Michelle Worley, L&LNM Blogs Abq's Central Avenue.
We are
getting further west on Central and there are fewer businesses to count
but it was nice to get out in the unseasonably warm weather and walk a
little. The worst of A.R.T. was at Central and Coors.
I'm suffering, for the first time since starting this
blog, a little writer's block. It was so nice out and, once we left
Coors and headed west, there were few signs of A.R.T. so I didn't feel
angry about its destructive path.
There weren't that many businesses along there so I couldn't really get angry about the out-of's either.
Maybe
it isn't writer's block but spring fever. Yes, I think that's it. So
I'm going with it. I will save the anger and outrage for another day and
just enjoy a lazy Sunday in Cedar Crest.
The Numbers
Between
new Coors and Unser, we counted 14 (78%) in-businesses and 4 (22%)
out-of-businesses. For the entire distance we've covered so far, we have
counted 809 total businesses, 642 (78%) of which are in business and
185 (22%) of which are out of business.
Heading East
We're
moving soon to Moriarty (woo hoo!) and plan to continue to follow Rt.
66 east. We also plan to blog those little east mountain towns like
Estancia and Mountainair -- wherever our curiosity leads us. Lots of
interesting stories and history! Can't wait!
Michelle Worley, L&LNM Blogs Abq's Central Avenue
L&LNM
has been busy blogging Central, and I've learned a lot, mainly that I
oppose A.R.T. more than ever. So much so that I need to write about it. I
also want to argue for bringing back Route 66, an historic trail that
is known around the world, and restoring its power to Central Avenue.
Business, business, business
I
still firmly believe that A.R.T. is a money-making venture for a small
group of businessmen, pure and simple. You can talk all you want about
building communities and cutting down on daily commutes to work, etc.
but it's about business.
And I am freakin' tired of business. I
don't want to go into business. I don't want to build a business. I
don't want to run a business. I don't want to work for Big Business.
It's about community
I
do, however, believe that building communities leads to a better
quality of life for everyone, no matter what business you are in.
I
believe that those communities shouldn't be centered around what you do
for a living but around where you grew up, where your roots are, and
where you have always wanted to live.
Sure, it's nice to live close to work but if you live where you live only because of that, then you aren't as much about community as you are about work.
You are a group of individuals who live where you live so that you
don't have to drive to work. You want to save money for your own
household. It's about work communities, and I guess that isn't a bad
thing.
Also, these professional communities serve the business --
if everyone who works for Presbyterian Hospital lives right across the
street, attendance is much better, I'm sure. Nothing wrong with that,
just seems like it's not about community.
True communities the Route 66 way
I
want to see communities who pull together to make their neighborhoods
good places to live, people working together for a common cause that has
nothing to do with business.
If we had gone the Rt. 66 route, we
could have easily built communities that would go out of their way to
make change happen. Money could have been put toward renovating old
motels and restaurants that highlight what Rt. 66 was about.
Neighborhoods, I'm sure, would rally around such efforts.
Restore Rt. 66 and business will follow
With
worldwide interest in Rt. 66, it only makes sense that bringing it back
would be a good thing for Abq. I mean, if you are all about money, it
is a great way to go, and really, compared to the cost of A.R.T., it
would be quite cost effective. That would make taxpayers happy.
Businesses
that have faltered over the years could get a second chance. We could
build a living museum that tourists could see from vintage Rt. 66-type
cars or anything other than high-speed buses flying down the middle of
the road, leaving no time to appreciate Central's history.
More
importantly to me is that communities would grow stronger as people jump
on board and help in any way they can to make it happen. We are
nostalgic! We love the past.
Also more importantly -- there would be money available, money not
spent on A.R.T., that could be spent on finding ways to make sure no
one is sleeping out on the streets, hungry and vulnerable.
That's it for today.
Mariah, Danny, and I decided to blog Central a little today. A.R.T.
construction was going hard and heavy. There were more pedestrians out
in the area we covered, between Oak and Broadway (I think -- there are
no street signs anymore, at least not where you can easily see them.)
I'm glad we didn't have the little kids in strollers with us. It wasn't
the best area for strolling.
