Explore Albuquerque's West Central

Atrisco, Pat Hurley, and Nine Mile Hill

The village of Atrisco (from the Nahuatl word, atlixco, meaning “upon the water”) was established in 1692 under the Atrisco Land Grant and settled in 1700. By 1760, 200 settlers made up la villa de Atrisco. The land grant today encompasses the various neighborhoods of Pat Hurley, Crestview, Alamosa, Vecinos del Bosque, South Atrisco, and several acres south down the Rio Grande. This general area is also called the South Valley, the beating heart of Albuquerque’s Hispanic heritage. The residents of the South Valley were masters of irrigation agriculture and primarily remained farmers until 1900. The historic Atrisco acequia - or community ditch - is still preserved today and considered an important example of New Mexican agricultural infrastructure.

Start your morning at Mac’s La Sierra with a delicious New Mexican breakfast (and snag a photo of the iconic cow sign!). Pat Hurley Park is a short drive off of Central Avenue (Route 66), but it’s worth it to see that iconic view of the Albuquerque skyline under the Sandia Mountains. Then, bike along the Atrisco acequia lining the bosque, basking in the lush forests and farmlands only a hundred yards off Central. Learn more about how acequias have ensured a future for New Mexicans for centuries here.

Then

Now

View of West Central with cars driving on the road

Just west of the South Valley and Coors Boulevard, Route 66 quickly transitions into one of Central Avenue’s newest neighborhood developments, known as West Central. Here lies the Route 66 Gateway, a neon arch that spans the road and welcomes visitors. The arch’s vivid colors are evocative of the high desert during the day and bring a neon glow to the streetscape at night.

At the top of Nine Mile Hill, a steep slope on far West Central Avenue, pull over in the early evening and look east for a panoramic view of the Sandia Mountains with Albuquerque sparkling below. The hill gets its name from the nine miles that mark the distance between Downtown Albuquerque and the mesa top. As local legend has it, Elvis Presley drove his Pink Cadillac from Los Angeles back to Tennessee on Route 66. He would stop at Nine Mile Hill at night, park along the dunes, and admire the city lights of Albuquerque.

Then

Now

The West Central Route 66 Visitor Center, located on Nine Mile Hill at 12300 Central Ave. SW, will open in the summer of 2025 in time to celebrate the Mother Road’s centennial. Here, you’ll see interactive exhibits that tell the story of the legendary American highway. The venue also will offer a variety of exciting events year-round.

Photograph courtesy of the City of Albuquerque Arts and Culture

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