New Mexican here, I grew up in Abq. Terrible place to grow up, the crime is bad and has gotten worse over the years, BUT, the food is phenomenal throughout the state and if you are into the great outdoors, there is no shortage of things to do for hiking and whatnot. The city does not really have much do to at all besides the good food. But you can drive up to Sandia crest and it has the most beautiful view, or you can hike up there if you have the stamina. There are beautiful places to fish and kayak down the rio grande. Jemez has some truly incredible trails with access to hot springs.

But yeah abq itself can be rough, especially if you don’t know what parts to avoid. I always feel bad for tourists when I see them stopping for gas on central of all places. Lots of people on various drugs wandering around that will also just walk out in front of your car and flip you off. Terrible drivers. I live in the mountains east of ABQ and it’s beautiful, and safe where I live, amazing neighbors who watch out for each other and easy access to abq when we need the amenities of the city.