25 Things We Love About ABQ

Published December 25th, 2024 at 12:00 am

There’s no shortage of shade thrown at our city — often from residents themselves, and sometimes justified. As we prepare to say goodbye to 2024 though, we wanted to share some of the reasons why we love our scrappy city. What’s not to love about a long list of music venues, diverse dining options and outdoor activities minutes from home? The following submissions are from the staff of The Paper. and its sister publications (but not the Santa Fe Reporter). 

1. We’re actually better than Santa Fe 

Tourists often see Albuquerque as nothing more than a city you have to fly into to get to Santa Fe, and most of us have pretty much come to terms with it. The thing most of those visitors don’t get is that our bars stay open past 10 p.m. and we’ve got a public transit system that actually works. Oh, it’s also cheaper to live here. If we get that urge to drink an overpriced cocktail with our pinky up, we can cosplay as a Fancy Pants McGee for a few hours and still make it home by dinner. (Andy Lyman) 

2. Black and yellow por vida

Somos Unidos. A magical 2024 season ignited an already-rabid fan base in Albuquerque that loves its Black and Yellow. This year, United hosted a playoff game for the first time in team history and set club records for wins and points. What will NMU do for an encore in 2025? (Kevin Hendricks)

3. Java Joe’s is still standing 

Many Burqueños still feel the sting from the 2019 closure of Winnings Coffee after a 24-year run near the University of New Mexico campus. The local hangout had it all — unpretentious vibes, killer prices, good food and great coffee. Thankfully, you’ve still got an alternative: Java Joe’s (906 Park Ave. SW #3045). When you step through the doors of the West Downtown habitat, you can’t help but relax. It’s got chill vibes, great art, bottomless coffee ($2.75) and great food — you can’t go wrong with the $8.75 green chile veggie omelet. Here’s hoping its almost three-decade run continues for three more. (Damon Scott)

4. We know how to be loud and proud at The Pit 

Catching a Lobo basketball game at The Pit is one of the best things to do in town. My wife and I love the energy — it’s always fun, win or lose. Pretty much every seat has a great view and the fans are so into it, which makes the whole experience even better. (Jesse Jones)

5. Art house movies aren’t dead

Although the mainstream movie industry remains in flux, surrendering further ground to home streaming, it’s encouraging to see a grown-up, old-school, single-screen cinematic destination like Guild Cinema still doing what movie theaters have always done best: exposing enthusiastic audiences to independent, foreign, cult and classic films. Owner/projectionist/ticket seller Keif Henley serves up a celluloid smorgasbord every week. Like psychedelic animation? Indian drama? ’80s slasher films? Punk rock documentaries? Queer cinema? Local films? Something by Werner Herzog? A film festival about fly fishing? Yeah, that covers barely half of January’s calendar. (Devin O’Leary)

6. El Machete keeps cutting through the bulls*it

Old-school Burqeños likely recognize the work of Eric Garcia, especially his biting political cartoons published in The Paper. When I started as editor, I knew I wanted to include some subversive content. As luck would have it, Eric contacted me asking if I was interested in running his El Machete cartoon. A product of the South Valley, Eric successfully taps into what it’s like to live in the city and speaks truth to power, all while cranking out work every week. (Andy Lyman)

7. The kids are alright

Any night of the week, you can catch performances in underground venues throughout Albuquerque from old bands that have maintained a devoted, unstoppable following for decades or innovative, undiscovered groups keeping rock ‘n’ roll dangerous. Angry, energetic young people who soak up music like spiky-haired sponges, along with old punks who might have lost some hair but haven’t lost their edge, pack venues such as Ren’s Den (900 4th St. SW) with little thought about how rough school or work might be in the morning. You can watch legendary locals with centuries of combined extreme music experience at their fingertips open for extreme music acts from all over the world and leave with a car full of CDs for the amount of money you would spend at the movies. (Michael Hodock)

8. We’ve got bloodys, buddy 

There’s no better way to recover from a fun Saturday night than hitting up Rio Grande Social (6631 Conrad Ave. NW) for a Sunday brunch. You don’t even need to order food thanks to the Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar, which includes up to two skewers ($20 for one skewer, $25 for two). You can pack each skewer with as much food as you can fit, including bacon, crab legs, chicken wings, doughnuts, pickles, shrimp, meatballs and pepperoncini. (Kevin Hendricks)

9. There are taco trucks on every corner 

Between ABQ Food Park (6901B San Antonio Dr. NE), The Block (7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd. NE, Rio Rancho), Food Truck Fridays at Civic Plaza and the front curb of just about every brewery in town, Albuquerque has got some positively baller food trucks. Lots of cities do. But we’d put our homegrown profusion of tasty taco trucks up against any other city’s. On a weekend night, you can cruise Zuni Road east of San Mateo Boulevard or Central Avenue up Nine Mile Hill or troll the Forbidden Tacos page on Facebook looking for a near-endless supply of birria, carnitas, al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, etc. In Albuquerque, every day is Taco Tuesday! (Devin O’Leary)

