Are you moving to Albuquerque? The largest city in New Mexico offers its residents a low cost of living, a wealth of southwestern culture, and year-round weather that can be the envy of most. So, if you’re looking to make The Q you’re new home, here are five things you may need to know about life in Albuquerque.
1. Know your Albuquerque neighborhoods
One thing you want to do when moving to any city is getting a lay of the land and knowing your neighborhoods. Albuquerque offers more than a dozen neighborhoods, and Burque has a little bit of something for everyone. For instance, Historic Old Town acts as the city’s heart and cultural center with museums, shops, galleries, and more. Uptown acts as a major business center. Eastside is a gateway to the great outdoors and the Sandia Mountains, and Balloon Fiesta Park is home to the famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
We recommend checking out a local neighborhood guide to determine where you want to live and where you want to visit.
2. That southwestern weather in Albuquerque
One of the first things you’ll notice and read up on about Albuquerque is its weather. Life there is typically warm, with more than 300 days of sunshine on average each year. Yes, the temperatures can get hot in the summer, but it is dry and relatively enjoyable.
That being said, the city does experience all four seasons, and a bit of snow is not entirely out of the question in the winter. Keep in mind, the city will shut down when this occurs as the snow doesn’t happen all the time.
3. Native culture thrives in Duke City
One big pull for the city is its Native culture and heritage. While the city was officially founded in the early 1700s, when it was named after the 10th Duke of Alburquerque, its history dates as far as 2,000 B.C., when the Pueblo people developed a sophisticated culture. Currently there are 19 native tribes in the state, with two reservations bordering the north and south of the city. We recommend checking out the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Old Town to learn more about the city’s unique history.
4. Plenty of agriculture in ABQ
Albuquerque is home to weekly Downtown Growers’ Market. Likely due to its heritage, people love to use this farm-to-market option to buy, support, eat local. Running from April through November in Robinson Park every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, the Downtown Growers’ Market has been around since 1996, making it the longest running market of its kind in the city. Not only that, it’s also been ranked as the best farmers’ market in New Mexico.
5. Where to eat in ABQ
One crucial thing for any new city is knowing where to eat, and what better way than knowing what the local’s love? It should be no surprise the city offers great mexican options such as Cocina Azul downtown to the more grab-and-go Stripes Burrito Co. in Midtown.
And if Mexican food isn’t what you’re craving, you have to try a burger at Uptown’s Fork & Fig or the Korean Beef at Asian Pear just west of Holly Square.
Now, there are just a few of the things you need to know about life in Albuquerque, and if you call this city home already, please share with us what you want newcomers to know in the comments below!
In the meantime, whether you’re relocating or maybe you live in Duke City but need more space, click here to learn how Albuquerque self storage can help.
