Do we have DINOSAURS in our neighborhood? Not really, but we do have little touches of whimsy here and there. The Snow Heights Neighborhood is nestled in the heart of the Northeast Heights in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Established in 1952, this multi-generational, diverse, and well-established neighborhood is conveniently located to pretty much anything one might desire.
My parents left the often harsh climate of New York and moved to sunny Albuquerque in 1968, and my grandparents followed the family here in 1969. They lived in the Virginian Apartments for a few years. My sister and I loved to visit them a couple times a week. We watched TV, had milk with a few drops of coffee mixed in, and swam in the pool whenever we could. In Albuquerque, that is fairly often.
Little did I know then that, as an adult, I would settle in just a few blocks away. My husband and I arrived on Guaymas Place in the extra-cold, early December of 1990. We had a toddler and I was pregnant. Our girls went to Inez Elementary School, then Grant Middle School, and finally Sandia High School.
Some people might not like older neighborhoods. The houses there often need work. How many of us have upgraded our electricity? Replaced our plumbing and sewer lines? Cut down trees because their roots have grown right into those sewer lines? Sometimes it seems as if the work will never end, but that is the nature of home ownership, no matter where you live. However, with every improvement comes the potential to put our own individual stamp on our home, a chance to diverge from the cookie cutter.
An older neighborhood certainly has some charms. It holds memories. Its tall, mature trees will supply welcome shade while you contemplate all the improvements you desire to make to your house and your property. When you’ve saved enough money. When you’ve qualified for that loan. When you’re expecting a new member of the family. When those beloved children have grown up and left you with an empty nest. When your 80-year-old parent needs to live in the spare bedroom now. And so, your neighborhood holds all of your possibilities.
Enjoy it!
Written by Astrid Winegar
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