Central Avenue (Albuquerque)
Encyclopedia
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
area. Central Avenue was part of U.S. Route 66
from 1937 until the highway's decommissioning in 1985 and also forms one axis of Albuquerque's house numbering
system.
) near the mouth of Tijeras Canyon
. Both ends terminate at Interstate 40
, which replaced Route 66 as the primary east-west route through Albuquerque. Along the way Central passes through the historic Old Town
, Downtown
, EDo, Huning Highlands, Silver Hill, University, Nob Hill, and Highland neighborhoods. The street crosses the Rio Grande
just southwest of Old Town.
trading route, the trail later connected Albuquerque with the outlying settlement of Carnuel. It was upgraded to a wagon road by the U.S. Army in 1858.
The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached Albuquerque in 1880, but for logistical reasons the tracks were routed some two miles east of the existing town. This led to the establishment of a separate "New Town" around the railroad depot, which was built on the preexisting Carnuel road. When the original downtown street grid was laid out that same year, this road between Old Town and New Town became Railroad Avenue. A mule-drawn streetcar line was soon established.
By the turn of the century, Railroad Avenue had been clearly established as Albuquerque's main commercial corridor, and in 1907 the City Council decided to rename the street to better reflect this fact. As reported in the Albuquerque Journal
, "The name of 'Central Avenue' it is believed, will at once convey the idea that it is the city's main business street and the center of town." A new electric streetcar line was installed in 1904. Meanwhile, the city grew eastward along Central, driven in part by the establishment of the University of New Mexico
on the East Mesa in 1889. The early 20th century saw an influx of tuberculosis
patients seeking the healthful effects of Albuquerque's dry climate, and a number of sanatoria
were established on a stretch of East Central that came to be known as "TB Avenue." One of these survived to the present day as Presbyterian Hospital.
With the increasing popularity of the automobile
in the 1920s, Central became a hub for car dealerships, service stations, and related enterprise. This role increased dramatically in 1937 when, with New Deal
funding secured by governor Clyde Tingley
, Route 66 through Albuquerque was realigned from Fourth Street to a more direct east-west route along Central. The road was extended west across the Rio Grande and paved along its entire length, while the grade crossing downtown was eliminated with a new underpass. Dozens of new motels, diners, and filling stations sprang up along East and West Central to cater to the steady stream of travelers passing through the city. By 1955, there were 98 motels along Central Avenue.
and Coronado
shopping centers drew customers away from the older retail districts on Central. The large downtown Alvarado and Franciscan hotels were demolished in the early 1970s and Albuquerque High School
moved to a new location in 1973, leaving its old campus
at Central and Broadway boarded up.
The street's fortunes began to turn around in the early 1980s with the successful renovation of the KiMo Theater
, a treasured landmark which had been threatened with demolition. Over the next two decades, downtown Central Avenue was gradually transformed into an arts and entertainment district with a variety of bars, restaurants, galleries, and live music venues, as well as new residential space. Nob Hill has also rebounded, with an eclectic mix of mostly locally-owned businesses.
Central has a large number of surviving Route 66-era commercial buildings as well as earlier buildings downtown and in Old Town.
, the Sunshine Building
, and the First National Bank Building
, which was Albuquerque's first skyscraper. Robinson Park, a rare remnant of the railroad era, is located on a triangular block between Eighth and Tenth Streets.
La Glorieta
, a Spanish hacienda dating back to the seventeenth century, is believed to be the oldest building on Central. It is now a part of Manzano Day School.
main campus and Expo New Mexico, the site of the New Mexico State Fair
. The former Albuquerque High School campus
at Central and Broadway has been converted to loft apartments. The Nob Hill neighborhood is home to a number of Route 66-era commercial buildings including Jones Motor Company, the Aztec Auto Court
, and the Lobo Theater
. The 17-story Bank of the West Tower at Central and San Mateo is a highly visible landmark.
The Central Avenue public transit corridor is the most heavily-traveled in the city with 350,000 monthly boardings in 2006. ABQ RIDE operates three city bus routes on Central: the 66 Central local route and the 766 Red Line and 777 Green Line Rapid Ride
express routes. The Alvarado Transportation Center
, located at First and Central, provides access to many other ABQ RIDE routes as well as Greyhound Lines
, the Amtrak
Southwest Chief
, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express
commuter train.
