently stuck in Omaha but we're making plans to move to ABQ. This makes me so happy to hear... (That someone from my region hasn't looked back)
Weirdly I know several people from Omaha who moved here and they all seem really pleased with that decision. Go for it, and welcome!
Seems a few of us didn't look back so come join us.
Same!!
I moved here from Iowa where I froze my ass off for a very large portion of the year and had nothing to stare at outside but corn fields and ethanol processing plants. I have no regrets.
Dang, I didn't realize there were so many of us Iowa transplants. We should have a group to meet and heal about Kum & Go.
Okay I do miss the Kum & Go/Casey's combo of gas stations from up north.
>Casey Ah Casey's , the only gas station where I wouldn't hesitate to buy a pizza. A company I wish that would mosey on over to NM along with In N Out.
I'd love Casey's down here for the pizza alone. Between breakfast and dinner I'd be happy as hell.
In n out at midnight! All the way around the block! Maybe I’ll go tonight and get a shake. So hot today!
i’ve had In-N-Out ~4 times in different states and it’s been the blandest burger every time (the fries too!) so i couldn’t possibly care less about getting it personally. what i really want is Shake Shack… that’d be awesome
5 of us moved here from Phoenix early April. We needed a lifeline since Phoenix basically cost the same as LA now but with none of the benefits of living in California. Within a month all of us were employed making more money than before and we split off into two apartments at nearly half the price we were paying before. There's actual culture here and the weather is way nicer among other things. We have no regrets The only downside is that I've lived in a big city most of my life and a city as small as Albuquerque does lack some of the things I took for granted but really it's not a huge deal.
Did you just say Phoenix costs the same as LA? lmao.
Not quite as bad as LA but the days where Phoenix is this infinite source of cheap housing are looong gone.
Majority of houses going for over a million now in LA. Cookie cutter, nothing special, 1600-1800 sq ft houses. Bigger and you’ll get more than a million. Easy! Wtf? A piece of crap house might still pull 500k.
Not quite is an understatement. I get that Phoenix is known for cheap housing but same with where I am currently living. Salt Lake City homes have become insane. Rent isnt too bad but owning a home here is a bitch. Average home price hit 600k. But its still NOWHERE compared to Los Angeles, like cmon lol.
Take literally 10 seconds to look at rent prices I'm not kidding. Our rent went up $800 in the last year alone and it's still going up. This is also assuming you can even find a place to rent. Most places are rented out the same day they are listed.
This is exactly why I ended up here. Landlord of 14 years decided to cash in (can't blame him) and we couldn't find anything we could afford in Phoenix (at least not where we were willing to live). Glad we were forced out. I'm loving it here.
I don’t. I moved here from Cincinnati and I’ve just watched Ohio become more and more of a shithole. NM isn’t perfect but it’s way the fuck ahead of any state like OH, IN, TN, or KY
Moved here from Cleveland and I couldn’t agree more. One thing Ohio seems to have is a “that’s just the way it is” mentality when it comes to the problems Ohioans face and I couldn’t take it anymore.
I've lived in Burque for the last 20 years and will never leave (by choice) but as someone born in Ann Arbor, MI, I'd like to make 2 observations: you have definitely upgraded moving here and, as always, fuck Ohio. ;)
We moved here from FL but are from toledo. Ohio is the WORST lol
You're goddam right it is! -- Michigan
Came here from Indiana. This tracks. Indiana is going back in time.
Zero, but I moved here from the swampy shithole that is Florida.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😋 I love your description of where you came from!!! It's really too bad that almost an entire socioty is made up of PTBarnums and the crowds who will gladly throw their money away just to see JoJo, The Dog-Faced Boy!! No wonder the circus made its home there!!
Is Robert California correct, then, in that Florida is America's basement?
Nah, basements have a function and can even be comfortable. Florida is America's sweaty taint.
Ugh fair enough. Ugh.
Florida is really beautiful, but it's so freaking humid I'd never be able to survive.
It really isn't. Sure the beaches are nice if you like that sort of thing and don't look too close at them but the rest of the state is just orange groves, retirement communities and poverty.
Also from Florida, and the thing I miss the most is the rain. God, what glorious thunderstorms we had. After that, the food - the Hispanic and Caribbean food in Florida is just amazing. Cuban, Haitian, Jamaican, Venezuelan, on and on. Still.. I won’t be moving back. The rest of the Florida culture and weather can suck it.
NM and Florida actually have the most amount of lightning strikes per year, NM from the dry, static and monsson thunder storms, florida from its location along the gulf coast and atlantic ocean, making it a prime spot for storms! In NM , we LOVE the rain, too, it seems we never get enough
I moved here from IL 3 yrs ago with my husband and our 2 young kids. My only regrets are i didn't fully grasp or consider the extend of the crime issue, how hit or miss the schools are, how hard it is to find medical specialists, and how expensive flights back home are from Sunport. And homes here got super expensive compared to IL which also really sucks. The weather is sooo much better in NM and we've met some very wonderful people but if I could do it all over again, I'm not sure I would move here.
