Albuquerque Travel Forum

I am planning a visit to Albuquerque and was considering staying at an Old Town hotel. How easy (and safe) is it to walk to the sights in Old Town and how far of a walk from the Sheraton Hotel in Albuquerque (former name)? Can you easilu (and safely) walk from Old Town sights to Downtown area? I hear there is a walking tour.

Thanks for your help.

The former Sheraton Old Town is in a good location and you can easily walk to the plaza, museums and other attractions in that area, including the aquarium and botanical garden. However, that hotel is getting older and I think changing owners. I am not sure of its quality. You may want to consider one of the B&B's in the area like the Bottger Mansion or Casas de Suenos (http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-191501976-albuquerque_hotels-i-nearoid-2734844-radius-35-sort-distance). As far as walking to downtown from Old Town, the distance is not that far but I would not recommend doing it at night unless it is part of a tour.

The former Sheraton is now called the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. It has been recently renovated and should be a good place to stay.
There is an express bus (Rapid Ride) on Central Ave. which will take you downtown in about 10 minutes. It runs every 10 minutes during the day. It will also take you to Nob Hill and the University area which are fun to explore, since there's not much of interest downtown itself.

Thanks for your information. I look forward to seeing this wonderful part of the country.

You can ride Rapid Ride from Downtown to Old Town for only a dollor, and it runs till 8 pm. I think the best place to catch the bus is on central and first next to the Movie Theater. Check my website under Albuquerque and Transportation for bus information. Your safe in the area, be carefull at night as you would anywhere.

Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT skip Downtown Albuquerque!!! Next to old town it is one of the oldest and most historic parts of our great city and as such has some of the most amazing architecture to be found (be sure to see the beautiful Kimo theater at Central and 5th). Our downtown is also undergoing one of the best and fastest renovations of any in the country. So, with some of the best restaurants in the city, a movie theater, art galleries, coffeeshops. gift shops, live music and stand up comedy venues, our downtown will make a great place for you to spend a good part of your visit to Albuquerque.

If you do find yourself downtown:
Check out the beautiful lobby of the La Posada Hotel on 2nd street about 2 blks south of Central. This was Conrad Hilton's very first hotel. For food go to the Flying Star Cafe on Silver and 8th, just south of Central. The Pueblo Deco Kimo Theater is at Central and 7th.

Prometheus made some great suggestions for things to do downtown (glad you saw the light on visiting downtown Prometheus). Be sure to do all of them but be warned that the Kimo Theater is at 5th and Central. Check our Albuquerque pages for other things to do and places to eat in downtown.

Thank you for your candid comment about night time safety. I am a "young" 59 year old retiree and have been thyinking of buying a condo in the downtown area as I enjoy being close to everything. Are there any areas in particular to avoid or to focus on? Thanks again.