We were a little surprised that
there were quite a few in-businesses and not so many out-of-businesses.
But there were few people in any of the in-businesses.
In
the next few days, we will share photos of some of the in-businesses we
have seen. We hope that by sharing them on FB we will help them attract
customers.
We also discovered some great street art on our walk and will share it on our Facebook page as well.
The Spread of A.R.T.
We
stopped to have lunch at Thai Vegan after we blogged, and as we ate, we
took photos and videos of the big bulldozer outside the window, tearing
up Central.
I asked the waiter if business had been affected in
any way, and he said that A.R.T. had just started there a few days ago.
It was busy while we were there, in fact, busier than we usually see
that restaurant. We can only hope it keeps up.
The Numbers
Between
Oak and Broadway, we counted 34 (85%) in-businesses and 6 (15%)
out-of-businesses. For the entire distance we've covered so far, we have
counted 809 total businesses, 628 (78%) of which are in business and
181 (22%) of which are out of business.
Blog With Us!
We
will be blogging Central at Coors this Saturday, January 21, at 1:00.
Join us and share your stories. Bring your families! We will be at the
Walgreens parking lot with two little kids in strollers.
Go New Mexico!
Michelle Worley, L&LNM Blogs Abq's Central Avenue
On this
chillingly cold Saturday, Mariah, Danny, and I headed out to the west
side of Central Avenue, and we took Mariah's niece and nephew with us.
They got to enjoy the walk bundled up in their strollers. Turns out it
wasn't so cold after all and we had a nice walk.
We were afraid
that we would have to walk in the street because of A.R.T. construction
-- as we had once or twice on east Central -- but the side we walked on,
the north side, was pleasantly A.R.T.-free.
It was the traffic
coming from the west that was really bad. I think we were observing
travelers coming from Grants, Gallup, etc. to visit Abq or travel
through.
I'm willing to bet there were Route 66 travelers as well
who were in for a bitterly disappointing drive along Abq's part of the
Route. I bet they weren't happy at all. It was pretty much a
slow-creeping stream of cars all the way into downtown Abq. Traffic
cones the whole way.
Signs of the Times
In
this 'hood, I noticed there aren't as many smoke shops as I've noticed
on the east end. In the short distance we walked, there are a lot of
payday and title loan-type businesses.
We also saw a lot of
"ministries" (see photo) that I don't understand. Many have windows that
are shut off from public scrutiny with dark paper. What are these
places? Are they shelters? Are they churches? Are they open? They didn't
look it.
I tried to google one but found nothing online. If anyone can shed some light on this, please do.
The Numbers
Between
Old Coors and Estancia SW, we counted 24 (83%) in-businesses and 5
(17%) out-of-businesses. For the entire distance we've covered so far,
we have counted 769 total businesses, 594 (77%) of which are in business
and 175 (23%) of which are out of business.
Next Steps
No
one joined us on today's walk but it was super cold. Someone did,
however, honk twice (I asked in another post that anyone who sees us
honk twice) and I waved enthusiastically back. At least, I hope they
were honking at us and for that reason. Let me know if it was you.
WE
WILL NOT GIVE UP! We will continue to invite others to join us. So far,
Joaquin Baca and Mary Driscoll have taken time to share their stories
of this iconic road that runs through our city. We appreciate it
greatly.
The next call to join us is for Saturday, January 21, at
1:00 pm. I don't know where we will meet yet so stay tuned. We post it
on our underutilized website (www.liveandlearnnm.com) and we will post
it on our Facebook page as well.
That's it for today. Go New Mexico!
Michelle Worley, L&LNM Blogs Abq's Central Avenue
Today,
Danny and I hit Central between University and Oak, where Presbyterian
Hospital is. We had already counted in- and out-of-businesses between
Yale and University a few days ago so we combined those few numbers with
today's.
This is the UNM/CNM area. Some interesting discoveries:
--Coach's Bar had a long run from 1997-2012, serving the university sports community.
