Downtown Albuquerque
Encyclopedia
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque 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 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It is where a large number of the city's highrise buildings are located, as well as being the center of government and business for the region.
Downtown is roughly defined as the area between Marble Avenue, Coal Avenue, Seventh Street, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks. The area on the east side of the railroad tracks is known as East Downtown or EDo.
Street grid
Downtown Albuquerque is laid out in a standard grid pattern, with numbered north-south streets and named east-west avenues. Central AvenueCentral Avenue (Albuquerque)
Central Avenue is a major east-west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico...
(originally known as Railroad Avenue) is the main east-west thoroughfare through the center of Downtown, while Lomas Boulevard (originally New York Avenue) is a major east-west arterial through the north part of downtown.
The streets start with First Street just west of the railroad tracks and increase in number moving westward. Fourth Street was originally the main north-south thoroughfare through Downtown but today it is discontinuous, interrupted by Civic Plaza and a two-block pedestrian mall north of Central. Since these developments took place Second Street has been the main north-south street through downtown.
Fourth Street through downtown Albuquerque was part of U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
prior to the route's 1937 realignment. Afterwards, Route 66 ran along Central Avenue until its decommissioning.
Districts
Downtown Albuquerque is divided into six official districts, which are identified by a unified system of signage and icons.Courthouse District
Located on the north side of downtown, this district is bounded by Marble Avenue, Roma Avenue, Second Street, and Seventh Street. It is named for the three major courthouses located at the intersection of Fourth and Lomas: Pete V. Domenici United States CourthousePete V. Domenici United States Courthouse
The Pete V. Domenici United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse located at 333 Lomas Boulevard NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. The building was completed in 1998 and named in honor of Senator Pete Domenici at a ceremony in 2004...
, Bernalillo County Courthouse, and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse
Metropolitan Courthouse
The Metropolitan Courthouse is a courthouse in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, housing the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. The building is located on the northwest corner of 4th Street and Lomas Boulevard in an area known as the Courthouse District. The courthouse rises and has nine stories...
.
Warehouse District
On the north side of downtown along the railroad tracks, the Warehouse District includes the area between Second and the railroad tracks, north of the Convention Center to Slate Avenue. As its name implies, this area contains mostly warehouses from the railroad era.Plaza District
The Plaza District is the central area of downtown, bounded by Roma, Copper, Seventh, and the railroad tracks. It is centered around Civic Plaza and includes many of Albuquerque's large office and government buildings including the Albuquerque City-County Building, the Convention Center, Albuquerque Plaza, the Compass Bank Building, and the Albuquerque Petroleum BuildingAlbuquerque Petroleum Building
The Bank of the West Tower once known as Albuquerque Petroleum Building is a highrise office building located at 500 Marquette Avenue NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is 72 m tall and has 15 stories, making it Albuquerque's fourth tallest building...
. The Main Library of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System
Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System
The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System is the public library system serving greater Albuquerque, New Mexico. It includes sixteen branch libraries as well as the downtown Main Library.-History:...
is also located in this district.
Arts and Entertainment District
This district is centered along Central Avenue and Gold Avenue east of First Street. It contains most of downtown Albuquerque's historic buildings as well as most of its shopping, dining, and nightlife destinations. Notable landmarks in this district include the KiMo TheaterKiMo Theater
The KiMo Theatre is a theatre located at 423 Central Avenue NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico and it is probably the city's best-known landmark...
, Occidental Life Building
Occidental Life Building
The Occidental Life Building is a historic building located at 305 Gold Avenue SW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is a unique example of U.S. Venetian Gothic Revival architecture, modeled after Doge's Palace in Venice. It was designed by Henry C...
, First National Bank Building, and Sunshine Building
Sunshine Building
The Sunshine Building is a historic building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, located at the intersection of Central Avenue and Second Street. The six-story building was designed by the El Paso firm of Trost & Trost and built in 1924, originally housing offices and a 920-seat movie theater...
. There is a small concentration of government and office buildings on Gold Avenue which includes the Dennis Chavez Federal Building
Dennis Chavez Federal Building
The Dennis Chavez Federal Building, named for a long time former United States Senator, is a highrise building located at 500 Gold Avenue SW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. The building was built in 1972 to concentrate various federal agencies, including the post office and federal courthouse,...
, Gold Building
Gold Building
The Gold Building is a 14-story office building located at 320 Gold Avenue SW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. When the building was completed in 1968 it was one of the tallest in the city at 62 m . It now ranks sixth.The building is rectangular in plan and sits on a larger one-story base...
, and Simms Building
Simms Building
The Simms Building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico was the city's first modern, International Style skyscraper. It was built in 1954, making it a contemporary of the similar Lever House in New York City. The building is located at 400 Gold Avenue SW, which was originally the location of the old...
. Amy Biehl High School is also located in this district.
Transportation Center District
This is the smallest district, encompassing the area south of Central Avenue and east of First Street. Most of the district is occupied by Alvarado Transportation CenterAlvarado Transportation Center
The Alvarado Transportation Center is a multimodal transit hub located at 100 1st Street SW in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.The complex was built as a hub for Albuquerque's regional transit system and as a replacement for Albuquerque's previous bus depot and train station...
