So, in my search of where I would like to live, NM came up in one of those online quiz things that help you find your ideal place.
Anyone have any info on good or bad parts of NM?
One of my wife’s teachers loved one city there (where he was from) but she can’t remember where he said he was.
[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:
So, in my search of where I would like to live, NM came up in one of those online quiz things that help you find your ideal place.[/quote]
Online quizzes are always right.
…Just ask her. 
I have family in Phoenix and they were talking about moving to Albuquerque not too long ago. Apparently it’s a lot like Phoenix, but with less people.
[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:
So, in my search of where I would like to live, NM came up in one of those online quiz things that help you find your ideal place.
Anyone have any info on good or bad parts of NM?
One of my wife’s teachers loved one city there (where he was from) but she can’t remember where he said he was.[/quote]
I have lived in NM for part of a year when I was 16 so I might not be much help (I still have some friends from there who could answer better than I could just PM if you want their info).
Pros
It is laid back
nice scenery
close to texas
easy access to ski
Big cities in nm act like small towns
Lots of nature activities
Rio Rancho is becoming a hot spot for computers
Cons
Dry as hell (bring some lotion, and chap stick)
floods easily when it rains
It isn’t Texas
If your not a small town person you won’t like nm
If Rio Rancho doesn’t become a computer hot spot the economy will be like it has been for the past 20 years. Flat…
Cool. Doesn’t sound too bad.
I like the feel of a small town better than a large city. My only concern was being stuck in the middle of nowhere, and having to drive over 40 miles to get to a commercial area (like what you see in TV shows, where you’re driving for hours and there’s only 1 gas station or a diner, and nothing else).
Albuquerque looks good so far from the research I’ve been doing.
After looking into Phoenix, I was starting to think it might be too “big-city” for me, and I don’t like a lot of trafic (although I can tolerate some, like in the Hampton Roads area of VA).
[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:
Cool. Doesn’t sound too bad.
I like the feel of a small town better than a large city. My only concern was being stuck in the middle of nowhere, and having to drive over 40 miles to get to a commercial area (like what you see in TV shows, where you’re driving for hours and there’s only 1 gas station or a diner, and nothing else).
Albuquerque looks good so far from the research I’ve been doing.
After looking into Phoenix, I was starting to think it might be too “big-city” for me, and I don’t like a lot of trafic (although I can tolerate some, like in the Hampton Roads area of VA). [/quote]
Are you looking at Hampton Roads as well…or did you live there before? I ask, because I was born there and lived there for 24 years, so I could offer some information regarding the area. I’ve lived in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and VA Beach. I have also spent alot of time in Suffolk as well. Let me know.
Having lived in NM for the past 13 years here is a little input good and bad. Of course there are a lot more things, these are just off the top of my head.
Yes it is very dry. Lotion and chapstick are your best friend.
There are plenty of small towns that border Albuquerque that you can live if you don’t like the city. No you don’t drive for hours on end with only 1 gas station. I live in Los Lunas which is about 30ish miles from Albuquerque. Takes me 20 minutes to get to work in Abq.
Non-stop road construction
Mexican food… mmmmmmmmm
Mountains; skiing, hiking, rockclimbing
The desert is a beautiful place
Non-stop road construction
Decent night life. Though clubs and bars close down a little early for my taste…generally around 1-1:30am
Lots and Lots of places to visit in state; White Sands, Santa Fe, Carlsbad Caverns, etc.
Non-stop road construction
[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:
After looking into Phoenix, I was starting to think it might be too “big-city” for me, and I don’t like a lot of trafic (although I can tolerate some, like in the Hampton Roads area of VA). [/quote]
Yeah, Phoenix does suck with it’s traffic.
[quote]Addicted wrote:
SWR-1240 wrote:
Cool. Doesn’t sound too bad.
I like the feel of a small town better than a large city. My only concern was being stuck in the middle of nowhere, and having to drive over 40 miles to get to a commercial area (like what you see in TV shows, where you’re driving for hours and there’s only 1 gas station or a diner, and nothing else).
Albuquerque looks good so far from the research I’ve been doing.
After looking into Phoenix, I was starting to think it might be too “big-city” for me, and I don’t like a lot of trafic (although I can tolerate some, like in the Hampton Roads area of VA).
Are you looking at Hampton Roads as well…or did you live there before? I ask, because I was born there and lived there for 24 years, so I could offer some information regarding the area. I’ve lived in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and VA Beach. I have also spent alot of time in Suffolk as well. Let me know.[/quote]
No, I used to live there. I was living in Newport News, but working in Norfolk, then Chesapeake.
I was just using that area for an example of how much traffic I can tolerate.
I’m not looking to move back there, but if I got a good job offer, I’d probably take it. For the most part, we’re looking to move to the south-west, or even west-west (Cali.) if we could afford it.
Yea, it’s looking better and better the more I learn about it.
Just wondering though, is there any road construction going on around there.
I already had 1 reply about a job I applied to in Farmington, MN but that’s way up towards the North/West part of NM and I didn’t see any cities around it when I looked on a map.
Just like when I was going to live near Albany, NY, I’d look for a place to live just outside of a city. Suburbs without neighbors would be ideal, but rural is okay too.
Thanks for all the replies so far!
I will just add this. If you like the outdoors and beautiful mountain scenery northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado can’t be beat. The Spanish latino flavor of this area especially in the small towns is very cool.
D
My brother-in-law just moved their with his family and he loves it. He lives in Rio Rancho and they go to Albuquerque for more of a city feel. It’s seems like you need to like the small town feel. My wife and I love to go out on the weekends so it wouldn’t work for us but I have heard great things…especially with housing costs (I live in southern CA) being much lower. I am sure that real estate market will explode once the mortgage industry turns back around.
Many years ago, I interviewed for a job testing missiles at White Sands. It is a beautiful state. Came in second in the process. Damn!!
Thanks for all the info. I’m going to make the bulk of my job searches in or around Albuquerque (even though I still can’t spell it without using my spell checker).
I’m still applying in AZ and San Diego, but I would need to make a lot more money in San Diego than in NM or AZ I think.
I’ll keep plugging away with job applications, but once my wife graduates, I think we’ll be moving there just with the money we have saved up.
At least then I can make job hunting/interviewing my full-time job.
Hey SWR-1240,
Your decision doesn’t have anything to do with the gov. there signing a bill to legalize marijuana does it? 
[quote]superdad4 wrote:
Hey SWR-1240,
Your decision doesn’t have anything to do with the gov. there signing a bill to legalize marijuana does it? :)[/quote]
No, but you just gave me a new motivation!
[quote]meaningless wrote:
ehhh… I wouldn’t call it mexican food anymore than tex-mex. It is a south western variant. I know that because of all the mexican food my wife and her family make almost none of it has green chile.
sent you an email
If I were to live in new mexico it would be las cruces
bulldogg
I live right next to the New Mexico border.
I love the Southwest.
[quote]haney1 wrote:
meaningless wrote:
Being from Houston I guess I never noticed…
ehhh… I wouldn’t call it mexican food anymore than tex-mex. It is a south western variant. I know that because of all the mexican food my wife and her family make almost none of it has green chile.
[/quote]
I think most people would think it’s mexican food. If you want the best mexican food though you have to come eat in my kitchen when my mother in law is working her food magic.