When we moved to Albuquerque over five years ago, we started house hunting right away.
Our Airbnb was booked for only two months, so we had a short window of time to find the perfect house. We quickly realized the Westside of Albuquerque was where we wanted to land.
Not knowing this city very well, the Westside immediately felt inviting with its newer homes, convenience, and overall feeling of safety in its suburban neighborhoods.
Thank you to Montessori ONE Academy for sponsoring this moving guide.
Montessori ONE Academy is a private, AMI-recognized Montessori school serving infants, preschool, and elementary students. These award-winning programs are based upon the internationally celebrated and scientifically-supported Montessori Method: an individualized, experiential approach to education whereby the child’s needs, curiosity, and interests are prioritized leading to a lifelong love of learning.
The Infant Program fosters freedom of movement, fine motor development, early socialization, and language development in a nurturing environment.
The Toddler & Primary Programs introduce Montessori fundamentals such as universal values, practical life, and academic curriculum materials in a mixed age group setting–a key to providing opportunities for leadership development.
The Elementary Program continues these elements with an emphasis on executive function and soft skill development–independence, confidence, focus, leadership, collaboration, abstract thinking, problem-solving, and time management.
Plus, in partnership with AMARAN Senior Living, a luxury senior living and memory care residence, Montessori ONE Academy’s students engage with seniors in a variety of activities designed to nurture participants, young and old alike.
Montessori ONE provides individualized instruction to help unleash your child’s potential for lifelong success and well-being. Schedule a personal tour today.
General Neighborhood Info
If you’re looking at a map, the Westside includes all the area West of Coors Boulevard, North of I-40, and south of Rio Rancho. It is bounded by the Petroglyph National Monument on the far Westside. This massive part of the city is home to over 69,000 people of all ages and walks of life. Once you enter the Westside, you experience a family-oriented vibe with tree-lined streets, sidewalks, landscaped medians, and parks in every direction.
Home prices are very affordable.
With a median home price of $413,000 and an average of $200 per square foot, many people can find a great home on this side of town. Plenty of homes will go lower than $400,000 in nice areas with good school districts. Beyond that, most homes were built after 2000, giving many neighborhoods a more modern vibe than some other parts of town with older homes.
The Westside continues to grow, and there are many areas with brand-new homes being built. In the far West corner near I-40, there is ongoing development with beautiful new Pulte homes starting in the low $400s. If you’re looking for luxury, there are incredible, one-of-a-kind homes being built just west of Taylor Ranch. DR Horton is also building a new subdivision south of Ventana Ranch.
» » » » » » » RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Moving Guide: Southwest Albuquerque « « « « « « «
If you are commuting downtown for work, traveling from the Westside will take 20-30 minutes or less to get there. An average trip to the ABQ Sunport is around 20-25 minutes in non-peak hours. Of course, just like any city, you will experience some congestion on the major highways during rush hours. But the best part about Albuquerque is the traffic is still quite minimal compared to much larger metropolises.
Parks, Recreation, and Family Fun
The Westside is also full of beautiful parks and trails.
Most parks are connected via paved biking paths and meandering routes through the suburban neighborhoods. Our top five parks to visit on a regular basis are: Eagle Ranch Park, Mariposa Basin Park, Ventana Ranch Park, Andalucia Park, and Piedras Mercadas Park. A quick look at a map will show you trails and park features you can enjoy with your family.
During summertime, we like to visit the Sierra Vista public pool. We also love the Taylor Ranch Library for its beautiful surroundings, impressive dog park, and walking path around the perimeter. The Westside isn’t exactly known to put on festivals and gatherings like some other parts of town, but it has great opportunities for recreational activities for kids and adults alike.
There are many great churches for families to explore and find their community as well. Some of the larger facilities include Sagebrush Church and Calvary Church Westside. There are also many smaller, well-established churches to discover.
Schools
The Westside has some notable school districts that may attract newcomers to the area.
We chose our home because of its location in the highly sought-after Volcano Vista High School district. This high school is one of the top schools in the state, so we knew the resale value of our home would increase from this fact alone. There are also some great elementary and middle school options with high ratings on greatschools.org. Most notable are Tierra Antigua Elementary, Ventana Ranch Elementary, and the one-of-a-kind K-8 Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative School. There are also some private school and charter school options to explore if interested.
Amenities
Some of our favorite local restaurants on the Westside include High Point Grill, Grassburger, and Sobremesa. The Westside is home to more chains than other parts of town, so if you’re looking for more authentic New Mexican food, this isn’t the part of town for that.
Albuquerque’s Westside has a very inviting feeling upon entering.
Most homes are situated less than five minutes from any amenity you could desire including great gyms, shopping, groceries, and parks. Many neighborhoods have an HOA board, which keeps the streets looking clean and attractive. We love this part of town for all of those reasons and more.
It truly is a great part of Albuquerque to call home for your family.
For information about other areas in and around Albuquerque, check out our Ultimate Guide to Moving to Albuquerque.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
