Eubank to Zuni

Mariah, Danny, and I blogged a little today on Central. We walked between Eubank and Zuni. You would think Sundays would be quiet and laid back but this was the first day that I actually thought I was going to be mugged. 

A guy ran out to ask for a dollar and it startled me, the way he ran at me. I gave him a dollar, he thanked me and left. Mariah was ready with her pen to stab him if necessary. I was prepared to swing my new, heavy camera at his head, and Danny had his skateboard. I'm happy to report we didn't have to hurt anyone. 

When we were walking back past the same spot, I noticed two police officers on foot on a side street and wondered if they had been there when I gave the guy a dollar. We saw those officers later on the other side of the street. Hmmm.

Okay, back to the point of this blog, to tally the number of in- and out-of-businesses along Central. All along Central, but especially in the area we were in today, there are a lot of auto sales/repair businesses, and it was difficult to tell if some are still in operation or not. It looked like a couple are still in business but not planning to stay that way. They had cars for sale but not a lot, like they were just getting rid of their inventory. So we counted them as in-businesses -- for now. 

Otherwise, there were a lot more in-businesses than out-of's on this part of our journey. Will it stay that way as rapid transit slithers in? 

The numbers
Let's go over the numbers so far. For today's stretch, we counted 32 in-businesses and 5 out-of-businesses (around 14%). For the entire stretch we've covered so far, starting at Tramway, there are 156 total businesses. Of those, 111 (71%) are in business, and 45 (29%) are out of business. 

Pictured is the Chips & Salsa Restaurant. I've always liked the sign. I don't know when it was in business -- I  don't remember it from my college days -- but would love to find out so if you know, please comment. My favorite part of this project is sharing memories. It's nostalgia and a love for what is uniquely New Mexico. 

I'm sure we will be going out again soon. I am having a truly excellent time blogging Central Avenue, and it's even more fun as we get more comments. Keep them coming!

New Mexico is Made for Slow Learning

Michelle Worley here, Live and Learn New Mexico! (L&LNM). This is an updated re-post from my first blog, L&LNM: Building a Nonprofit. 

I read Sir Ken Robinson's book, Creative Schools, and it made me think. I had started with a pretty clear picture and goal for L&LNM -- build a nonprofit program to help adults get their GED, learn to speak English better, and/or gain workplace skills. I was going to run my program as a community college-type adult learning program. Simple as that. Creative Schools gave me new ideas.

I figured I had enough money to allow myself a year to get my nonprofit going. I didn't want to rush into anything. I started blogging, which forces me to look a little deeper, and which in turn forces me to slow down and think before I write. I now consider myself a blogger, first and foremost.

During the 2014-15 school year, the standardized testing debate raged, and I became interested in advocating for teachers, having been one myself. I blogged about it and made the plea to give teachers their power back. That is when my ideas about how I wanted to run L&LNM and the philosophy behind what we do began to expand. I started to focus on the "learn" in our name.

You can't look at the testing issue without looking at the politics surrounding it, and so I started looking at the opt out movement, the reform movement, the slow learning movement. It was the ideas regarding slow learning that appealed most to me because they were all about learning and community, not education. 

I found myself growing tired of politics and the mindset that our legislators know more than our teachers and parents do. I also started getting tired of test publishers calling the shots. I came to believe that if parents, teachers, and students simply worked together and designed an effective learning environment, we would have no need for laws or politicians.

We don't have to start a revolution, as I thought in the beginning. We just have to concentrate on helping our kids learn and do it the way we think best. I no longer hoped that someone would give teachers their power back; I truly believe teachers can fairly easily take it back themselves.

I found myself wondering if L&LNM needs to rethink its position on the GED and concentrate on learning, pure and simple, by concentrating on NM communities at the local and state levels. The GED is no longer a primary player.

With this idea in mind, I took slow learning to heart and started finding out everything I could about NM. I am enjoying discovering other nonprofits and NM organizations. There are so many incredible people, things, and places here. I began to curate -- like and share posts on Facebook, Blogspot, and other sites to promote other NM nonprofits and local businesses. 

I had a specific goal when I started L&LNM. That led to a slow learning adventure, which is starting to result in a broader, wiser (I hope) vision and a renewed desire to celebrate the awesomeness that is New Mexico. It is a work in progress.

And that's where I'm at for now. I'm living in the east mountains and loving it. As long as it's New Mexico, it's good. It's a beautiful day. Go out today and for the next few days and learn something slowly!

