Vecinos
“Vecinos” is a Homewise blog series dedicated to getting to know the neighborhood businesses and organizations in the Barelas neighborhood and surrounding our Homeownership Center and Orpheum Community Hub.
La Bohemia Natural
La Bohemia Natural specializes in locally made, organic, and all natural beauty and health care products, such as toners, oils, soaps, and herbal mixtures. They have been in business for six years, but moved their physical location to Barelas about a year ago. With the Covid-19 business restrictions currently in place, their physical business is closed; however, they are still selling their products online. I first became acquainted with their products a couple of years ago when I was given their Cucumber & Aloe Goat’s Milk Body Lotion as a gift. I was immediately impressed by the quality of the product. The lotion was hydrating, without leaving a sticky residue, and the scent was natural and not overpowering. I became intrigued with the brand and was excited when they moved into Barelas. Recently I had a conversation with Marie Reyes, Founder and Lead Inventor of La Bohemia Natural, to talk about the business and how they have adapted to the current, non-essential business restrictions.
Navigating the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency
Given the circumstances in our community and in the world right now, I felt a change of format for the blog was in order. Here are some statewide resources to help individuals navigate this difficult time.
In accordance with guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the State of New Mexico to prevent community spread of COVID-19, Homewise closed its Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM physical offices effective March 16, but will continue to serve customers via phone and online technologies. Currently, we plan to keep our offices closed through April 10th. If you need to contact us, you can still reach us in Santa Fe at 505-983-9473 and in Albuquerque at 505-243-6566.
Ballet Xallitic
When Homewise reopened the iconic B Ruppe Drugstore in Barelas for community use in October, we didn’t know what to expect. I am happy to say that the response has been overwhelming! Over the past 4 months, the Ruppe has been the site of several community events, art events, group meetings, and classes. One unique group that utilizes the space on a weekly basis is a Ballet Folklorico group called Ballet Xallitic, led by Barelas resident, Cesar Velazquez Martinez. Ballet Folklorico, or “folkloric dance” is a collective term for traditional Mexican dances that emphasize local folk culture with ballet characteristics. Ballet Xallitic stands out because Cesar teaches the class free to anyone interested and donates his free time, 3 evenings a week to teach Ballet Folklorico. I met up with Cesar at the Ruppe before his class to talk about the origins of Ballet Xallitic.
Wheels Museum
South of the Homewise Orpheum Community Hub and within the walls of the railyards property lies the Wheels Museum. Located in the 21,000 square foot Freight building (also known as the Storehouse), the museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of transportation and travel in New Mexico and the southwest.
What we know as the Railyards today, was once the Santa Fe Railway Shops. It was a maintenance facility constructed by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway to service steam locomotives and was one of only four major maintenance facilities in the country. The original railway shops were erected on the site in the 1880’s, however the buildings as they stand today, were erected in 1915. The Santa Fe Railway Shops were once the largest employer in the state, employing up to 1500 men and contributed to the growth of Albuquerque at the turn of the century.
Ives Flower Shop
Located minutes from the Homewise Orpheum Community Hub lies a quaint flower shop on Fourth Street in Barelas, known as Ives Flower Shop. What you may not know about this shop is that it is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Albuquerque. Ives Flower Shop has been in business for over 130 years! The shop is rich in history and has transformed over the years from a large-scale greenhouse operation to a small “mom and pop” flower shop. The original owner and namesake of the business was Byron Henry Ives, whose love for growing flowers inspired him to quit his job as a carpenter at the Santa Fe Shops (the railyards) to start planting rose bushes and flowers in a vacant lot at Fourth Street and Baca Avenue (present day Santa Fe Avenue). Ives Greenhouse, as it was called then, was prosperous and its operations once took up the entire block of Fourth Street between Atlantic and Santa Fe Ave!
