Albuquerque Population 2010: 545,852, #32 in U.S., #1 in New Mexico 1950: 96,815, #113 in U.S. 2010
Metropolitan Area: 887,077, #57 in U.S. 1950 Metropolitan Area: 145,673, #119 in U.S. Setting Albuquerque
was founded by the Spanish in 1706 along El Camino Real, a trade route between
Mexico City and Santa Fe. The city is on the Rio Grande, at the base of the Sandia Mountains. Buildings Tallest building: Albuquerque Plaza, 351 feet (1990) List of tallest buildings Stores Albuquerque has no downtown department stores. Trains Amtrak’s Southwest Chief goes west from Albuquerque’s Alvarado Transportation Center (2002) to Los Angeles and east to Kansas City and Chicago. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express (2006) is a commuter railway that goes north from the Alvarado Transportation Center to Santa Fe and south to Belen, covering a total of about 100 miles. Museums The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, and New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science are all near downtown. |  Downtown Albuquerque Theaters The
Century 14 Downtown Albuquerque is a first-run movie theater. The El ReyTheater (1941) is a former movie theater that now has concerts. The
Kimo Theatre (1927) is a former
movie theater that hosts a variety of events. Opera Southwest now performs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Popejoy Hall, on the campus of the University of New Mexico (east of downtown), hosts the New Mexico Philharmonic (2011), touring Broadway shows and other events. Sports The Albuquerque Isotopes, Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, play at Isotopes Park (2003), southeast of downtown. |