If you’re in the Duke City alone, or perhaps with friends, you’ll find it one of the friendliest cities in the southwest. Maybe it’s all the sunshine. With meditative hikes, luxurious spas, and lively bars all over town, this is one great city to explore solo. Here’s what to do while you’re in Albuquerque.
1. Jump into a game of pool at Anodyne.
Anodyne, in the heart of downtown Albuquerque’s nightclub scene, is a dedicated pool hall and bar where making a friend (or a rival) is as easy as asking a stranger if you can buy them a round of balls. Anodyne serves no food but lets you order in, so make more friends by ordering a large pizza and offering to share.
2. Take a beer tour on a bicycle.
Rent a bike and sample the city’s multitude of microbrews with a bike and brew tour from Duke City Pedlars, which somehow turns tasting craft beers into a form of exercise. Join one of their Beer Bike Social rides for $23 to make instant friends.
3. Take a very “Bad” tour.
Make your binge watching dreams come true by taking Albuquerque Trolley Co.’s guided tour around the seedy corners and landmarks of Walter White’s Albuquerque with Jesse Herron (formerly of the Albuquerque film office, so he knows his stuff) and his crew. Tours last approximately 3.5 hours and cost $65/person.
4. Challenge yourself at Gravity Park Extreme.
Bring out your American Ninja Warrior at this “extreme trampoline park” obstacle course facility where you can put all that Crossfit to the ultimate test. And you can swing, climb, or jump over to one of their theme nights or club nights for a very different nightlife experience. Call ahead for a “flight” time — one hour costs $12 while two hours runs for $20.
5. Pamper yourself at Hyatt Tamaya Spa.
Treat yo’self at one of Albuquerque’s most luxurious spas where you can enjoy lemongrass dry brush therapy, a lavender green tea mani/pedi, or a triple liquid firming facial.
6. Check out a concert at the Sunshine or the Launchpad.
Albuquerque has a vibrant music scene, and the best of it can be found at rock club venues like Sunshine and the Launchpad where you can see relatively big-name acts (or surprisingly good up-and-coming acts) in an authentically grungy, intimate setting.
7. Go clubbing downtown.
Downtown Albuquerque can sometimes be a ghost town during the day, but at night Central Ave. comes alive with neon and nocturnal nightclubbers. Hop from one venue to the next, like Effex, the Library, and Burt’s Tiki Lounge, and when they kick you out at 2 a.m., rows of food trucks await outside to take care of the hunger you built up while dancing.
8. Shop Nob Hill.
Just past the University of New Mexico on Central is the hipster-friendly Nob Hill neighborhood which blends funky local shopping (like Masks y Mas, Albuquerque’s Day of the Dead emporium) with fun restaurants (Street Food Asia, Tractor Brewing, and Zacatecas Tacos) and upmarket stores (Ojo Optique and Gertrude Zachary).
9. Hang out at the Stone Age Climbing Gym.
Climbing is big in New Mexico, but before you get yourself stuck on the side of a cliff practice in the safe training ground that is the Stone Age Climbing gym, a mountain goat’s dream of climbing walls and bouldering terrain for all experience levels (with a helpful staff to get you in and out of that harness.) A day pass is only $16, and you can take an intro climbing class for $30.
10. Hike the Sandias.
Get some sun and FitBit miles by tromping through Albuquerque’s mountains named after watermelons on one of the many trails that take you past old strip mines, across picturesque creeks, and through canyons that look like movie sets (because many of them have been movie sets.) For trail directions and recommendations, check out Sandia Hiking.
Tantri Wija
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Actually, the best place for Ninja Warrior training isn’t Gravity Park, which is mostly trampolines and some obstacles. Ninja Park has been recognized by the UNAA for having one of the best obstacle facilities in the southwest. Check it out: ninjaparkabq.com
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