Garcia's Cafe has a good mural of Route 66 on the side of the building. We took a picture, but the parking lot was full of vehicles, so the shot wasn't great. Garcia's is supposed to have very good food, which might explain the full lot.
This is an obviously new neon sign for the Route 66 Malt Shop & Grill.
The building, unlike the sign, is pure vintage. The end is rounded. There's an entrance on this side, and one on the other for a separate business.
It's fairly long.
You can see the diamond shaped glass block detail on the counter through the door. And the windows advertise 'Ice Cream Sodas' and 'Phosphates.'
The building is actually 'L' shaped on this side. There are two service bays in the extension. The extension is rounded just like the front of the building. I wonder what this used to be.
This is the other side of the building. It appeared unoccupied when we were there.
This is the back of this side. There's just a little extension, but it's rounded as well. What a great old place.
The Dog House has an animated neon. The dog's tail wags at night. Perfect.
This is the Villa di Capo Ristoranto Italiano at 722 Central Ave SW, Albuquerque. We didn't have time to stop and eat, but I would like to have. It looks like an old deco facade on the building, that the owners have enhanced with a second floor balcony eating area. There are also outdoor tables in a lovely walled garden. This place sits right on a busy corner, so you could sit and enjoy your meal while watching the world go by. A great idea.
The added balcony was well done. It doesn't detract from the building at all.
The original detail to the building is great.
This is the Hotel Blue across the street. I don't know when it was built, but it looks like it came from the '40s or '50s.
This is the historic El Rey Theater.
It's an interesting story. You can read a little about its history here.
And this is the Kimo Theater. It was built by the in-laws of the man who built the El Rey.
This is Pueblo Deco at its finest.
I don't think these signs are old, but they blend right in with all the period buildings.
There's lots of interesting old architecture on this section of Route 66 in eastern Albuquerque.
Another great sign and building. This part of town is rife with history.
This is the corner of Central Avenue and 4th Street in Albuquerque. It's here that old Route 66 crosses itself. No--that doesn't mean that travelers drove in a circle. Route 66 changed over the course of time, following different roads to make the trip easier. The pre-1937 alignment of 66 followed 4th Street through town. The later alignment followed Central. So--on this corner, Route 66 crosses itself. Neat, huh?
This wonderful place is the 66 Diner. It occupies the building from the 1940s that was Sam's 66 Service Station. That must have been some service station--this is no small place. Note the Burma Shave style signs out front.
Of course, the neon is pristine.
The Deco styling is great. Both of those glass block windows are curved. And most of the other windows are round.
Even on the sides of the building. I understand that the milk shakes are supposed to be wonderful here. Alas, there wasn't time to test that. Maybe next time......(sigh)
The Copper Lounge has a neon sign in that's in great shape.
This sign is also is good shape. So nice to see.
This is the Nob Hill Shopping Center. The Nob Hill Shopping Center was designed by the noted architect Louis Hesselden. The design is a mixture of Territorial Revival and Moderne design elements. This National Register property is one of the best remaining examples of a 1940's automobile-oriented shopping center in
Several of the original neon store signs and the deco-inspired towers are still intact. From what we saw when we were there, the shopping center is still very active.
The Nob Hill Motel was formerly the Modern Auto Court.
The Premier Motel has what is known as a Googie style sign. According to Wikipedia, " Googie, also known as populuxe or doo-wop, is a subdivision of futurist architecture, influenced by car culture and the Space Age and Atomic Age, originating from Southern California in the late 1940s and continuing approximately into the mid-1960s. The types of buildings that were most frequently designed in a Googie style were motels, coffee houses, and bowling alleys."
This gem is the now Kellys Brewery, but it was formerly the Jones Motor Company, built in 1939. It was a Ford dealership and Texaco service station.
The style is Streamline Moderne, designed by architect Tom Danahy. It has a classic stepped tower. Lovely.
You can see the round showroom from the side angle. It's so nice to see some of these spectacular period buildings being restored and repurposed.
This place, believe it or not, was originally a fire station. It was built in the Pueblo Revival style. The city closed the station in 1972.
And this lovely place is housed in what was originally a Whiting Brothers Motel and Station.
It's another example of Streamline Moderne styling, with the iconic stepped tower.
And now a few more great old signs to take us out of Albuquerque:
Hiland Theater and Shopping Center.
This sign looks like it came from slightly later--maybe the '50s or '60s.
The Zia Motor Lodge. The orange flower lights up at night.
The Tewa Lodge sign is great. (It's Googie style.)
The Lodge itself is pretty great, too.
I'm pretty sure this guy used to promote something other than Vietnamese Cuisine. I wonder what?
The Loma Verde Motel, with appropriately green sign, was once the Loma Verde Court.
Isn't this a great old sign? It was once the Pioneer Luxury Court. That sounds like an oxymoron to me, but, hey, what do I know...
The Bow & Arrow Lodge has another Googie style sign.
The Pinion Motel sign is somewhat smaller than most of the others.
Luna Lodge obviously didn't want travelers to miss where they were.
According to David Wickline's Images of 66, "La Puerta Lodge (1949)...was designed after the Palace of the Governors building in Santa Fe using rough-hewn posts, and elaborately carved capitals and entablature."
And just a final example of vintage southwest architecture as we finish Albuquerque. This place was perfect. I have no idea what it houses, but someone obviously takes loving care of it.
Well, that's it for Albuquerque. By the time we left, we were pushed for time--again. I'll put the rest of Friday in the next post. Until then.....
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