I've done a few posts about how N.M. is portrayed by Hollywood. Here is one.
Before, we were just a freaky place that obviously frightened people, so when they needed a creepy town for their film to take place in, they just set it in "New Mexico." Now, though, thanks to state incentives, the film industry is actually coming here to make movies and pretending they are set somewhere else.
This is all fine and dandy with me, except that a few stars have hand less-than-pleasant things to say about my home. A few days ago, the Albuquerque Journal had a story about how Tommy Lee Jones said Albuquerque is incredibly noisy. Huh? I've been different places, and I can't say it seems any noisier here than anywhere else. As a matter of fact, if you went outside my house at any given time, it would be pretty much quiet, save the sound of some birds. He says everyone's fixing their cars and stuff. Again, huh? That's all I can say to that. And, BTW, I have been to NYC and it's considerably noisier. Considerably is putting it nicely.
Next up is Jessica Alba, who complained that the only thing to do here is go to Wal-Mart and that there is no good food, just Applebee's. Sorry, Jessica, but you might not have tried very hard. If you really wanted something to do, here are some suggestions:
1. Do some shopping in Old Town
2. Ride the Tramway
3. Visit the numerous museums, including the Atomic Musuem, Albuquerque Museum, New Mexico Museum of Natural History or the Biological Park. Sure, they aren't the biggest in the country, but they are better than Wal-Mart.
4. Visit the Petroglyph National Monument or the mountains.
5. Shop boutiques in Nob Hill
6. Drive 50 miles to Santa Fe and check out all the galleries. There are lots of galleries in Albuquerque, too.
As for dining, try one of these great local places (some listed in the column):
1. El Pinto
2. Artichoke Cafe
3. Paul's Monterey Inn
4. Scalo's
5. Cafe Voila
6. Yanni's
7. Restaurant Antiquity
8. Prairie Star
9. Le Cafe Miche
10. The Japanese Kitchen
Oh, there are so many. Plus, if you head up to Santa Fe, there are about infinity more. So next time, just ask around. You'll get plenty of suggestions for a happy belly.
3 comments:
I guess they stayed at that motel between Applebees and Wal-Mart. You know, the one next to the junkyard where they crush old cars.
I lived in New Mexico for 20 years, and thought it was funny how people would always ask dumb things like:
Do you need a passport to go there?
Does the mail deliver there?
There are loads of things to do in Albuquerque if you really look. And I have eaten at El Pinto, and at Scalo's, both of which I thought were great.
My favorite place to get sopapillas, and therefore one of my favorite places to eat in Albuquerque, is Garcia's...especially the one down on 4th street!
Nope, it's not bright lights, big city, but that's the way we like it! I live in the Bay Area now, which I love, but I do miss the quietness of my home in New Mexico (in the country).
I LOVE New Mexico! My aunt and uncle live in Las Cruces and I love to visit them. Beautiful.
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