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It depends on what you mean by hay day. The present is fine, the past was fun as I was a kid. Before Rio Rancho was built was probably the best time, in my opinion. We could ride our horses from Edith all the way to the mountains. There was a place where Bear Canyon road (which was still dirt) ended that had a path down under I-25, and we would walk our horses down that and come up the other side where there was nothing but yucca and rabbit brush. The developers had graded some roads part way, but we had a clear way all the way to the base of the Sandias. Tramway road existed and part of it was paved because it was the only way to get to the Tram.
Some days we would ride our horses to Fourth street to the Safeway. They had a big tree we would tie our horses to and go in to get bubble gum and Nehi. There were no gas stations or quickie marts in that area. My mom's cousin owned the Chevron station further south on 4th street. Starlight Dance studio was alreaady on 4th street, still there, owned by my cousin. She is getting elderly but she still runs the place.
There was also a shortcut to Highway 44, which has a different number now, from what is now called Unser that went all the way through, but that is blocked off in Rio Rancho now.
If a heyday means time of popularity and rapid growth, there have been a few of them.
After the railroad was built in 1880, there was an influx of Midwesterners and Easterners and New Town was built (today's Downtown), which became a commercial center for the region. Following this, many people moved here for the high desert climate in hopes of curing tuberculosis, and stayed on, some becoming prominent citizens.
After Route 66 was completed in the late 20's, there was another heyday of automobile travel and roadside services for a few decades.
World War II probably ushered in the biggest heyday, as a huge investment was made in Sandia Labs and the Air Force Base, which led to expansion of everything else, including the University, and really put Albuquerque on the map. This was a time of rapid growth. Without that massive investment of federal dollars, Albuquerque might not be bigger than Santa Fe today, and Rio Rancho wouldn't exist. New Mexico's population size would resemble Wyoming's.
Heyday or not, I have heard people tell me how they used to go to the Alvarado Hotel for special occasions. The students from the high school would sometimes walk to the Alvarado to have a classy lunch or to watch for celebrities coming or going on the trains. The hotel opened in 1902, part of the Harvey House chain but belonged to the Santa Fe Railroad. It was demolished in 1970. From 1900 to 1970 the Albuquerque population grew from 6,238 to 244,501, mostly growing after 1940. There are actually a few relics of the old hotel located around the current Alvarado transportation center that occupies the same space. The building just south of the Amtrak and bus station was the hotel's telegraph office.
The hotel was the first interior design job that the architect Mary Colter did for the Fred Harvey company. She went on to become the company's main architect and designed most of the historic buildings you see at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert Inn, and many other Harvey Hotels, including the last one in Winslow, Arizona (The La Posada is restored and open for business). Mary Colter had a strong influence on the popularity of Pueblo Revival and Mission architecture in the southwest.
Hotel Andaluz, in Downtown, opened in 1939 as a Hilton Hotel, and is a historic building which has undergone a successful restoration. When it first opened, it was the tallest building in New Mexico and the first building in the state with air conditioning.
I stayed there on my first visit to Albuquerque in 1989, just before relocating here. I definitely knew I was in New Mexico and not anywhere else, and it was part of what sold me on the city.
There are lots of great photos online, and although the famed Alvarado Hotel was lost, many historic buildings survive that you can visit today.
Photo of Central Avenue (Route 66) downtown in the 1950's when it was still bustling, before its decline when the interstate system caused many businesses to move out to shopping malls:
The Albuquerque Museum had a photo exhibit by a street photographer (Walter McDonald) of Albuquerque downtown in 1969 and it was jammed with pedestrians and local businesses up and down Central Ave. Quite amazing compared to today.
I haven’t stayed at the Hotel Andaluz yet. My hobby is visiting and blogging a review and photo commentary on historic hotels. (I ju$t vi$ited the La Fonda in $anta Fe.) The Guide to New Mexico Architecture has a description of the Hotel Andaluz. https://nmarchitectureguide.org/2018.../hilton-hotel/
Do you actually stay on location or just visit? Have you tried out the El Vado? After it stayed vacant for so long, I was glad to see it get a beautiful restoration several years ago. It opened in 1937 and was one of the first motels in New Mexico, a gem of Rte. 66. I enjoy the food and beer there after visiting the Botanic Gardens across the street.
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