Tell Me About Your Neighborhood

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Permalink Reply by Masshole in Fringecrest on June 5, 2008 at 3:12pm

Nob Hill-- I would say (obviously I'm a Fringecrester) that the SE heights (Ridgecrest) features an "evening stroll" atmosphere, where walking families and pets abound-- people kibbitzing on the front lawns, etc.

To that point, I would actually break out UNM, Nob Hill and Ridgecrest, at least as separate and somewhat distinct, but whatever...

The houses are "the right size" (1050 to 2100 sq. ft.), hard wood floors, built in the 50's, when people took pride in the workmanship and details. The yards are BIG, with big old trees. A small greenspace/park every few blocks. The Farmer's market in the Summer....

Obviously , there is the walking distance to the amenities of Nob Hill, but that's obvious.

That's it 'til I think of more.

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Permalink Reply by Rodney on June 6, 2008 at 2:08pm

For 18 years+ we lived in what was officially designated the Parkland Hills addition, just 3 blocks north of Ridgecrest Blvd and 3 blocks west of San Mateo. Like most other homes in the vacinity, ours was built in the early 50s with a flat roof, casement single pane windows, gas wall heaters and hardwood floors. Floor refinishers in the 90s informed me that many houses like mine used surplus shipdecking from WWII for the flooring. I know they were nearly bulletproof, but many had stained and dried out in the desert environment. That sickly green color many houses wore was a mixture of white primer and army green paint. But we liked our house and got a good deal on it, paying just a shade over $50K in 1984. We replaced those crappy windows, and added an additional swampcooler and ductwork. We walled in the front porch for privacy, security and sound isolation. I added a beautiful back deck with carved wood and a blue tin roof.

It was typical to walk the 3 mile round trip up to Ridgecrest, west to Carlisle and back every evening weather permitting. We knew most we met by the names of their dogs - "Sadie's mom", "Rusty's dad" - since we too were Amber's and Snoop's parents. Groups gathered in Laurel Park, furtively watching for the Animal Control truck since this was officially an "on lease" area, and some people had little else to do than rat out the renegades.

Runners, bicyclists, joggers - some pushing high dollar large wheel baby limos, walkers and amblers shared the median and the edges of the boulevard, diving for the sidewalks and grassy sanctuaries whenever a bus rumbled by.

Increasing though; broken glass, syringes and even occasional shell casings hindered idly meandering, more attention needed to avoid damaging small paws. Jet noise from commercial traffic on the diagonal runway, the smell of aviation fuel and more and more "sound of freedom" from the AFB and Natl. Guard made walks less enjoyable.

We needed/wanted a home larger than our 1200 sq.ft provided. Like most others, our lot was larger than anything available now, with ample room to add on, but our location was becoming less and less attractive. Perhaps had we lived further from the elementary school, further from the near constant siren sounds hastening to and from Lovelace and the VA, further from the nightly drone of C130 Hecules maintanence hangers? Perhaps if I didn't find a spent 38 slug on my front porch that morning, with a brand new gouge in the brand new stucco.

We now live in a very nice but totally nondescript NE neighborhood where some of our "neighbors" seem to never see the light of day. Driving their Mercedes or Lexus or Harley Davidsons into the now opening then closing maw of their 3 car garages, only to reappear the next morning as they drive off to Sandia or Intel or their own entrepreneurial endeavor. There are still those few, the "Pugsly's mom" and "Nessie's dad", out each evening weather permitting to take in a magnificent view of the mountain, or catch the last red and pink hues of a uniquely New Mexican sunset. Exercising themselves as well as their dogs. And we are now close enough that a foothills trail is just minutes away, where coyotes and bobcats refuse to acquiesce to the creeping metropolis and for the mere effort of hiking over a small ridge, the city is but a faint hum and wilderness is all that can be seen.

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Permalink Reply by Brendan on June 7, 2008 at 10:56am

Believe so. We're in the Ridgecrest area nearer the one-ways with a house built in 1948. There were very few homes nearby when this one was built.

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Permalink Reply by Rocky on June 5, 2008 at 4:06pm

I like living near downtown because I work there, but I also like to play there. I have easy access to the Bosque Trail, and thus the BioPark as well. Dining (e.g. Java Joe’s, Asian Noodle, Flying Star, Roma Deli) and drinking (duh!) are plentiful, but I didn’t realize how much I would miss The Golden West and The Launchpad as music venues – I hear The Launchpad may be re-opening soon….

The Downtown Grower’s market will open this weekend and be happenin’ thru the fall. Then there’s activities at Civic Plaza like Summerfest and Civic Cinema. As gas prices continue to soar, I feel fortunate that I can live my life with very little time spent in a car.

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Permalink Reply by mombat on June 5, 2008 at 4:28pm

I grew up in the South Valley and my parents still live there. The valley is green and beautiful in the summer. Many people still have live stock, my parents have cows, goats, chickens, geese, turkeys and sheep. Thier neighbors have horses and there are emus down the block.
Housing varies from very old adobes to very new high end housing, but most of the housing in 1950-1970 era and is low to middle priced.
The area is growing and becoming more urban,but still has a rural feel. There is a large population of immigrants from Mexico. Along Isleta and South Coors there are many small shops that are owned by or cater to this population. I like the El Mesquite meat market and the paleteria La Michoancana, both on Isleta.
It is very hard to be carless, there is limited bus service.
The irrigation ditches form a great trail system that is fun to walk along.
That's my quick word on the South Valley.