Ives Flower Shop has changed hands and locations throughout the span of those 130 years. Rosemary and Joseph Gonzales are the current owners of the shop and have owned it for 40 years. They purchased the business from the second owner, Louise Clark Schaffner, whose family owned it for many years. When the Gonzales’s purchased the shop, Rosemary knew nothing about flowers so she tutored with Schaffner to learn the ins and outs of the flower business. Present day, Rosemary is in charge of daily operations. I met with Rosemary to talk about the shop and her time as proprietor of the business.
The Legacy of B Ruppe Drugstore and Maclovia Zamora
Located along the Barelas-South Fourth Street Historic District lies the B Ruppe Drugstore. Most people would recognize it by the iconic pink sign out front and the mural painted on the side of the building. The “B Ruppe” namesake came from German immigrant, Bernard Ruppe in the 1880’s. Originally located in Old Town, the B Ruppe Drugstore was the longest continuously operating pharmacy in Albuquerque. The pharmacy changed hands over the years and moved locations, eventually settling in the Barelas neighborhood in 1965, after Tom Sanchez took over the business. Tom’s sister-in-law, Maclovia Sanchez de Zamora began working at the pharmacy in 1981 when she moved back to Albuquerque after her husband’s military career ended. Maclovia’s renewed childhood interest in yerbas, or herbs, led the traditional pharmacy to evolve into a yerbería and a space of natural healing.
B Ruppe became a cultural institution in the community and a destination for those in need of healing when western medicine failed them. The store sold religious articles, over 200 different types of herbs, offered individual herbal therapy consultations, and classes on traditional uses of herbs. Maclovia was recognized both locally and nationally for her teachings and leadership in the study of yerbas and natural healing. She lectured at educational institutions and conferences and was invited by the Smithsonian Institute to present at the Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage. She was also awarded the Dolores Huerta “Si Se Puede” Award in 2011 for her contributions to the community through leadership, service, and education.
The Tannex and Zine Fest 9
Abq Zine Fest 9 is just around the corner and coming to Barelas! For those of you who don’t know what a “zine” is, it is a homemade publication devoted to social and cultural subject matters. It draws from the DIY philosophy as an alternative to conventional publishing and professional design. The woman behind the creation of Abq Zine Fest is Marya Errin Jones. Marya is a force in the Albuquerque creative community and also runs the Tannex, a DIY art space in Barelas. The Tannex is an inclusive live music venue, community-gathering space, and Zine library all rolled into one. I met up with Marya and coproducer of Abq Zine Fest, Liza Bley, at the Tannex for Staples & Sips, a zine making hangout. We talked about Abq Zine Fest 9 and the Tannex.
The Turquoise Museum
Homewise is not the only new kid in the neighborhood. Next-door to our Orpheum Community Hub is the Turquoise Museum, which moved into the neighborhood just a couple of months before we did. Their new location is the famed Gertrude Zachary Castle, a building in which I’ve been fascinated with for years. Naturally, I was excited to take a tour of the building while also being able to visit the Turquoise Museum for the first time.
The museum is owned by the Zachary-Lowry family. Jacob and Danielle Lowry are the fifth generation of Zachary’s and have taken over the museum since their relocation. Their grandparent’s, Joe and Katy Lowry founded the Turquoise Museum and their father, Joe Dan curated the museum and ran it until they moved in to the new location. The family lineage is complex and I don’t want to give too much away, as the museum extensively covers the family history. I will say that they have a LONG history in turquoise, which includes everything from mining to collecting. I met with Jacob, the Museum Director to get a tour of the museum and talk about their new location.
The New (Old) Sanitary Tortilla Factory
The Sanitary Tortilla Factory, located a block north from Homewise’s Orpheum Community Hub, is not what it appears to be. It’s not actually a “tortilla factory” as the name might suggest. The Sanitary Tortilla Factory is an artist space, including a gallery and studios owned by artist, Sheri Crider. Sheri kept the name, “Sanitary Tortilla Factory” to honor the building’s history. From 1974 to 2004, the building housed the M & J Sanitary Tortilla Factory, a restaurant and tortilla making operation. The name “Sanitary” came from having the first mechanized tortilla-making machine in the city. Owned by Bea and Jake Montoya, it was an institution in Albuquerque and served the likes of former President Bill Clinton, and was featured in publications such as The New York Times and Cosmopolitan. I spoke with Sheri to talk about the space and the exhibit currently on display, “Love, Art, & Tortillas,” paying homage to the building’s predecessor.
