hmmmm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico

so yeah i dunno i felt like looking up the population of albuquerque, the sad part is it doesn't include most of albuquerque... but here is some interesting stuff.

Albuquerque (pronounced [ˈæl.bə.kɚ.ki]) is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County, and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 448,607 as of the 2000 U.S. census. As of the 2005 census estimate, the city's population was 494,236, with a metropolitan population of 797,940. In 2005 Albuquerque ranked as the 33rd-largest city and 62nd-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. The metropolitan population includes the city of Rio Rancho, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

ABQ (the code for the city's airport and also a colloquialism for the city) is located where the Interstate highways I-40 and I-25 meet in an interchange which locals refer to as the "Big I."
Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico (UNM) (GO LOBOS!!!!) and Kirtland Air Force Base as well as Sandia National Laboratories and Petroglyph National Monument. The Sandia Mountains run along the eastern side of Albuquerque and the Rio Grande flows through the city north to south. Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry, averaging around 8-9 inches (250 to 300 mm) (not this year) of precipitation per year. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually, Albuquerque is considered as having one of the best climates in North America.
The city has hosted the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta every October since 1972. (oh the tourists, and the traffic... i'm soo looking forward to it)

Quadrants
Starting in the 1940's, Albuquerque has expanded greatly in area. During those years of expansion, the planning of the newer areas has considered that people don't walk, they drive. (yeah no sidewalks! the bastards) The pre-1940's parts of Albuquerque are quite different in style and scale from the post 1940's areas. These older areas include the North Valley, the South Valley, various neighborhoods near downtown, and Corrales. The newer areas generally feature 4- to 6-lane roads in a one-mile grid. Each one square mile section is divided into four 160-acre neighborhoods by smaller roads set one-half mile between major roads. When driving along major roads in the newer sections of Albuquerque, one sees strip malls, signs, and cinderblock walls. The upside of this planning style is that neighborhoods are shielded from the worst of the noise and lights on the major roads. The downside is that it is virtually impossible to go anywhere from home without driving.
Albuquerque is geographically divided into four quadrants which are officially part of the mailing address. They are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). The north-south dividing line is Central Avenue (the path that Route 66 took through the city) and the east-west dividing line is the BNSF Railway tracks. Although this is technically the division of the city, in casual conversation Albuquerqueans sometimes use the perpendicular interstates I-25 and I-40 to divide the city into quadrants.
[edit]

Northeast quadrant
This quadrant has been experiencing a housing expansion since the late 1950s. It abuts the base of the Sandia Mountains and contains portions of the Sandia Heights neighborhoods, which are situated in or near the foothills and are significantly higher, in elevation and price range, than the rest of the city. (oh but they are beautiful and this is where i want to live ha! like i'll ever have that much money, a girl can dream) Running from Central Ave. and the railroad tracks to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram, this is the largest quadrant both geographically and by population. The University of New Mexico, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, the Uptown area which includes both Coronado and Winrock malls, and many skyscrapers, (ha there's two) Journal Center (with over 2 million square feet of office space), Balloon Fiesta Park, and Albuquerque Academy are all located in this quadrant. Some of the most affluent regions of the city are located here, including Las Lomas-Roma, Netherwood Park, Academy Hills, Tanoan West & East, High Desert, Glenwood Hills, Sandia Heights, North Albuquerque Acres and many residences in the far northeast corner stretching beyond the actual city limits into Sandoval County.
[edit] (where I had my apartment that I miss very much, and my School(UNM) and my High school)

Northwest quadrant
This quadrant contains historic Old Town Albuquerque, which dates back to the 1700s, as well as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The area has a mixture of commercial, low-income, middle-income, and some of the most expensive homes in the city. Northwest Albuquerque includes the largest section of downtown, the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park and the Bosque ("woodlands" Cottonwood forest), the Petroglyph National Monument, Double Eagle II Airport, the historic Martineztown neighborhood, and Cottonwood Mall. Additionally, the "North Valley" area, which includes some small ranches and expensive residential homes along the Rio Grande, is located in this quadrant. The City of Albuquerque engulfs the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and borders Corrales in the northwest valley. The rapidly-developing area on the west side of the river is known as the "West Side" or "West Mesa" and consists primarily of traditional residential subdivisions. Here the city proper is bordered on the north by the City of Rio Rancho. This is one of the fastest growing areas in America; most of the suburban communities in the extreme northwest are characterized by endless sprawl and terrible traffic. Average one-way commutes for Westsiders are nearly 67 minutes.(mine is 45 minutes driving against traffic) With two brand new high schools (to relieve overcrowding in Cibola and West Mesa Highs, both with over 5,000 students), the area is experiencing massive growth.
[edit] (where I work and my ex-husbands house)

Southeast quadrant
Eclipse Aviation, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, the Central New Mexico Community College main campus, the Albuquerque International Sunport, University Stadium, Isotopes Park, and University Arena ("The Pit") are located in the Southeast (SE) quadrant.
The Nob Hill and East Downtown (EDo) neighborhoods lie along Central Avenue, the border between the Southeast and Northeast quadrants. The expensive residential developments of Four Hills, Willow Wood, and Ridgecrest are also located in this quadrant. In sharp contrast to these upscale developments, however, some of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the city are also located in Southeast Albuquerque. During the past twenty years, the SE area, mainly around Gibson Blvd. and Central Ave., has become the highest crime area in the city. These neighborhoods where so bad in the past that they been referred to as the "war zone" (East San Jose, or San Jo), and have been the subject of heavy police attention in an attempt to reduce crime.
[edit] (grandma's (Gibson and Broadway) house and where I spent most of my childhood)

Southwest quadrant
Traditionally consisting of agricultural and rural areas, the Southwest quadrant is often referred to as the "South Valley". (or the barrio depending on who you talk to) Although the city limits of Albuquerque do not include the area, the South Valley is considered to extend all the way to the Isleta Indian Reservation. This includes the old communities of Kinney(Kinney Brick) , Los Padillas (los Pa), Mountainview, and Pajarito. The south end of downtown Albuquerque and the Bosque ("woodlands" cottonwood forest), the historic Barelas neighborhood, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the Rio Grande Zoo, and Tingley Beach are also located here. (where I live now and Mom's house for the last 15 years or so, past Los Pa down by Isleta)

The southwest area is currently undergoing rapid and controversial development, including large retail stores and quickly-built subdivisions. (wal-marts and cookie cutter houses, taking over the fields and ranches i loved :( so long as they dont close down the dairy( Mickey's, and the chicken farm (Cal-Maine) i will be fine, i love my fresh milk and eggs)