Is anyone familiar with Albuquerque?

[Shawn On the Border]

Dh got a job promotion, so we will be moving there in the next 5 months. Are there any areas that you would recommend living in?

 

We will be homeschooling ds12, but ds15 may be going to public school. He is in Catholic school now, but their Catholic school is much more expensive than ours. Can you recommend any schools (public, private, or charter)?

 

How is homeschooling in Albuquerque? Are the schools accepting of homeschooling? Are there a lot of homeschoolers? Do the schools make it difficult to transfer from homeschool? Homeschooling is so easy in TX- I hate to leave!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Welcome to Albuquerque!

 

The first thing you need to do is decide for yourself that brown is a really nice color. If you can make peace with brown, you're halfway to loving New Mexico! :) (there's a lot of brown here)

 

 

GENERAL CITY INFO

I grew up in the northeast heights of Albuquerque (went to Eldorado High), so that is my preference. Lots of people end up living on the west side, because it's cheaper. But, as a result, it's very crowded over there. The traffic is insane because there is basically only one thoroughfare (Coors Rd). And, there are only four bridges over the Rio Grande River, making commutes into the rest of the city very congested at rush hours. I think of the west side as "Little California", as the house styles and the traffic remind me of southern CA. But, if your dh is going to work on the west side, and you have little reason to come over to the east side, the west side is fine. They have all the retail and other amenities you'll ever need over there.

 

Rio Rancho is a city, northwest of Alb. They have their own school district, which is better than the Alb. Public School mess. If your dh is going to work at Intel, or some other place on the west side, I'd recommend living in Rio Rancho.

 

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The best public high school *in* Albuquerque is La Cueva High School. It's in the far northeast heights. If you can get in that district (housing is more expensive), all the schools feeding into La Cueva are good too (well, better than the rest of the APS system).

 

HOMESCHOOLING

It's easy to homeschool in New Mexico. Each year, in April, you go online and fill out a form showing your intent to homeschool, and list the grades of your kids. You print out your intent, with a number they give you. You are required to keep this paper on hand, along with your kids' immunization records, and an attendance chart -- but no one ever looks at it.

 

The public high schools allow homeschooled kids to take some classes, and there's no testing involved for admission or entrance (I don't think). My friend's 14 year old is taking three classes at Eldorado High School in the morning, and homeschooling the rest. I believe homeschooled kids are also allowed to participate in sports, but I don't know the details. They're particular about granting high school credits to homeschool courses. The coursework needs to be done through an accredited agency/school in order to get credit at the high schools.

 

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

At 16, homeschooled kids can attend the Central NM Community College. They have dual enrollment and other programs, granting hs and college credits for coursework done there.

 

FAMILY SCHOOL

I know they have "Family School" in the elementary schools, having the kids in school for part of the day, and doing other subjects at home. I believe parents are required to use the public school texts for their home study. Most of the families I've known who did this opted out after a few years. I don't know if that program extends to the middle school level.

 

 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Hope High School is a very good private Christian high school. I don't believe they're as expensive as the catholic St. Pius High School.

 

Albuquerque Academy is an awesomely excellent independent private school, but costs much more than St. Pius. They have a huge endowment for financial aid, though, making it accessible to many kids who could never afford to go there. There are two other independent schools, Bosque School on the city's west side, and Sandia Prep in the north valley. They're not as expensive as the Academy. They all use the same admission process, and that process is going on right now (ends at the end of January). So, if you are interested in either of those schools for next year, you'll want to start jumping through hoops right now. They all have websites. If you have trouble googling it yourself, just let me know, and I'll look up the links. My dd attends Albuquerque Academy, so I'm most familiar with them.

 

Trinity High is run by the Baptist church, but I don't know how good it is.

 

CHARTER SCHOOLS

There are a lot of charter schools that meet all sorts of needs. For instance, Southwest Secondary (in the NE Heights) is a computer based learning school. PAPA is a performing arts school. There are many others.

 

I'm sure there is more information, but this will get you started. Let me know if you have more questions.

[Shawn On the Border]

Suzanne,

 

Thank you so much for your info! We are in El Paso, so we are used to the brown. We've only visited Albuquerque once, years ago, but it seems like a nice city. We aren't able to go up there now, because we haven't told the kids. When dh gets the official notification that he has the job, we'll tell the boys.

 

The NE looks like a nice area (but expensive). How is the traffic? It seems like most of our activities would be around there.

 

The East Mountain area looks nice too. We moved here from the hills of Western Massachusetts, so we do miss a more rural area. Is it a long drive to NE Albuquerque?

 

I'm not sure about schools. Albuquerque Academy looks great! It is very expensive. I think we could afford 1 child, but not 2! Is it hard to get in? I think ds15 would probably be accepted, but I'm not sure about ds12 (when he gets to high school). He is more of an average student (although hard-working). Does your daughter like it? Have you been happy with the teachers and administration?

 

Ds15 may want to go to public school (possibly La Cueva). He has expressed interest in public school here. It's great that they allow homeschoolers to take classes. That is a possibility too.

