Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM
Yet Another Newbie
Hi All,
My company (Sony Pictures) is relocating me from Los Angeles to Albuquerque in the fall. I'm pretty cool with idea of moving. I've lived in LA all my life and figure it's about time for a change.
I do have a few questions I was hoping some locals could help me out with (hopefully they won't be too redundant).
One, my husband and I are pretty heavily tattooed and pierced. Is the ABQ populace fairly cool with that kind of thing? Are people going to be gaping at us?
Two, I had a really bad experience with violent crime here in LA and it's important to me to try and minimize my chances of a repeat occurrence. I know that there's crime in every big city and that the most important tool in avoiding it is common sense but can someone tell me what the real deal is in ABQ? Is it more the kind of place that you have to go looking for trouble or does trouble come looking for you? Do most folks feel safe just going about their day to day business or is crime an ever present worry?
Three, just from doing a little searching on the web, we've been thinking about looking for housing in either Corrales or Nob Hill (I know they're total opposites). I guess, on the one hand, we'd like to try something the exact opposite of LA and on the other, we still want a big city, urban vibe. Any thoughts on either locale?
Four, lastly, I am a major bibliophile, any good independent booksellers in town?
Thanks so much for your help!
My company (Sony Pictures) is relocating me from Los Angeles to Albuquerque in the fall. I'm pretty cool with idea of moving. I've lived in LA all my life and figure it's about time for a change.
I do have a few questions I was hoping some locals could help me out with (hopefully they won't be too redundant).
One, my husband and I are pretty heavily tattooed and pierced. Is the ABQ populace fairly cool with that kind of thing? Are people going to be gaping at us?
Two, I had a really bad experience with violent crime here in LA and it's important to me to try and minimize my chances of a repeat occurrence. I know that there's crime in every big city and that the most important tool in avoiding it is common sense but can someone tell me what the real deal is in ABQ? Is it more the kind of place that you have to go looking for trouble or does trouble come looking for you? Do most folks feel safe just going about their day to day business or is crime an ever present worry?
Three, just from doing a little searching on the web, we've been thinking about looking for housing in either Corrales or Nob Hill (I know they're total opposites). I guess, on the one hand, we'd like to try something the exact opposite of LA and on the other, we still want a big city, urban vibe. Any thoughts on either locale?
Four, lastly, I am a major bibliophile, any good independent booksellers in town?
Thanks so much for your help!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by tinsree on -
if you have a lab the high school/belvedere isn't for you. they flip flop on allowing them, but consistently dislike them and would prefer you take you dog across the street if not down the road to do its business. pick the wrong spot and you will be fined out the yin yang. there are lots of other opurtunties in the area though and it is a great one.
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Permalink Reply by Samara on -
I'd be willing to bet Abq has more tattoo shops per capita than LA. Willing to bet real money on that.
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Permalink Reply by Phil_0 on -
I'm pretty sure the Rio Bravo Railrunner station is intended to eventually serve Mesa del Sol...it might be up to Sony to provide a shuttle a la UNM Hospital, at least until there's enough population up there to create enough demand for a bus route.
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Permalink Reply by Barelas Babe on -
Hi - Typing this on my Blackberry from Ireland and eyeing a cute Irish guy as I am typing so please excuse any typos - I cannot backspace for some reason. (I'm soooo hooked on DCF - pathetic!)
The suggestions and advice are on target. You might want to consider Barelas if you are looking for a more funky alternative vibe mixed with traditional to downtown.Homes vary from 100 year old adobes in Territorial style (mine has 24 inch thick double adobe walls, wood floors, high ceilings for an adobe at 9.5 feet) to small very old adobes of a few centuries old to newer construction. I've counted 10 languages spoken in the homes I can more or less see from my front porch - lots or real working artists (photographers, writers, filmmakers, poets, playwrights, potters, actors, painters) here mixed with 8th generation Spanish land grant families, grad students and academicians like yours truly. I can walk to downtown in 6 minutes, the Rio Grande in 8 minutes if I dawdle, to the downtown grower's market and a whole lotta restaurants - varying in type, quality, and clientele. Old Town, Country Club are short bike ride away of just a few minutes. Sometimes Barelas reminds me of the funky parts of Boyle Heights; some parts are very much mindful of the feeling 'round the traffic circle in Orange, at least re: old-time family connections (I'm 7th generation OC) and how families can talk about when their great-grandparents went to school together. Case in point - my neighbors, who have lived in their home for 50 years are still known as the "new" Martinez family.
Traffic is NOT LA - I am from OC/LA - people complain about traffic but trust me I NEVER have to think about traffic when figuring when to leave the house. Ever.