Formerly, Central was also served by an electric street railway between 1904 and 1928. The City Electric Company owned twelve streetcars and provided service on a three-mile route between Old Town Plaza and the university. Another former transportation facility on Central was the West Mesa Airport
, which operated from 1929 to 1967.
In 2006, the city proposed building a new streetcar line along Central between Old Town and Nob Hill. With no clear source of funding, the project eventually fell victim to widespread opposition from the City Council and the public.
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...
, 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
Downtown Albuquerque
Downtown Albuquerque is the central business district of Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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....
, Old Town
Old Town Albuquerque
Old Town is a historic district in Albuquerque, New Mexico, dating back to the founding of the city by the Spanish in 1706. Today it is a popular shopping and tourist destination. Old Town comprises about ten blocks of historic adobe buildings grouped around a central plaza...
, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
area. Central Avenue 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...
from 1937 until the highway's decommissioning in 1985 and also forms one axis of Albuquerque's house numbering
House numbering
House numbering is the system of giving a unique number to each building in a street or area, with the intention of making it easier to locate a particular building. The house number is often part of a postal address....
system.
Route
Central follows a primarily east-west alignment from Paseo del Volcán on the western outskirts of the city to Tramway Boulevard (NM 556New Mexico State Road 556
New Mexico State Road 556 is a long state highway entirely within Bernalillo County, New Mexico. For most of its length, NM-556 is signed as Tramway Boulevard in Albuquerque, paralleling the Sandia Mountains. The highway's southern terminus is at an intersection with New Mexico State Road 333,...
) near the mouth of Tijeras Canyon
Tijeras Canyon
Tijeras Canyon is a prominent canyon in the central part of the US state of New Mexico. Tijeras Canyon is often referred to by locals as the I-40 Canyon after the major highway that traverses it, linking Albuquerque and points east. It separates the Sandia Mountains to the north from the Manzano...
. Both ends terminate at Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in New Mexico
Interstate 40, a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, runs east–west through Albuquerque in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the direct replacement for the historic U.S...
, which replaced Route 66 as the primary east-west route through Albuquerque. Along the way Central passes through the historic Old Town
Old Town Albuquerque
Old Town is a historic district in Albuquerque, New Mexico, dating back to the founding of the city by the Spanish in 1706. Today it is a popular shopping and tourist destination. Old Town comprises about ten blocks of historic adobe buildings grouped around a central plaza...
, Downtown
Downtown Albuquerque
Downtown Albuquerque is the central business district of Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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....
, EDo, Huning Highlands, Silver Hill, University, Nob Hill, and Highland neighborhoods. The street crosses the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
just southwest of Old Town.
Early history
The route that is now Central Avenue has existed in some form since prehistoric times, linking Tijeras Canyon and points east with a good ford of the Rio Grande near present-day Old Town. Originally a Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trading route, the trail later connected Albuquerque with the outlying settlement of Carnuel. It was upgraded to a wagon road by the U.S. Army in 1858.
The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached Albuquerque in 1880, but for logistical reasons the tracks were routed some two miles east of the existing town. This led to the establishment of a separate "New Town" around the railroad depot, which was built on the preexisting Carnuel road. When the original downtown street grid was laid out that same year, this road between Old Town and New Town became Railroad Avenue. A mule-drawn streetcar line was soon established.
Rise to prominence
Albuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
, "The name of 'Central Avenue' it is believed, will at once convey the idea that it is the city's main business street and the center of town." A new electric streetcar line was installed in 1904. Meanwhile, the city grew eastward along Central, driven in part by the establishment of the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
on the East Mesa in 1889. The early 20th century saw an influx of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
patients seeking the healthful effects of Albuquerque's dry climate, and a number of sanatoria
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
were established on a stretch of East Central that came to be known as "TB Avenue." One of these survived to the present day as Presbyterian Hospital.
With the increasing popularity of the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
in the 1920s, Central became a hub for car dealerships, service stations, and related enterprise. This role increased dramatically in 1937 when, with New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
funding secured by governor Clyde Tingley
Clyde Tingley
Clyde K. Tingley was a U.S. politician who served as the 11th Governor of the State of New Mexico. He was a children's healthcare advocate.-Biography:...