 

Thanks so much for all the info!

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm an alum of Abq Academy. It is a fabulous school -- the campus and library are nicer than some college campuses! It is now co-educational, but back in the day it was a boys school -- both my brothers went there, and when I finally went, I was in the third graduating co-ed class!

 

I grew up near UNM. There are still some very nice neighborhoods north of the campus--at least they looked nice the last time I drove around town a few years ago. I haven't lived there for 30 years now!

 

If you have young musicians, one of the best things about Albuquerque is the Youth Symphony program. It is city wide, and there are several, divided by age range and ability. Many of its alumni play in major orchestras across the country, and others, like me, continue to play as amateurs. I get their alumni news, and am happy to see lots of homeschoolers who are active in the program. (And happy to see musicians from the Academy -- there was no music program there when I was a student!)

[ElizabethB]

When we lived there, we did not yet have kids. We lived in Rio Rancho. Our house was nice, but traffic was terrible. We would live in the E mountains area if we moved there again, our friends that enjoyed the area the most lived there.

 

I started my phonics tutoring there, one of my students' parents moved a bit e of the e mountain area so they could be in the rural non-Albuquerque schools! Also, that was the first place I lived where there were tons of homeschoolers.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I'm an alum of Abq Academy. It is a fabulous school -- the campus and library are nicer than some college campuses! It is now co-educational, but back in the day it was a boys school -- both my brothers went there, and when I finally went, I was in the third graduating co-ed class!

 

 

Hey Jenn, when did the Academy switch to co-ed? (I promise I won't do any math to figure out your age!) :o) I just remember it being a boys' school back when I was in Eldorado. Then, I moved away for 20 years, and when I came back, it was co-ed! I didn't even realize for a long time that it had changed.

 

I'm thrilled to have my dd attending there now, especially since she homeschooled through 8th grade! :)

 

My dh always teases me, every time we're on campus. I must get some sort of silly grin on my face, just being there. He always looks at me and says, "I know. You wish YOU could go to school here!" :) It's so true!

 

How awesome that you got to go there. Did you ever sense any resistance to girls when you were there? (There's not any now)

[mama2cntrykids]

You girls are making me miss Albuq! I lived there for part of 8th grade and moved back for 10th-graduation. I went to Del Norte HS...from what I experienced ps in NM, I would *never* send my child there. When I was in 8th grade I went to Bernalillo Middle School (Berna is north of Alb). It was awful, really is was. HS wasn't much better.

 

NE Alb was a nice area back then. Not sure about now though. I haven't lived there since mid-2008. I would love to move back there for nothing else but the weather. We're in MN now and baby it's COLD outside lol.

[JennW in SoCal]

Suzanne -- we must be about the same age!

 

Girls were let in starting in 10th grade in the mid- 70s, so the first graduating class must have been in '76 when I was a sophmore. (yep, class of '78 -- just turned 50!) It was weird because the boys didn't quite know how to behave around girls. They would still wrestle on the classroom floor before the teachers came it, or they'd stop talking and have a look of panic when a girl walked by. That got better after the first year. In my graduating class there were 70 boys and 20 girls, and no, the dating scene was horrible!! The older faculty would let us know how the quality of the school had deteriorated with the admission of girls. Standards, you know, just had to be lowered. One boy posted the Farrah Fawcett poster on the wall in my English class, and the male instructor, whom I remember fondly, let it stay up the entire semester. I survived, though, and it wasn't nearly as bad as it must have been for the first females in the service academies.

 

Do they still all get assigned to tables at lunch time? With one student assigned as a server? And a head table? I was there for homecoming a while back, and couldn't get over how much the campus has grown!

When my brothers started there, in the early/mid 60s, Wyoming Blvd was a dirt road, and there were no houses for miles and miles. And do they still go on backpacking trips or other outdoor adventure outtings in Bear Canyon?

 

Btw, I attended Sandia my freshman year, and if I could live out there now, I'd love to live in Corrales or Placitas.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Suzanne,

 

Thank you so much for your info! We are in El Paso, so we are used to the brown. We've only visited Albuquerque once, years ago, but it seems like a nice city. We aren't able to go up there now, because we haven't told the kids. When dh gets the official notification that he has the job, we'll tell the boys.

 

The NE looks like a nice area (but expensive). How is the traffic? It seems like most of our activities would be around there.

 

The East Mountain area looks nice too. We moved here from the hills of Western Massachusetts, so we do miss a more rural area. Is it a long drive to NE Albuquerque?

 

I'm not sure about schools. Albuquerque Academy looks great! It is very expensive. I think we could afford 1 child, but not 2! Is it hard to get in? I think ds15 would probably be accepted, but I'm not sure about ds12 (when he gets to high school). He is more of an average student (although hard-working). Does your daughter like it? Have you been happy with the teachers and administration?

 

Ds15 may want to go to public school (possibly La Cueva). He has expressed interest in public school here. It's great that they allow homeschoolers to take classes. That is a possibility too.

