Two parts of Albuquerque show different periods of the city’s growth: Old Town gathers adobe buildings around its historic plaza, while Nob Hill follows Central Avenue’s Route 66 storefronts east of the University of New Mexico. ART buses connect them through Downtown.
Old Town: plaza streets and the Portal Market
San Felipe de Neri Church anchors Old Town Plaza. Built in 1793 after an earlier church collapsed, it stands among former homes, shops and government buildings now used by galleries, restaurants and stores. Covered portals line many building fronts, with built-in benches known as bancos along some back walls.
On the plaza’s east side, the Portal Market brings local artisans together to sell handmade jewelry, including turquoise bracelets, necklaces and earrings. The city formalized the market in 1991. Vendors choose when to sell, so the tables and selection vary from day to day.
Art, local history and sculpture on Mountain Road
Albuquerque Museum is at 2000 Mountain Road NW, near the Old Town plaza. Its galleries include Common Ground: Art in New Mexico and Only in Albuquerque. Docent-led tours cover the museum’s galleries, sculpture garden and Old Town.
The museum’s visitor page lists opening hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with Monday closures. It also publishes holiday closures and admission details.
Nob Hill’s neon and Route 66 buildings
Nob Hill’s neon gateways cross Central Avenue at Girard and Washington. Terry Conrad and Joan Weissman created them in 1993 as a public art project recalling Route 66 commercial signs. They mark the ends of the main shopping and dining corridor.
Along that corridor, Little Bear Coffee and Wine Bar occupies the former Save Way service station, Fan Tang uses the Andy Johnston Service Station, and M’tucci’s Bar Roma is in the Jones Motor Company building from 1939. The Nob Hill Business Center, designed by Louis G. Hesselden and completed in 1947, represents the period’s drive-in shopping architecture.
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel; CC BY 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP.
ART connects the two neighborhoods through Downtown
The Old Town ART station is at 2024 Central Avenue SW. Nob Hill has a station at 3150 Central Avenue SE, followed by East Nob Hill at 3730 Central Avenue SE. Routes 766 and 777 serve all three stations, and ART currently has no fare. The platforms are in the center of the street, reached by marked, signalized crossings.
Eastbound, route 766 continues toward Uptown Transit Center and route 777 toward Central and Tramway. Westbound, both head toward Central & Unser Transit Center. For regional connections, eastbound ART calls at Alvarado Transportation Center; westbound downtown stops include Main Library on Copper Avenue. The city’s ART route and station guide provides the full stop list and operating hours.