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Permalink Reply by Joe S Sausage on June 5, 2008 at 6:48pm

North Valley, my business is located in the heart of the north valley, griegos & rio grnade and i live in the far north valley, about a mile north of alameda on 4th, an unincorporated part of the county called alameda, both locationas are rural, the county more so.

I like living and doing business in this area because of the rural nature of the landscape and the neighborly attitude of the people, the large cross-section of people that live in this area, it's a big animal-nature lovers area. many local fruit and vegetable gardens, great parks and paths along the irrigation ditches, responsible pet owners, you should take a drive or better yet, a bike ride around this area.

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Permalink Reply by Adelita on June 5, 2008 at 7:40pm

I agree with Joe. The North Valley is so cool. I like that in many North Valley neighborhoods, there can be a 100 year old adobe, a mobile home, a mansion, and then a little casita like mine all mixed together. Rich, poor, and in between all living together.

There is an incredible amount of rich history here, too, from the far North Valley to the Old Town area. I live in Los Griegos and even wrote about it here on DCF. I would suggest a trip to the Special Collections Library on Central and Edith. Joe Sabatini is a wealth of information about ABQ Neighborhoods.

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Permalink Reply by usemoreglue on June 5, 2008 at 7:42pm

As I drove my friend around town today helping her look for an apartment, I was able to reminisce about all the parts of town I've lived in, and what makes each area so great.

I currently live downtown. I consider it "West Downtown" or as a parody to the ever-popular EDo, WeDo. Afterall, WeDos wobble but they don't fall down *rim shot*.

One of my favorite things about being on this end of downtown is the perfect marriage of ghetto crumbling apartments and beautiful victorian houses complete with porches and bay windows. The streets are full of trees and everyones yard seems to spill over with plants, many of them native species. The extreme opposites that coexist here are present in some form in most parts of the city, and make for balanced neighborhoods that resist both dilapidation and gentrification.

As Rocky mentioned, there's a wonderful blend of psuedo-urban living (one can not live off of bars, empty lofts, and restaurants that keep weird hours alone) and extremely close river access. A lot of the neighborhoods north of downtown and northwest of downtown also have wonderful appeal--lots of winding roads, narrow sidewalks, streets that make you feel like you're in another country...then there is OId Town. Some interesting living around there as well, though as a neighborhood, I wouldn't consider it excessively large.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Brotz on June 6, 2008 at 12:18pm

I live in the foothills and can represent it in part. The area East of Tramway (I think that's generally considered to be the foothills) is, for the most part, a classic suburb, with separation of uses, car-centric development and cul-de-sacs. From my experience it tends to be older in average age of residents than the rest of the city. There are great neighborhood parks and the foothills open space is within walking distance, which we use often for short or long hikes. Houses tend to be bigger here than in denser areas like Nob Hill, and I think the lots are bigger, but probably not by much. I'd be happier if more amenities were walkable, but the only things that I can walk to right now are the parks and open space, a Walgreens, and the Hinkle Family Fun Center (which is pretty cool but I really don't go there often). The architecture in my immediate neighborhood is a mix of regional styles (Spanish Pueblo revival with a modern implementation) and other generally Western styles, but go up the hill a bit and you run into common-design subdivisions that look like a transplant from California. I would say that the folks that live over here are less invested in the history and culture of the region than those that live nearer the Valley.

One interesting thing that differentiates neighborhoods in ABQ is the view of the Sandia (and some places Manzano) mountains. The foothills has a close-up, detail view of the mountain, whereas the Westside has spectacular panoramic views of the whole thing. And all the other neighborhoods have unique views.

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Permalink Reply by imouse1 on June 6, 2008 at 10:18pm

I have been living in the foothills of ABQ all my life. The house I live in now is the house my dad grew up in when my grandfather was chief of police back in the day (just before retirement to Artesia lol). My Japanese grandparents used to live next door but now they live in Hawaii and the current neighbors have been great family friends since they moved in. Across the street the two houses are rented by a nice, little old German woman and she's picky about who she lets rent (believe me). Our current other next door neighbor is quiet because she works during the night but let us go into her backyard when our cat ran away and lived under her shed. I like it because my street is mostly quiet...except for the stereotypical people that occasionally date some daughters on our street. But for the most part it is a great location. We're only 20 minutes from UNM/CNM with a straight shot down Lomas, and we're pretty close to just about everything except Rio Rancho. We're in the Kennedy and Tomasita part of the Manzano district but are also only about 15 minutes away from Southwest Learning Center. Can't really complain about where we live. The cops park under our tree during the summer for shade and the neighborhood is pretty quiet. Except for that one old, creepy token neighbor it's pretty great =D

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Permalink Reply by Megan on June 11, 2008 at 7:41am

Well I confess probably not -- although I've never written for one before. But I'm guessing they want to "pretty" neighborhood snapshots. I do love your description though. The West Side does have some spectacular views.

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Permalink Reply by Megan on June 7, 2008 at 1:40pm

Hi everyone,

I've been reading your comments, but have not been able to do much with them yet because I am on a weekend retreat. Please keep them coming, however, and thanks for your much needed help!

Megan

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