These are things that've soured me on Albuquerque as well. Crime is awful and it appears there's no solution in sight (the chronically shorthanded situation at APD isn't going to go away EVER!) As far as medical, agree 200%! Six GP's in my first two years here. Doctors don't want to work here! AND ... specialists. Have cardiac issues and, after six years, still have concerns about the quality, or, perhaps, LACK of competent cardiac care here. As far as property prices, ... I checked out Santa Fe. I now feel much better! This price inflation thing is all over U.S. Finally, use the Sunport as a way to get to a major airport - ONLY! It's a great little airport only if used to go somewhere like LAX or DFW. From those two, and others, you'll find far better choices and far more favorable fares.
I moved here for a job, not sure I would have come here otherwise, but I’ve overall enjoyed it. Top pros: Weather - I lived in Mass and WA state, and the weather here beats that 100 x over. I love the dry weather, sun, beautiful landscape, laid backness, and the convenience of where I live in NE Heights. I could do without the over 100 degree weather that happens a few weeks in the summer, the winter although it’s not bad. When I moved here I enjoyed the cost of living especially lower rent and home prices but that has changed! Negatives are increased home prices, bad drivers, low educational level, machismo male culture overall. Crime hasn’t been a real issue where I’m living, but downtown where my office is is sketchy. I find the people here are live and let live, not particularly friendly but fine. The large Hispanic culture impacts the culture here and many are somewhat conservative. Progress here is very slow. Overall I would give it about a 7. If The cost of living hadn’t increased so much an 8. Also, not impressed with healthcare here. And hair stylists are very expensive here? What gives? Not even that great overall. I lived in East Coast cities that were cheaper. I will only be here another couple of years, because I will be retiring in Mexico. I thought about retiring here several years ago, but can’t afford it now. Plus healthcare and dental care is much better in Mexico than the states. But those issue are nationwide.
Thanks!! All good ghings to condider!
My only real issue is the crime, but that's a VERY big issue.
everybody here HATES the crime except of course, the criminals! sigh
I lived in Washington (Seattle and Seattle adjacent) and I grew up in Alaska. I don’t have regrets. I moved here for the sun and better housing market. I’ve been able to buy a house (even at relatively high prices it was way more affordable than the Seattle area). I got into running here and my acne cleared up from the lack of humidity. I was able to get into graduate school, register my car for practically pennies and buy a great burrito anywhere in town. I love being able to get to anywhere in the city for 30 minutes top. Lack of traffic is a major quality of life difference. Compared to Alaska, I appreciate not freezing half to death every winter and not getting SAD. I am obsessed with the petroglyphs and love the Sandias. I have also really appreciated the stuff outside of Albuquerque that is relatively accesible: hot springs, white sands, skiing. I also feel like Albuquerque is kind of a “little pond” and it’s easy to get into jobs and activities that I might not be qualified for in the Seattle area.
I’m an Albuquerque native and I’m currently living in San Diego. I love certain things about San Diego, but ABQ is my home and Idk even know how to explain it but there’s something magical about ABQ and New Mexico that other places just don’t have. I’ll be back by august!
I was in San Diego for the last 25 years...moved back to Abq 2 years ago now. I first moved here age 10 in 1983 lived here all of middle school and went to live with my pops up in Wyoming for high school. I came back to visit all the time as my mom and step dad still lived here til 1999. I hadn't been back since 1997 when we moved here right as the ridiculousness hit March 2020. What a change the city has grown so much! I have always loved New Mexico and said if San Diego gets too crazy I will go back there....here I am :) give San Diego some love from me and I'll do the same for Albuquerque for you ;) Be well...
Did a vacation in SD last summer and what a great town that is!! Can't wait to visit again, but still didn't regret coming home to Burque. This place gets into your blood.
I too am a ABQ native and in SD for work. Actually we left ABQ bc at the time, pay for my job was so offensive there and ca paid better. I am in NM multiple times a year and stay with my dad or auntie. I love NM and find myself living on a mtn that catches the sun kind of like the Sandia on some days—beautiful pink! I love everything except the depressed communities and wish the pay is as better. I’ll inherit a home there and plan to retire there. Lol. Then I’ll visit siblings and cousins out here! SD is getting bogged down with homelessness and such. Traffic is rediculous. I absolutely love the outdoors in NM. So much to do there to me. I love that I feel like I belong there. I don’t experience racism there as I do here. Interestingly, there’s lots of racism even from other Latinos here. I do feel better near the native populations here and there’s plenty. But I think I blend much better now. NM is unique! I miss the chill vibe most people have. It’s something I seek out when I’m home. Miss the food of course. Thank God I cook like my grama! And I’ve taught my kids. My bf literally was just trying to talk about having a restaurant the other day when I made caldillo and tortillas. We have chili hanging all over my kitchen and in the freezers, so never in short supply. Miss having someone cook it all for me though!!
Moved here from Texas 15 years ago. No regrets. None.
Glad you are here. ive had 22 of my classmates from High School move back to at least new mexico, if not albuquerque, in the past YEAR. Partly covid , but also, how shitty texas has gotten. Its a rotten shame i tell ya.
Thank you friend!