 

Thanks so much for all the info!

 

 

I'm glad you're used to brown. I just assumed you were coming from a greener part of Texas. The weather here is much milder than El Paso in the summer, and much wetter in the winter (albeit much colder).

 

I love Albuquerque. I grew up here, then married and moved away for 20 years. My dh was in the Air Force, and when he retired, we moved back here. We chose to live in the East Mountains because it's greener, prettier, more relaxed, and quieter out here.

 

 

NE HEIGHTS

There are a lot of people in the NE Heights, but the traffic is much more manageable because there are so many choices of routes to take! The major boulevards (all 4-6 lanes) are laid out in a grid, 1/2 mile apart. If one road is busy, you just go to the next one. It doesn't take long to learn the best roads for where you want to go.

 

There is a wide range of housing in the NE. You can buy more "house" on the westside, but it's a lot easier to get around on the east side. Most of the retail is duplicated on both sides, but I believe there are more activity-oriented businesses on the east side.

 

 

EAST MOUNTAINS

We love it out here, though we do end up driving a LOT! We get much more snow (and rain) than they do in the city, so this side of the mountain is called "The Green Side". :) It's quite beautiful over here, much different than the other side. There is a ski resort, too, just about 3 miles up the Crest Rd.

 

The commute into town isn't bad at all, as long as the weather isn't bad. The drive through Tijeras Canyon (from the Tijeras/Cedar Crest exit to the Tramway Blvd. exit) take about 5 minutes most of the time, maybe 10 in the morning rush hour, maybe longer if it's icy. We're about 15 minutes from Tijeras, so it takes 20 minutes to get to town; the rest depends on where we need to go. I can get to the westside (or the far north side, or the AF base) in 35 to 40 minutes.

 

If it's really bad on the interstate, then we have the option of using old Rt. 66 (now called NM 333), which runs right alongside it. In five years, we've only had one storm when we couldn't get out, and that wasn't too bad because the city of Alb. was pretty much shut down anyway. They're good about plowing out here (better than in town), so if you're used to driving in snow, and you have 4WD, you won't have any problem.

 

There is a charter high school over here called East Mountain High that is quite good. Problem is, they are small, and want to stay that way. There are only about 90 slots per grade, and admission is based solely on the luck of the draw in an annual lottery. Last year, when my dd was trying to get in, she ended up being 21st on the waiting list. Her number finally came up the first week of August, but she had already been accepted to the Academy by that time. It would have been really stressful otherwise, to wait. They do give priority to siblings, so if your 15yo gets in, your 12yo will have no problem.

 

The middle school out here (Roosevelt Middle School) is a mixed bag. There are some tough kids there, and some really good kids, and everyone in between. I wouldn't put my son in there, mainly because he is a magnet for bullies, but I've known many families whose kids had no problem at all, and did really well there. I'm planning on continuing to homeschool my son through 8th, then try to get him into East Mountain High School. If he doesn't get in, I'll probably just homeschool him all the way through high school.

 

The kids out here are districted to go to Manzano High School, which is just inside the city. Like Jefferson Middle School, it's a mixed bag. The school is rated highly on the GreatSchools website, but I'm scared off by the looks of the kids I see when I drive by. Prejudice I know, but they're just so "dark" and "Emo" looking. :) They look tough. But, again, the school has a lot to offer, if your kid can ignore the negative and seek out what he wants, and push for what he needs. I've heard the counseling services there are next to nil.

 

 

ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY

As for Albuquerque Academy, it's known by the best colleges nationwide for being one of the best college prep schools in the nation. It is an awesome school. I haven't met even one inept person anywhere on campus. Everyone seems to bend over backwards to create the perfect learning experience for the students, and the most frustration-free experience for the parents. They have an awesome counseling system for everything from student advisors (8 students to each faculty advisor), Peterson Learning Center for extra help with studies, College Advisors to facilitate the college selection and application process (99-100% of AA students go to college), to easily reachable/highly involved Division heads and their Administrative assistants (they actually answer e-mails, even when they're not at work!). Even the ladies in the Student ID office were on top of things! :)

 

My daughter loves it there! She has to work really hard, but her teachers are wonderful! I wish I could be a fly on the wall in her English class. The desks are in a circle, and they use Socratic dialog exclusively as they discuss great works (Hawthorne, Shakespeare, etc) and their own writing (sharing, critiquing, helping each other, sharing ideas). It's similar in all her classes -- much discussion, hands-on, sharing. The classes are small (15 students), allowing for a lot of one-on-one interaction. There is a lot of homework, but there is also a lot of Study Hall and Discretionary Time during the school day when the students can get a lot of their work done.

 

It is difficult to get in. There is a math and a writing test, and an interview. You must also acquire recommendations from your dc's math and English teachers (mom if you homeschool). One good thing is that you can fill out one application, and obtain one set of recommendations, and submit them to all three of the independent schools at the same time (Alb. Academy, Bosque, and Sandia Prep). The same is true for the financial aid application (which is done online). If you can't afford the $50 AA application fee, they will waive it in some circumstances. I don't know what Bosque School and Sandia Prep charge for their application.

