What are we supossed to do when we get to Albuquerque, cruise Central on the bus? 6/30/08 at Los Lunas

[Flaca]

Monday-6/30/08, I was at the Los Lunas Rail Runner station when a couple asked me what they could do in Albuquerque. I really didn't know what to say. Then another older couple showed up and asked other people the same question.
All anybody could think of was to cruise up and down Central until something opened up. They were waiting for the 8:09 RR, #506, that arrives in Alb. at 8:37. Because they were older, they wanted to do something before it got hot. They couldn't get out of Dodge, oops, Albuquerque until 12:36. They didn't want to go broke, but they were willing to spend some money. They were saying that they might as well go for the ride and cruise up and down Central like elderly teenagers, but they probably wouldn't do it again. About that time, I thought that Cottowood Mall might be opening up after cruising East Central. The Coors bus runs about every 15 minutes, so it was doable. They cheered up just a little bit.
by the way, the LL parking lot was filled up with cars and many cars were parked illegally and other people were being dropped off.
I enjoyed the ride. A guy showed up with breakfast burritos, but he didn't have any coffee to go with the burrito-shame for me. I needed some liquid-hot and with lots of caffiene.

[Just Al...]

3 big things-to-do-in-the-Duke City:
ride the bus, go to an art gallery, go to a restaurant....

and if you really have some extra cash, you can sit in a bar and grill, get loaded and watch people go up and down Central!

[New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery]

Well, next time you have people ask this question, tell them to get on the Rapid Ride, get off at Carlisle, and walk a two blocks west to New Grounds. We'll entertain them for hours with prints to look at. We're open at 9am everyday except Monday (when we're closed) and Tuesday (when we open at ten)

[Matrix Fine Art]

There is lots of art to see at Matrix, and we also open at 9am.

[Flaca]

Okay just Al-this was the AM crowd and the last RR of the day that goes south leaves at 6:36 PM.
As far as the Matrix and the New Grounds Gallery goes, I'm going to get hold of the RR people-they actually have a name and phone number displayed and see if there can be something like a bulletin board, where you don't have to print up folders and stuff. Every penny counts.
I don't live in LL, so I'll probably never see these people again. I went because a grandson needed gas money to look for a job. So, I took the rapid ride, caught the rail runner-gave him some bread and waited for the next train out of there. Also, I'll check with places in LL and Belen to see if something about your places can be put in there. These people really wanted to go to Bernilillo, but the RR stopped in Albuquerque.
It would help the overall economy in many ways, and it would make people happier. I'll try to get over to your places and see what you have that could be put up in LL and Belen- I'll go ahead and take the stuff down for you-if it's something interesting I'll let you know so you can have more contacts.

[Rodney]

Okay, now tell me something. I can get to the north valley stop quite easily. In fact, last Saturday my wife and I met 2 other couples at the downtown station, road the NMRR to Bernalillo, walked to The Range for breakfast, mosied around abit and road the train back to town. What is there to do at southern teminus of the line? Are there points of interest like good restaurants, shops, galleries, wineries, theaters, anything else to entice us to head south next time instead of north?

The New Mexico RailRunner provides huge entreprenurial opportunities, all up and down the line. A cart or kiosk at any of the stations selling coffee, breakfast burritos etc in the mornings? Various methods of transportation from/to nearby sites, even pedi-cabs could be used for short hauls. I hope the agency in charge of the NMRR doesn't think small with this train. Special events trains like maybe a every other week opera train during the season, with buses from the Santa Fe station to the opera. Ski trains on Saturday and Sunday mornings during the ski season, with a bus connection from Santa Fe to the Santa Fe Ski Basin, and/or Los Alamos. If access could be obtained to the more southerly tracks, a "Crane Train" to the Bosque del Apache - the tracks run within a few hundred yards of the visitor's center - could run on the weekend during the late fall. Weekend Christmas shopping trains with dedicated buses from stations to the various malls. All of these things present business opportunities. Think BIG, we're paying for this thing, it's going to happen, let's use it.

[bonnie]

I think I've posted this before, but each station has its own development plan online. Here's the link:
http://www.mrcog-nm.gov/content/view/59/187/1/1/
Enjoy.

[Flaca]

you are absolutely correct. There was a cafe across the road in LL, but it had a closed sign on it.
As far as the following posts-it's great to have plans- but you need to follow through. I would have bought a burrito from the guy in the pick up truck, but there wasn't anything to drink with it. Obviously, you need more than plans and, even active entreprenership-you need a bit of thought. Just before the RR should up-and it was the last am RR, somebody opened up the cafe, but we could hear the RR's horn.

[Phil_0]

There's already a rail-oriented cafe/coffee shop in Belen, with a lot more rail-oriented development planned. I think Los Lunas has similar plans, beginning with the transportation center currently under construction next to the station. But things may be moving a little more slowly down south than they are in Bernalillo.

I don't believe that concrete plans are even in the conceptual stages at this point, but community leaders in Socorro are champing at the bit to get the Railrunner. The Santa Fe link proves that those kinds of distances are feasible, and I think the prospect of a direct commuter link into the ABQ metro area is absolutely intoxicating for folks down that way. There's a certain isolation to Socorro, even if they're only an hour from the city. I think a lot of local leaders would like to change that.

[Flaca]

I agree, but business people can't just sit on their duff and expect people from outl of town to know where to go or how to get there.
By the same token, people need coffee with their burritos in LL. A relative needed money for an emegency. I hopped the RR-gave relative money at LL and caught the next one back to Alb.
So I am reporting that there's opportunity out there and any body yhat wants to make the RR profitable for them can't sit where ever and blame others.

[Albuquerque Commentator]

Coronado is usually open early for "walkers", there is Starbucks across the 8 lane Louisiana River at UpTown, and there is the Cafe that is open in the AM for breakfast Le Peep in the tween zone between the Marriot and the Uptown ATC. The french bakery @ Copper and Fourth downtown is open early for breakfast. Ride up to UNM there is the Frontier ( an adventure ) that opens at 5AM and Jim White's ( Carlisle & Central ) opens at 7 AM, Flying Star Downtown or NobHill ( opens at 6 AM as well as the Satellite across the street. ), Manny's @ Central & Girard, Loyolas at 6AM near Central & Washington, Arby's in NobHill and the Starbucks, Dunkin is 24/7 just North of University on Central, there is the Coffee house and a Satelite @ Central & Harvard, Milton's across from Presbyterian, the hospital canteens. There are a couple of places open ( cafe and bakery cafe ) for breakfast in Old Town. There is the Albuquerque Museum. UNM Museums usually open at 10 AM.

[Flaca]

These places need to communicate with people from out of town and they need to communicate with the RR. It doesn't do anygood to tell me about it. Also they were trying to find something to do before 10 am.

[Albuquerque Commentator]

I guess it is a matter now of researching who is doing the onboard/station marketing for the RailRunner and have a brochure " What do in Albuquerque while I'm waiting for the next train to leave"