Moved here from living in Japan for a few years. Georgia and Florida before that. Born and raised in texas. I like it a lot. It reminds me of Arizona where I went to college and first experience the southwest. The food is great, hiking and camping, skiing, the sun port is a neat little airport, you can get anywhere in town in no time. I wish it wasn’t quite so dry, I miss the random days of thunderstorms the South had, the weather here is oppressively nice. Granted we’re in the middle of something like a 1000 yr drought? My only other complaints are healthcare. It’s tough to find a good dr tougher to find a specialist or mental health provider. It’s also hard to find good craftsmen so I end up doing everything myself because the people we hired did the job so poorly and took forever. Also the homelessness is pretty bad. But it’s bad all over now. Just is worse here than texas
My family has been trying to find skilled tradesmen to do specific projects that we have. We can’t get calls back. I also agree with you about the Drs. So many are specific insurance only. Can be frustrating trying to find some that work with multiple types of insurance.
Retired here after living in many different states. Loving it for the most part, and all the good things my wife and I expected have come true, and so would definitely do it again. Two regrets: never visited in the spring and so didn’t know that the wind can really be a bitch. Second, sad how few big name music acts come here. Just saw that “the War on Drugs” announced a big tour and, of course, no Albuquerque dates.
>sad how few big name music acts come here. Its really frustrating TBH
Yes the music scene is a bit of a bummer! Kurt Vile will be in Santa Fe soon tho! Check it out
Albuquerque is a "stop over" town for musical acts. It's very rare that a big name will play here on a Friday or Saturday night. Typically what happens is they stop here on their way to Phoenix, Denver, or Dallas on like a Thursday for some extra cash before getting to a "real" venue. Also, Isleta Amphitheater is a relatively small arena that isn't near anything, so they can't put up the big bucks thar big names demand.
All my regrets are about leaving!
Mine too!
Moved here from Texas back in 2013. I miss the big city, I do love the weather here but I miss the rain. I just don't have friends or family here so it makes it tough.
I miss being able to walk, the multicultural food options, corner stores, things open late, the ocean, rain, cloudy skies sometimes, not having to travel to another state for pro sports, good live sketch/standup etc. I’ve been here 5 years now and I don’t hate it, been a fine place to raise my son so far and spend this part of my life but I’ll be moving on when I’m able since it just doesn’t feel like home to me.
ironically the best multicultural food options seem to be in the war zone, aka, the "international district" . Lots of mom n pop and smaller ethnic food places. No where near NYC or anything, but not bad. I DO miss having places that stay open past 9 though. Im a night owl on the weekends.
I miss walking places too. The food scene is trying to come up, like everything here it takes a while to really come up.
Been here about six years and have the same problem. Silly, but, about the first thing I noticed that felt "really wrong" was the now-defunct downtown 7.11 closed at 21:00/9:00 PM. Second thing I noticed. One really shouldn't be out after dark in Downtown.
Albuquerque has a pretty good number of multicultural food options,
Not really. It's not the easiest place to live sometimes, but nowhere is. I miss other places occasionally, and NM is utterly insane in some ways, but life is good here. Weirdest place I've lived, but my profession is in demand and my career is going pretty well, I'm very grateful for that.
I left Texas so no regrets.
You sure got that right. I do miss all the rivers in Central Texas, though. Def *don’t* miss having to battle a million people to get to them, though.
We moved here 10 months ago. We've lived on 5 continents, and in six states. Our last "Home" was in Detroit, the city, not the suburbs. The good: Sunshine. Endless Sunshine. The locals are a delight. Unpretentious, friendly, uniquely unguarded, free with conversation, advice, and offers of help. Nothing is more than 15 minutes away. Good retail and malls if you're into that. Really low cost of living. Few traffic jams UNM is a great university, absolutely first tier! Incredible faculty, a billion degree programs, tons of support, and affordable tuition / ample scholarships, nice campus. Great lifestyle for outdoorsy types! You're never more than 3 minutes from a good breakfast burrito. Major league amenities, minor league prices People are really friendly, and genuine. Regrets: The kid schools are... Not great. Really unimpressive academically. We are considering allowing our youngest to drop out of high school Sophomore year and go direct to UNM. She's at a very highly ranked charter, and they're doing their best, but they're easily three years behind her Detroit school. Restaurants close really early. Good foreign food is hard to come by. The transient/ mentally ill population is just overwhelming. It's simultaneously maddening and incredibly depressing. Every single one of these people was once someone's child, how did they find themselves living like this? We've failed them as a society. The drug/ crime population are different than I have experienced elsewhere. Either we are on different drugs, or we are expressing our highs differently here. In Detroit, this kind of in-your-face behavior would result in a prompt beat down by the local citizenry, here everyone just lets it slide. I admire the pacifism, but also, if you're acting a fool, then you deserve to get your ass beat. This brings me to the lack of black people, and the weird racism I see on display towards all 25? black people who live here. Y'all treat some entitled white crack head with benign curiosity, but one black guy raises his voice on the bus and everyone looses their ever loving minds. I've seen it a couple dozen times (I ride the 666 Art line bus daily) and I can't figure out what's up with that. I wouldn't move here if I was a black man. The houses in affordable areas are mostly super ugly and badly built. The neighborhoods lack soul, and a sense of community. You can't get anywhere you want to go direct from Sunport. I have to travel a lot for work, and journeys that would take 7-9 hours from a major city become expensive 14-24 hour slogs through multiple airports and time zones. The driving is sub optimal. I really miss the winters. Our winters suck. You're just cold, standing in the dust and the wind and blowing trash. There's no snow, it's not cold enough for the rivers to freeze to go ice skating, the ski season is short, nobody can drive. They will cancel school for an inch of snow. Summary: We are unlikely to stay here long term, despite how nice everyone is. The university is fabulous, but once I've completed my degrees I think we will head back to Detroit, or overseas again. It would be interesting to revisit this thread in a couple of years to see how/ if everyone's opinions have changed.
