Los Volcanes - Albuquerque, NM

The Rio Grande Valley, and especially the land between Los Volcanes and downtown Albuquerque, has been home to Native Americans for centuries. European settlers first came through the area in the mid-1500s, and the area's population grew slowly until Route 66 was built, pumping in travelers from across the country. The growth of the neighborhood continued, and in 1966, West Mesa High School was built in the center of the area. Half a century later, Los Volcanes reaches from near the banks of the Rio Grande to the western horizon.

The University of New Mexico across the river hosts the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, where artifacts chronicle the history of the people of the area. A modern addition to those traditions, the New Mexico State Fair takes place each September at Expo New Mexico in the northeast heights. Its rides and other attractions draw residents from all over the state.

Most eateries in the area sit along Route 66, called Central Avenue in the city, which runs east-west, and Coors Boulevard spanning Albuquerque’s westside from north to south. Albuquerque residents all know Stufy’s, as the restaurant remains famous throughout the city for flaky sopapillas stuffed with meat, chile and beans served the same way it was decades ago. This family run restaurant has a reputation for fresh ingredients hand-selected by the Villanueva family, owners of the restaurant.

Mariscos Altamar gives the area a taste of the Mexican coast with fresh fish and a selection of drinks fit for a vacation. Cucumber jalapeño margaritas exist among the specialties, and drinks come in massive goblets. Dive into a ceviche plate for around $11, and wash it down with a spicy alcoholic digestif.

Residents love to start their mornings with breakfast burritos from Golden Pride Chicken and Ribs. Originally known for its barbecue, this local chain's claim to fame has now become its selection of tortilla-wrapped morning meals, including carne adovada and bacon with green chile. During peak hours, it’s not uncommon for more than a dozen cars to be waiting at the drive-through, but this eatery’s burrito production fires on all cylinders, so expect to be gone with your grub in 5 minutes.

For upscale dining and drinks into the evening, residents often take a 10-minute trip across the river to St. Clair Winery & Bistro for live jazz and Italian-style fare. This laid-back adobe eatery’s shady patio remains the perfect place to sip its refreshing St. Clair Chardonnay and try appetizers such as the cheese nosh plate with chocolate and crostini. Splurge and get the hand-cut sirloin with garlic mashed redskin potatoes, which costs only $15 at this classy but reasonably priced bistro.

For a rowdier bar crowd, head across the street from St. Clair's to Q Bar. Its reserved leather booths and concept cocktails draw the trendy crowd to this lounge run by the Hotel Albuquerque.

Catch the latest movies downtown at Century 14. Its stadium seating and IMAX theatres rank as some of the most modern in Albuquerque. Another nearby attraction where the newest large-format movies play is the Lockheed Martin Dynatheatre at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. A stunning screen almost 40-feet high and pounding digital surround sound show science and nature-themed documentaries, often with a tie-in to a temporary museum exhibit.

Los Volcanes residents live a quick car trip away from nearly anything in the city thanks to Coors Boulevard spanning the neighborhood from north to south. Travelers scoot along at a relaxed speed limit and connect to Interstate 25 near its northern terminus and Interstate 40 in the south. To get to the center of town, drivers usually opt to bypass busy Central Avenue and head north to the Coors and I-40 on-ramp, through which drivers can be routed to the “Big-I,” or Interchange of Interstates 25 and 40, which conveniently cross in the center of town.

Parking in Los Volcanes stays ample and free, including along the rest of Albuquerque’s West Side. Residents rarely rely on walking to get where they need to go because of the size of the area, but public transportation exists along Coors Boulevard, and an express line serves a route between Los Volcanes and the UNM area. Central Avenue’s Route 66 bus line can be relied upon to arrive every 20 minutes, and a $2 ticket earns you one-way passage anywhere in the area. Taxis prove hard to hail in Los Volcanes and Albuquerque in general, other than near the airport and downtown. Luckily, Uber and other ride services are just a few taps away and can be counted on for quick rides throughout the city.

City buses all come equipped with bike racks, and Albuquerque is networked with hundreds of miles of pedestrian and bicycle trails perfect for commuting and relaxing alike. Many city streets also have safe, dedicated bike lanes, and getting to work can mean throwing your bike on the bus for the uphill ride in the morning and a lazy coast down the slope of the Rio Grande Valley after your day.

Albuquerque’s parks remain free to use and have on-site parking, and a half dozen of them ring Los Volcanes. In the center of the area, West Mesa High School hosts baseball fields and tracks residents often use on the weekends, and grassy space for soccer and other recreation sits just next door at West Mesa Park. Also in the area, Pat Hurley Park’s multi-level expanse oversees one of the best night-time views of downtown Albuquerque and has plenty of space for dogs to run and climbing structures on which kids play into cool desert evenings on Albuquerque’s West Side.

The cost for a one-bedroom residence in Los Volcanos sits around $562, which falls slightly below average for Albuquerque. The area’s location across the river from most of the city originally made it less attractive to renters, but improved bridges and other transportation infrastructure have greatly reduced the amount of time it takes to commute to the east side.

The price of a beer averages around $4.50, less than the average around Albuquerque, and a decent meal costs around $7, also below the city average. The price of gas contributes to the below-average cost of living in Albuquerque, at around 9 percent lower than the national average, and a bus ticket anywhere in town costs $2.

Shopping in the area largely radiates along Coors Boulevard and Central Avenue, and commuters on these busy routes often stop at Donut and Bagel Express for cheap donuts and coffee served quickly. Keep your eyes peeled for the hand-painted sign at Coors Boulevard and Los Volcanes Road that points the way to this small bakery that also sells New Mexican morning favorites, such as green chile stew for $4 a bowl, including tortilla.

If you want to step outside the heat of the desert, stop in at Deep Blue Scuba for gear and travel packages to exotic underwater exploration destinations like Belize and some closer to home, such as Santa Rosa's Blue Hole in the eastern part of the state. It also offers certification classes for this specialized sport.

Smith's and Albertson's are both nearby for grocery shopping, and Louie's Produce, a few minutes to the south of Central Avenue, has fresh fruits and vegetables.