To start, my family has been in Albuquerque for over 120 years, and even in just my lifetime I've seen it go from a city of just over a hundred thousand to a city of nearly 500,000 i.e. most of the residents in Albuquerque are not original residents.

The biggest mis-conception in Albuquerque is that it is ridiculously crime ridden, this holds true for any large metropolitan areas, you simply can't expect it to be crime free!!!  The vast majority of crime areas are very isolated, more like tiny islands, although the crime rate at these "islands" remains fairly constant, it in no way affects 90% of the city.  No I'm not saying crime doesn't occur outside these pockets, but most places throughout the city are pretty safe to live, one of my favorites being the North Valley!  I lived in the city for 20 years and the only incident we've ever had was someone breaking into my truck once.  This reputation can be easily addressed.  Most people that have moved to Albuquerque have come from small towns, and are sort-of witnessing crime for the first time and in the blink of an eye the rumor is spread about crime in Abq.  Albuquerque's not perfect, but like any other large city, there are good and bad neighborhoods, personally I feel that the good always out-competes the bad.  The city itself boasts great people who, for the most part, are very respectful, sometimes it still feels like a small town, especially on sunday mornings.  In my opinion Albuquerqe's residents will gladly welcome new-comers who choose to make the city home, myself included.  The funny thing is that most of the residents who bash the city never leave it hmmm.... 

Albuquerque is fast becoming one of America's favorite places to live, with city beautification, fast grafitti removal, a good police force, a little of everything to do, and 360 degrees of fantastic views, I am proud to say I was born and raised in Albuquerque!!!

Simply put, I dare anyone to find the "perfect" big city...