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Why Albuquerque Doesn't Suck

I love my Maryland hometown and am always excited to visit. And as I begin my trip to any of this country's fabulous eastern cities, I always am struck by a slight sense of envy that those places have so many things that Albuquerque lacks.

- widespread public transportation
- big, wide glorious rivers
- tons of people
- tons of food
- rockin' new years eve parties at the Museum of Industry
- neighborhood bars
- row houses

The list goes on, but then, inevitably, something funny happens. My envy gradually turns to a massive sense of relief. As I waited for my bazillionth cab, or circled the neighborhood looking for parking, or shouldered my way past 1,000 people to get a beer.

As it took me 1.5 hours to get checked in for my flight and as I pondered what the cost of my house would be if I tried to purchase it in Baltimore, as I tried to decide if my sneaker chic was chic enough and as it to took a solid damn day to plan any outing because of innumerable logistical nightmares, I realized that Albuquerque and New Mexico is exactly where I want to be.

There's just one little itty-bitty thing ... that would reduce any residual envy to almost nothing ... Sephora.

I don't think that's too much to ask for, do you?

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Comment by Mary Schmidt on January 4, 2008 at 9:25am: I lived right outside Philly for 8 years (on the "Main Line") - and I too miss the mass transport (could hop on a train and be in Manhattan, no muss, no fuss)...but then when I got off the train...NYC is fun for about four days. I also loved being able to run down to Baltimore or DC for the day.

But the reason I moved back to NM - when you hit the "open road" in PA, it means the Jersey turnpike (or the nightmare that's I-95 in Connecticut.) Here, it's wide open spaces in 15 minutes from my house.

Now, when I visit back east, I marvel that I once drove in that traffic, fought those crowds, every single day...and usually wearing a suit and heels and lugging a heavy briefcase. Give me the NM life!

Comment by freekbuoy on January 4, 2008 at 9:42am: ...I wouldn't mind seeing a few more neighborhood bars, tho. Cuts down on drunk driving.

Comment by Mark on January 4, 2008 at 11:07am: Great post alexis. I go thru the same thing when I go back to Dallas. After a couple of days, I'm done with the mojo there and I'll feel so refreshed getting back to the ABQ.

Comment by Phil_0 on January 4, 2008 at 11:55am: Freekbuoy - I feel the same way, but NM's goofy liquor laws mean it's a pipe dream.

I actually have the opposite initial reaction to one described in this post most of the time: while there are certain places I've lived or visited extensively that offer way more "amenities" than Burque does (San Francisco, Seattle, etc.), I've most recently lived in Tucson and Eugene, OR, where a lot of things (reasonable mass transit, a downtown, culture) that ABQ has are lacking.

Comment by neal copperman on January 4, 2008 at 9:23pm: Hey, I moved here from Baltimore too! One thing that is really weird for me is how my feelings about weather changed. I remember one trip back when I got there, it was grey and overcast, and the sky was about 30 feet above the ground. It felt so heavy. Driving into the city from BWI I thought "How did I ever live here. This place is miserable." I warmed back up to it after a few days, but it was an interesting reaction.

Every time I fly east I am amazed at how green it is. Something I totally took for granted. I'll go back during a "drought" and it will still be totally green.

Last time it was great from the moment I got there. I love it here, but there are definitely things I miss. Stunning museums, with exhibits we will never see here (last time I was back I saw a brilliant Hopper retrospective), Ethiopian food!!!!, Afghan food, so many shows.

Uncle Jess, you've been missing Haussner's for a long time! It was already closed when I moved here in 2000.