c/albuquerque

Pro tip: Don't eat at the Frontier parking lot taco guy

I was grabbing food near Frontier on Central last Thursday around 11 PM and saw a guy selling tacos out of a cooler. Seemed like a good deal at $2 each so I got 3. Dude was using the same gloves to grab cash and then touch the meat. I got sick later that night and had to call out of work on Friday. Dr told me it was probably food poisoning from something I ate in the last 12 hours. Has anyone else had a bad experience with those roam-in vendors downtown?

1 comments

ericb66•1d ago

Always thought the city's tree planting program was a waste of tax money...

I used to grumble every time I saw crews planting those little saplings along Central, figured they'd just die in the heat. But after the cottonwoods they put in near my house 4 years ago finally grew enough to shade my whole parking spot in summer, I changed my tune. Has anyone else noticed a real difference in your street's temperature or sidewalk conditions from these plantings?

2 comments

fiona_lane•2d ago

Tried that new laundry detergent pod from the gas station on Central

Picked up a pack of those random pods at the Chevron on Central and Lomas, figured they'd be fine for a quick load. My shirt came out with weird greasy stains all over it, had to rewash everything with my old Tide. Anyone else get burned by those mystery brands?

2 comments

kais67•4d ago

Hot take: the guy at the hardware store who told me to use a torque wrench on my bike's crank bolts was right

I always just hand tightened them and called it good. Then last month I was riding down Central near San Mateo and my pedal arm literally fell off while I was going pretty fast. Almost ate it in front of a bus. He said I'd strip the threads eventually and I laughed. Now I'm sitting here with a stripped crank and a $60 repair bill. Has anyone else had a bike shop guy give you advice that ended up costing you later when you ignored it?

2 comments

terry_barnes•5d ago

Vent: Heard a guy at the gas station on Central say the bike lanes downtown are a waste of space

I was filling up at the 76 on Central and Unser last Tuesday and this dude was going off to his friend about how the bike lanes on Central just cause traffic jams and nobody even uses them. On the other hand, I've got a client who lives near Nob Hill who swears the lanes cut down on close calls with cyclists, and she bikes to work three times a week. So which is it: are they a net positive for the city or just a headache for drivers? Anyone else got strong feelings about this or a story that changes the debate?

2 comments

joseph932•6d ago

Found out 70% of city water goes to landscaping here

I was looking at the city water authority website last night trying to figure out my bill and stumbled on a fact that surprised me. Turns out roughly 70% of Albuquerque's water supply is used for watering lawns and gardens. Growing up here in the 80s I remember everyone having big green yards but now with the drought restrictions I figured that number would have dropped way lower. Has anyone else looked into this or found similar stats about how much we actually use?

2 comments

maryh96•6d ago

I lost $80 on that 'waterless car wash' spray from the shelf at the gas station on Lomas last weekend

It just smeared dirt around and left swirl marks all over my paint, had to re-wash everything with a bucket and hose - has anyone else tried one of those and actually had it work?

2 comments

blair626•6d ago

Watching Central Avenue change over 20 years is wild.

I swear half the old diners and shops I remember from the 90s are gone now, replaced by those new mixed-use apartments with the fancy glass fronts. You ever catch yourself driving through a part of town and not recognizing it at all?

2 comments

jamiekim•7d ago

Just hit 20,000 miles on my bike commuting in Albuquerque this year

I started tracking my bike miles back in January because I wanted to see how much I was actually riding. Yesterday I hit 20,000 miles on my odometer and it honestly surprised me. That's like riding from here to Tokyo and back almost. Most of it is just commuting from my place near Nob Hill to my job downtown and back every day. I also do a lot of errands on my bike instead of driving, like grabbing groceries or heading to the dog park. It matters because I saved a ton on gas and parking, plus I don't have to deal with I-40 traffic. Has anyone else here tracked a big number like that for something they do regularly?