 

Alb. Academy is looking for more than just high grades, though those are important because they want the students to be successful with the course work. But, they only want kids who *want* to be there. They don't interview the parents. They don't care who you are, or how much money you make, or who you know, or how much YOU want your child to go there. They want kids who are serious, and excited about learning, and excited to be part of the Academy community. These are the things that are ascertained at the interview.

 

The admissions people work hard to build a group of students from all different backgrounds, with different interests. They don't want a class of all athletes, or all musicians, or all artists. They want a mix. Oh, and their admission process is "need-blind". The Admissions people don't look at your financial needs at all. Only after your dc is admitted does the school look at your financial needs, to see if you qualify for financial aid. All the financial aid is need based, not merit based. If your income is over about $70K, according to what they told us last year, you probably won't qualify.

 

Anyway, you can read more about their admission process on their website. It doesn't hurt to apply, even though there are fewer slots above 9th grade (they only fill the places of those who have left the school for whatever reason). You can start the process easily on their website (aa.edu). They'll send you a packet with everything you need to get started.

 

If you do end up living in the East Mountains, and your ds does end up at the Academy, there are lots of folks in the same situation. There are many carpools set up out here.

 

 

LA CUEVA

I don't have any first hand experience with the public schools (except from when I went to Eldorado, 30 years ago). I can put you in touch with my friend whose daughter attends Eldorado part-time. I know she was able to go in as a first time student (previously homeschooled) placed directly in 10th grade classes (a year ahead of her age/grade). She is even taking two AP courses. I don't think she took any tests, but I'm not positive about that.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I'm glad you're used to brown. I just assumed you were coming from a greener part of Texas. The weather here is much milder than El Paso in the summer, and much wetter in the winter (albeit much colder).

 

I love Albuquerque. I grew up here, then married and moved away for 20 years. My dh was in the Air Force, and when he retired, we moved back here. We chose to live in the East Mountains because it's greener, prettier, more relaxed, and quieter out here.

 

 

NE HEIGHTS

There are a lot of people in the NE Heights, but the traffic is much more manageable because there are so many choices of routes to take! The major boulevards (all 4-6 lanes) are laid out in a grid, 1/2 mile apart. If one road is busy, you just go to the next one. It doesn't take long to learn the best roads for where you want to go.

 

There is a wide range of housing in the NE. You can buy more "house" on the westside, but it's a lot easier to get around on the east side. Most of the retail is duplicated on both sides, but I believe there are more activity-oriented businesses on the east side.

 

 

EAST MOUNTAINS

We love it out here, though we do end up driving a LOT! We get much more snow (and rain) than they do in the city, so this side of the mountain is called "The Green Side". :) It's quite beautiful over here, much different than the other side. There is a ski resort, too, just about 3 miles up the Crest Rd.

 

The commute into town isn't bad at all, as long as the weather isn't bad. The drive through Tijeras Canyon (from the Tijeras/Cedar Crest exit to the Tramway Blvd. exit) take about 5 minutes most of the time, maybe 10 in the morning rush hour, maybe longer if it's icy. We're about 15 minutes from Tijeras, so it takes 20 minutes to get to town; the rest depends on where we need to go. I can get to the westside (or the far north side, or the AF base) in 35 to 40 minutes.

 

If it's really bad on the interstate, then we have the option of using old Rt. 66 (now called NM 333), which runs right alongside it. In five years, we've only had one storm when we couldn't get out, and that wasn't too bad because the city of Alb. was pretty much shut down anyway. They're good about plowing out here (better than in town), so if you're used to driving in snow, and you have 4WD, you won't have any problem.

 

There is a charter high school over here called East Mountain High that is quite good. Problem is, they are small, and want to stay that way. There are only about 90 slots per grade, and admission is based solely on the luck of the draw in an annual lottery. Last year, when my dd was trying to get in, she ended up being 21st on the waiting list. Her number finally came up the first week of August, but she had already been accepted to the Academy by that time. It would have been really stressful otherwise, to wait. They do give priority to siblings, so if your 15yo gets in, your 12yo will have no problem.

 

The middle school out here (Roosevelt Middle School) is a mixed bag. There are some tough kids there, and some really good kids, and everyone in between. I wouldn't put my son in there, mainly because he is a magnet for bullies, but I've known many families whose kids had no problem at all, and did really well there. I'm planning on continuing to homeschool my son through 8th, then try to get him into East Mountain High School. If he doesn't get in, I'll probably just homeschool him all the way through high school.

 

The kids out here are districted to go to Manzano High School, which is just inside the city. Like Jefferson Middle School, it's a mixed bag. The school is rated highly on the GreatSchools website, but I'm scared off by the looks of the kids I see when I drive by. Prejudice I know, but they're just so "dark" and "Emo" looking. :) They look tough. But, again, the school has a lot to offer, if your kid can ignore the negative and seek out what he wants, and push for what he needs. I've heard the counseling services there are next to nil.

