Albuquerque Places

Old Town, Downtown, EDo and Barelas

Albuquerque's social and commercial anchor since the settlement was established in 1706, Old Town and the surrounding blocks contain the wealth of the city's top cultural attractions, including several excellent museums. The action extends from the historic Old Town Plaza for several blocks in all directions—most of the museums are north and east of the Plaza. In this area you'll also find a number of restaurants and scads of shops. Some of these places are touristy and can be missed. The artsy Saw Mill and Wells Park/Mountain Road neighborhoods extend just east of Old Town's museum row; the Duranes section, where the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center commands attention, is just a bit beyond walking distance to the northeast of Old Town.

To reach Albuquerque's up-and-coming downtown from Old Town, it's a rather drab (though quick) 1¼-mi bus ride, walk, or drive southeast along Central Avenue. Although downtown doesn't have many formal attractions short of its anchor (and destination-worthy) art gallery scene, this bustling neighborhood is one of the West's great urban-comeback stories. It's a diverting place to wander, gallery-hop, shop, snack (or dine), or simply soak in some fine remnants from its Route 66-era boom years for a couple of hours. From here, you're a skip away from the historic Barelas neighborhood to the south, and its superb must-see, the National Hispanic Cultural Center. To the east is another revitalizing section of town: now known as EDo (East Downtown) and encompassing the historic Huning Highland District, this is where Albuquerque's Old Main Library—an architectural gem—and Gothic Revival high school (now condos) still stand, and restaurants and shops seem to sprout up daily.