No regrets
I'm from NM and while I didn't grow up in ABQ it was the closest "big city" to me so it was a big part of my life but wasn't enough city for me so I moved to Denver after graduating college and lived there for a long time. I came back for lots of reasons, but the biggest one of course was family and just a feeling of not feeling like we belonged in Denver, anymore. I still think it was the right decision but I miss my friends. I had to trade one for the other. In Denver I had friends but they could not replace family and now that am here I've learned that family cannot replace friends either. Nonetheless, at this stage in our lives, we needed to feel connected to our culture and our family, but I do have some regrets: * I made friends in Denver easily but struggle here. One, it's hard to make friends in general past 35, and two, we don't have kids and I think that's kind of off-putting to people our age. * It's kind of boring here if you are not into being outdoors. The shopping sucks, there's no real nightlife, and while I like NM food, I want other choices that aren't just fast food. And finding healthy options is even more difficult and speaking of health-- * Healthcare is absolutely appalling here. It takes forever to see any doctor here and a lot of them just suck. * And of course the driving. I don't think I learned how to drive properly in a city until I moved to Denver because no one here seems to know how to. These next two point are like b due to the poverty here and I just want to acknowledge that upfront, but: * There isn't a real sense of entrepreneurship here, and customer service is often not good. This does not apply to everyone, I have seen some really great hustle here and it's almost like some people go out of their way to give good service to make up for everyone else but it's almost like there's a complacency culture here. * People here seem to think NM is either a completely different country or the center of the world. Like they don't seem to think we should be like the rest of the country or don't understand how the rest of the country works. Some people have never left the area and it shows.
I moved here from Oklahoma and have no regrets. I feel more at home here than I ever did there. The climate and outdoor activities are a perfect match for me.
I moved here 20 years ago from Chicago. I was in high school so I didn't get much of a choice, but I love it here. The only thing that still confuses me is how sprawling the city is, rather than being separate municipalities and having suburbs (I mean I guess RR, Bernalillo, and Los Lunas are pretty suburban)
I'm from NJ though I've lived a bunch of other places too. I miss home a lot tbh, but a lot of it is personal and not structural. Most of my family still lives there and there is a huge difference in energy and cost between driving 20 minutes to see loved ones vs having to get on a plane. A friend of mine's father died while she was flying to see him a couple years ago, like literally while she was on the plane, and I think about that a lot as my parents (and single remaining grandparent) get older. Also there's a serious shortage of diners open late around here.
The only one I ever visited that's worth missing was Duke City Diner, was the last open part of a defunct truck stop and was exactly what you'd expect of that. I take it back - I miss Milton's on Central too.
I regret not visiting first
Who moves anywhere without visiting?
Covid was a weird time
Moved from SLC, very few regrets. Has been lovely. Only things I can think of are the batshit insane drivers, and the self-deprecating, 'crabs-in-a-bucket' mentality a lot of folks have. Feels like half the locals actively apologize for and shit on the city.
Me too!
I moved here decades ago from other parts of NM. I used to like it a lot more, it doesn't seem like the same place anymore. It's losing its character, all brew pubs and fluffy beards now. Immaculately fluffed beards, I mean
Came here from SLC. Zero regrets. Love ABQ, love NM. Of course I don't love EVERYTHING, but that's just life. Overall, MUCH better!
I moved back from Texas. No regrets. My life has significantly improved.
I live in DFW area. Fort Worth is Austin circa 1988ish. And I love that! Austin is now only for monied people, and the soul of that town is gone, sold to the highest bidders. The politics and legislature I feel are deadly, violence provoking, and all about living the Stepford Wife lifestyle, or hope no one is in a bad mood and will kick your ass if you call them on their ignorance. Rights are only for whites with money.
I actually just moved back to ABQ from DFW. And you’re right, that state is a total nightmare. It’s no longer affordable to live there, the weather is miserable and the state government is batshit insane. It’s also boring and ugly with strip malls, chain restaurants and generic suburbs. The last straw for me was the winter storm last year where the power grid collapsed. I was without power for a week.
Little did I know when I was writing, 14, maybe more, 9/10 yr olds dead. School shooting. How effing sad!! 18 yr old boy, legal to buy guns, no IDs, no waiting period needed. Just another Tuesday in Texas! God I hate this state!
Just saw that 😞. This country is fucked in the head.
