Move-in Blueprints for Students

As you might have heard, we offer a great discount for students at The Courtyards. (Stop by our office if you haven’t heard about it yet!)

But for students among you who will be taking advantage of our 3% monthly rent discount, we found some nice pointers for students moving into their first apartment. If you’ve never lived away from home before, it can be a challenge to tackle every single item on that ever growing to-do list (and we’re not even talking about the beginning of the semester!).

MainStreet.com offered some excellent advice, for the first-time renters among us:

Don't pay for packing materials.Your possessions may be precious, but you don’t have to spend money on packing peanuts to protect them. 

“Consider what you already have around,” Farestad-Rittel says.  For instance, he suggests using dish towels, T-shirts and pillows to fill the spaces in between items. You can also stop by your local grocery store to get free cardboard boxes to transport your stuff or buy cheap blankets at a thrift store to cover more delicate furniture. 

Shop around for moving trucks.Professional movers can cost anywhere from $500 to $6,000, and rental trucks can cost just as much. To find the option that best suits your needs, you have to shop around on websites like Moving.com or Movers.com, which help you compare quotes from reputable movers, rental companies and storage providers in your area. 

Leverage other student discounts.Moving companies aren’t the only ones that will knock a few bucks off the bill for young academics. College students have been known to get discounts on software, electronics and, even trips to space (which admittedly won’t help with the move, but could be useful if you need to get away for a while.) 

“Whether you're picking up packing supplies, a new couch or just some snacks, there's no harm in asking about a student discount,” Farestad-Rittel says.

We hope these tips are a good welcome “gift” for those of you who are students. If you know of a student looking for a place in Albuquerque, tell them about us and mention our student discount! For more information, call The Courtyards at (505) 881-1377 or click here to send us a message!

Get Your Kicks, at Route 66 Summerfest

New Mexico residents have been “getting their kicks” on (or near) Route 66 for decades. This coming weekend, the historic highway lends its name to a perennial favorite in the area: the Route 66 Summerfest.

From Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21, Albuquerque’s historic Nob Hill neighborhood will play host to a street festival and live music (presented by the New Mexico Jazz Festival).

Over the three-day festival, in addition to the musical acts, there will also be a Food Truck Rumble, where local food trucks will compete for Albuquerque supremacy, a “Cork & Tap” beer and wine tasting event, a Cork & Tap Carnival (costumes encouraged!), a car show, a scooter raffle, and more!

For more information about Nob Hill and the Route 66 Summerfest, click here. Hope to see some of our residents there!

A Week of Rainbows in Albuquerque

We’ve certainly been having some funky weather patterns strolling through the area lately. Between hail storms leaving feet of ice on our roads and intense thunderstorms, always be wary of weather hazards on the road and at home.

One silver lining in all this extreme weather is the beautiful calm that often comes after the storm. Here are some of the great shots and videos of the rainbows from different vantage points around town last week.

One local Albuquerquian was able to get a spectacular video of the entire rainbow across Albuquerque:

Carrie J. Ryan posted a beautiful shot right after the rainstorm on July 3:

Another local resident submitted this excellent photo to ABQ Newscastic that highlights the rare double rainbow formation, taken on 8th Street, right near the bridge:

And on the Albuquerque forum on Reddit, a user shared this wonderful scene from San Mateo and Central:



One of the things we love about our town is how everyone’s always willing to slow down and appreciate the beauty of our area. Did you yourself “slow down” and snap a shot of rainbows or any other natural phenomena last week? Post it to our Facebook timeline!

Free Art Friday Becoming an ABQ Staple

Albuquerque is known for its eccentric art scene. And with so many galleries and museums to choose from, the city’s art aficionados have lots of amenities to choose from. But who says you need to buy a ticket to see some of the great work created by our neighbors? You might’ve noticed some interesting public art around town on Fridays as of late.

Coined by an English artist in 2006, “Free Art Fridays” have hit many cities throughout the world—Albuquerque being one of them. The local iteration of the initiative is being run by Stephanie Galloway, who recently did an interview with Alibi.com, where she explained why she started the program:

Actually, the idea of artists leaving art out for free in a public space is not really a new concept. There's an English artist by the name “My Dog Sighs,” and he was the artist who coined the phrase “Free Art Friday,” which has spread around the world. His Flickr group started in 2006. People got inspired by what he was doing and started chapters internationally. I felt that Albuquerque had a very vibrant, creative artist's scene with a lot to offer, and this creates an atmosphere for them to share their work with the community.

Have you seen any of the public artwork on Free Art Fridays? Don’t forget to take a photo and share it on our Facebook page—and to follow Free Art Friday Albuquerque’s page as well, for great photos and clues!