Albuquerque, 2 AM

Downtown Albuquerque at 2 AM is a scary place. I was out last Saturday night. We were at the bar until closing. We got there about 11:30 or so. At that time, downtown is popping. Sure, there was the guy who was basically passed out at the entrance to a par. And the police presence was a bit much. But it's cool enough. We go to the bar and have a good time. When we leave at 2, we hit the street and I instantly feel like we are in a war zone. The atmosphere is just scary. There are tons of drunk young people milling around. The cops are on horses. People are just looking for a fight. I say to my friends, let's get the hell out of here. We turn a corner and basically run into a race-based fight. This Latino guy is baiting these three black guys who come out of their car and start beating the hell out of the guy. He retreats back onto Central. We are turning the corner and run straight into them. Literally, I had to shove the guy off me. Luckily, we got out without getting hurt.

How does downtown Albuquerque overcome this scene? I have, quite literally, seen blood flow in the streets of downtown in the wee hours. You have several problems here. First, people come looking to fight. Second, the overbearing police presence only ramps up the tension. Third, with really only two exceptions, the bars downtown cater to very young people. Fourth, there isn't enough of a residential presence downtown to really deter these kinds of incidents. Finally, too many other businesses prefer to open in the suburbs or in wealthy neighborhoods than downtown, leaving a vacuum that meat-market bars fill.

I have been really impressed over the past few years over how far downtown Albuquerque has come. In 2000, when I moved here, you literally never went downtown at night unless there was a show at one of the few music clubs down there. Today, there is something going on every night, even if it is still a work in progress. But still, that atmosphere has got to change. Even when I was 21 I wouldn't have wanted to deal with that to end my night. At 33, I certainly don't want to. That atmosphere helps drive people away from downtown, only exacerbating the problem.