Seven Bar Ranch - Albuquerque, NM

Seven Bar Ranch lies on land originally part of the Alameda Land Grant by the king of Spain in 1710. After several changes in ownership, the land was branded the Seven Bar Ranch in the 1920s and eventually featured a small airport that operated until the 1980s. The airport land developed into the Cottonwood Mall and numerous subdivisions and businesses filled in the desert in the decades that followed.

The closest museums to the Seven Bar Ranch area are the Food Museum to the northwest and the Balloon Museum at Balloon Fiesta Park 5 miles to the east. Exhibits at both museums regularly exhibit art. Locals can head to downtown Albuquerque for even more museum options.

A number of art galleries operate a few miles north along Highway 528, and the Cottonwood Mall hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the annual New Mexico Book Co-op.

Restaurants in Seven Bar Ranch range from chain restaurants, including a number of fast food choices, to local cafes, diners and restaurants serving international cuisine.

For an elegant take on the classic dinner, head to Flying Star Cafe. The restaurant and bakery serves breakfast all day, with specials such as spicy tofu tacos and the fiesta morning sandwich, which is a green chile bagel with eggs and cheese. Lunch and dinner favorites include free-form chicken pot pie and rosemary chicken risotto. This cafe serves up a number of vegetarian and vegan items, and be sure to save room for the award winning dessert selection.

Pelican's, an area favorite for over 30 years, dishes up an array of steaks and seafood, along with a few unexpected choices, such as Hawaiian chicken with pineapple and teriyaki sauce. The stake selection includes all of the prime cuts, as well as originals like ranchero top sirloin, which comes topped with green chiles and melted jack and cheddar cheeses.

Nightlife in Seven Bar Ranch consists primarily of restaurant-pub combinations, including a number of chains. For a fun night with friends, head to Vernon's Speakeasy where you can feast on delicious steaks and seafood and sip your choice of signature cocktails. This steakhouse and bar boasts a hidden entrance and a Prohibition-era theme, letting you step back in time to when gangsters in dapper suits ruled the nightlife scene. The luxurious lounge hosts live entertainment, and a cigar patio gives you the perfect spot to enjoy a stiff drink and a stogie.

Vehicles dominate travel in and around Seven Bar Ranch, with Highways 448 and 528 carrying most of the traffic. Highway 528 connects to Interstate 25 about 6 miles to the east.

A number of bus routes service the area, courtesy of the City of Albuquerque Transit Department, which connects outlying areas to the city. Hailing a taxi may prove difficult since Seven Bar Ranch is located outside of the city center, but call-ahead rides can be arranged with local cab companies and with Uber. Free parking exists throughout Seven Bar Ranch.

Bike lanes do not exist on the roads in the area, but bicyclists can travel to the west of Seven Bar Ranch to reach a series of dedicated bike lanes on Ellison Drive that connect cyclists to biking trails and other cyclist-friendly roads. In the immediate area, cyclists must share the road with motorists.

Walking between stores located in the same mall or shopping center presents the extent of walkability in the neighborhood, with most residential areas located too far from shopping and dining destinations for many people to walk.

Limited park space exists in Seven Bar Ranch, although a short drive brings you to a number of large parks.

To the southwest, an arm of the Petroglyph National Monument reaches near Seven Bar Ranch. The monument, which sits above the city of Albuquerque on a series of mesas, includes many desert hiking trails, as well as the opportunity to explore an estimated 24,000 petroglyphs carved by Native Americans and early Spanish settlers.

Across the Rio Grande River, a number of trails course through the Alameda Open Space along the river and through rows of cottonwood trees. The open space provides numerous picnic opportunities with scenic views of the waterways.

Chantilly and Eagle Ranch Parks break the rows of suburban homes south of Seven Bar Ranch, with Eagle Ranch Park catering to athletes with multiple basketball and tennis courts, as well as a children's play area.

The city of Albuquerque hosts a number of events at parks throughout the city. The largest event in the city's park, the renowned Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, takes place only five miles east of Seven Bar Ranch at Balloon Fiesta Park.

The cost of living in Seven Bar Ranch is lower than that for the City of Albuquerque, with the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment costing approximately $665. Public transit fare to the downtown area average $1 per ride or $2 for an all-day pass. Drivers pay on average 15 percent less than the national average for a gallon of gas, while bar patrons pay around $4 for a pint of beer.

Shopping in Seven Bar Ranch consists mostly of large chain stores, such as the Home Depot, Petsmart, Walmart and Marshall's. In surrounding neighborhoods a number of smaller local shops mix with even a more large chains, particularly at the nearby Cottonwood Mall.

For video gamers, Super Gamers Anonymous specializes in retro games, such as those made for the original Nintendo and Atari game systems. The store also carries contemporary games, as well as consoles, controllers and other accessories for retro and modern systems. The staff can also repair old systems so you can continue playing all your games from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

For cyclists, from occasional riders to serious athletes, Hawk's Tri-Cycle carries everything you need to stay on the road. The store stocks a wide selection of new bikes, clothing, helmets and other accessories. This store also specializes in ensuring triathlon riders keep their gear in top shape. If you need service or repair on your current bike, Hawk's Tri-Cycle can help.

Grocery shoppers in Seven Bar Ranch head to Costco, Walmart, Albertsons and Sprouts. During the summer, the city-run farmers markets provide farm fresh produce, meats, and other goods. The Los Ranchos Growers' Market represents the closest market to the Seven Bar Ranch area.