What We've Learned So Far

Michelle Worley here, blogging Central Avenue, Abq, NM. I thought it might be a good time to go over what L&LNM has learned about this stretch of Route 66 so far from our readers who took time to comment. Thanks for doing that by the way. A few of the comments came from our post about Abq rapid transit. 

So far, we have tallied the number of businesses between Tramway and Eubank. People have shared some good stories/memories and also some good explanations of factors that could have led to the downfall of some of the businesses in this area. I was going to recap them but decided I'd copy/paste them in as they can't be said better than by the people who shared them.

Dante said:
I own what was once "The Wheel Smith" on Central and Mesilla street. We bought it after hearing then Mayor Martin Chavez just bought the.old Blue Spruce bar and torn it down and the Talin Market was being built. He mentioned how this area was going to be revitalized. I was so happy that my wife and I bought the wheel smith to open our business there. Boy what a letdown the whole section from Wyoming to San Mateo is a black eye for the city and both Mayors bogus empty promises.

Briana said:

Why start at Tramway and Central....98th and Central is expecting a community to be built close to Central further West . called Santolina..Billions of tax dollars are being spent on a community we don't need...afford...or want. These tax dollars could be used for ALL of Albuquerque...I agree route 66 is very sad..Needs some TLC.

Comments about the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park

Fe said: 

The Mobile Home Park started closing over 15 maybe 20 years ago. From what I understand a lot has to do with the city codes. Manufacturer housing and the set up of one must meet city codes. Gas water sewer, electrical. For instance if you were to move a MH into a property the house and lot must meet the city codes. Hardwire new pedestal gas lines underground. I hope this eye opening. I have family pictures of that building. Perhaps I can get more info from a relative who might know.

Anselmo said:

The Ponderosa Mobile Home Park was built in the early sixties by a married couple that came here from Oklahoma. I believe the widow owned it and was reluctant to sell any part when the Home Depot came and bought a portion of the park. Your article is not going to get any group to restore these old properties. Especially if the are privately owned. This is progress when Private land owners who have paid property tax for decades finally are able to sell they're properties to whatever businesses want to purchase them for redevelopment. East Central is riddled everywhere with Run Down Former Businesses & properties. This State is operating in the Red as well as all the other Tax payer waste and fleecing of tax payer funds by the City & County Agencies. We need business that bring jobs and pay taxes to maintain all the City. County & State Government Waste of Tax Payer $. The last thing that Albuquerque can afford to do is get involved in trying to maintain all these Blighted Structures. 

My favorite story so far is from Heather, who said about the Fair 'n' Square:

As a little girl, my mom (who passed away a little over 2yrs ago) used to take me with her to the Fair n' Square for groceries and various other things. When I was 11 I went to live with my father in Las Vegas, NV and had been gone for about 20yrs. In Vegas buildings get torn down all the time, half the casino's that were around in my childhood have long since been whiped off the face of the earth. So when I came to live out here back in July and I saw the Fair n' Square still standing and open it made me really happy. When I would go inside I felt like I was a little girl shopping with my mommy again. So seeing that it is now out of business really makes me sad. But at least I was able to shop there one last time and remember being with my mom.

Misc. Tidbits
We also learned that:
--the 66 pet spa in the Fairview Plaza has been going strong for at least 16 years
--Bill's Auto was operating back in the 1970s
--one of our readers worked at Hoyt's Dinner Bell, which was once located on Central and Aliso (in the '50s). I found a postcard with its picture for sale online. $14. 

I imagine there are more comments I haven't seen yet. They seem to be scattered all over the place. If you have commented and L&LNM or I, Michelle Worley, haven't liked or replied to it, then I haven't seen it yet. I apologize. 

Today's photo is further down Central than we have tallied. Since rapid transit is happening so fast, I thought I'd better take photos before they tear down more buildings. Today I saw people outside of the building I recently posted about. It looks like it will be razed soon. 

That's it for now. Wishing you all a peaceful New Mexico evening. 

An Empty Swimming Pool with Graffiti

Michelle Worley here, blogging Abq's Central Avenue again. Today, Danny and I explored Central Avenue between Elizabeth and Eubank. This little stretch is one that has many places I find fascinating, which is why there are more photos on this post than I usually include. 

Pictured first is Bill's Auto Parts Service. It's been closed up for as long as I can remember. I noticed that many homeless (?) people sit in the shade next to this building. It rests in the corner of the parking lot of a much bigger store, a Best Buy or something like that. What is the story behind this place? Does anyone know?

We saw three mobile home parks, one no longer in operation. In fact, it was recently razed. I wish I had snapped a photo before that happened. 

We realized that this razed park was related to a bigger park across the street, one that from the street looks to be deserted but when you look behind the main building, you can see that people still live there. 

