Victory Hills - Albuquerque, NM

UNM was founded in 1889, and the area was home to a steady if small population into the interwar period, during which the creation of Route 66 and scourge of the dust bowl combined to thrust many thousands of Midwestern farmers off their land and west along America’s ‘Mother Road’, taking them through the neighborhood of Victory Hills. This and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad running through downtown created a crossroads that naturally deposited people and their varied cultures into the area over the years. This and other history of the Rio Grande Valley has been carefully documented among the many thousands of artifacts and pieces of artwork featured at Albuquerque Museum in historic old town, a few miles west of Victory Hills.

Route 66, called Central Avenue within Albuquerque, pulses as the focal point of shopping and dining in the area. Its offerings include the famous Frontier Restaurant and its filling breakfast burritos for less than $7. The tortillas come off the griddle within minutes of being ordered, and despite its considerable seating capacity, the line winds out the door many weekend mornings and late nights.

Students flock to Saggio’s for its pizza and atmosphere. The din of young diners hits the ears as you open the door, and the high ceilings echo the energy and the sound of sports on a dozen televisions. Root for the Lobos, and grab a slice of pizza and a soda for less than $10.

Sit outside and eat stuffed sopapillas at El Patio de Albuquerque; its shady patio sits just steps south of the university’s biology building, and this eatery has New Mexican cuisine down to a science. Expect to pay around $12 per entrée as you watch backpack-laden passers-by.

For a fun bar with a diverse clientele and inexpensive drinks, head west along Central Avenue to the Copper Lounge. Beer costs accommodate the cash-strapped student, with $2.50 draft beer on some nights, and tacos cost 50 cents on Tuesdays. Resident grab movies a couple blocks west at Century 14, and its 3D screens and stadium seating host one of the more modern screening experiences in town.

Residents of Victory Hills enjoy close access to interstates and public transportation. Albuquerque’s freeways and avenues are often uncongested, but parking in Victory Hills can be unusually tricky because of its proximity to UNM. Having developed in concert with the university and its localized population, the area remains highly walkable. Most accommodations include parking of some sort, but expect local congestion when school’s in session. Avoiding traffic with the city’s public transit system proves to be easy, and the most well-served route in the city remains the Route 66 line.

A ticket to hop aboard costs $2 and allows you a one-way ticket anywhere in the city. Uber drivers array everywhere in Albuquerque, and other driver services exist if you call ahead. Taxis can be found along Central Avenue around the time when bars close but can be hard to flag elsewhere. Extensive bicycle and pedestrians trails network the city, and dedicated bike lanes on many city streets receive continual updates and expansion. The gentle slope on which Albuquerque sits can be taken advantage of by riders who plan their routes carefully, and even riding uphill toward the mountains isn’t too intense for most cyclists.

Dozens of parks exist in the area, free to use and easy to park near. Roosevelt Park in the western section of Victory Hills acts as home to a Frisbee golf course and smooth, steep hills that accommodate careening kids on sleds during uncommon winter snowstorms. Spruce Park and its shady playground to the north is home to outside fun for toddlers and dogs, and the tennis courts at Wellesley Park further east host racket-wielding workout participants. Each holiday season, head a few blocks east to Nob Hill and watch the Twinkle Light Parade that grinds movement in the area to a halt with its spectacular display of rolling wattage. Winter also welcomes the Nob Hill Shop ‘n’ Stroll, which features music and giveaways from the area’s upscale and eccentric selection of retail outlets and restaurants.

The average rental rate for a one-bedroom accommodation hovers around $649, which sits only slightly above average for Albuquerque. Proximity to UNM has much to do with this, in addition to the above-average city services and community support afforded to a neighborhood so near and visible to the students and scholars at the state’s flagship university.

The cost of a beer stays appropriate for a neighborhood awash in students on a budget at less than $4.50, and Copper Lounge has specials that can sink the price to as little as $2.50. Meals prove similarly inexpensive and can incur less than a $5 charge in a number of spots. Dinner can mean $5 for a slice of pizza or more than $30 for yourself and a friend to sip beer and enjoy New Mexican fare outside at El Patio. Parking to shop in Victory Hills can cost a couple bucks an hour. If you drive a hybrid, the city gives green permits, which allow for free parking in city-owned lots. Otherwise, expect has prices at around 9 percent lower than the national average, and a bus ride anywhere in Albuquerque costs just $2

Central Avenue hosts the area's concentration of shops, and if you worship hip-hop, check out LA Underground's assortment of vinyl and hard-to-find classics. The bright mural on its western wall beckons the free-styling faithful to this mecca of beats and rhymes.

Rude Boy Cookies bakes up racks of deluxe and traditional cookies, and the staff proves surprisingly polite. Gluten-free and other options exist and students stop in to create crumbs and do homework or surf the net in this inviting eatery with Wi-Fi. Men and women seeking retail love the selection of fashion resale and consignment items at Frock Star Vintage. Shoppers often find a hidden treasure or two under this roof.

Residents stop at Smith's for traditional groceries and household staples, but locals love the organic array of produce and other products at La Montanita Co-op. Head a few blocks east to Morningside Park and the Nob Hill Grower's market, which takes place May through November on Thursday afternoons.