Albuquerque's Gay Scene
By Andrew
Collins
New
Mexico's largest city, set dramatically at the base of the soaring Sandia
Mountains, makes a great - and affordable - base for exploring the rest of
the Land of Enchantment. Albuquerque lies just 60 miles south of Santa Fe
and within an afternoon's drive of countless Indian pueblos, beautiful
hiking and biking spots, and challenging ski areas. The "Duke City" (named
for the city's founder, the Duke of Alburquerque - the first "r" was later
dropped) enjoys a sunny, mild climate, and it's home to New Mexico's only
gay bars as well as a handful of gay-owned B&Bs and restaurants. And
throughout 2006, Albuquerque celebrates its tricentennial with dozens of
performances, events, and museum installations that trace its rich and
vibrant history.
Albuquerque's once dull downtown has undergone an ambitious revitalization
in recent years, with loads of new shops, restaurants, and bars along or
near the main drag, Central Avenue between 2nd and 8th streets, and also
along parallel Gold Avenue. From here, it's a five-minute drive to
historic Old Town, which was laid out in 1706 and contains Albuquerque's
earliest building, the San Felipe de Neri Church, which fronts the serene,
tree-shaded Plaza. The wares for sale at the more than 200 crafts and art
galleries and boutiques in the area run the gamut from fine to kitschy,
and a few very good restaurants are nearby. For an offbeat experience,
step inside the small but venomous American International Rattlesnake
Museum, which contains the world's largest assemblage of live rattlers.
Within a short stroll of Old Town you'll find a handful of the city's most
prominent attractions, including the recently expanded Albuquerque Museum
of Art and History, which houses an astounding collection of Spanish
Colonial artifacts, plus traditional and contemporary regional art.
Exhibits on geology, volcanoes, and dinosaurs await you across the street
at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Also check out
the Albuquerque Aquarium, Rio Grande Zoo, and Rio Grande Botanic Garden.
It's just a short drive from Old Town to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
as well as the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, both of
which have exhibits, cafes, and performances related to their respective
cultures.
Much of Albuquerque's gay scene is focused in the retro-hip Nob Hill
neighborhood, a short drive east of downtown along Historic Route 66
(Central Avenue), which glows with the neon signs of coffeehouses, bars,
greasy-spoon diners, galleries, and boutiques selling everything from cool
home-furnishings to campy gifts. Central Avenue fringes the southern edge
of the University of New Mexico (UNM), whose noteworthy attractions
include the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology and the University Art Museum.
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