10. All the fitness opportunities 

Albuquerque residents, you have #noexcuses to be a couch potato. Our weather is hard to beat for at least nine months of the year, which opens up countless outdoor recreation options: A walk in the park or a hike on easy-access trails are but two. If staying indoors is more your speed, choose from dozens of gyms with a range of amenities. Drop in to local favorite Liberty Gym (2401 Jefferson St. NE) for $5. And if barbells don’t do it for you, how about hot yoga? Group fitness? The point: We easily live in one of the best cities in the country to stay fit. (Damon Scott)

11. A plethora of public parks 

One thing I love about Albuquerque is its plethora of neighborhood parks. Parks and Recreation Department spokesperson Emily Moore says the city has about 300 neighborhood parks, and that 90% of Burqueños live within a 10-minute walk of one of them. I live in City View Estates, and a park is within an easy walk for myself and my two small dogs.

There are three other parks I take them to for variety, none more than six minutes away. The parks are clean and well-kept and have enough going on to please both dogs and humans. 

There’s a social contract between the community and its pet owners that says we have to clean up after our dogs. Park volunteers make this easy by keeping the bag dispensers stocked. (Rodd Cayton)

12. UNM Children’s Hospital 

After a sinus infection gone awry, my kid recently had to spend seven nights in the hospital. The stressful and horrifying situation was countered with the friendly and helpful medical staff who never wavered, even when our stress got the best of us. The cherry on top was Child Life, a center at the hospital jam-packed with games, books and art supplies that help kids stay kids, even in trying times. Special shout out to Dr. Scott for chatting about Dungeons and Dragons with my fantasy-loving and bedridden son. (Andy Lyman)

13. The pinball community 

There are a million tiny communities in Albuquerque, including some you would never think about if you weren’t involved. For me, that’s the pinball community, which I discovered earlier this year. With pinball machines at a handful of bars and breweries around town, you can play games with your friends and even play in the monthly tournaments at Sister Bar (407 Central Ave. NW) Downtown (don’t worry if you’re not very good — I’m not and I have a lot of fun) or the monthly Belles and Chimes tournaments for women and nonbinary players. (Matthew Reichbach)

14. We’ve got some secret spots for sipping 

Thanks to some changes in the law, Albuquerque has tons of up-and-coming breweries. Appreciate a good IPA? You’re spoiled for choice! When it comes to cutting-edge cocktail lounges, though, the town still lags behind big-city legends like Death & Co. (New York, Denver, LA, Washington), Aviary (Chicago), Ranger Station (Atlanta), The Portrait Bar (New York), Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco). But the exquisitely clandestine Founder’s Speakeasy, hidden in the basement of the El Rey Liquors (622 Central Ave. SW), is as metropolitan as ABQ gets. Fresh local ingredients, obscure libations, inventive combinations and alchemist-like bartenders result in concoctions as delightful as they are incomprehensible. Just make sure you’ve got the password before you go. (Devin O’Leary)

15. Pho-king delicious food

Who would have thought there’d be so many amazing Vietnamese restaurant choices in the heart of New Mexico? My family and I love to go out for Vietnamese food at least once a month, and there is no shortage of options in Albuquerque. Some of our favorites to frequent are Basil Leaf (1225 Eubank Blvd. NE) and Lime (9800 Montgomery Blvd. NE). If you go, be sure to try the pho and spring rolls. Alternatively, Coda Bakery (201 San Pedro Dr. SE) is an Albuquerque favorite for its giant bahn mi sandwiches. Don’t forget to grab a slice of the green pandan cake on your way out! (Rachel Mills)

16. Rail Yards Market 

The Rail Yards Market is a fun way to see and taste New Mexico culture. You can get fresh produce, honey, loose-leaf tea, roasted green chile and much more from the numerous vendors on sight. Enjoying the yummy food while looking at local artwork and listening to live music creates a festive atmosphere that is perfect for visitors and residents. The market has brought the community together for 10 years and continues to thrive through volunteers and visitors who support local businesses. (Elizabeth McCall)

17. ABQ Bio Park

The BioPark is such a fun spot for the family. Whether we’re checking out the animals at the zoo or wandering through the botanical garden, there’s always something cool to see. The city puts on great events there too, such as Zoo Music and the River of Lights, so there’s always a reason to go back. (Jesse Jones)

