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
Go one block east from Central and 8th St. to pick up Walk 1. Go two blocks north from Central and 14th St. to connect with Walk 5.
Huning Castle Apartments
5 DOWNTOWN TO OLD TOWN: FOLLOW THE BRASS
BOUNDARIES: Civic Plaza, Old Town Plaza
DISTANCE: 1.75 miles one way
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Civic Plaza Parking Garage (Marquette Ave. west of 3rd St.); metered parking along Tijeras Ave. and 5th St.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: Bus 30 stops on the east side of Civic Plaza; bus 92 stops on the north side. Rail Runner Downtown Station is four blocks southeast of Civic Plaza.
In 1706 New Mexico Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes founded the Villa de Albuquerque on the site of what is now known as Old Town. Fast-forward to 1880: the railroad arrived about 2 miles east, encouraging commercial and residential development along its north–south tracks. The new town was called New Town and later New Albuquerque and was platted in a grid format—a pattern that sharply deviated from the plaza-oriented layout that was common to this Spanish Colonial region. Despite portents of the old-fashioned villa’s imminent demise, the two towns maintained a tenuous connection via a streetcar system and a powerful political district known as the Fourth Ward. So the villa persisted, although not without a struggle, and in 1949 the city annexed Old Town without overwhelming its original character. This walk examines their remaining differences and the prominent neighborhood that developed to fill the space between them. The route mostly follows Albuquerque’s official “Plaza to Plaza Tour,” a trail marked with brass plaques embedded in the sidewalks. The corresponding brochure is recommended for supplemental coverage of sites along the way. It’s available at visitor information centers located on both plazas.
Start anywhere in the Harry E. Kinney Civic Plaza. A statue of the former two-term mayor (striking a Captain Morgan pose) stands on the far northeast corner near Marquette Ave. and 3rd St. The plaza is big enough to accommodate 20,000 revelers during special events, typically on weekend evenings throughout summer. Prior to 1938 the original alignment of Route 66 ran through this space on its course between Santa Fe and Los Lunas. A later east–west alignment followed what is now Central Ave., two blocks south of the plaza. The intersection of 4th and Central (two blocks south) is the only place in America where historical alignments of Route 66 cross.On the south side of the plaza, a wrought iron column lit from within depicts