 

 

ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY

As for Albuquerque Academy, it's known by the best colleges nationwide for being one of the best college prep schools in the nation. It is an awesome school. I haven't met even one inept person anywhere on campus. Everyone seems to bend over backwards to create the perfect learning experience for the students, and the most frustration-free experience for the parents. They have an awesome counseling system for everything from student advisors (8 students to each faculty advisor), Peterson Learning Center for extra help with studies, College Advisors to facilitate the college selection and application process (99-100% of AA students go to college), to easily reachable/highly involved Division heads and their Administrative assistants (they actually answer e-mails, even when they're not at work!). Even the ladies in the Student ID office were on top of things! :)

 

My daughter loves it there! She has to work really hard, but her teachers are wonderful! I wish I could be a fly on the wall in her English class. The desks are in a circle, and they use Socratic dialog exclusively as they discuss great works (Hawthorne, Shakespeare, etc) and their own writing (sharing, critiquing, helping each other, sharing ideas). It's similar in all her classes -- much discussion, hands-on, sharing. The classes are small (15 students), allowing for a lot of one-on-one interaction. There is a lot of homework, but there is also a lot of Study Hall and Discretionary Time during the school day when the students can get a lot of their work done.

 

It is difficult to get in. There is a math and a writing test, and an interview. You must also acquire recommendations from your dc's math and English teachers (mom if you homeschool). One good thing is that you can fill out one application, and obtain one set of recommendations, and submit them to all three of the independent schools at the same time (Alb. Academy, Bosque, and Sandia Prep). The same is true for the financial aid application (which is done online). If you can't afford the $50 AA application fee, they will waive it in some circumstances. I don't know what Bosque School and Sandia Prep charge for their application.

 

Alb. Academy is looking for more than just high grades, though those are important because they want the students to be successful with the course work. But, they only want kids who *want* to be there. They don't interview the parents. They don't care who you are, or how much money you make, or who you know, or how much YOU want your child to go there. They want kids who are serious, and excited about learning, and excited to be part of the Academy community. These are the things that are ascertained at the interview.

 

The admissions people work hard to build a group of students from all different backgrounds, with different interests. They don't want a class of all athletes, or all musicians, or all artists. They want a mix. Oh, and their admission process is "need-blind". The Admissions people don't look at your financial needs at all. Only after your dc is admitted does the school look at your financial needs, to see if you qualify for financial aid. All the financial aid is need based, not merit based. If your income is over about $70K, according to what they told us last year, you probably won't qualify.

 

Anyway, you can read more about their admission process on their website. It doesn't hurt to apply, even though there are fewer slots above 9th grade (they only fill the places of those who have left the school for whatever reason). You can start the process easily on their website (aa.edu). They'll send you a packet with everything you need to get started.

 

If you do end up living in the East Mountains, and your ds does end up at the Academy, there are lots of folks in the same situation. There are many carpools set up out here.

 

 

LA CUEVA

I don't have any first hand experience with the public schools (except from when I went to Eldorado, 30 years ago). I can put you in touch with my friend whose daughter attends Eldorado part-time. I know she was able to go in as a first time student (previously homeschooled) placed directly in 10th grade classes (a year ahead of her age/grade). She is even taking two AP courses. I don't think she took any tests, but I'm not positive about that.

 

 

INVITATION

Let me know if you come up for a visit. I'd be happy to take you around and show you schools and stuff.

 

I think I answered all your questions (ad nauseum), but if I missed anything, feel free to ask again!

 

Best wishes to your dh, as he awaits news of his promotion. Where does he work?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Suzanne -- we must be about the same age!

 

Girls were let in starting in 10th grade in the mid- 70s, so the first graduating class must have been in '76 when I was a sophmore. (yep, class of '78 -- just turned 50!) It was weird because the boys didn't quite know how to behave around girls. They would still wrestle on the classroom floor before the teachers came it, or they'd stop talking and have a look of panic when a girl walked by. That got better after the first year. In my graduating class there were 70 boys and 20 girls, and no, the dating scene was horrible!! The older faculty would let us know how the quality of the school had deteriorated with the admission of girls. Standards, you know, just had to be lowered. One boy posted the Farrah Fawcett poster on the wall in my English class, and the male instructor, whom I remember fondly, let it stay up the entire semester. I survived, though, and it wasn't nearly as bad as it must have been for the first females in the service academies.

 

Do they still all get assigned to tables at lunch time? With one student assigned as a server? And a head table? I was there for homecoming a while back, and couldn't get over how much the campus has grown!

When my brothers started there, in the early/mid 60s, Wyoming Blvd was a dirt road, and there were no houses for miles and miles. And do they still go on backpacking trips or other outdoor adventure outtings in Bear Canyon?

 

Btw, I attended Sandia my freshman year, and if I could live out there now, I'd love to live in Corrales or Placitas.