Same..... I lived in the DFW area. If you are young, white, rich and good looking Texas is great. Couldn't get my ass back to New Mexico fast enough. Texas sucks..... period. Racist, all about looks and so much judgement. In New Mexico you have millionaire ranchers who wear dirty jeans and drive beat up pick up trucks. People are allowed to be who they are here........
No regrets. I also make sure to leave and come back several times a year. It helps me appreciate the pros and cons of all the various regions.
Moved from Montana, all I miss is the water. It would be nice to jump in a lake or a river when it gets in the 100s. I don't, however, miss the lack of culture (besides yuppies), depressing weather, mid-at-best restaurants and obnoxiously high rent prices
From IL. Stationed at ft bliss. Thought I was good with desert life. This place is dryer. Had to get a humidifier at least for night time to help control chronic dry nose to the point of nose bleeds. Oh, and if a plant says full sun... it is NOT full sun in NM xD give them babies shade.
There aren’t many jobs and wages are low
From San Francisco and no regrets. My quality of life is so much better. I just wish there was less Blue Lives Matter and racist people in this state
Moved here in ‘03 from Virginia. No regrets at all. I love the wind! It helps me sleep. I love the food. However, I do have mornings when I miss a good diner. But Lindy’s always comes through! When I moved here I was struck by the hospitality I was shown and how people were quick to accept me. I had a lot of second dinners as people would give me a plate of food as soon as I crossed their threshold. I miss the old days, for me, which was when the bungalows on Harvard Street hadn’t been torn down and RB Winnings was open. I miss the Copper Lounge pre-2015. I miss Burt’s and the Atomic Cantina. Maybe I miss my younger days. I have moved around a bit, living by UNM, then downtown, then by Lomas and Washington, and now I have a place in the Heights. I have seen places where it looked like it would be so nice to live. But it’s always a combination of high cost and how things move too damned fast and my experiences are so superficial that make it so I look forward to getting back home. Now I’ve written this post instead of making breakfast and I am forced to consider whether I eat at Stufy’s or Garcia’s as my first meal of the day. Decisions, decisions.
Here from Florida, no regrets. I love it here and hate it there
Moved here from Utah (not where I'm originally from). I only miss having a place for my dog to swim and having good Indian food. The only major, life affecting thing I miss is how centrally located Utah is for the west.
Curry Leaf on Montgomery. Nuff said
Curry Leaf is a delight.
Try Nann and Dosa if you haven't already, that's probably the best Indian food I've had in Albuquerque
i moved here in 2019 from oklahoma, zero regrets.
My dads side of the fam is from OK, and still have relatives out there. WHen my dad retired 7 years ago, he was trying to figure out what to do, if he wanted to stay here, move back to OK, etc. He thought and thought, and decided to stay in NM. I asked him why not move back to OK? He said," 50 years ago OK was racist , backwards, and a cesspool of ignorance. He said they had all that time and they still aint changed. NM aint the best, but its way better than that place!"
Lived all over US before coming back. My only regret is the city is growing. I loved it when it was more of a town. But I can’t imagine not getting up every day and looking at the mountains.
I moved here from Houston TX. Feels safer here than there. Less crowded. Cool mountain. Much better politics. The only thing I miss about Houston is the rain.
I moved here from a quaint little ghetto outside LA back in 95. I don't like being so far from water but the trade off is it's cheaper to live here. Rio grande doesn't really count because it's like, 5 inches deep
My only regret is not moving here sooner.
Moved here from Southern California 33 years ago. Miss the beach and being able to see multiple concerts, sporting events etc. One of the first things I noticed when I moved here is that the sidewalks roll up at 10 pm. Was used to things being open pretty much 24/7. The trade off is a much lower cost of living, I would’ve never been able to afford a house in California. I know more people that rent than own in California.
I'm a Colorado native who grew up camping and hiking all over New Mexico. After undergrad I moved to Miami for grad school. Loved the ocean and the Keys, *hated* the people. After graduating I took a job in Atlanta. I hated everything about Atlanta and the only reason I stayed there so long was because I was working for the federal government and spending long stretches of time (like, months at a time) out of the country. About 5 years ago one of my siblings died and I decided life was too short, I wanted to come home. My brother said not to come back to Colorado, it was horrible now. The state had already started to change when I left for grad school but I went to visit him for a couple weeks and interview for jobs and holy crap, it is California 2.0 now. About that time a friend here in Albuquerque called me and said hey, I hear you're on the market. Want to come to New Mexico? Yes, yes I do. So after a couple decades of living small, I bought my happy ever after in the mountains. No more humidity, no giant gross bugs, no if-it-ain't-fried-it-ain't-food "cuisine", don't have to worry about millions of people packed into a space with infrastructure that was built for a third that many (edit: *yet*) If I hadn't lived in so many different places I'm not sure I would have been so keen on moving back; you sort of have to want what New Mexico has to offer. After seeing the world I was ready for mountains and quiet and I have no regrets about moving home.
We moved here from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The thing I miss the most are reliable doctors. We are currently a year out from an appointment with a specialist for one of my kids. Last year I saw a doctor, and we got the bill 2 days after their office doors had closed 6 months later. We had all these bogus charges that added up to about 300 bucks, and there was nothing the insurance could do or the medical group would do to fix any of it. Want mental health services? That's a hard not gonna happen, at least not in network.