18. Quiet breweries 

As I get further into my “grumpy old man” phase of my life, I’ll leave the loud, crowded bars of decades past behind in favor of a good, local brewery with a low buzz of conversation. Sidetrack  Brewing (413 2nd St. SW) on a weeknight with the regulars? Perfect. Thirsty Eye Brewing (206 Broadway Blvd. SE) with a jazz band on a Friday night? Relaxing. With breweries everywhere in the city, I always seek out the ones where you can sit at the end of the bar and chat with the bartender or read a book — or, of course, the latest edition of The Paper. (Matthew Reichbach)

19. We know how to treat ourselves 

We may not have the natural geothermal hot springs of the Jemez, but we do have a plethora of luxurious day spas perfect for a “me day” or a spa-cation. Many Albuquerque spas specialize in treatments that use local ingredients, such as red mud from the Jemez Mountains or piñon oil for a unique spa experience. One of my favorites is Betty’s Bath and Day Spa (1835 Candelaria Rd. NW). Betty’s has a seasonal treatment on rotation and is now featuring a “Winter Facial” special that includes Barbados cherry root and snow mushroom extracts with a cranberry foot treatment. That sounds good enough to eat. Remedy Day Spa (113 Vassar Dr. SE) has a great zen vibe and offers yoga classes, sound therapy events and a great outdoor space to soak in one of the many private hot tubs. (Tierna Unruh-Enos)

20. Randomly seeing a roadrunner

As someone who regularly walks around his neighborhood, I get to see all kinds of urban wildlife — mostly stray cats. But every Burqueño gets a little rush when they see a roadrunner in someone’s yard or crossing the road. If the roadrunner lives near you, you’ll even get used to seeing it. When I lived in Nob Hill, I’d see a one-legged roadrunner hopping around almost every week. (Matthew Reichbach)

21. Fishing the Rio Grande Bosque

We all know the state doesn’t have much water, but if you have the right bait and know the right holes, you can catch some respectable fish within Albuquerque city limits. In the summertime, you can hit the grocery store for some nasty chicken liver and maybe a couple of your favorite beverages, pack a small cooler and take a stroll through the cottonwoods to the Rio Grande for medium-sized channel catfish. In the winter, park the car on the bank of a lucky drainage ditch, pitch a line out the car window, crank up the radio and the heater and wait for a trout to bend that fishing rod. I won’t say where, but I’ve seen someone pull a giant pike out of about a foot-and-a-half of water in the middle of a neighborhood. (Michael Hodock)

22. Empire Board Game Library

The Empire Board Game Library offers a unique, cozy café experience with a large inventory of board games to play with friends and family. There are a variety of drinks and tasty food to enjoy while playing your favorite board games or challenging yourself to new ones. The friendly staff is also available to help walk you through any game. (Elizabeth McCall)

23. (Regular) Libraries 

In almost any city, the public library is a special place. Albuquerque is no different. The Lomas Tramway, South Broadway and Main Public Library locations are airy, welcoming and convenient. At the latter two branches, the books are the main attraction, though it should be noted that the Lomas Tramway Library has special programs going on several days each week, including “Read to the Dogs,” book groups and “Adult Crafternoon.”

At the Main location Downtown, there’s enough activity to fill a day, plus meeting and study rooms and a genealogy center. Always wanted to try a massive jigsaw puzzle, but have nowhere to keep it? The first floor of the Main Library is sure to have one going, and there’s likely to be someone to work alongside and chat with. (Rodd Cayton)

24. KUNM spins us right ’round

In the early ’90s, rumors circulated the playground that the college radio station played unedited music late at night — with all the cussing, of course — so I recorded KUNM programming over my unused, parent-approved cassette tapes. Today I can buy my own blanks, and I still love making mix tapes of KUNM’s Tombstone Rock, which plays extreme genres such as metal, hardcore punk and grindcore. Sometimes you can hear DJ Greg Markham switching the vinyl live on air, as he spins as many releases from brand-new or long-gone death metal bands as he can fit into his three-hour time slot. A bonus: he tells you the name of every single song, band and album. (Michael Hodock)

25. We’re comfortable crying in front of our friends at the Fiery Foods Show 

They call it “The Hottest Show on Earth.” The National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show in Albuquerque has grown from 47 exhibitors and 500 attendees in 1988 to a 20,000-person event with more than 1,000 smoking-hot products to purchase, or, more importantly, to sample. The show has sweet and savory foods from around the world tinged with just enough spice to satisfy sophisticated pallets, but even the toughest-tongued Burque badasses with something to prove will suffer immensely if they don’t heed the warnings from certain vendors. If you can handle the first dose, many of the stands have a secret stash of the REALLY hot stuff hidden away. (Michael Hodock)