, Route 66 through Albuquerque was realigned from Fourth Street to a more direct east-west route along Central. The road was extended west across the Rio Grande and paved along its entire length, while the grade crossing downtown was eliminated with a new underpass. Dozens of new motels, diners, and filling stations sprang up along East and West Central to cater to the steady stream of travelers passing through the city. By 1955, there were 98 motels along Central Avenue.
Decline and renewal
Central entered an economic decline in the 1960s as Albuquerque became increasingly decentralized. Interstate 40 provided travelers with a faster and more convenient east-west route through Albuquerque, while the new WinrockWinrock Shopping Center
The Winrock Shopping Center is a shopping mall located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The mall is anchored by Dillard's and Bed Bath and Beyond. Currently the mall is vacant except for the anchor tenants who own their own spaces...
and Coronado
Coronado Center
Coronado Center is a 2 level super-regional enclosed shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Coronado is one of 3 malls located in the Albuquerque area.-Background:...
shopping centers drew customers away from the older retail districts on Central. The large downtown Alvarado and Franciscan hotels were demolished in the early 1970s and Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School is a public senior high school near Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a part of the Albuquerque Public School district. Enrollment at AHS stands at 1,803.-History:...
moved to a new location in 1973, leaving its old campus
Old 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...
at Central and Broadway boarded up.
The street's fortunes began to turn around in the early 1980s with the successful renovation of the KiMo Theater
KiMo 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...
, a treasured landmark which had been threatened with demolition. Over the next two decades, downtown Central Avenue was gradually transformed into an arts and entertainment district with a variety of bars, restaurants, galleries, and live music venues, as well as new residential space. Nob Hill has also rebounded, with an eclectic mix of mostly locally-owned businesses.
Landmarks
West Central
Unlike most of downtown Albuquerque, the streetscape of Central Avenue has remained mostly intact since the early 20th century. Notable buildings include the Pueblo Deco-style 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...
, the 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...
, and the First National Bank Building
First 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...
, which was Albuquerque's first skyscraper. Robinson Park, a rare remnant of the railroad era, is located on a triangular block between Eighth and Tenth Streets.
La Glorieta
La Glorieta
La Glorieta is a historic hacienda in Albuquerque, New Mexico, believed to be the oldest residence in the city. Its exact age is unknown, but it is known to have been standing in 1803 and possibly dates back as far as the 17th century. It has been the home of several generations of prominent New...
, a Spanish hacienda dating back to the seventeenth century, is believed to be the oldest building on Central. It is now a part of Manzano Day School.
East Central
Two major landmarks on East Central are the University of New MexicoUniversity of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
main campus and Expo New Mexico, the site of the New Mexico State Fair
New Mexico State Fair
The New Mexico State Fair is an annual state fair held for 17 days in September at Expo New Mexico in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A...
. The former Albuquerque High School campus
Old 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...
at Central and Broadway has been converted to loft apartments. The Nob Hill neighborhood is home to a number of Route 66-era commercial buildings including Jones Motor Company, the Aztec Auto Court
Aztec Auto Court
The Aztec Motel, also known as the Aztec Auto Court or Aztec Lodge, was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
, and the Lobo Theater
Lobo Theater
The Lobo Theater is the oldest standing movie theater located along historic Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States of America...
. The 17-story Bank of the West Tower at Central and San Mateo is a highly visible landmark.
Former landmarks
Some of Albuquerque's most famous former landmarks were located on Central, including the Alvarado Hotel, the Franciscan Hotel, the Castle Huning mansion, and the old Bernalillo County Courthouse in Old Town.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...
express routes. 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...
, located at First and Central, provides access to many other ABQ RIDE routes as well as Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, the 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...
Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
, and 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 train.
Formerly, Central was also served by an electric street railway between 1904 and 1928. The City Electric Company owned twelve streetcars and provided service on a three-mile route between Old Town Plaza and the university. Another former transportation facility on Central was the West Mesa Airport
West Mesa Airport
West Mesa Airport was an airport on Albuquerque, New Mexico's West Side. Built in 1929, it was the city's second airport after the original Albuquerque Airport...
, which operated from 1929 to 1967.
In 2006, the city proposed building a new streetcar line along Central between Old Town and Nob Hill. With no clear source of funding, the project eventually fell victim to widespread opposition from the City Council and the public.