What brook babbles through Burque?
2007 November 19
The Chicago Tribune via the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune (what a mouth full) wants to know, “How well do you know the world?”
4. The city of Albuquerque, N.M., is located on which river?
A. Colorado
B. Snake
C. Rio Grande
D. Yellowstone
Dammit! I know this one. Where’s our Rhodes Scholar when you need him?
What’s interesting to me is that the way this city relates to its river, you’d barely know it’s there. I mean, we’ve got a lovely bosque riverside park, so we don’t ignore it completely, but you’ve got to work hard to get through the woods to enjoy the river itself.
Instead, we build artificial water parks – Tingley Beach, the botanical garden ponds, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I love them, too. But the river’s an actual river!
Well, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. We don’t relate to the river. It isn’t a part of our identity. I’m not sure why that is.
Personally, the bike trail just doesn’t do it for me. I do enjoy walking the dog on the riverside trails, but the trails certainly have their own issues. For one, they’re not marked particularly well. I think we’d see more people enjoying the Bosque if the city provided maps of the trails meandering along the river. Maybe throw some art instillations or memorials along the river — gives you a little reward when you reach each site. For example, I like taking the trails on the south side of Central and running into the rehabilitation (?) ponds.
Even though the river cuts through the middle of our city, it still feels isolated. You never drive along the river, you drive through it. The most interaction people have with the river is when they cross it on a bridge. I’m not suggesting we through a road up against the river, but a lot of cities have commercial districts butting against rivers. We have houses. That’s nice for the folks with homes along the river, but the residential buffer gives the river a little exclusivity. You have to try hard to make the river a part of your life if it isn’t already in your backyard.
Just some thoughts. Thanks for the comment.