Quirky Albuquerque

Albuquirky is just one of our nicknames

After 35 years in Chicago, it was time to turn the page.

Even though I spent the first 13 of those years in a suburb(Skokie), it was close enough to the City (three miles) to say that we were from Chicago. To live in Schaumburg or Aurora and say you’re from Chicago is another thing altogether. So when people say they’re from Chicago, scrutinize. It would be like living in the OC and saying you’re from Los Angeles. You’re not. OC: Republican. LA: not Republican.

But enough of my mishigas. I moved to The Twilight Zone for my sunset years after marriage, two kids, a divorce, and two long-term relationships. (Yeah, I know I’m only 63, but we all die at some point.)

I’ve only lived in Albuquerque since 2018, so my perspective may be quite different from one who has lived here all their lives. The younger set often calls New Mexico “The Land of Entrapment.” Unfortunately, we don’t have the best set of statistics regarding things like income and poverty. But this is a feel-good story, so I’m not going there!

Albuquerque has strong name recognition due to Bugs Bunny and Breaking Bad. But ask people to place it, or New Mexico, on a map, and they’re hard-pressed to provide an answer.

New Mexico is the fifth-largest state in the country. It’s not difficult to find!

For those who are still clueless, we’re that big void between Texas and Arizona. That area you fly over when you’re going to Phoenix, Las Vegas, or somewhere else you may deem more fabulous.

Santa Feans tend to abhor Albuquerque and bad-mouth it. Like we’re the poor man’s Santa Fe. So we think of Santa Fe as snobbish.

I like living in Albuquerque, and I like saying I live here because it’s a fun word to say. It’s almost whimsical. We also have many nicknames: Albuturkey, Albuqueerque, The Duke City, ABQ, and The 505. But plain ol’ “Burque” is what the locals call it, known as Burqueños.

With a population of more than 560,000, we are the 32nd-largest city in the country. However, when considering “The Metro,” as at least one local network news station calls it, our population swells to approximately 925,000. Still, we fall to 62nd place nationally because we don’t have many suburbs.

The Metro constitutes 44% of the state’s population of 2,120,220, making New Mexico the 36th most populous state in the nation. But, of course, that’s not very many people, so Albuquerque is a big deal within our purview.

Factoids about Albuquerque

• Founded in 1706, so we’re pretty old.
• We’re one of the highest cities in the country, with an altitude that ranges from 4,900 to 6,700 feet. Drink lots of water.
• We’ll be even higher when recreational marijuana sales kick in next April.
• Microsoft was founded in Albuquerque by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 but moved to Bellevue, WA, in 1979. Oh, what we could have had with Microsoft.
• We lie at the extreme northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. The winters are cool, and it snows about 9 inches a year. Those who don’t know us equate us with Phoenix, but we only see 3–5 days at 100 or above each summer. On the other hand, the altitude and sunshine always make it feel warmer. Best of all? It’s rarely humid. So drink lots of water.
• We would like for it to rain more. We’re thirsty!
• Bad at directions? The Sandia Mountains are always east. The three volcanoes on the West Mesa are always west. And a river runs through it from north to south (Rio Grande).

• The film industry has found a new home in Albuquerque. Netflix maintains its largest film production complexes in North America, and it’s now expanding its presence. Lionsgate and NBCUniversal are also building new production studios here.
• Albuquerque is also a tech hub of sorts. Intel has been making chips here for 40 years and is one of the area’s largest employers. Facebook opened a data storage facility, and it continues to expand. Amazon just opened a major fulfillment center on the city’s west side. And we have Sandia National Laboratories. (Who knows what they’re up to.)

What Do Burqueños Do?

I’m not going to mention things that the tourists generally do, like strolling around Old Town or going up to the mountains on the Sandia Peak Tramway. Those are fine and good, but we have to go there every time we have visitors from out of town.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say (of my age anyway), “there’s nothing to do”. Below is just a smattering of what’s inside the city limits. There is the usual slew — and good ones at that — of museums. Every road out of town leads to day trips, making the city a great place to base to see the state. Here are a few things Burqueños do within the confines.

• Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: OK, so this is an event that draws a lot of tourists, but it’s our claim to fame. This is what people think of when they think of Albuquerque. Running nine days in the first part of October, it is the world’s largest mass ascension of balloons. I like watching it from one of the booze booths, where I can get a nice bloody Mary buzz and watch the passing scene. With a breakfast burrito, of course. No green chile! See below in food.

• Hiking: Within the city limits, there are numerous trails for walking and biking along the Rio Grande (The “Bosque”), the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, and Petroglyph National Monument where you can hike up to the top of a little volcano. No worries, now extinct. Take lots of water.
• Food: New Mexicans put their homegrown Hatch green chile on almost anything edible. You practically have to say “no green chile!” to your server if you don’t want it. While numerous small cafes and dives serve excellent authentic New Mexican cuisine, the consensus points to Sadie’s. Expect long wait times at peak hours, as they do not accept reservations.
• Nob Hill: Pre-COVID, it was arguably the trendiest and most hip area in the city. The pandemic was the death knell of several great establishments, but some remain open, and new businesses are announcing plans as we speak.
• Central Avenue/Route 66/Downtown: This area was evolving into a cool nightlife area. But like Nob Hill, it’s seen its better days. So it’s just a matter of time until it makes a post-COVID comeback. It’s still cool to walk around and think about the generations who traveled on it in the past, usually to points west.
• Food Halls: I don’t know if this concept is a national trend, but we’ve got three of them: The Sawmill, Tin Can Alley, and 505 Central Food Hall. The first two only serve beer and wine. They’re like an upscale food court. You won’t find any chains here. Good for people-watching.
• The Isotopes: The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team of the Triple-A West and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. (Isotope is a word that’s Greek to me, but it has to do with atoms and nucleons and neutrons. Fun stuff!)
• Markets: Check out the Grower’s Market on Saturday mornings from 8:00 am at Robertson Park or the Railyard Market from 10:00 am on Sundays. Parts of The Avengers were filmed at the Railyards.
• Brewpubs: Got ’em, and lots of ’em. Be thirsty.
• Gay Life: meh. I guess there are about 2.5 bars.

So that’s my take. Do we have bad stuff? Yeah, but does the crime rate keep tourists from visiting Chicago? No, and it shouldn’t keep you from visiting Albuquerque either.

Welcome to Burque!