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12 years ago, I moved to Minnesota from Albuquerque. Basically, we moved because I couldn't find a decent paying job.
Well, thanks to my employe'rs mobile employee policy, I can work just about anywhere I want. So, we decided to move back home. We want to be closer to family and authentic New Mexican cuisine (I've had a green chile deficit for years now). Honestly, most Minnesotans definition of hot sauce is ketchup .
Anyway, I'm just wondering how the city's changed in the last 12 years. I know the questions kind of open ended. Any thought would be helpful.
Anyway, I'm just wondering how the city's changed in the last 12 years.
To me, a non-resident of the Albuq area who visits frequently, the biggest changes are the expansion of the freeway system and the urban sprawl on the west mesa (Rio Rancho areas). Other than that the appearance of the city on the east side of the Rio Grande hasn't changed all that much, IMO.
What jaxart said, massive sprawl on the west side. Also more infill development and activity in and around downtown, the area around Central and Broadway is now affectionately referred to as "Edo" (east downtown), with more restaurants and shops. Rapid Ride "express" buses cut travel time if you use the bus. The RailRunner makes it easier to get home after partying in Santa Fe (but is endangered because of the economy). More coffeeshops like Starbucks and the local Satellite chain scattered around town. Lead and Coal are down to two lanes each, with bike lanes. Several new buildings at UNM, including George Pearl Hall (architecture, facing the Frontier Restaurant), education building, and parking structures. More bike trails around the city.
Albuquerque Isotopes! Our triple-A baseball team and their stadium opened in 2003. The National Hispanic Cultural Center opened in 2000 in Barelas, home to an excellent art museum, performance venues, restaurant, library, and the Cervantes Institute. It is used by many different cultural organizations, and hosts the Albuquerque Japanese Fall Festival among others.
That's all that comes to mind now... you'll have some catching up to do.
Honestly, most Minnesotans definition of hot sauce is ketchup .
Most New Mexican's definition of fish dinner is fish sticks.
Some New Mexicans even believe there are lakes in New Mexico!!!
Sorry, I just had a sudden urge to defend Minnesotans.
What you will find is that there has been some significant retail development (ABQ Uptown) as well as decline (no more Winrock) and some significant residential development/redevelopment of both the dense urban type (lofts in downtown and Huning Highlands which has been called EdO for the last ten years or so) as well as a lot of sprawl in the Rio Rancho area (Bernalillo is now Rio Rancho's fast food and big-box depot).
You will notice a difference of the freeway and bridges on I-40 and parts of I-25 near the interchange. The overpasses used to be shabby and dull, and the medians were full of weeds. The bridges are now painted a southwestern color, and the medians and sides of the freeway are landscaped. The I-40/I-25 interchange has been revamped. You'll also notice there isn't much graffiti around the city which used to be pretty rampant years ago.
Most New Mexican's definition of fish dinner is fish sticks.
Some New Mexicans even believe there are lakes in New Mexico!!!
Sorry, I just had a sudden urge to defend Minnesotans.
Really, I like Minnesota and Minnesotans. But I'll never adapt to lutefisk (yes I had to Google "lutefisk" to spell it right). And won't miss all that snow shoveling either.
I've adopted the bad habit of saying "yup" or "yep" for "yes," and "you betcha" for "your welcome." And my kids have a slight Minnesotan accent. You can here it sometimes when there's an 'o' sound in a word. Hopefully, the damage isn't permanent.
Anyway, I'm just wondering how the city's changed in the last 12 years. I know the questions kind of open ended. Any thought would be helpful.
Thanks.
Sam
There are new stores that are here in Albuquerque now that weren't here 12 years ago, such as Trader Joe's and the Apple Store. There is also a lot more new development in Albuquerque, especially on the Westside and in the Far NE Heights. As other posters have stated also, we have a new mall called ABQ Uptown, which is on the NE corner of Indian School and Louisiana, but Winrock is pretty much closed except for the movie theater, the Dillard's and a few other stores and restaurants in the parking lot.
If you ride the bus, you will notice that the fleet is totally different now, except for the 300 series buses, and the system has a new name. It is now called ABQ Ride, instead of Sun Tran, which was changed in September 2003. There are more routes now than there were 12 years ago, and there is at least some Sunday service. We now have a type of express bus called Rapid Ride, which has 3 routes serving the Central Avenue corridor from Unser to Tramway, Uptown, and the Westside with service to Cottonwood Mall. A 4th Rapid Ride route is currently being proposed, possibly along San Mateo Blvd. In addition, ABQ Ride has 4 transit centers, incliuding one at Uptown, 2 on the Westside, and the largest one at 1st St. and Central downtown, so the buses no longer stop on 5th St.
We now have a train called the Rail Runner, which runs between Belen and Santa Fe, with 3 stops in Albuquerque, one for the South Valley, one downtown, and one in the North Valley. The Rail Runner started in July 2006, and service to Santa Fe started in December 2008.
UNM has added lots of new buildings to its campus, especially to the hospital part of the campus north of Lomas. There is now a 6-story building attached to the main hospital on Lomas, which was completed in 2007. There have also been a few new buildings added to the college part of the UNM campus, including a new architecture school, right across from Frontier restaurant on Central and Cornell. The community college in Albuquerque is no longer called Technical Vocational Institute (TVI), but is now called Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), which changed in June 2006.
As for downtown, the skyline hasn't changed that much in the last 12 years, except for a couple of new courthouses that have been built at the corner of 4th St. and Lomas and are both about 8-9 floors high. Also, there is a 9-story residential building at the SE corner of 6th St. and Central that started construction in 2007, but has been halted for over a year now. There is a new charter school downtown, however, called Amy Biehl High School, which is on the corner of 4th St. and Gold. An arena with a hotel tower is under consideration right now, and if approved would be built on the north side of Central just east of the railroad tracks.
Good luck on your move back to Albuquerque!
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