I'm guessing there is no office on site and everyone mails their rent in to a management company. There is an empty swimming pool with graffiti. 

 

The numbers
Okay, so here are our new totals. Between Elizabeth and Eubank today we counted 20 total businesses. There were 14 in-businesses and 6 out-of-businesses. 

For the entire length we've covered so far, between Tramway and Eubank, we now have 119 businesses. There are 79 in-businesses and 40 out-of's. The percentages remain steady at 66% in's and 34% out-of's. 

Please continue to comment and share what you know about Central Avenue. I'm learning a lot! 

A.R.T.
I'm still having a hard time dealing with A.R.T. Someone, on another blog post, commented that it would be a good idea if it were on any other road, like Coors or Menaul. That is so true! When I think of it happening on another road, I can see the benefits. My problem is that they are doing it on Route 66 and the history of Abq's stretch of this Mother Road will be demolished. That is a sad thing. Why, why, why does A.R.T. have to happen on Central? 

Is It Really That Bad?

Michelle Worley here, blogging about in- and out-of-businesses on Central Avenue, Abq, NM. Today, Danny, Mariah, and I hit Central between Juan Tabo and Elizabeth.

Interestingly, we counted many more in-businesses than out-of's. It was encouraging. Maybe things aren't as bad as I was thinking. We counted 22 in-businesses and only 3 out-of's. Tucked in between all of these businesses is one small mobile home park, clean with trees and nice artwork on the surrounding wall.

There is also an American Legion building (pictured) that looks deserted but I googled it and Post 49 seems to be active. The entrance they use to access the building is probably in the back.

Let's end on a positive note
I'm going to keep it short today. On the entire stretch so far -- between Tramway and Elizabeth -- we have counted 99 businesses. Of those, 65 are in business and 34 are out of business. That's about 34% out of business, down from our last post, which was almost 42%.

Will this trend continue? Maybe I am just seeing all of the sad out-of-businesses and thinking there are more than there really are. Maybe it ain't so bad after all.

I'm learning a lot from comments made on this blog, from people who worked or lived in the areas I write about. Abq is such a crazy interesting city. Please continue to comment and share what you know but BE NICE!

On another note -- we encountered A.R.T. this morning and it is not pretty. It is traffic cones gone wild.

Until next time.

A.R.T. -- Central's Death Knell

Last night, we drove down Central, as we often do, and discovered that the controversial Abq Rapid Transit (A.R.T.) project has begun in the form of 2 of the 3 lanes of traffic being closed for construction. They have closed miles of lanes but construction is only happening in a small portion of those miles. Drivers are more than a little irritated. For the next 15 months, I think, no one will be driving down Central. They will use alternate routes.

I listened to the radio this morning and the horror stories are too hard to hear. People whose commute to work was always 20 minutes are now looking at an hour or more. This is RIDICULOUS! Every person who called in said they are against A.R.T.

Do we have a voice?
There was no democracy in the decision to go ahead with this ludicrous project that is way too big for little old Central Avenue, for little old Albuquerque. If there were democratic processes in the decision to do this, then the decision would have been made NOT to do it. All you have to do is look in all the windows of the businesses along Central to see all of the No A.R.T. signs.

There's your vote, people, a vote by those who work on Central and whose businesses are on the line because of a project that is simply overkill, designed to make someone money but not them.

Blogging Central
Needless to say, this stupid A.R.T thing is going to affect my Blogging Central project. I can deal with it but I need to work faster to get the information I want before the project causes even more changes. I want to reflect what's been happening on Central in the past 20 years or so. I don't want to deal with A.R.T.

But it is what it is, and I'm sure I will be thinking long and hard about how this stupid project is affecting a city I'm just starting to truly love. I don't want to lose it so soon. Damn you, A.R.T!

That's all I've got for now. I'm including a photo I took on my walk through the Los Poblanos open space today. Something peaceful.

Boarded Up and Forgotten

Michelle Worley here, blogging briefly about our short walk further down Central Avenue today. My daughter Kelsey and I didn't hit the road until afternoon and it was hot today so we parked in the almost empty parking lot of the almost empty strip mall on the northeast corner of Juan Tabo and Central and walked back to where we left off last Saturday -- Western Skies. Only a couple of blocks but eye opening, starting with the strip mall on Juan Tabo. 

There is a Lota Burger on the corner, which seems to get good business. Then there are, on the other side of the lot, a few small shops that are in business, including a sandwich shop, a pet salon, and a people salon. 

Everything else is closed and boarded up. When we were there, there were parked cars scattered about the lot and in many of them, there were people sitting inside. Just parking somewhere for lunch?

