One of the major streets in town where you will find some shopping and some entertainment. I was surprised at how broad the avenue was, hard to get across it by foot. Built for the automobile.

We drove this in parts a few days. Very interesting places and signs to see. We stopped and ate at 3 different restaurants. The food was good at each of them. Highly recommend, at least driving part of this Route 66 section in New Mexico.

During the past few days, I’ve walked along Central Ave many times. During the day, please keep in mind temps were in the 80s, it was like any hollowed out downtown, few green spaces, the only people on the street were down on their luck. Cars and concrete. However, Friday nights are special. The city closes the north-south streets until 8th Street in the early evening, and the whole scene is cruising! Old dolled up cars, trucks, and motorcycles, pedestrians galore (much goth, metal), many mainstream folks, too. Central itself is closed later. It’s quite a spectacle. A lot of bars and nightclubs, people mostly young, a lot of pot on the breeze. It’s a delightful scene for the Aquarians among us. Like I said, there is a preponderance of people living on the street, which, since most other folks seek refuge in a/c, draws attention. I’ve lives in downtown Chicago since the 80s, and the folds in Albuquerque are much more laid back, they don’t approach you or come into you as much as in other cities. How you feel depends on what you’re used to I guess. I love Central Ave on Friday nights. What a great thing for the city to do! Give the street back to people!

This area is absolutely awful. Albuquerque is the biggest nest of crime in the state. If you go to Old Town or to Central Ave. by the university, make sure you are packing a weapon or have a security detail with you. Was in Albuquerque this weekend. When filling up my vehicle just northwest of UNM (at a shuttered-up gas station, like most establishments are there), was watched intently by two creepy guys on the corner while I filled up. They actually started running towards us as I jumped in car and drove off. One of the guys had what looked to be a tire iron in his hand. That same evening, we went with my teenage son into a Dunkin Donuts near the university to get coffee for the ride home and was attacked by a drug-crazed guy while I was paying for my coffee...in the restaurant. He came up behind me, punched me in the back of my head, and tried to pull me down by pulling the hood on my jacket. My son and I proceeded to take the assailant down to floor, disarmed him of his 6 inch knife, and held him down until police arrived and wrestled with guy to arrest him. Just think, one single night in Albuquerque and I am unlucky enough to have this happen twice. Just think of living and trying to raise a family there! I am not kidding, it was bad in Abq. when I attended college there 30 years ago. It really sucks now. I'd never send my kids to attend school here.

was just passing through new mexico on the way to california not knowing anything about central avenue.. we got a hotel quick since it was about 11 and needed a place to sleep a bit since we had still 14 more hours to get to where we was going.. As soon as we pull in the area its full of homeless and people wandering the streets.. There was a waffle house next to the econlodge we got a room at which the waffle house was boarded up and immediately you felt a negative prescence in the area. i come to look it up on google and turns out alot of locals warn to stay put the area if you can.. well just our luck we got to spend the night here.. wish us luck and BEWARE Of Central Avenue.. In ALB NM