Moronic Officials Destroy Historic Landmarks

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This mural is on the south wall of the condemned building on 2nd Street and Central Avenue (Old Route 66). It’s the same building that has the Route 66 mural on its north wall that I posted on January 19th. The depiction of the torn newspaper bearing the headline: Moronic Officials Destroy Historic Landmarks refers to the Historic Alvarado Hotel that stood along the railroad tracks from 1909 to 1970 when it was demolished. The site sat vacant, used as a parking lot, until 2002 when the first phase of the Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Center was completed in the style of the Alvarado Hotel. A second phase was completed in 2006. While many historic buildings in downtown Albuquerque where torn down during the urban renewal craze of the 1960’s, it was the Santa Fe Railroad who demolished the Alvarado Hotel in 1970.

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The south end of the Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Center as it looks today.

Route 66 on Route 66

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I have posted pieces of this mural in the past, but I don’t think I ever posted a panorama of it before. The mural is on the north facing wall of a condemned building on 2nd Street and Central Ave (Old Route 66), across from the street from the Sunshine Building in Downtown Albuquerque. I remember years ago there were offices in the building. The interior is split into two levels. When you walked in the front door, you faced the floor of the upper level at about eye level. Depending on where the offices were, you either had to go up stairs to the upper level or downstairs to the lower level.

Route 66 and All That

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The last time I photographed the Route 66 Diner, I believe three years ago now and the wall at the entrance off Central Ave. (old Route 66) didn’t have all the old signs and Route 66 memorabilia nailed to it. The mess of signs makes for an interesting collage under the distorting eye of my 17mm lens.

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