Sometimes known as The ABQ, Albuquerque is deeply southwestern. Green Chilis are the staff of life here and it's not uncommon to eat them at all three meals in a day. The beautiful New Mexico culture is also deeply woven into the city experience with pueblos inside and outside the city borders. Nestled in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains (Spanish for watermelon due to the color) the surrounding landscape is stunning and those who love the outdoors get to experience this southern extension of the high plains area on a daily basis.  

**Here's a list of pros about living in Albuquerque from a local:**
*- Relatively low COL*
*- No real traffic*
*- Not too big of city but definitely not too small with plenty of room for growth.*
*- Pretty good food options for a city this size*
*- The abundance of easily accessible hiking trails*
*- Best weather I've experienced outside of CA and Hawaii, the summers and winters are both tolerable*.
*- If I get bored, LA is only a 90 minute flight away.*

For more reviews of what living in Albuquerque is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/albuquerque/reviews)

New Mexico Lifestyle for Less

The Best Thing About Albuquerque.  

Public Schools are ranked low and crime is high across some neighborhoods. It’s also fairly remote. The ‘International’ in The Albuquerque International Sunport is a fib. There are no international flights out of the ABQ and direct flights to big US cities are limited. The drive to Santa Fe is under an hour but driving to any other cities (Denver, Phoenix, Texas cities etc.) is quite a haul. Speaking of driving, the sprawl of the city makes a car a necessity.

**Here's a review of Albuquerque from a local with more cons than pros:** 
*Cons - Bad job market, crime, lack of true 'big city' amenities like international flights or IKEAs, public schools are very hit or miss (mostly miss) compared to most other metro areas, places like restaurants/bars/shops close really early and many aren't open on Sundays, drivers here are a dangerous combination of unskilled+fast+road ragey*
*Pros - weather, breweries, hiking, lack of traffic, LCOL, lots of fun road trippable places within a couple hours drive*

For more reviews of what living in Albuquerque is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/albuquerque/reviews)

School's Out 

The Worst Thing About Albuquerque.  

Albuquerque is well known for its polarizing suburban vibes that people either love or despise. If you’ve had unpleasant experiences with suburbia, check out other cities. This family-friendly suburban culture brings with it more zoos and museums than nightlight spots. 

Outdoor recreation is unsurprisingly big in this part of the state due to the beautiful surrounding countryside. Hiking, mountain biking, and even skiing, when the weather permits, are available in the local Sandia Mountains. The Rio Grande River runs through the city center and is popular with kayakers and river hikers. 

Finally, as was mentioned, New Mexico culture is deeply woven into the city with green chilis your new best friend. 

Check out the calendar of [**city events**](https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/abq365/events/).

Lifestyle Of Albuquerque

While known as a big destination for retirees, people certainly find work in Albuquerque as is demonstrated by its low unemployment numbers. Healthcare and education are big in this part of New Mexico, with Sunbridge Healthcare and The University of New Mexico big employers. An increasing number of startups have also started to relocate to the area recently, taking advantage of the low costs and local vibes. The commercial district running along the old Route 66 has plenty of service jobs. Generally, low costs of living and relatively high wages provide residents a way to make it work. 


Worklife Of Albuquerque

If a suburban atmosphere with access to a wide range of outdoor activities sounds appealing, Albuquerque should be on your list when considering your next move. Just remember the sunscreen and a car with good mileage.


High Desert Experience

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Albuquerque?** The New Mexico way of life at a low cost.

Sometimes known as The ABQ, Albuquerque is deeply southwestern. Green Chilis are the staff of life here. It is not uncommon to eat them at all three meals in one day. The New Mexico culture is also deeply woven into the city experience. Nestled in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains (Spanish for watermelon due to the color) there are many pueblos in the state and some right on the Albuquerque border, a great deal of diversity and light traffic surrounded by desert skies. Albuquerque is authentic New Mexico and the cost of living is low. 

**The Worst Thing About Albuquerque?**  Breaking Bad wasn’t kidding. 

Public Schools are low ranked and crime is high across neighborhoods. low education levels, a high unemployment rate, and higher levels of substance abuse in the population. In 2016, Albuquerque is home to a large portion of property crimes reported in New Mexico and violent crime is high as well. It’s also fairly remote. The ‘International’ in The Albuquerque International Sunport is a lie. There are no international flights out of the airport and direct flights to big US cities are limited. The drive to Santa Fe is under an hour but driving to any other cities (Denver, Phoenix, Texas cities etc.) is quite a haul. 

**How You Living?**  Mostly Suburban

Central Avenue (part of the original Rt 66) is the big east/west thoroughfare and runs through downtown and the city is a car worshipping one.  Housing varies from single family ranch style homes built in the 40s, 50s and 60s (including the ever popular mid century modern) to more tony Spanish Colonial homes (Albuquerque Country Club neighborhood) and even homes dating back to the late 1800s (Huning Castle) as well as farm communities (North Valley) But, more urban styles close to downtown (Nob Hill) with easy access to University of New Mexico are a thing. Family Alert: The schools are better and the homes are still fairly affordable in Uptown.

