Albuquerque Travel Forum

Hello everyone,

I need some expert advice about a certain area in Albuquerque that I may be moving to. I guess it would be considered the southwest area (west of the Rio Grande and south of Interstate 40). Is this regarded as a nice area (low crime rate, higher income, etc.)? Specifically, I am looking at houses along Central Avenue as well as Rio Bravo Blvd. I have looked through the previous relocation threads but didn't find any info about this particular area. I've heard that Rio Rancho is nice but it seems that the housing availability is not so good there right now. I'm hoping that southwest Albuquerque is just as nice. Thanks in advance for your help!

Great, thanks very much for the help. I will definitely check out that website. Hopefully someone else who lives in the area can share any information they have as well.

Thanks again ddevito. Good idea about sending email (why didn't I think of that!), I'll try that. I did find the Albuquerque tribune website, but it will take some digging to get the info I want.

You did not say much about what your actual needs are. Unfortunately, in general, I would avoid the southwest area. Many parts of it are low income and have high crime rates. However, that is not to say you cannot find good areas there. Rio Rancho (northwest) is noted for having the most affordable nice housing but may not be convenient if you work east of the river. The northeast heights are conveniently located but housing tends to be more expensive there. The southeast is a mixed bag. You might want to look in the area near south Eubank Blvd. The new housing there may be more affordable and the location is good.

I agree with most of the info posted. With gas prices so high, and in the interest of future traffic congestion, I hope you consider living in the area where you will work. I've lived in metro Albuquerque for over 25 years and have worked in sales over 12 years where I drove many areas and have seen many neighborhoods.
Basically, the West Side (all areas west of the Rio Grande River) are more affordable than the NE Heights (areas east of I-25 and north of Central) since the West Side is more-recently developed and still has space available. The areas south of Central are more established but are generally more poverty-stricken and crime-ridden. Of course each area of town will have some good neighborhoods and that is the reason I suggest you do personal research. I would contact a minimum of 10-15 realtors who can offer info over the internet and then plan a personal visit based on your interests and priorities. In doing a search for you, I offer these links:
http://www.cs.unm.edu/~saia/alb.html
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108479.html
http://www.realestateinabq.com/
http://www.cblegacynm.com/
http://www.donandgeri.com/m_local.asp
http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/index.html
http://www.nmhomes.com/
http://www.city-data.com/city/Albuquerque-New-Mexico.html
http://www.nmhomes.com/crime.html

Please contact me if you have more specific questions; I am not a realtor and have no vested interest, but would try to get you some assistance.
Happy travels,
Cheryl

Wow, thanks for all the links, plannersis. If I can’t find the theoretical info I’m looking for there, it can’t be found! As far as gas prices go, I currently commute about 45 miles one way so I figure any location in Albuquerque (even Rio Rancho w/ commute to Albuquerque) would be better than what I’m doing now! Just to let you (and everyone else) know, I’m single so my main concerns are low crime rate (I don’t want to live in or near a ghetto-like area, for example) and easy access to amenities (shopping, entertainment). I’m going to take a trip out there for a few days in about two weeks to look at new construction w/ a realtor. One model I am particularly interested in (even though I have been warned about the southwest area) is located at the intersection of Bluewater Road and Unser Blvd., just south of I-40. The builder is KB Home. Do you know anything about the quality of their construction? I also wanted to ask what the job prospects are like in Albuquerque. I am a degreed accountant so I figure I should be able to find a decent job fairly easily. Actually, I am counting on it because I intend to move there unemployed! I feel I can do this because I should be able to buy a house there w/ cash from the gain on the sale of my existing house in California. Anyway, thanks again for all the info and for offering to help me. I really appreciate it.

I agree with AlbuqRay and plannersis, although you have to keep in mind ABQ is a patchwork of small neighborhoods, and you can find unexpected nice patches (and unexpected bad patches) throughout the city. The best way to do it is in person--drive around the city a little bit and figure out what kind of neighborhood you're looking for.

The area you are talking about would be mixed for sure and you would have to check it out to see what you like. I hear a lot of the artist are moving into the SW area. I find that there are good areas to live anywhere you
go in Albuquerque. And what type life style you like to live depends on where you might want to live. Downtown,UNM and Nob Hill areas is where all the action is going on. Mostly it depends on your life style and how close you want to live to work. Good luck

Be sure to check out the Flying Star Cafe on Central SE about a mile east of UNM. It will give you a good idea of one of the best hangouts in abq.

Sorry I'm so late to this thread :) Been out of town .... :)

I agree w/ what everyone has said so far ... there are good and bad patches throughout town, so driving around the part of town you are interested in is the best thing to do ..... if you decide against SW, and like older homes ... also look into Nob Hill and Ridgecrest neighborhoods ....... they are my personal favorite :)

Live as close to your work as you can. You might not want to buy a house until you get a job. Renting in albuquerque is not bad for a while. You can always bike, drive or bus to the places you want to hang out in. For your own stress level and for the good of the environment live as close as possible to your place of work. That said I'm sure you will find Albuquerque a great place to live. Do check out Nobhill.the university area and downtown for fun, funky places to shop, hangout,drink coffee,see plays and movies and go dancing. Good luck!!!