Walking Albuquerque. Stephen Ausherman
None shot back. Oh, and if you think you just heard a lion or an elephant, don’t be alarmed. Though the city zoo is more than a half mile south, some animals’ voices carry far.Directly across the street are the massive Park Plaza Condos, the tallest residential building in New Mexico. Relative to the scale of things in its neighborhood, it somewhat resembles The Jeffersons’ deluxe apartment in the sky. Built in 1964, it never interfered with the conservationist’s view of the Sandia Mountains, yet one can’t help but wonder if there was intentional irony in placing a 14-story luxury high-rise building directly in front of the Leopold House. The building is an all-welded structure, requiring about 700 tons of steel. The brick façade is simply decorative. The foundation is a reinforced concrete box 674 feet long, 202 feet wide, and 8 feet deep.
Turn right on Los Alamos Ave. Note the traditional alley ahead on the right. Older neighborhoods like this were designed with backyard parking for carriages and cars so that streets and sidewalks would remain clear. This sensible layout fell out of fashion in favor of a trend for displaying vehicles in front of houses.
Turn right on 15th St.
Turn left on Central. Castle Apartments once stood here on the southeast corner. In 2009 fiery debris from an airline collision rained down upon the historic apartments. Or at least that’s how it went down in a popular TV show. Actual news footage of the apartment fire was repurposed for the third season of Breaking Bad. No one was injured in the blaze, but the building was a loss. A bank has since been constructed on the lot.Still standing unscathed, Huning Castle Apartments occupy the 1500 block of Central Ave. SW, the same site as the old Huning Castle. Constructed in 1880, the stately manor fell into disrepair faster than most traditional castles. It was offered to the city, but the city declined, citing the $400,000 restoration estimate. The notable landmark was demolished in 1955, and the land sat vacant until construction of the apartments began in the early 1990s. Architect Dekker Perich Sabatini intended to invoke the style of the original structure, which bore a closer resemblance to the Bates residence in Psycho than the upbeat complex standing here today.
Turn left on Laguna Blvd. and brace yourself for a completely different world. The divided boulevard and its broad median and sidewalks were completely treeless when the neighborhood was first platted. Large architect-designed homes began filling in this neighborhood in the 1920s and continued at a slower rate throughout the 1930s. The prevalence of California Mission, Mediterranean, and Pueblo Revival styles echoes the ambience of the adjacent Albuquerque Country Club. One exception is the Lembke House on the east corner at Los Alamos Ave. Adopting characteristics of both International and Streamline Moderne styles, contractor Charles Lembke took bold risks when he constructed it at the height of the Depression in 1937. Few other houses were built in the neighborhood at the time, and membership at the country club had already plummeted.The country club is at the end of the boulevard. Inside are elegant ballrooms, dining rooms, a pro shop, a fitness center, and card rooms for men and women. The construction of its 18-hole golf course, one of the first in the state, required draining about 100 acres of wetlands. The greens and fairways extend north to Central Ave. and west to Tingley Dr.
Continue straight on the sidewalk to cross the Albuquerque Riverside Drain. Tingley Beach is one of four attractions in the ABQ BioPark. This walk comes closest to the beach and the zoo, while Walk 8 passes near the botanic garden and aquarium. (See the Back Story in Walk 8 for detailed information on all BioPark attractions.)
Turn left on the ditch trail and follow it south to the first paved cross street. The narrow, well-shaded green on your left is Kit Carson Park, named for the legendary frontiersman, Union soldier, genocidal henchman, or Disney hero, depending on your view of history. (See the Back Story in Walk 30 for more details.)
Turn left on Alcade Pl. and go one block northeast.Detour: On the right is Rio Grande Triangle Park, which sits next to the 25-meter outdoor Rio Grande Pool, open to the public daily Memorial Day weekend–mid-August. Directly southeast of the pool is the aforementioned ABQ BioPark Zoo. To visit all three sites, turn right on Iron Ave., right on 12th, and left on Stover; then follow the zoo fence around to the front entrance, which faces 10th St. The detour runs about 1.25 miles round-trip. Add another mile or so for wandering the zoo.
Otherwise, turn left on Kit Carson Ave.
Turn right on Raynolds Ave.
Bear right at the Y onto Gold. Ahead on the southwest corner at 14th St., the cottage-style apartments were built in 1939. On the northeast corner is the Pueblo Revival house that Henry C. Trost built for himself in 1925. Trost designed many notable buildings in town, including Albuquerque High School, the Sunshine Theater, and the Occidental Life Insurance Building.
Turn right on 10th St.
Turn left on Silver. The 900 block is a showcase of charming houses from the early 20th century. The Craftsman bungalow at 918 Silver was built in 1915. A unique and award-winning brick house stands next door. The white house at 904 Silver makes a statement with pink stairs, gutters, and trim. Next door, at the end of the block, is a Spanish Pueblo Revival house with wavy parapets. It was built in 1924. Continue straight to return to the corner of Silver and 8th. One last detail: On a west-facing wall in back of the fire station is the mural More than a Firefighter by local artist PAZ. It’s worth checking out if you can manage the half-block detour.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Flying Star Cafe flyingstarcafe.com, 723 Silver Ave. SW, 505-244-8099
Villa di Capo villadicapo.com, 722 Central Ave. SW, 505-242-2006
The Hotel Blue thehotelblue.com, 717 Central Ave. NW, 505-924-2400
Firenze Pizzeria firenzepizzeria.com, 900 Park Ave., 505-242-2939
Java Joe’s downtownjavajoes.com, 906 Park Ave. SW, 505-765-1514
Route 66 Hostel rt66hostel.com, 1012 Central Ave. SW, 505-247-1813
Dog House Drive In 1216 Central Ave. NW, 505-243-1019
Albuquerque Country Club albuquerquecountryclub.org, 601 Laguna Blvd. SW, 505-247-4111
Rio Grande Pool cabq.gov/parksandrecreation, 1410 Iron Ave. SW, 505-848-1397
ABQ BioPark cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark; Aquarium and Botanic Garden, 2601 Central Ave. NW; Tingley Beach, 1800 Tingley Dr.; Zoo, 903 10th St. SW; 505-764-6200
ROUTE SUMMARY
1 Start at the corner of Silver Ave. and 8th St. and walk north.
2 Turn left on Park Ave.
3 Turn right on 10th St.
4 Turn left on Central Ave.
5 Turn left on 14th St.
6 Turn right on Los Alamos Ave.
7 Turn right on 15th St.
8 Turn left on Central Ave.
9 Turn left on Laguna Blvd., follow it to its end, and then continue straight on the walkway that crosses the ditch.
10 Turn left on the ditch trail.
11 Turn left on Alcade Pl.
12 Turn left on Kit Carson Ave.
13 Turn right on Raynolds Ave.
14 Bear right at the Y onto Gold Ave.
15 Turn right on 10th St.
16 Turn left on Silver St.
CONNECTING THE WALKS
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