Does anyone have any advice about safe ares to live in Albuquerque NM?

[1GoldenSun]

My daughter is moving to Albuquerque NM in August. She will be attending flight school at Bode Aviation while she gets her AS at Central New Mexico Community College. Then she may transfer to UNM or maybe go elsewhere for the last two years.

There are no dorms available, and we've looked into different shared housing but I'm a little leery of what we've found. She doesn't know a single person there yet.

What I'm concerned about is that from what I've read, some areas are nice and safe and some are areas you wouldn't want your 18-year-old daughter living, just like in any city. I currently live in Tampa, and there are definitely areas I wouldn't want her moving to, the problem is I can't really tell where those areas are in a city I don't know.

Does anyone here live in Albuquerque or know enough about it to help guide me to the safer areas? If anyone can suggest some specific apartment complexes that would be ideal. It doesn't need to be all that nice, it does't need to have a lot of fancy amenities, but it needs to be fairly clean and as safe as possible. I'd like to keep the expense to a minimum but I won't compromise on safety and am willing to pay whatever I need to.

If anyone has any info about Albuquerque or even general info about how to find housing from a distance in a city you don't know, I would really appreciate it! I had always imagined this day coming, but I had pictured loading up the SUV and driving her to a college dorm somewhere, where we'd meet her new roommate and her RAs, help her unpack and get settled, and drive away with tearful goodbyes. I DID NOT picture an apartment in a strange city almost 2000 miles from home. But she has a mind of her own, and like they say, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

 

[brockash]

My daughter is moving to Albuquerque NM in August. She will be attending flight school at Bode Aviation while she gets her AS at Central New Mexico Community College. Then she may transfer to UNM or maybe go elsewhere for the last two years.

There are no dorms available, and we've looked into different shared housing but I'm a little leery of what we've found. She doesn't know a single person there yet.

What I'm concerned about is that from what I've read, some areas are nice and safe and some are areas you wouldn't want your 18-year-old daughter living, just like in any city. I currently live in Tampa, and there are definitely areas I wouldn't want her moving to, the problem is I can't really tell where those areas are in a city I don't know.

Does anyone here live in Albuquerque or know enough about it to help guide me to the safer areas? If anyone can suggest some specific apartment complexes that would be ideal. It doesn't need to be all that nice, it does't need to have a lot of fancy amenities, but it needs to be fairly clean and as safe as possible. I'd like to keep the expense to a minimum but I won't compromise on safety and am willing to pay whatever I need to.

If anyone has any info about Albuquerque or even general info about how to find housing from a distance in a city you don't know, I would really appreciate it! I had always imagined this day coming, but I had pictured loading up the SUV and driving her to a college dorm somewhere, where we'd meet her new roommate and her RAs, help her unpack and get settled, and drive away with tearful goodbyes. I DID NOT picture an apartment in a strange city almost 2000 miles from home. But she has a mind of her own, and like they say, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

We used to live there (military and on Kirtland AFB). Rio Rancho is a much nicer area (suburb of ABQ). It's really not close to UNM though. Generally stay away from the areas surrounding Kirtland AFB. I'd try to stay North and East/West of 25 and 40.

 

[1GoldenSun]

Thanks; that helps!

 

[anniemae]

I have no advice but we visited Albuquerque when we went to Santa Fe. Yes, Albuquerque is a little sketchy in areas and we did feel unsafe in certain areas, but other areas seemed just fine. NM is such a beautiful state and I think she will love it. If she gets time to explore she will find there is a lot to do. Good luck in finding. a great place for her to live. What an adventure she will have!

 

[1GoldenSun]

I have no advice but we visited Albuquerque when we went to Santa Fe. Yes, Albuquerque is a little sketchy in areas and we did feel unsafe in certain areas, but other areas seemed just fine. NM is such a beautiful state and I think she will love it. If she gets time to explore she will find there is a lot to do. Good luck in finding. a great place for her to live. What an adventure she will have!

Thank you! We took a cross-country trip last summer and briefly deviated through Albuquerque just to see the house from Breaking Bad, but we saw very little of the actual city and I don't remember anything at all.

I'm glad you saw some safe areas; those are what I'm hoping to find! I'm sure Albuquerque is like any city, with both good and bad.

She definitely plans on lots of exploring! On our drive last summer, this was the part of the country she liked best. It will be a nice change after growing up in Florida!

 

[waltonmkb]

I live in Albuquerque so feel free to ask any questions! I would agree with a PP about north of I40 and east of I25 and even narrow that more to north of Candelaria Rd and east of Louisiana Blvd. The more north and east you go, the better. My niece is going to UNM and has been looking for apartments. In nice areas prepare to pay at least $1,000 for a 1-bedroom and between $1,500-$1,800 for a remodeled gated complex. You will find cheaper apartments on the West Side (west of the Rio Grande river), but she'll be further away from school. If you look on the West Side, again stay north of I40. Avoid any areas near CNM or UNM.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Check out Crimegrade.org, I also learned tons about the Boston area on Reddit like unflattering nicknames so that might help &, interestingly enough, I find lots of useful info about particular neighborhoods in the traveler review sections of hotels and attractions in particular zip codes from Tripadvisor, people are very candid.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I live in Albuquerque so feel free to ask any questions! I would agree with a PP about north of I40 and east of I25 and even narrow that more to north of Candelaria Rd and east of Louisiana Blvd. The more north and east you go, the better. My niece is going to UNM and has been looking for apartments. In nice areas prepare to pay at least $1,000 for a 1-bedroom and between $1,500-$1,800 for a remodeled gated complex. You will find cheaper apartments on the West Side (west of the Rio Grande river), but she'll be further away from school. If you look on the West Side, again stay north of I40. Avoid any areas near CNM or UNM.

Great; thanks! I guess she'll need to live a bit away from campus, but I'd prefer her to be safe than nearby. We were hoping to find her a studio for no more than $1,000.

 

[brockash]

Thank you! We took a cross-country trip last summer and briefly deviated through Albuquerque just to see the house from Breaking Bad, but we saw very little of the actual city and I don't remember anything at all.

I'm glad you saw some safe areas; those are what I'm hoping to find! I'm sure Albuquerque is like any city, with both good and bad.

She definitely plans on lots of exploring! On our drive last summer, this was the part of the country she liked best. It will be a nice change after growing up in Florida!

They have a great zoo and the Balloon festival each fall is neat.