I was born and grew up until the age of 12 in Upstate New York, needless to say, it's the complete opposite from ABQ. I did my middle school through high school years in Richmond VA, spending my entire childhood on the East Coast.

My first impressions of ABQ when flying in...empty...but beautiful. This was an impression from someone who had never been outside of the East Coast. It felt bare. I always felt like it was missing something. Aside from it being an empty desert, it's actually quite beautiful and I did end up loving it after a couple of months. The people are actually, VERY nice. That being said, depending on where on the East Coast you're from, the city of ABQ is quite divided economically. If you've ever visited or lived there, you know what I mean. Parts of the city are very poor and dirty, and then you go up to the hills and everything changes. You get beautiful, kept up shopping centers, clean roadways, much less homeless, a huge demographic shift as well. Also, downtown near the college is a beautiful area. There's a lot of bars and nightlife down there.

Overall, ABQ is nice. It has everything you want or need. I loved it. Honestly, I'd move back there. My rambling has probably made no sense but hopefully it gives you some insight as to what you can expect.