Magazine Says Albuquerque Is the Second Best City for Hispanics

Move over San Diego, Chicago and San Antonio, Texas. Albuquerque soared past them to the No. 2 spot on Hispanic magazine's 2005 list of the top cities for Hispanics to live in.

The article titled "Where Latinos Love to Live, Work and Play" described Albuquerque's "rich cultural scene, its promising economic future and its beautiful surroundings."
Austin led the list for the second consecutive year. Los Angeles Times staffer Hugo Martín, who compiled the list, said he studied statistics on education, crimes, job growth, housing prices, cultural institutions and the percentage of Hispanics active in local politics.

Martín also consulted national media sources such as Forbes.com, Sperling's Best Places, Morgan Quitno Press and Places Rated Almanac, which produce annual surveys on places to live or do business.
He ranked the cities as places to live from the perspective of "being a husband and a father." Of Albuquerque, he said, "I just found it to be a warm environment, whether you're Latino or not. It just seemed to be a great place to live."

Albuquerque has always been a good place for Hispanics to live, said Mayor Martin Chávez. Its improving economy means that Hispanics have the chance to share in opportunities.
"Hispanics in Albuquerque occupy almost every rung of the economic and social ladder. This is a full-opportunity city," he said.
Chávez said he believes Albuquerque should have netted the top spot. "I think they got it wrong.

We are by far the best city for Hispanics and everybody," he said. "We'll settle for No. 2 this year, but I hope they will get it straight next year."
Martín said Albuquerque's burgeoning job growth and its cultural amenities helped push it toward the top of the list. In previous years, Albuquerque has come well down the pack, ranking between sixth and eighth place. Based on his research and interviews with Hispanic residents, Martín wrote a brief portrait touting the qualities of each listed city.

He cited Albuquerque's climate, where residents can ski in the Sandias in the morning and play golf on the same day. He called Civic Plaza, "lined with art galleries, eateries and Native American crafts shops," the heart of Albuquerque. Or did he mean Old Town?

Martín is no stranger to Albuquerque. His in-laws live here and he has visited many times. "Whenever I go back there with my wife, the first thing we look for is some of that authentic Albuquerque food," he said.

Copyright 2005 Albuquerque Journal