Hi there! I also was placed in Albuquerque and am starting to look for apartments. Can you please clarify what the neighborhoods/areas are? (i.e. do you mean the entire part of town west of the rio grande is good?). Thanks!
Hey! I was not stationed in Albuquerque, but did grow up there before leaving the state for college. Because I'm from there, I can't really speak to how it "take(s) a little time to adjust in different ways". Albuquerque is the most urban city in the state, a lot of people are experiencing poverty, and it has deep latino roots.
Living on the West side is an affordable option, but I wouldn't do it personally. There's a lot of people that live in the West side that commute into the city for work, so the traffic is notorious. I would anticipate about a one hour drive in and out during rush hour (about 20-30 minutes) during regular hours. I would recommend living in the Nob Hill area. Living off of Central Ave is totally fine, but I would stick to areas South of Washington Ave and North of Broadway. I would say that's where most young professionals live. Typically, the rentals out there include small houses and duplexes. If you're more interested in living in a building check out the Northeast and Uptown areas. Those are good options, though the crowd up there is a little bit older and more family oriented.
I chose to move out of Albuquerque for a larger city, but there's definitely plenty to do. There's really good hiking in the Sandias and the volcanoes in the West Side and there are different trails along the Rio Grande that are very pretty walks. Check out the tram, the balloon fiesta, Old Town (especially Salsa Under the Stars in the summer and the Holiday Stroll during the winter), the Hispanic Cultural Center, the Frontier restaurant, and the state fair. My local secrets are Kap's diner, Pro's Ranch market, and all the different thrift stores (particularly Thrift Town).
Also, weird tip: If you bake, get some high altitude recipes. Otherwise, your bread won't rise and your cookies will be flat.