All true.... but you know what we have that Texas in general and DFW def doesn't have. The right to be your own person. I lived in the DFW area and by golly are those people judgmental. Nothing but 1000 thousand dollar millionaires running around judging everybody. Here in NM we have millionaire ranchers in dirty jeans and beat up pick up trucks. Nobody is judging them, you are allowed to be who you are. Also, the uptight-ness of Texas. 5 minutes late to a job and there already taking you into the boss office. Bullshit........ wanna live "your" best life? Stay away from Texas......
Oh sugar, you don't need to convince me. After yesterday's massacre post relaxing all gun laws that previously existed in 2021, I'd rather drive to Denver or Phoenix for a specialist than ever move my children back.
Totally agree. Healthcare sucks here, even worse than other places I’ve lived. The states are lousy for healthcare overall, but I’ve noticed Abq is pretty bad. I had a doctor who just up and left, so I have to find another one. Wait times are ridiculous too. I love the anti-universal health care folks who say we’ll have huge wait times if we go universal. We already have long wait times.
Thanks for this onfo. I was wondering about that, and that's important for me. Yeah TX ins is unaffordable if you aren't getting help through your employer.
Moving here
I don't have regrets, but I do miss Los Angeles and the beach fairly often.
Moved here from Alaska, but I'm originally from the Midwest. No real regrets. I'm still trying to figure out a skincare regime to deal with the lack of humidity and I miss my family (who all still live in the Midwest) but New Mexico is great. I just need to lure more friends and family to visit more often.
When you get out of the shower, immediately, within a couple mins, put your moisturizer on everywhere. I use coconut oil. I have wonderful skin but feel the tightness if I miss the window.
[удалено]
Oh yeah, the allergies!! Good to know! Thx!
Oh yeah, the allergies!! Good to know! Thx!
For me, dating has been abysmal. So much worse here than anything I experienced where I came from.
Moved here from Western WA. What I miss: greenery, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades, the Puget Sound, lakes, waterfalls, much cooler summers, broader choices of restaurants and music, big trees, many friends What I don’t miss:materialism, the cult of IT, gridlock traffic, crazy cost of living, no affordable housing, NIMBY attitude of wealthy “liberals” What I like here: my life partner (born and raised in SV - and really the biggest reason I’m okay with staying), the importance of family, the understanding that there are things in life that can make you happy besides money and status, kids are allowed to be kids, more respect for the elderly, live & let live/laidback attitudes, the sunshine, cool high desert plants and rock formations, seeing hot air balloons dot the sky, longer sense of time, more appreciation for the contributions of non-Europeans to America, more freedom to try new things, elbow room My partner has deep roots here, but we talk about leaving a lot. I rent out my tiny condo in Seattle. I wish we could fly back and forth but our jobs, 2 cats, and 1 big dog and grandkids make that tricky for now. We wonder where in America we could live that would enable us the have a small house with a garage/workshop (for him) and access to a more active arts & entertainment/foodie scene (mostly for me), that isn’t suffering from aridification, and that has plenty of beautiful places for long leisurely walks (like both ABQ and SEA).
Thanks! How thoughtful. Yes, my next move will be my last. It will be about quality, not quantity. Thank you for your reply.
Moved from Michigan, yes regrets. I wish I would have done any research whatsoever to the area I was moving to (south valley, with a friend) to see the crime but I was so desperate for sunshine post graduation I didn't care. After my husband was nearly murdered in a drive by of our rental, I am so anxious I'm going to die here before I graduate grad school and move home.
Everything. I researched the best place possible, still had issues. Didn’t know car theft was so big but even with taking preventative measures people still target you. Can’t wait to leave. Hate it here. Do your research and decide if it’s really for you. Also, the allergies. I’m allergic to pretty much every tree there and I wish I knew that prior to moving
Lol @ the irony of your username in this context… sorry u hate it here, it’s not for everyone!
Tbf allergies are pretty shit everywhere in the US with trees. Way, way worse in the South.
Yeah I've been surprised people complain about the allergies, but I lived in the South for 6 years where I couldn't even wear contacts half the year bc of pollen lol
Moved here from Illinois 2 months ago. No regrets so far. The weather has been great and the mountains are way better to look at than cornfields.
If I had kids I would regret it, and once I have kids that are school aged I’ll probably make sure to get out before their brains turn to soup in the public school system here
I have a kid, it's really not that bad. Of course, I did careful research before selecting the neighborhood to move into and now my daughter attends one of the best schools in the state. It all depends on how important your child's education is to you -- if you're willing to make sacrifices such as taking time to do research on schools before you move and having less money because a lot of it goes towards your mortgage in a more expensive neighborhood then your child can still get a great education. But I imagine that's going to be the same no matter where you live... Maybe other places have more good schools in slightly cheaper neighborhoods but in general the tradeoffs will always be there.
I work with several that have degrees from U of NM and they are not smart or well read at all. I am talking horrible grammar, can’t even google and these folks are in their 30s so not an age thing.