 

 

Well, it became co-ed before I left then, and I just must not have been paying attention! :D I graduated in '81 from Eldorado.

 

Kudos to you for surviving all that chauvinistic stuff. Thank you for opening the door for my dd, and her friends. :) It's nothing like that now. Girls have fully integrated.

 

They do still have assigned seating for lunch (at least in 9th grade) three days a week, but no head table. All the tables are round. They eat with their advisors twice a week, in a meeting room once a week (includes some sort of discussion?), and sit randomly two days a week. Lunch is served buffet style (think Hometown Buffet, with several different stations serving different kinds of food), so no servers.

 

Yes, various "Experiential Education" trips are required from 6th through 9th grades. My dd will go on a 4-day backpacking trip in March. They go all over the state, but they still go to Bear Canyon for some of the trips. More trips are offered for the higher grades, but they're not required.

 

There is a huge church to the north of the campus, and nothing but houses and retail businesses for miles in all directions. They're preparing to build a huge solar array on the north side of the campus, to become self-supporting. They're staying progressive in all areas.

[Punchie]

Oh ABQ...how I miss you! Repeating previous info...the public schools are awful. I was supposed to go to Del Norte and chose to go to the military school in Roswell instead. A lot of kids did/do that.

 

For La Cueva, I did summer school there once and it was a very nice campus (this would have been mid-90s). After that, I realized why so many ppl in my neighborhood tried to fudge things to get their kids there (we were right on the border between Del Norte and La Cueva).

 

My sister's best friend went to Sandia Prep, so if you're interested in more info on that school, let me know, and I can ask her about her experience. She went through all of the grade levels.

 

I haven't lived there since '98, so memories are about all I have to offer.

[Shawn On the Border]

INVITATION

Let me know if you come up for a visit. I'd be happy to take you around and show you schools and stuff.

 

I think I answered all your questions (ad nauseum), but if I missed anything, feel free to ask again!

 

Best wishes to your dh, as he awaits news of his promotion. Where does he work?

 

Thank you so much! Dh is in federal law inforcement. Nothing in the government goes quickly! I'm glad that the government is slow, because ds15 is in school, and we want him to finish the year there.

 

Albuquerque Academy sounds like an amazing school. Although it is very expensive, it does sound like a deal compared to east coast prep schools.

I'm not sure dh would go along with spending that much on tuition. Do they ever accept applications after the January admissions process?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Do they ever accept applications after the January admissions process?

 

I don't know. But, the admissions ladies are super friendly, and would welcome a phone call. Gigi Chinisci, the assistant director of admissions, is especially nice. If you explain your situation, she might be able to make an exception.

[Grateful for Grace]

This thread is pretty important to me now. I know it's an old one, but I hope you all see my new Qs. If not, I'll post a new thread.

 

We are considering a move to ABQ, which is a huge deal for us, since have lived here 17 years, have family (we love) in town, family an hour away, are in a beautiful (very green and has a river and hills) location, awesome church family and close homeschool group.

That being said, when you have to move, you have to move. :-)

 

Getting used to the brown may be a real hindrance to my kids and me, but I'll start praying for that now. I know it may sound silly to many, but we love green rolling hills.

 

Ok.... I have a couple of specific questions:

 

1) If your dh's salary was about $54,000 (before taxes) and you were a single income family, what are the prospects for housing??? safe or not?

2) The job would be at the university, so we would need to be within a good commute there. We would be transitioning from living on camp, to the commuting idea, so an hour drive one way is not a fit for us. Again... housing??

3) Can one find a kind, welcoming, strong, reformed conservative Christian community?

4) What is the social culture like?

 

 

THANKS!

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

I'm in the Southeastern Plains, so I can't answer your questions. But I'll bump for you.

[Grateful for Grace]

Wow! The comments and reviews of ABQ on bestplaces.net are horrid! Seriously. Ummm... is it really all that bad?

 

(Thanks for the bump, TammyH)

[Grateful for Grace]

bump

[anneofalamo]

I am further down south in New Mexico, a hop and jump north of El Paso in Alamogordo. I just wanted to say, a lot of the reviews about NM are from the military singles. New Mex is not a "hot spot" for young and single. Having been young, single and in the Air Force long ago.

That being said, we are from California, and just moved back (3 years in Cali) to New Mexico.

My kids love the freedom to ride their bikes every where, the ability to go a few miles and shoot guns with Dad, and homeschooling is a breeze. Being able to get your driver's license at 15 1/2 is a big plus for my kids! One driving already! Pure freedom and you set your standards. College is very accepting of home school, and you can do the GED, and receive additonal financial grants from the lottery also.

My 15 and 3/4 son does school from 7-12, then works construction and is studying for his contractors license. He is an apprentice electrician and misc. construction worker. His boss says, he turns 18, he is guaranteed a job. He tells his boss, he plans on owning his own business by then. Opportunities are every where!

The cost of living is cheap to the point of amazing, except for fresh vegi's.

I love the culture and food of New Mexico, and so hope you enjoy your time in the land of Enchantment.