Barelas is walkable to train station (7 minutes) and I'm not sure if there will be a shuttle to Mesa Del Sol, so you may want to look into that).
The catch with Barelas is that homes are not easy to find - people tend to pass them on to family members.
Some people find Barelas a bit gritty for their taste as it is not a homogenous SES demographic, but that is part of the appeal for me - I love getting Belgian waffles on my birthday from my raised-in- Belium neighbor, tamales at Christmas from my 9th generation Barelas neighbor, eating Vodka soaked Easter eggs at my German neighbors "Easter" party and chatting with another neighbor who talks of changing Mayor Marty's diapers when he was a baby and "my, how he has changed!", to talking to my next door neighbor about his WWII years in Washington DC to learning about another neighbor's journey from Mexico to the US, to the wonderful sharing of garden bounty that occurs every summer...
My suggestion is to come out here, check it out, think about what is most importnat to you - walkability, public transit, access to nature, museums, restaurants, live music, live drama (as in the theaters and on the street) and a sense of community...
Oops, Irishman approaching.
Good Luck!
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Permalink Reply by Gene on
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Good call on Barelas. And all that from a Blackberry? Wow.
Be sure to join the NM Media Industries Strategy Project (MISP) listserve, which discusses all things filmmaking (as in making) in the state. There's a strong emphasis on new media/animation etc. http://www.altmedianm.org/contact.html. It'll keep you dialed into the business until you get here.
The addition of (more) indie lovers will be a good addition for sure. We lost our best indie DVD/VHS rental house (across the street from the Guild, in fact) a while back because there just wasn't enough willing to poke around in those areas...among other things.
The guys at the Guild will tell you it's hit or miss for indie stuff. A new Guy Maddin deal will have a line down the sidewalk, while the Cassavetes retrospective a couple years ago tanked hard. Go figure.
Some help on getting new/oddball outdoor venues would be most welcomed. There's an outrageous area of opportunity on that here that is not being pursued.
"Murder House" was put on by Trifecta + Entertainment (www.trifectaplusentertainment.com) and it was a hoot. I got to perform during it and it was a blast. They are the same folks who did the short "Sweetie" which recently screened at Cannes for the 48HFP block.
Agreed with Mark and BB on traffic. It's all relative, but not even remotely close. But I work at home, so....
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Permalink Reply by Chris K. on -
Gene, thanks for the information on the NM Media Industries Strategy Project (MISP) listserve. And I just for the life of me could not remember Trifecta, had to search our archives.
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Permalink Reply by Thing 1 on -
Since traffic is basically a non event considering what you are used to (I came from San Diego and can say its minimal here), really the entire area is open.
If you are in the least bit concerned with crime and personal safety then don't even consider anything south of I40 (especially SW). Personally I think Nob Hill will dissapoint you as it tries REALLY hard to be hip and funky, but ends up being weak (especailly considering some of the area in LA lits trying to be like). Far NE Heights is probably fairly safe, but houses are quite a bit older but not in a good way (think Brady Bunch house). Houses are fairly expensive for what you get.
ABQ Acres is very nice, but expensive. Nice views looking west, but too close to the Sandias to get the big panoramic view.
West side is lots of housing development that range from old and box like to new and very nice for not as much as the East side. Again, be careful of getting too far south (exception is Oxbow). Views of the Sandias are very good from the West side.
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Permalink Reply by Raine K. on -
Seriously?? Don't live south of I-40 if you're concerned about personal safety? That can only be stated by someone who doesn't live here!! I live in Nob Hill and have never had any "personal safety" issues. Small cross-section of people living on my street - a judge, an EMT, two university professors, retired folks, young families, straight people, gay people, liberal people, and conservative people - and it totally rocks!
As far as the "trying too hard to be hip", maybe - I'm thinking Imbibe fits that category (from what I've heard - haven't been there yet) - but that discounts all the truly cool, unique, locally-owned restaurants and shops that are here.
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Permalink Reply by Hairy McLairy on -
Yes, dont live in the Country Club Area, its South West of the 40 just like Thing said, filled with dangerous cantankerous old money people :) and the cottonwood trees can be dangerous to your personal safety.
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Permalink Reply by ABQSkippy on -
Say what? South of I-40?? That is a whole lot of the city to be afraid of. Yikes! Northeast heights is WAY too conservative for me! Lots more diversity here.
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Permalink Reply by Atrisqueño on -
That's funny!! you keep telling the newbies that. We like to keep south of I-40 our little secret. I see that you live in RR, good thing there isn't any crime there.
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