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I've been enchanted by ABQ since 1995 during a stop on a cross-country move from DC to LA. I regretted not staying longer. Today, I am contemplating moving there for lots of personal reasons, but also because I've found that drier, sunnier climates are my thing. As well as nice architecture and local culture. Seems ABQ has these and more.
I read through much of the forum, but haven't found anything about "old" houses in ABQ, so forgive me if this question has been asked already.
Are there old houses or apartments in old houses/factories/warehouses that have been renovated/converted or otherwise into living spaces? What do "every day" architecture and gardens look like in ABQ? In images, I see pueblo style flourishes on some buildings, while others are late 19th/early 20th century apartment buildings. Is wood a construction element in older buildings? Is there a difference between Tao/Santa Fe architecture and ABQ architecture?
If I move, I'd like a place that has some history, that is old and can use some renovation...architecture and garden. Yes, a fixer-upper. I hate all that modern, suburban home jazz where the garage competes with the house for attention. I can't live in "already made" apartments/homes with wall-to-wall carpeting. Tile, wood, stone, mudbrick, or even well-done cement does it for me. Basically natural materials. Simple.
So what kind of old homes, neighborhoods are there? I looked at Nob Hill, but is it really the oldest? I'm thinking there must be something like the house Gene Tierney had in "Send Her to Heaven" filmed in the 1940s. Or old 18th century, early- to mid- 19th century villas, small "cowboy" houses, or something like that? Or am I just dreaming...?
Thanks! Richard
Thanks for any and all help, especially links to images or sites that talk about this.
Are there old houses or apartments in old houses/factories/warehouses
that have been renovated/converted or otherwise into living spaces?
The old Albuquerque High School has been converted to stuff like that.
I'm sure there are some other smaller projects. I think I remember seeing such in the newspaper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rvdparis
What do "every day" architecture and gardens look like in ABQ?
Whatever the builder/gardener wanted them to look like. Although I usually am, I'm not trying to be flippant here.
There are lush, water-intensive gardens surrounding pueblo style buildings and xeriscaped architecture around Victorian houses.
See the links below for more on this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rvdparis
Is wood a construction element in older buildings?
Yup. Quite a bit. You'll find that many if not most homes from San Mateo to the river have sold wood floors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rvdparis
Is there a difference between Tao/Santa Fe architecture and ABQ architecture?
Not really.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rvdparis
If I move, I'd like a ... fixer-upper. ... Tile, wood, stone, ...
I'm sure you can find it if you are patient. That is, rent for a while and look.
When you rent, rent in the University area and don't waste your time with on-line searches.
Walk the neighborhood and find yourself some sort of Bohemian kind-of apartment that is so prevalent there.
You'll find your place by looking for signs by the curb. Maybe local real-estate papers will have something, but walking the streets is best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rvdparis
So what kind of old homes, neighborhoods are there? I looked at Nob Hill, but is it really the oldest?
I don't know where you got the idea that Nob Hill is the oldest. The oldest area is Old Town and it gets newer as you move out from there ( mostly ).
I like to jab the anti-sprawly-town whiners, but Nob Hill is just 1930's-style sprawl that ripped up virgin desert to put up a commercial area and a bedroom community.
Now that it's pushing 100 years old, it is considered charming with its mature vegetation and alterations to the originally similar housing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rvdparis
... links to images or sites that talk about this.
Try flickr albuquerque pool and also flickr newmexico pool.
After that, just use google street view to see what neighborhoods look like.
There is a lot of good, even great, stuff on ficker, but you have to wade through a lot of crap like
a jillion pictures of someone's girlfriend or their ridiculous car, insides of unknown buildings and other things.
Now, the site is filled with decent-sized photos, but the drawback is that it is dependent on a fast internet connection.
It used to be thumbnail pics that you could easily scan for stuff that you wanted to see better. I'll have to see if there is
an option to revert to thumbnails again. I'm still using XP and IE8 really bogs down. Chrome works better, but is still a pig.
Internet developers should be required to work on only slow DSL and not fast cable connections in their ivory towers.
They are a bunch of friggin' idiots.
You might also start getting addicted to Breaking Bad which is filmed in Albuquerque. People say it has a lot of local shots.
If I had your skills and inclination, I'd investigate the North Valley neighborhood of Albuquerque for a place to fix up. There are some adobe homes there with lots of character and years.
Are their any short term, winter into spring, rentals available. We are considering a snowbird stay in Albuquerqie as well as Socorro in a year or so. What price ranges are typical for a small apartment or house rentals?
Yes wood is used as an element. I live in the Old Town area. My home was built prior to 1910. Some in my area are much much older. We remodeled this 4 years ago. These are old pics. The vegetation is much larger and we actually have appliances now. As an example, the desert willow in front of the house is taller than the house now.
I don't know where you got the idea that Nob Hill is the oldest. The oldest area is Old Town
The Barelas neighborhood of Albuquerque was originally a separate village. Barelas was formally established in 1662, predating even Old Town as the oldest neighborhood in the city.
@rvdparis, there are areas that are registered historic districts in downtown and maybe other places. I had a friend who bought a house there and renovated it, there was some incentive for him to do that and several requirements to keep his renovations "authentic." The house is on Kent Ave. just west of downtown. But you may find a house in the area that has already been refurbished, or one that needs some work. Also, the Huning Highlands area is rife with older houses, including Victorians, that need fixing up. They have been calling it an "up-and-coming neighborhood" for decades now but it still hasn't quite come that far "up." This area is between Central and Iron, just west of I-25.
You may also be interested in the Barelas neighborhood, or as others have said, the North Valley area, which is comprised of several small historic communities like Los Griegos, Los Candelarias, and Los Duranes which have all grown together.
Wow, this is all great! Amazing, in fact. Thank you all so much for taking the time to share pictures and advice. Talk about community pride... Ok, off to google maps and an airplane ticket. Well, not quite yet. I'll stick around these boards a while first...
As an urbanist/landscape architect, I like walkability and imageability of urban spaces...as well as seeing diversity of people. And I'm all about the xeriscaping (which 90% of Americans have never heard of, outside of the Southwest). Currently, I live in the south of France, in the Camargue...a humid delta (like the bayou), but with French cowboys. Are there any cowboys in Albuquerque? Ok, that's not a serious question...
By the way, on Google maps, there is this ominous sounding "Bio Garden" just off old town to the west, on the banks of the Rio...what's that all about?
By the way, on Google maps, there is this ominous sounding "Bio Garden" just off old town to the west, on the banks of the Rio...what's that all about?
Richard
Bio Garden?
Just to the west of Old town there is the 'Bio Park' which encompasses the Zoo, Aquarium and the Botanical Gardens.
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Or old 18th century, early- to mid- 19th century villas, small "cowboy" houses, or something like that? Or am I just dreaming...? 
Bio Garden?