One sunset and I was indeed enchanted with the amazing display of God's paintbox!

[Grateful for Grace]

Thanks for your input. The stunning negative comments about drugs, violence, horrid work ethic, discrimination against non-Hispanics and such was quite shocking at http://www.bestplaces.net

[JennW in SoCal]

bump

 

I haven't lived in ABQ for *gulp* 30 years now, so I can only give you a bit of insight.

 

There is lots of terrific housing around the UNM campus, particularly to the north and east. My dad was a professor there and walked to work most of the year. We were in a funky neighborhood just west of the campus, called Spruce Park. The neighborhood just to the east of campus would also be walkable (my elementary school was on that side). The area to the south was always the "student ghetto", though further south there were some nicer neighborhoods. Central Avenue which forms the southern campus border is the old Route 66 and there are lots of interesting Art Deco style buildings along there.

 

If your kids play an instrument, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony organization is outstanding. I'm on their alumni e-mail list so know it is still a vibrant organization.

 

It is a beautiful state although you will find it brown! The colors are more subtle, actually, except for the sunrise and sunsets. And the sky is the richest blue. The lack of humidity may be a difficult adjustment for you as well as the altitude. (You have to adjust recipes for cakes, for instance, or else they'll fall.) The food is terrific, the history is rich and alive, the surrounding mountains and desert makes for fantastic day trips. The balloon fiesta in October is amazing!

 

I can't speak to the conservative Christian community though I know it exists and is strong.

 

I hope someone else from NM sees this thread and can give you more current information.

[Grateful for Grace]

thank you, Jennifer! :)

[anneofalamo]

There is a lot of Hispanic and Indians in New Mexico, and the culture is strong. But I believe prejudice is in every color.

I am so white, I glow most of the year and have not experienced the negativity to the extreme that is mentioned on that site. I am sure it exists, but I have chosen to find people of all cultures that don't have that yucky (for lack of better word)

We go and visit pueblos, (my daughter's are actually zuni indian and hispanic), and the museums to study and learn the culture. The natives of this great state love to speak of their culture. They also love my fried chicken and potato salad! So I share our world also.

[Grateful for Grace]

Good to hear, Anne! I know that prejudiced people are everywhere, but I also know that mindset can dominate an area. I grew up in Louisiana, went to college in Mississippi and Arkansas and worked summers in Texas. :)

 

We are considering one other area (east Texas) and it's known for racism, but I'm sure we can find a community that isn't.

 

I just don't want to live in an dominantly oppressive culture. KWIM?

 

Are you seen the violence that site speaks of? or the poor work mentality and ethic?

[anneofalamo]

ack! I read more of those reviews...sad sad sad!

 

1. We love the zoo, the aquarium my kids can sit for hours and watch the people feed the sharks, it is a wall of glass and a hUGE tank, I mean huge

 

2. drugs are a big thing in NM, and AZ, and Cali, and Florida, it is a war that is winning, but I do not deal with it in my day to day life.

 

3. The dining is not LA or NY, but either is the prices. We are satisfied with what has to offer, or can drive to another area for something different!

 

As you can see I love the desert of New Mexico, the people and what it has to offer. ♥ There are things that bug me, and I growl under my breath, and cope.

[Denise in Florida]

LIVE ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE RIVER AS YOU WORK :001_smile:

 

I loved Albuquerque when we lived there many years ago. I am sure most of my information is out of date but the above advice really works for any town with a river in it. :lol:

[Grateful for Grace]

Well, no big city is going to be perfect. Those reviews make it sound horrid, though. thanks for balancing it for me!

[Mesa]

I like it fine here... yes it's brown, but the weather is nice and we dont have any natural disasters to worry about... not that I'm aware of anyway.

I am centrally located to places for skiing, hiking, or shopping, BLM land for horseback riding, or ATV's, and a big lake is near enough for day trips.

I think you'd do fine here.

Racism is everywhere, but you have to look pretty hard to find it in my area.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

This thread is pretty important to me now. I know it's an old one, but I hope you all see my new Qs. If not, I'll post a new thread.

 

We are considering a move to ABQ, which is a huge deal for us, since have lived here 17 years, have family (we love) in town, family an hour away, are in a beautiful (very green and has a river and hills) location, awesome church family and close homeschool group.

That being said, when you have to move, you have to move. :-)

 

Getting used to the brown may be a real hindrance to my kids and me, but I'll start praying for that now. I know it may sound silly to many, but we love green rolling hills.

 

Ok.... I have a couple of specific questions:

 

1) If your dh's salary was about $54,000 (before taxes) and you were a single income family, what are the prospects for housing??? safe or not?

2) The job would be at the university, so we would need to be within a good commute there. We would be transitioning from living on camp, to the commuting idea, so an hour drive one way is not a fit for us. Again... housing??

3) Can one find a kind, welcoming, strong, reformed conservative Christian community?

4) What is the social culture like?

 

 

THANKS!