Nearby areas in the metro include Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Placitas, Corrales, Los Lunas, Belen and Bosque Farms. 

Even though there are 280 days of sun, the city’s elevation is high so there will be snow and cold. In other words, there are seasons.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** 

There’s a startup and tech community forming, the cost of living is low, the natural  landscape is stunning and it’s covered in parks. 


Most University of New Mexico students live off-campus with plenty of the surrounding neighborhoods offering inexpensive housing. Spruce Park sits right in between the school and downtown so that's pretty perfect for high walks core to classes and downtown nightlife. Nob Hill is another hotspot which also borders the school and downtown. This "triangle" of neighborhoods - Spruce Park, Nob Hill and Downtown, have much of the housing and social life for the students. 

College Kids

Spruce Park / Nob Hill 

Young Professionals generally live Downtown or close by in the Nob Hill neighborhood. This is where the action is with a mix of upscale foodie spots and super-casual noodle bars. This is also where youngsters and students dance, drink - booze and coffee, and enjoy live music and theater. Plenty of apartments, townhomes and condos offer inexpensive housing in new nice buildings. If you want to walk to work (if you're lucky) and walk out at night then put downtown on your short list of places to live.


Young Professionals/Students

Downtown

Albuquerque is silly with good neighborhoods for families. Academy Hills Park is a popular choice in part due to the great park smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood. Playgrounds, soccer fields, and tons of greenery for Fido to run around make it ideal for the whole family. To top it off there's also a beautiful country club and even an Amusement Park. 

Altura is another good option with a great local park, playgrounds, tennis courts and tons of kids running around on weekends. Altura has an extra bonus of having plenty of fun restaurants to feed those hungry kiddos. 
- Academy Hills Park
- Altura
- Bear Canyon
- Heritage East
- Vista Del Mundo



Families

Academy Hills Park 

Albuquerque is a relatively quiet suburban city with inexpensive housing and access to great outdoor spaces for retirees. If you're up for a planned community check out Ventana Ranch. It has all the benefits of a suburban neighborhood but with direct access to the amenities you'd want in a city. The community has nature trails, parks, a community center with a pool and beautiful homes for those looking for organized luxury. 
- Ventana Ranch
- North Valley
- The Foothills

Retirees

Ventana Ranch

Albuquerque

Relatively low COL

No real traffic

Not too big of city but definitely not too small with plenty of room for growth.

Pretty good food options for a city this size

The abundance of easily accessible hiking trails

Best weather I've experienced outside of CA and Hawaii, the summers and winters are both tolerable.

If I get bored, LA is only a 90 minute flight away.

The food is great. The art is interesting. The cost of living is low. The people are laid back, mostly. The climate is great. We get a real taste of all seasons without the sucky ones lasting too long. There plenty of places to do interesting outdoor stuff like hiking, camping, birding, rockhounding, fossil hunting, gold panning, etc. There are a large number of wildly different ecological habitats in short driving distance. We've got a large number of micro-climates so you can be on the desert floor burning at 100 degrees, drive an hour to the top of one of our mountains, and then need to put on a sweater or jacket to keep warm. I'm sure there is other stuff I'm forgetting.

Now buckle up because other people will be along shortly to tell you about all the bad stuff here.

Having grown up in Albuquerque, then lived in Vegas for 22 years, and having travelled the U.S. a fair amount, I’m tuned-in to the +/- of New Mexico and Albuquerque in particular.

Albuquerque possesses many attributes for living here, and these traits are baked into the culture, for example:

Albuquerque…

…has a vibrant arts and cultural attraction scene, due to ongoing resources being earmarked starting decades ago. The BioPark, Aquarium and Zoo are nationally recognized, the annual International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is amazing and is one of those events/places, like the Grand Canyon, Lake Powel, Fisherman’s Wharf, etc. that simply must be experienced in person to understand and appreciate.

…has more parkland/open spaces per capita than any city in the country, actually more than double the runner-up city of Raleigh; again, due to forward thinking and purchases of large urban/suburban land tracts starting decades ago.

No matter where you are in Albuquerque you have the Sandia mountains to the east of you. Sandia means watermelon and it won't take you very long to find out how they got such a strange name. Often, during the sunset the mountains get a reddish pink hue and the scattered trees on them look like little black dots. The overall appearance reminds one of a slice of watermelon full of seeds. Breathtaking.

Speaking of the mountains I would like to say what beautiful colors they are. Which color you may ask…all colors, the play of light and shadow combines to give you an ever changing colorful mountain range. They go from blinding white to coal black with every color or combination of colors in between each and every day. They are no specific color and every color imaginable and change right before your eyes.

**5 Pros And Cons of Living In Albuquerque New Mexico - Why you should move to Albuquerque, New Mexico**

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Santa Fe Adjacent

Looklyloo Score: 72