We then headed back up Central toward Western Skies and tallied up in- and out-of-businesses on both sides of Central. Altogether, including the strip mall, we found that there were 10 in-businesses and 9 out-of-businesses. We visited the Salvation Army thrift store, a very nice store, to cool off a little. Then we headed back to the car. 
Summing up
The first day we explored Central, we counted 55 total businesses, 40% of which were out of business. When we add today's numbers, we have a total of 74 businesses. Forty-three are in business and 31 are out of business. That's almost 42% out of business. 

In one short walk of only two blocks, the number of out-of-businesses has grown by 2%. This project could get depressing. 

How can we turn it around and create something positive from it? Can we do something for the homeless? Are the owners of these out-of-businesses hurting financially, too? Is there a way to help them get out from under? Things to think about. 

That's it for today. Another spectacular fall day in the Land of Enchantment. Enjoy!

The First Leg: Tramway to Western Skies

It was a dreary Saturday, overcast and drizzly, but we headed out to Central Avenue anyway, just to walk a few blocks and tally in-businesses and out-of-businesses for our Central Avenue project. On Friday, we had already counted up those in the Four Hills shopping center, where the movie theater is located. That was interesting.

We counted eleven in-businesses  and seven out-of-businesses but some of the in-businesses were seasonal, like a voting location and a tax service, both silent and empty when we went by. There is also a dentist, devoid of patients the two different days I walked past their window. 

I wasn't sure about the transitional housing suite. It is covered up with paper in the windows for privacy and you have to ring a bell to get in and it's hard to tell if anything is going on there. But I think there is. 

Sprouts usually has customers and the Dollar Store and laundromat have pretty good business but otherwise, there weren't many shoppers around, as evidenced by the almost empty, massively large parking lot in front of the movie theater. At the other end of the mall, around the corner from all the other businesses, separated by a huge empty suite, is a lonely Subway. 

Next to the four hills mall, to the west on Central, is an abandoned, boarded up Carl's Jr.

Forging on
That was what we discovered Friday. On Saturday, we continued on from the boarded up Carl's Jr, tallying the number of in- and out-of-businesses along the way until we reached the light at Central and Western Skies.

I'm sure we weren't 100% correct but we counted 22 in-businesses and 15 out-of-businesses on this stretch of Central. Out-of-businesses exist in various forms. Some are closed up and the lots kept clean. Some are boarded up and heavily gated. Some have been abandoned, left covered in weeds, and have suffered fire and other kinds of damage. Still others have been razed, leaving only empty lots and their signs behind. 

Taking totals from the entire stretch of Tramway to Western Skies, then, there are 33 in-businesses and 22 out-of-businesses. It is a little alarming that 40% of the businesses on that little stretch of road are not in business anymore. 

Who are the people behind all of those out-of-businesses? Are they hurting financially or did they simply switch to running things online and they're doing fine? Or are they big corporations? 

That's all for today. I plan to explore Central again tomorrow, starting at Western Skies. I'll let you know what I discover. I always welcome your comments, suggestions, and cheers of encouragement. 
Go New Mexico!

Central Avenue Out-of-Businesses

Michelle Worley here, starting up a new Live and Learn New Mexico! blog about Albuquerque's Central Avenue. I got myself a new camera and I'm ready to go out and learn about the stretch of Route 66 that runs through New Mexico's largest city. 

Much of what motivates me are my own memories about the road, memories from college and after. More than that, though, what motivates me are the experiences of the last couple of years -- as I moved from Bosque Farms to Cedar Crest, taking Zuni and Central to avoid the interstate. 

It was sad to see all the businesses I remembered -- restaurants and motels -- that had shut down. It was alarming, when I looked closer, to see just how many businesses had For Rent/For Sale signs up and that most of those signs have been up for a long time. 

Add to that the fact that, since I've moved to Cedar Crest, which has been a little over a year now, I've seen at least four businesses on east Central (and one just outside of town) close their doors forever. The photo with this post is of one that closed just last month. 

Blogging from east to west
My plan is to start on the east end of Central, at Tramway, walk down several blocks at a time, and work my way to the west end, taking pix and blogging along the way. My focus will be on what is happening to businesses but I will, I'm sure, also be looking at the history of different places along the way, and I hope to hear stories from people who have lived/worked in the areas I cover. There's a lot of street art that I want to photograph, too. 

I suspect I will be learning a lot of sad things about this road, at least economically, but I also suspect that, once I've started this project, I will love Central Avenue even more than I do now. 

Please help me on this journey and share memories and information you have about Central.