A piece of Americana was lost last week as the Aztec Motel, which once stood at Central and Aliso in Nob Hill, was demolished. According to this KRQE report, owner Jerry Landgraf, said it would have cost too much—an estimated $1 million (which, in the scheme of things, seems like an insignificant amount of money)—to restore the memorabilia-bedecked landmark, built in 1932. Landgraf now intends to erect lofts or shops at the site. On the bright side, the City of Albuquerque owns El Vado and the De Anza, and plans to restore those historic Route 66 motels.
I drove by there last week and saw all the artwork was gone. I guess the good news is that there will be a new place to get coffee in Nob Hill!
You probably know all this, but:
the historic house at Cornell and Silver.
It's called the Gilchrist House. There are a few circa-70s books in the UNM library on the history of architecture in the University area and along the central corridor. They have archival photos and talk about the place. As a young boy, my grandpa-in-law watered all the trees on the property for his summer job....which they chopped down last year.
Clearly you live no where near this thing. I have had to pass a new dead prostitute every time I needed to go down to 7-11 on that 11:40-last-chance beer run. It will not be missed.
Hooray! The killer building has been vanquished! Maybe now 7-11 will return to being the cultural mecca that it used to be.
Seriously? If the Mayor gets wind of the idea that bulldozing buildings will make the Bad Stuff go away, Albuquerque may get a lot smaller. What's next? I know lets make it illegal to feed pigeons so THEY will go away. Lets make it illegal to be stupid!
When I moved away from my folks place, my first apartment was behind the Aztec. As a penniless 19 year old, I used to dine at the adjacent 7-11 on a daily basis and would walk the scenic route through the Aztec parking lot to get dinner. I never had any trouble (nor stumbled across any dead prostitutes). A mecca for "wing nuts" of course, but no real dangerous characters ever crossed my path. I enjoyed discovering a new kitschy display each time I took my stroll. Though I don't miss my former lifestyle, I will always have the fondest memories of detouring through ABQ's favorite dive hotel landscape. RIP Aztec.