La Mexicana Tortilla Company
La Mexicana is a New Mexican restaurant and tortilla company located a stone’s throw from Homewise’s Orpheum Community Hub on Coal Avenue. It’s full of regulars with servers asking questions like, “Do you want your usual?” La Mexicana is small and tucked away from the street, however don’t be fooled by the unassuming building! They have great food and a long history in the Duke City. After meeting with owner, Margy Hernandez, I learned how far back their history goes in the Barelas neighborhood and many other interesting tidbits too.
Slow Roll 505
On June 10th one of 5 Slow Roll events will be taking place in the Barelas neighborhood and Homewise is thrilled to be the sponsor! Some of you might be wondering what a “slow roll” is. A slow roll is a slow-paced group bicycle ride. I met with Victor Gallardo, Barelas resident and founder of Slow Roll 505 to talk a little bit about his organization and the event.
Encuentro
Barelas is home to several nonprofits and community organizations. Encuentro, one of Homewise’s long-time community partners, is an organization that offers education services to immigrants. I met with Encuentro’s founder and Executive Director, Andrea Plaza, to talk about the work that they do in the community.
Encuentro (Español)
Barelas es el hogar de varias organizaciones sin fines de lucro y comunitarias. Encuentro, uno de los socios comunitarios de Homewise desde hace mucho tiempo, es una organización que ofrece servicios educativos a los inmigrantes. Me reuní con el Fundador y Director Ejecutivo de Encuentro, Andrea Plaza, para hablar sobre el trabajo que hacen en la comunidad.
Southwest Scene Works
Homewise hit a milestone this past weekend with the hosting of the first event at the Orpheum Community Hub since it closed for renovations in July! And how fitting is it that the first event was hosted by a previous Orpheum resident? Rebekah Wiggins is an actress, producer, former resident of the Orpheum, and owner of Southwest Scene Works, a training program for actors in the state of New Mexico. I sat down with her before her class began to talk a little bit about Southwest Scene Works and her experience living at the Orpheum.
A Good Sign
Tami Abts, owner of A Good Sign printing shop is deeply rooted in Albuquerque’s creative community. It’s evident immediately as you walk into the shop and see all the framed prints of local artists on display (printed at A Good Sign of course) and for sale throughout the space. On my recent visit, the shop was bustling with activity as they were making prints for the next “We Are This City” city-wide art exhibition, printing programs for the 2019 Tricklock Revolutions International Theater Festival (of which they are also sponsoring), and working on promotional items for a “top secret” Netflix project.
Flamenco Works
When Flamenco dancer Jesus Muñoz was looking for a space for his new project in Albuquerque, he wanted something big. “Ambitious” is the best way to describe Jesus, as he has been instrumental in the founding of many Flamenco organizations throughout Albuquerque, including Casa Flamenca in Old Town. In his newest project he decided he wanted to do something different. He wanted to ensure he was serving a real need in the community and needed a space large enough to offer world-class instruction and performance space to both adults and youth. He found the spot he was looking for in the Barelas neighborhood, and Flamenco Works was born in June of 2018.
Red Ball Café
In anticipation of the opening of the Orpheum Community Hub, Homewise’s new Homeownership Center and collaborative community/art space we’re having a great time getting to know our new neighbors! And what better way to start exploring the neighborhood than with some of the tastiest burgers in the town?
The original Red Ball Café has been an institution in Albuquerque since 1922 and has seen three different incarnations over the course of its history. Leticia Gutierrez is the most current owner of the café and has only been in business since September. Leticia was born and raised in Barelas and currently lives there as well. She worked at the Red Ball Café in the late 1990’s as a cook but then made a career change and worked in the HVAC industry for many years.