.
Casa District
The southernmost part of downtown, the Casa District includes the area between Gold and Coal Avenue, extending all the way west to Tenth Street. This is a primarily residential district, with a large number of loft apartment buildings. The PNM BuildingPNM Building
The PNM Building is a 12-story office tower located at 414 Silver Avenue SW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is 56 m tall, making it the eighth tallest building in the city...
is also located in the Casa District.
EDo
Not one of the official downtown districts, EDo (East Downtown) is a small but expanding neighborhood centered around Central and Broadway on the east side of the railroad tracks, bounded roughly by the railroad tracks on the west, I-25 on the east, Coal on the south, and Martin Luther King Avenue on the north. EDo is a trendy area containing several loft apartment buildings and a number of small shops and restaurants. The focal point of EDo is the renovated Old Albuquerque High SchoolOld Albuquerque High School
Old Albuquerque High School is a former school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is protected by the city as a historic landmark. It is located on the northeast corner of Central and Broadway NE, at the center of an area that has become known as East Downtown or EDo. The campus comprises five...
campus, which is now a residential complex. The name "EDo" was coined in imitation of the LoDo
LoDo
LoDo, Denver is the lower downtown area of Denver, Colorado, the oldest and original settlement of the city of Denver. It is a mixed-use historic district, known for its nightlife, and serves as an example of success in urban reinvestment and revitalization...
area of Denver which in turn was an imitation of SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
and TriBeCa
TriBeCa
Tribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Tallest buildings
| Rank | Name | Height | Floors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albuquerque Plaza | 351 feet (107 m) | 22 |
| 2 | Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Hyatt Regency Albuquerque is a 20-story highrise hotel located at 330 Tijeras Avenue NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. The building is tall, making it Albuquerque's second tallest building and tallest hotel... |
256 feet (78 m) | 21 |
| 3 | Compass Bank Building | 238 feet (73 m) | 18 |
| 4 | Albuquerque Petroleum Building Albuquerque Petroleum Building The Bank of the West Tower once known as Albuquerque Petroleum Building is a highrise office building located at 500 Marquette Avenue NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is 72 m tall and has 15 stories, making it Albuquerque's fourth tallest building... |
235 feet (72 m) | 15 |
| 5 | Gold Building Gold Building The Gold Building is a 14-story office building located at 320 Gold Avenue SW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. When the building was completed in 1968 it was one of the tallest in the city at 62 m . It now ranks sixth.The building is rectangular in plan and sits on a larger one-story base... |
203 feet (62 m) | 14 |
Historic landmarks
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- KiMo TheaterKiMo TheaterThe KiMo Theatre is a theatre located at 423 Central Avenue NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico and it is probably the city's best-known landmark...
, one of the city's best-known landmarks - The old Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
- First National Bank BuildingFirst National Bank Building (Albuquerque, New Mexico)The First National Bank Building is a historic building located at 217-233 Central Avenue NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. The nine-story, L-shaped building was the city's first skyscraper. Built in 1922, the First National Bank Building was designed by Trost & Trost, an El Paso architecture...
- La Posada de AlbuquerqueLa Posada de AlbuquerqueThe Andaluz Hotel was built in 1939 as the Hilton Hotel and operated most recently for the past twenty-odd years as La Posada de Albuquerque. It is a historic building located at 125 2nd Street NW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Opened in 1939, it was Conrad Hilton's fourth hotel and the first...
- Occidental Life BuildingOccidental Life BuildingThe Occidental Life Building is a historic building located at 305 Gold Avenue SW in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is a unique example of U.S. Venetian Gothic Revival architecture, modeled after Doge's Palace in Venice. It was designed by Henry C...
- Old Post Office
- Simms BuildingSimms BuildingThe Simms Building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico was the city's first modern, International Style skyscraper. It was built in 1954, making it a contemporary of the similar Lever House in New York City. The building is located at 400 Gold Avenue SW, which was originally the location of the old...
- Southwestern Brewery and Ice Company
- Sunshine BuildingSunshine BuildingThe Sunshine Building is a historic building in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, located at the intersection of Central Avenue and Second Street. The six-story building was designed by the El Paso firm of Trost & Trost and built in 1924, originally housing offices and a 920-seat movie theater...
Transportation
Rapid Ride
Rapid Ride is the name of an express bus service with some bus rapid transit features in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Inaugurated on December 21, 2004, Rapid Ride was intended to provide a faster and more efficient means of public transit in Albuquerque and to serve as a pilot project for a potential...
BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
routes, most of which include stops at the Alvarado Transportation Center
Alvarado Transportation Center
The Alvarado Transportation Center is a multimodal transit hub located at 100 1st Street SW in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.The complex was built as a hub for Albuquerque's regional transit system and as a replacement for Albuquerque's previous bus depot and train station...
. ABQ RIDE also operates a free circulator bus service in the downtown area named Downtown Get Around (or "D-Ride" for short) which runs from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm every 7 minutes on weekdays.
In addition to local bus transit, the Alvarado Transportation Center also incorporates Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Greyhound bus facilities, as well as a stop on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express
New Mexico Rail Runner Express
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Mid Region Council of Governments , a regional government planning association, while...
commuter rail line.
