Why I Love ABQ

This morning as I was walking to work I saw a billboard that asked a simple question: what do you love about ABQ? It also had the address for this website by the local visitors bureau, which I visited after getting to the office. I like how the site uses local residents to tout the positives of the place, and the various categories (ballooning, outdoors, golf, etc.) cover a wide range of interests.

So this brings me to my own bit of pondering. I've actually been thinking about this quite a bit recently, and our family's most recent adventures have gone along this theme. What do I most love about ABQ? Here are some thoughts, followed by some reasons why our non-NM readers should keep reading:

1. The BioPark--for a town this size to have such an impressive zoo and botanic garden (the aquarium is a bit weak) is great
2. Petroglyph National Monument--not just for the experience of visiting, but also because at the edge of a modern city this reminder of a past that has nothing to do with Europeans gives a bit of perspective
3. The Sandias--just an amazing bit of mountain, with a fir/alpine forest towering over the desert
4. Downtown--not too big, not too small, and rapidly becoming a nice place to eat and spend time--this summer we hope to catch the free movie on the plaza evenings
5. Minor league baseball--this one's a bit sad, since I haven't been to a 'Topes game this season, but I love having such a great little ballpark within sight of my office
6. The Albuquerque Temple--the simple fact that we have a temple in ABQ is great--the absolute beauty of it (not that you'll find an ugly LDS temple, but I'm especially fond of ours) is a bonus
7. The Rio Grande Nature Center State Park (and the entire North Valley, really)--minutes from downtown you have this area that is still undeveloped and in touch with nature--roadrunners, raccoons, and even coyotes make you feel hours from an urban area
8. Old Town--kitschy and touristy, it still represents the history of the city and serves as a sort of community gathering space

So, for those of you in the Duke City, what have I missed? and for our non-locals, what do you love about where you live?