Hello Albuquerquians! (?)

[gouda day to you]

  Hey all!

It does not look like this forum sees much action... but what the heck:

My husband and I are looking at moving out to Albuquerque from Canada next winter.  I am thinking of doing a one year exchange a UNM, partaking in their archaeology program. 

Just wondering what you guys think of living in NM? Is it a good place for a crafty individual to live?  How about a non-driver?  Right now we live in Vancouver, BC.  It rains alot... it snows occasionally... People are pretty indifferent to one another, as it is a fairly large city. 

Anyway... I just thought I would see if anyone has some input or words of wisdom to share.  Thanks in advance! 

[gouda day to you]

Any and all info or opinions will be appreciated! (just sayin')

[desertelle]

I love living in Albuquerque! It's really a fantastic place! The weather is beautiful and the skies are the most beautiful blue color. I've lived here most of my life except for a five and a half year stint I spent in Oregon (a place I also loved for very different reasons).

UNM is a great school. It has it's problems like any big university, but I graduated from there in 2011 and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a good city for a nondriver, though the bus system can be kind of shaky. Just give yourself some extra time to get from place to place and you'll be fine. My boyfriend can't drive so he takes the bus everywhere, no problems. Just go to the ABQ transportation website and get the list of bus times ().  It's a pretty big city, but not as big as a lot of other "big cities". I hope you like it out here! Moving can be crazy and stressful but Albuquerque is one of the most unique areas in the Southwest, in my opinion.

Crafting here is good too! We've got the big box craft stores (Michael's, Hobby Lobby and Joann's) in addition to small indie stores. Here's some of my favorites (not sure what crafts you do, tho):

http://theoctopusandthefox.com/
http://www.theyarnstoreatnobhill.com/
http://www.designandlounge.com/Welcome.html

I hope you enjoy New Mexico!
-Richelle

[gouda day to you]

Thanks so much for this reply! It is super helpful.  I look forward to checking out the crafty places you've suggested when we get to ABQ