 

Hi! I love Albuquerque (as you guessed from my previous posts). I'll try to answer your questions.

1) I have a friend who is a public school teacher, so probably makes about the same salary as you mention. She's a single mom of one teenage daughter. They own a home within a mile of the university. I'd say it is about 1500 sq feet, an older home (probably 1950s). It is a highly liberal community. I believe all the neighborhoods around the university are. I don't believe they are highly crime ridden.

2) Housing is in a slump here as it is everywhere. But, it was never very expensive to begin with, so it is highly affordable now. The university is centrally located, and you can get practically anywhere in the city within 20 minutes.

If you want green, you can live where I do, on the east side of the Sandia mountains -- "the green side". It's not green rolling grassy hills, but has lots of evergreen trees (juniper and piñon), and lots of hills. It gets much more precipitation than the city gets (it snowed this morning here, but not in the city). The drive from here to the university is about 30-40 minutes.

3) There are churches with reformed doctrine in town, but I don't have experience with them, so I don't want to categorize them for you. There is a Reformed Church near my mom's house in the NE heights, and there are many Presbyterian churches that call themselves reformed. There are conservative churches, but I'm thinking along the lines of Baptist and other fundamental and/or evangelical churches. Again, though, I'm not drawn to that type of church, so I can't answer.

4) Albuquerque is quite diverse, socially. There are strong influences from many different ethnic groups that have all lived here for hundreds of years. You will find large groups of peoples from many nationalities (Hispanic, Native American, Caucasion, Asian, African American, etc). With the exception of gangs, you will find Albuquerque to be a place where the people are very accepting of those who are different. We have to be because EVERYONE is so different. You will also find that different parts of the city have very different 'flavors", based on the demographic of the people living there. I guess I can't answer the question other than to say that most of the people are quite laid back. Dressing up around here is ironing your jeans (some people wear jeans to the opera). Though there a people who wear tailored clothes, you certainly aren't judged harshly if you don't. The hippy thing never really went out of style here, it just got a bit of southwestern flair.

I'm not sure if that answered your questions. Ask more specific questions, and I'll try to answer better. :o)

[Grateful for Grace]

Thank you! Your answers are the same as a friend I contacted and really do help.

 

To clarify the #4 Q: Are people in general friendly vs withdrawn? or welcoming?

 

I think you may have touched on that without intending, but if you want to clarify, that's great. The more info the better in my mind.

 

This has really helped ease my mind. The http://www.bestplaces.net reviews scared the mess out of me!

[black_midori]

Grace - I lived in Albuquerque from 1992 to 2000, then lived outside of Abq from 2000-2008 (after I got married). Now we live "down the road" in El Paso.

 

I loved Abq - I thought it was a wonderful city! We still have family up there, so we go visit fairly often.

 

They have WONDERFUL things for kids to do all over the place! El Paso is bigger, but not nearly as "friendly" to me (either in the people or in the kid-stuff). Explora, the Zoo, the Aquarium, etc - all excellent!

 

I went to school at La Cueva (which I saw mentioned several times earlier in this old thread) and it was a quality school (of course, that was awhile back!).

 

I still have a few friends in the area that homeschool, and they indicate to me that there is a good, strong homeschooling group.

[Grateful for Grace]

Thank you, Black Midori! Truly.

[Diane in CO]

Hi!

 

My family just moved from Abq to CO about 6 months ago and I wanted to reassure you that it IS a wonderful place to live and I wish we could move back!

 

The people I came in contact with (we lived in the north east heights and my children were in elementary school at Georgia O'Keefe) were welcoming, friendly and wonderful. My children miss their friends greatly (and so do I). It is a lot more relaxed there and people seem to accept each other and their differences.

 

My husband went to grad school at UNM and we had thought about living near the campus, however we had heard that the northeast heights had the best schools and was one of the safer areas to live in (we lived about 2 miles from Abq academy). The commute for him was about 25-30 minutes by car and there is also the option of taking the bus...though that can take significantly longer.

 

Anyways, I couldn't pass this thread without putting in my 2 cents ;) Wishing you the best of luck on your move!!!

 

Diane

[Shellers]

We spent the night there last June while on our way to Colorado. I liked what I saw.:)

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Odd question--I lived in Alb many years ago and my dad did his student teaching at Highland I believe. We went to Holy Ghost. What's that area like now? I google mapped it and there were still a few houses with the cinderblock fences around them. Many memories!

 

 

That area (Nob Hill) is kind of run down, but there's been an effort to revitalize it. Lots of businesses are going in up and down Central Ave. The city has closed down most of the bars and motels that were attracting the seedier clientele. They've converted some old buildings into new, up-and-coming loft apartments. There is a mix of upscale with run-down all through there.

[Grateful for Grace]

And I'm glad you didn't! Thank you!

[Grateful for Grace]

And thanks for your input on housing. DH would be working at the UNM. This is a big transition for us, if it happens, because we have always lived on a summer camp. Never had neighbors or lived in a neighborhood. Huge difference.