4 comments

fiona_lane•7d ago

My neighbor told me I was watering my lawn wrong for 3 years

Last summer my neighbor Jose walked over while I was doing my morning sprinkler thing and said 'you're drowning the roots, man, water deeper but less often.' I was doing 15 minutes every day like clockwork. He told me to switch to 45 minutes twice a week. My grass went from yellow and patchy to thick and green in about 6 weeks. Anyone else had a neighbor give them lawn advice that actually worked?

2 comments

ericb66•8d ago

Finally figured out the secret to great green chile at the State Fair

I've been trying to make killer green chile for years and it NEVER came out right. Last weekend at the New Mexico State Fair I stopped by that little chile roasting stand near the midway. The old guy running it told me his trick: you gotta roast the chiles until the skin is BLACK, not just blistered. He said most people pull them too early. I went home and tried it with a batch from the Farmers Market on Central. I left them on the grill for a full 8 minutes per side until they looked almost burnt. The flavor was COMPLETELY different, way smokier and richer than before. Has anyone else gotten a cooking tip from a vendor or stranger at the Fair that actually worked?

2 comments

mason_foster68•9d ago

Finally picked the westside dog park over the eastside one after years of driving past it

Took my pup to Los Poblanos instead of the usual Coronado spot last Saturday and he actually played with other dogs instead of just sniffing one tree for 20 minutes, anyone else notice a big difference in crowds between the two?

2 comments

the_elliot•9d ago

Shoutout to the guy who helped me find a secret trail in the Sandias

I've been hiking up in the Sandias for like two years now, but I always stuck to the main paths like Pino or Embudito because I didn't know any better. Last weekend I ran into this older fella at the Elena Gallegos parking lot who saw me studying my phone map with that confused look (you know the one). He just pointed at a faint path near the picnic tables and told me to follow it about a quarter mile before it hooks up with a route that has way better views and maybe 10% of the crowds. I was skeptical at first but I tried it and he was totally right. It cut out that long switchback section I always hate and saved me probably 20 minutes on the way down. Has anyone else found hidden access points like that around the foothills or am I the last person to figure this out?

2 comments

jessec39•10d ago

Seems like driving the speed limit on Paseo is the unpopular opinion now

I mean, I got honked at twice last month for doing 55 in the right lane near the Coors exit. Some guy in a lifted truck actually yelled something about learning to drive. Idk, I used to think going with the flow was safer, but after almost getting side-swiped on Tramway I started sticking closer to the limit. Anyone else feel like the speeders are getting worse around the Westside?

2 comments

casey393•11d ago

Shoutout to the Frontier Restaurant for proving everyone wrong about breakfast burritos

I keep hearing people say that Golden Pride or Blakes make the best breakfast burritos in town, but I hit up Frontier last Tuesday morning and that green chile stew burrito was way better than either of them. It had the right ratio of potato to egg to chile, and it didn't fall apart after the first bite. Has anyone else given theirs a fair shot lately or is it just me?

2 comments

riley_price•13d ago

Paid $250 for a new AC controller upgrade and it fried my unit

I thought I was being smart last August. Got a smart thermostat for my swamp cooler, a fancy wifi one for $250 off Amazon. Took me an afternoon to wire it up following the video. Two days later the cooler just stopped. No fan, no pump, nothing. Had a repair guy come out who said the controller messed with the voltage and killed the motor. That fix cost me $400. Now I am back to the old manual knob and it works fine. Anyone else have a DIY upgrade backfire on them in this heat?

2 comments

hernandez.morgan•13d ago

High Desert Concrete Design vs Polished Concrete Company for a main floor remodel?

We're ripping out the nasty old carpet in our main living area and want to go with polished concrete since our house is on a slab anyway. I've narrowed it down to two local options here in ABQ: High Desert Concrete Design and Polished Concrete Company. Has anyone used either of these recently? I want something that looks modern but is mostly zero maintenance since the kids will be running around and spilling stuff.

3 comments