--Tierra
Adentro, the New Mexico School of Academics, Art, and Artesania, is a
charter school whose mission is to "create an inclusive and thriving
learning environment comprised of a demographically and culturally
diverse student population with a focus on academics, art, artesanía
(artisanship), and the study of the cultures that comprise our rich New
Mexican heritage to ensure awareness, preservation, and progression of
our cultural legacy."
Seems like there were a lot of
out-of-businesses but if we saw lights on in buildings, we counted them
as in, not matter how out-of- they seemed. Not a lot of pedestrians but
it is winter break so that is to be expected. A.R.T. construction is
still a bitch at University and Central.
The Numbers
Between
Yale and Oak, we counted 33 (73%) in-businesses and 12 (27%)
out-of-businesses. For the entire distance we've covered so far, we have
counted 740 total businesses, 570 (77%) of which are in business and
170 (23%) of which are out of business.
Walk With Us!
We
will be blogging Central again this Saturday, January 7, at 1:00. We
will start at the Church's Chicken near Old Coors and Central. Join us
and share your Central Avenues stories. If you're out driving Central
and see us, show your support by honking twice. Happy New Year!
Michelle Worley, L&LNM Blogs Abq's Central Avenue
On Christmas
Eve, L&LNM met with Mary Driscoll near Atrisco and Central. Mary
has lived in this 'hood for a long time and has seen the changes over
the years. She has kept up with community news about A.R.T. and its
effects on local businesses. She, too, is concerned that a rapid transit
system like this is too much for Abq and unnecessary. Mary was kind
enough to walk with us and share her experiences living in the area.
One
story we heard was that of a local favorite, El Charritos. A.R.T. is
making them first, move their sign, and then cut their already small
parking lot by 6 or so spaces. The city will reimburse them part of the
cost but the majority of it will have to be paid by the restaurant. REALLY? Should they have to pay for any of it?
Mary
pointed out two or three empty buildings that promise to soon be in
business but who knows if that will really happen. She told us of
businesses that moved once, twice, because of A.R.T. and still lost or
went out of business. For rent signs abound.
As well as it being
xmas eve, it was a Saturday so there was no construction and probably
less traffic than usual. I appreciated the quiet to hear Mary's
stories.
We plan to drive through this area soon, during a
regular business day, and see what happens. Cone-wise, it looks a lot
like what we've been seeing on east Central. It's easy to imagine what
it's like during rush hour on a Wednesday.
The Numbers
Between
Atrisco and Coors, we counted 49 (88%) in-businesses and 7 (12%)
out-of-businesses. For the entire distance we've covered so far, we have
counted 695 total businesses, 537 (77%) of which are in business and
158 (23%) of which are out of business.
Next Steps
We
are thinking that we will meet every other Saturday and invite others
to join us. We'll be doing our usual unorganized blogging in between but
it is nice when people from the 'hoods we blog are there to tell their
stories.
The next time we will blog will be Saturday, January 7, 2017, at 1:00 pm. Don't know where yet. We'll let you know.
Michelle Worley, L&LNM Blogs Abq's Central Avenue
Mariah, Danny, and I decided on the spur of the moment to blog
Central a little while we were out and about. We walked between Girard
and Yale, the UNM 'hood. This is another area where there are more
in-businesses than out-of's, littered with shops that cater especially
to the college student.
I earned both of my degrees from UNM, and
I have fond memories of being a UNM student. I feel the nostalgia when
I'm on campus but not so much when I'm walking Central in front of UNM.
It's just an A.R.T. mess, and when you look up University, the nightmare
only gets worse.
But it's the winter break so it isn't as bad as
it would be if school were still in session. That's about all I have to
say about this stretch of Central. It's a quiet week for blogging.
The Numbers
Between
Girard and Yale, we counted 39 (93%) in-businesses and 3 (7%)
out-of-businesses. For the entire distance we've covered so far, we have
counted 639 total businesses, 488 (76%) of which are in business and
151 (24%) of which are out of business.
Christmas Eve Blogging near Atrisco
L&LNM
(Kelsey, Danny, Mariah, Jesse, and Michelle) will be blogging the
Atrisco 'hood this Saturday, Christmas Eve, at 1:00. We will meet at the
Monte Carlo parking lot. Join us if you can!