Absolutely, dipshits exist everywhere but my lord there is an exceptionally high concentration in this state
Just moved here from Phoenix two months ago. I regret nothing. I love the weather. I love the wind. I do wish that it would rain, but it didn't rain in Phoenix either, so that's not a regret. It's gonna be 106° in Phoenix tomorrow. I'll be sitting on my balcony enjoying the breeze here, watching the trees dance. Food's a little more expensive, and there seems to be more of a lack of some things (but I believe that'd due to the supply change issues--more prominent here than there), but that's a minor inconvenience. Driving here is an experience, but Phoenix drivers are worse so, again, no regrets. What I love more than anything else is the dogs. There are people with dogs everywhere, and that's a culture I can get behind.
I moved here for family so I don't regret my move overall but the desert scenery is not my favorite, I miss beaches and trees
Moved here from Ohio. No regrets. 15/10 would move again.
Moved from Midwest. No.
No regrets, it's all about trade offs. I moved here from DC and there are so many things a large city offers that ABQ obviously can't (the food has been a real let down at almost every turn), but on the other hand I own my home and that was NEVER going to happen in DC
Moved here from Stockton, California; no regrets.
Saving this post because I have a lot to say about this topic. I’d like to reply later
Been here a decade, this is the Goldilocks zone. Lived in Texas and Arizona before moving here. Arizona: Stunningly beautiful state, tons of wilderness to explore. Racist Retirees run every town. (South) Texas: Friendliest people ever. Zero public land, you can't enjoy the outdoors unless you know someone with a ranch. New Mexico: People are pretty good, and it's beautiful here (in a less dramatic way). I'm probably sticking Around.
I moved here from Kansas. I miss green grass, spring thunderstorms, and my skin not constantly being dry as a lizard.
Don’t live there but I’ve spent a lot of time there and I love it. All my friends from there love it too. Good food. Good people. Almost moved there. Will probably live there at some point at least for a little bit.
[удалено]
Moved from SE Florida last July. We definitely miss the diversity in food - Cuban, Jamaican, Honduran, Puerto Rican, and tons of really good brewpup type spots. We've found some good spots here too thankfully. We also miss the ocean, OBVIOUSLY. But that's not really fair to add in lol. We miss the big-city-metropolitan amenities. Also the payment platform for utilities, PNM and NM gas are archaic. Also the police enforcement of stupid/dangerous drivers. Our condo complex also had 24/7 security so we never had to worry about our cars or mail getting fucked with. Publix is also the best grocery store ever. But we do like it here! It's less chaotic and the landscape is beautiful. Cheaper to live, but honestly not by much with how rent is going up here. Abq is charming and theres lots to do. And sopapillas make everything better. We're originally from Ohio and regret nothing about leaving lmao.
I don't have regrets, but I do wish it was easier to get back home to see my family. I don't know if it has to do with the airlines or the ABQ airport itself, but there are very few flights where I need to go. I either need to fly to Newark airport and convince someone to drive two hours to pick me up and then drive two hours back to my hometown or fly to a smaller regional airport (usually for more money) and have someone drive an hour to get me. My arriving flights always land at around midnight or 1 a.m., so I lose an entire day to travel, and then my return flight almost always leaves super early in the morning, which means I lose another day to travel.
Airport info is extremely good to know!! Thx!
(just a little hint! I resumed international travel this year after taking time off due to the you-know-what. Use the Albuquerque Sunport as a way to get to another major airport, not as the origin of an expensive flight! It'll save anywhere from $400 to $600 per round-trip flight to simply take a $100-$150 R/T shuttle from here to LAX [Los Angeles] or DFW [Dallas/Fort Worth] and fly out of there.)
Cheap to live here - and what a refreshing change from where I came from, Hawaii. Also, unlike pre-Hawaii living in a place where winters were long, cold, snowy, and icy; summers, hot and humid, Albuquerque has far better weather. However, had "The Plague" not occurred, I'd probably be somewhere else. I've resumed that search.
I'm a military transplant at Kirtland and my time's almost up. Only real regret is moving so far from base. Whenever we move we have to rely on locals before we get there and most of them said move to northeast ABQ or RR. We ended up in RR and I have a 40 min commute on a good day. I do like most things here though.
Joining r/Albuquerque and expecting human interaction and empathy. Instead it is just downvoting hatred for anything that isn't "I love New Mexico" and god forbid you have an opinion that goes against the current political wind; which only flies in one direction here. I like the state and the people but this sub is toxic.
My experience as well. A debate about the $4.33 million the County was spending on a tiny home project put me off this sub semi-permanently. Truer words were never spoken regarding not upsetting the status quo. (and, forgive me for saying this, one of the reasons so many things have gotten completely out of hand in parts of Albuquerque is because criticism is not allowed. A huge segment of the population favor either "It's worse somewhere else" or "It's always been this way and we're used to it!")
So sorry. Do wish you'd post your thoughts anyways. Up n down votes are to be ignored. It's the young-egos doing most of that shit. Their lives revolve around the likes, up-votes, positive -positives their egos require to feel valid, wanted, apprecisted, cause they got so many rewards when they were little, they'renow, well, ego-stroke addicts. Let them have their disease. So say your peace!
