Friday, August 30, 2013

Celebrate Local Street Food at the Albuquerque Food Truck Showdown


Cities from San Francisco to New York are developing thriving food truck scenes, and Albuquerque is no different. With the city’s gritty aesthetic and its signature Southwest cuisine, it’s no wonder that food trucks, like Goritas Valle Gourmet have taken hold around the city.

On September 8 at the Sandbar Sports Bar & Grill, all of the city’s best food trucks will battle for food truck bragging rights at the Albuquerque Food Truck Throwdown. Along with some of the best street cuisine in Albuquerque, Duke City Food Trucks will also be hosting  live music from local bands and DJs, a beer hall with locally made fine wines, as well as a classic car display from 9 am to 3 pm.

The Albuquerque Food Truck Throwdown isn’t just a celebration of gastronomy, though. To go with the truck theme, all proceeds from the event will be donated towards the renovation of the Wheels Transportation Museum.


To read more about the Albuquerque Food Truck Throwdown, click here. Do you have a favorite food truck in Albuquerque? Or how about a food truck from another city that you WISH were in Albuquerque? Recommend your favorite street food on our Facebook page!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Get to Know The Arbors Apartments


At The Arbors Apartments, we’re pretty proud of all our property has to offer. We’re a community close to downtown Albuquerque, uptown, and the freeway, yet we have the atmosphere and amenities of a residential neighborhood.

Featuring affordable studio apartments as well as homey one and two-bedroom units, The Arbors also has three pools, which are great for you and your guests during the warmer months and a new fitness center. We have laundry on premises, available 24 hours per day, and maintenance service available at your request. To see a more complete list of all the amenities you’ll find at The Arbors Apartments, click here.

And our neighborhood? From food, to restaurants, to entertainment and local art, The Arbors is in close proximity to some of the city’s best establishments. To browse our interactive neighborhood map, click here.

Curious what units we have available now? Check here for pricing estimates and floor plans, to see if we have an apartment that fits your life - rent starts as low as $571 per month!



Head over to ArborsAlbuquerque.com to find out more about what makes The Arbors so unique, and “Like” our Facebook page for news from around town and updates about what we’re doing!

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Bright Side of Breaking Bad Tourism


If you’re an Albuquerque native and you have friends in other cities, maybe they’ve been a little more interested in our city ever since Breaking Bad went on the air.

In this week’s issue of The New Yorker, Rachel Syme has a great article about Breaking Bad tourism in Albuquerque. Syme, an Albuquerque native, calls these tourists “Breaking Bad pilgrims”; and from an outsider’s perspective, all of the imagery and events going on surrounding the TV show might seem a little odd. But many feel like the show represents the grittiness, multicultural appeal, and the natural beauty of Albuquerque.

Syme summed it up nicely in her article:
Driving around Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I grew up, you see “Breaking Bad” pilgrims everywhere. They descend from tour buses and trolleys to snap pictures of Walter White’s house and, possibly, to toss a pizza on the roof (for an extra fee). They visit the city in search of Jesse Pinkman’s R.V. and the wide, cinematic landscapes from the show. Debbie Ball, a local confectioner known as the Candy Lady, who has a shop of the same name, has made a small fortune selling dime bags of blue rock candy meant to evoke Heisenberg’s meth formulation. “They just don’t stop coming,” she told me. “Suddenly, they’re all here.” It took a long time to get people to Albuquerque—but not for locals’ lack of trying.
One concern in the media, however, has been that the show depicts the city negatively. Syme had a great response to that criticism, citing that Albuquerque’s “underbelly” is worth promoting:
Many people have asked me if I think “Breaking Bad” shines a “bad light” on the state. I don’t. And, often, the unabashed love of Walt and co. by locals (citywide events, themed microbrews, Heisenberg hat manufacturers) is puzzling to outsiders. The show is a fable about seediness and monstrosity and a city ravaged by drug trouble. Baltimore isn’t exactly putting up billboards about “The Wire.” (But we are!) I try to explain that New Mexicans are proud of anything that draws us out of neglect, out of never really fitting in. We are just happy to be considered, even if it is for our underbelly.
To read the full article from the New Yorker, click here.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Ending Homelessness in ABQ Through Pragmatism


Homelessness is a problem that any major city has to deal with. In New Mexico every year, at least 17,000 people experience homelessness in one form or another.

Fortunately, ABQ Heading Home is working to help end homelessness in Albuquerque. However, they have a very nuanced, realistic vision of how to get it done. According to the group’s mission statement on their website, they’re taking a pragmatic approach to their cause:
We aim to make experiences of homelessness rare, short-lived and non-recurring. We achieve this by providing permanent, supportive housing solutions to people and their families who are medically vulnerable and have been experiencing chronic homelessness. 
RARE: Each year a goal is set for how many people will be housed. This will reduce the number of people living on the streets. 
SHORT-LIVED: Through shared metrics and improved community coordination, we aim to move people from homelessness into housing within 60 days. 
NON-RECURRING: We expect to housing retention rate after 12 months of 70% or higher.
The group also needs volunteers to help out—so if you are available between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first Monday of the month, attend their volunteer orientation and learn more about how you can help out. The next orientation will be on September 2. To learn more about ABQ Heading come, click here.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Guerilla Photo Group Offers Albuquerquians Photography Guidance


A group of local photographers are making waves in Albuquerque. The Guerilla Photo Group, which has been in existence since 2006, has recently seen a surge of interest.

What’s special about the Guerilla Photo Group (GPG) is that it welcomes photographers of all experience and skill levels. Founded by Albuquerque-based photographer Rip Williams, the group meets every Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm at the Rip Williams Photography Studio.

According to Williams, he started the group so that local artists, photographers, models, or casual photographers could work together to build their portfolios:

“When I was getting started, I was very fortunate to have a good friend who was willing to mentor me,” he said. “I asked myself, ‘How can I pay that forward?’ Guerrilla Photo Group was the answer.”

Coming up in August, the Guerilla Photo Group will have its “Prints of Darkness” show, which will focus on low-light photography, and will feature up to 30 pieces from local photographers. To learn more about the Guerilla Photo Group, including how to join them, click here.

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