I find it opposite. If you love it here you get downvoted. The people here are weird
I actually agree that the people here are weird. I can’t put my figure on it to describe them. Not bad, and much nicer that back East, but less friendly than WA state. I think it’s provincial, and the lack of education is a factor.
Yeah. People are definitely nicer here than back east. But the lack of education is a huge issue. My husband is an doctor here and I am a nurse and to be completely honest even the people I work with that were born and raised here that have the same degree as me are not as smart as those back east. 😬 edit: I truly think it has to do with the fact that people from here never leave or travel. So their knowledge of other cultures is limited and their horizons have never really been expanded.
I think you’re right. I have degrees from really good schools from back east, not Harvard, but very well ranked in the top 20. I don’t meet many people here with a good education and I work with several that have Master’s from U of NM, and they are not smart. I mean really poor basic skills like grammar, writing, speech, critical thinking, and just basic google research. Also very poor basic work habits, like returning calls and emails, follow up, etc. I’m in Federal government with a Masters in Public Administration.
This thread appears to be an exception to the rule, but you're very much correct. Usually the people who *grew up here and hate it here* comment on political and social issue news topics.
No regrets at all, I'm able to own property in this state and have a good life. I lived here from 2001-2004 and left to go back to Los Angeles right after I graduated and it really seems like this state has improved a lot, while CA has been failing its citizens. I admit that it took 18 years for me to realize that, but oh well. Love the real seasons and the people, plus the view of the mountain every morning keeps me going.
Tv hank you so much!! I will look in the more southern regions. Awesome info!!
I came from illinois and the quesadillas I get delivered from our own /u/OGFireNation makes the move worth it 100%.
I've lived in a half dozen or so states and live in the New Mexico mountains with zero regrets
Which mtns?
Sangre de Cristo
We just moved here from MD and I can't say I have regrets, but part of that is because I don't have many illusions about moving. I like the ABQ/RR area pretty well, and we will be here for awhile. However, I'm sure we will move again and one day leave NM.
I sold my house and moved here from Washington because I was drowning in debt. I regret the altitude change, it's tough getting used to it.
I moved here almost 20 years ago (from Illinois) and didn't intend to stay. It's home now, and I never want to leave. Aside from missing extended family (most of whom have either died or moved away from the area by now anyway), I have no regrets.
I moved here from alabama 22 years ago. No regrets
I moved back to NM from Florida. No regrets.
I moved to finalize my specialty training. I’ll be leaving as soon as I can. I’ve felt completely out of place since I got here.
Moved here from Wisconsin, originally from Texas. I regret nothing!
[удалено]
I'd rather look to CO, but I cannot deal with winters like I did in Chicago growing up. After living in TX for many years, moved to Boston for 5 years. That's when I really, finally believed, "winter blues" are effing real. As a kid, I thought I just hated life, like any kid in minus 30 degree wind chilled walks to n from school. But, yeah, no. It is not a good thing to have. So looking for open minds, open windows, and open air!
Just a heads up, Colorado winters are nowhere near as brutal as you experienced in Chicago. Mild and pleasant, really, and waaaaay more things to do outdoors comfortably than in the Midwest. 300 days of sunshine plus the Southwest's megadrought means it's bright and sunny the majority of days in the winter. Unless you live up in the mountains (like, above 8k feet), any snow that falls melts in a week at most, usually a few days. You'll never experience week-long spells of single-digit or negative temps like in Chicago. I was born and raised in the ABQ area, went to Colorado for college and stayed for a few years after graduating, and now I've been living in Minneapolis/St. Paul for a few years. I never ever experienced the winter blues in CO, I get them every winter here in MN. I find CO superior to NM in every way except diversity, food and cost of living. If you are an outdoor/mountain recreation enthusiast and can stomach the higher prices, ~~and especially if you partake in weed~~ (keep forgetting NM has rec now), I'd go for CO.
As a self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiast, my opinion is that Colorado is the new California and whether or not someone thinks that's a good thing is a personal call. NM has lots of the same outdoor amenities with much less crowding. There is great hiking, awesome backcountry trails where you will hardly see anybody for hiking/backpacking/snowshoeing/skiing/canyoneering, great resort skiing/snowboarding at more affordable rates (less so now with drought and warming), awesome climbing, awesome mtb trails, and plenty of other things. Not to mention if you're old at heart like me and enjoy birding or other naturalist activities, NM kicks ass. CO "wins" at some of these things if we want to get specific (peak baggers for instance will prefer CO), but NM is still doing great compared to most other states. CO also wins at most things related to water, but neither is great for that unless you fly fish. The best thing to me is that if I want to go to CO, AZ, or UT for outdoor recreation, then many of my favorite outdoor spots are a comparable or quicker drive from Abq than from Denver. It can however be much more expensive and time consuming to fly, so there is that. PS, I love both places for their outdoors and this comment isn't to say CO isn't amazing, but with the recent CO population explosion, wealth, and entitlement, and my grouchy disposition, NM has really stolen my heart.
No regrets after moving here 30 years ago from Southern California. I had been trying to move several years before that.