I love the ABQ Museum Sculpture Garden's Big Head, that rests prominently in front of the museum's main entrance. You can't miss the massive bald head, with it's attached-lobe ears, pointy chin & sporting a concerned look under furrowed brows. With the Explora Museum nearby & across from the 8+ acre Tiguex Park, the sculpture garden helps create a great greenspace corridor in that part of Old Town. The sculptures make you want to linger there longer.
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Where the Sandia Mountains seem to ooze into the city limits--see map below--stands two neighborhoods, Kachina Hills & Glenwood Hills. Both sit on the eastern edge of the Metro, bordered by the Foothills Open Space further east. Read More
Steel mushroom shade structures have sprung up in the largest plaza at the University of New Mexico's main campus, Smith Plaza, outside the Student Union.
Named in honor of Sherman E Smith for his "outstanding & versatile
contribution to the university, his special interest in landscaping made this campus a more pleasant place in which to live & work."
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Hidden Park is not easy to find. It has no formal entrance & there is no parking for it. To enter, you follow discrete pathways between homes often marked by a low picket fence or block wall. You could walk around the outside perimeter of the park, set amid mostly Mid-Century built ranch homes, & not even know the park is there. Once inside the enclosed park, though, you are surrounded by lush 60' tall, 70 year old trees that provide an almost unbroken three-acre shade canopy. A rather large L ittle Free Library greets you at the north entrance. Another Little Free Library lives just outside the park, on the west side of Hermosa St. Read More
Sitting smack dab in the middle of the most populous area of New Mexico, the burgeoning metropolis of Albuquerque, the often sedate Village of Corrales
still strives to retain it's rural character. The image above & below are examples of that tradition--this acequia is the Main Corrales Canal,
which runs the length of the town along Loma Larga Road, & provides water via dozens of turnouts serving the many private farms. Acequias are community-operated
canals that carry water from the river to the fields.Originally used in Spain, the idea migrated to the modern-day Southwest, & Northern NM specifically,
around 400 years ago. Above is a padlocked gate-lock, opened only by the acequia Mayordomo; the canal was already running in mid-March, ready to irrigate
the Corrales farmlands. For a more complex article about the small Village of Corrales, click here.
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Another reason to love the MetroABQ is the random views you experience, when you're doing something else. Showing a newer home last weekend in northern
Placitas, the winter Sandia Mountain view was impressive--the recent dusting of snow looked like confectionary, above. In Placitas, homes often
sit on one-acre + lots, & often atop their own hill, overlooking the arroyos below. The distance is deceiving: between the mountains &
myself are dozens of hills & arroyos, which often make travel there a bit slow-going. as you must drive around the hills, not through them.
I love the MetroABQ area! Extraordinary architects live and create here; beautiful and profound art installations abound; Greenspaces and Parklands define whole areas of the city; extras like Farmers' Markets and cultural events add to our quality of life. I write about it all in the MetroABQ Newsletter.
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"I made two purchases using Chris. He was available on a moment's notice because both deals happened very quickly & the majority of paperwork was handled remotely. Chris made sure I was covered on all details & I trusted him to protect my interests."
-- Nancy C -Park City, Utah 2019
"Chris Lucas was the best! He went above and beyond to help us through the home buying process. I appreciate his willingness to work with our crazy schedules and quick response to any issues that came up. We feel lucky to have his help and would recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sale their home. "
-- Nathan & Louise Knorovsky -- 2019
Chris is very professional, responsive and efficient. He has great knowledge of Albuquerque neighborhoods and real estate. Chris is resourceful in marketing and goes the extra mile to be sure his listings reach the right audience.
~Tammy Walden
-- Mauger Mansion B&B
Chris Lucas did a wonderful job guiding me through the sale of my house. He was responsive to my concerns, and very knowledgeable about the whole real estate process. His problem solving skills were excellent, as was his knowledge of the current real estate market. I found him very easy to talk to about anything that came up. It was a pleasure working with him and I recommend him highly."
~margaretbrunn
-- In Vista del Norte NE
"Chris Lucas contacted us quickly by phone after emailing him when searching for an agent. Upon meeting him he was knowledgeable, friendly, personable, and our dog warmed up to him in minutes. Chris relentlessly advocated for us as every stage of selling our home and purchase another one. Both deals occurred quickly and I feel neither sale or purchase would have been as quick or successful with another agent."
~Julie Pacheco
-- UNM North Campus
Chris was a great person with whom to work. His knowledge of Albuquerque is encyclopedic. After I saw a few houses about which I had some reservations, he landed me at one that struck a perfect balance. He was on top of all the details and we closed in quick order.
I will strongly recommend Chris Lucas to anybody I know seeking property in Albuquerque.
-- Al Short
Chris was a pleasure to work with. He was ethical and hard working. Very knowledgeable. Would definitely highly recommend him.
-- B & J, Taylor Ranch
I researched agents online, by talking to acquaintances, and by looking at sales history in my neighborhood. When I met Chris, I was impressed by his level of knowledge as well as his experience. He was very professional and had a good sense of humor. I was impressed by the work he showed me from past sales. I was extremely happy with how he handled the sale of my house. He knows the Albuquerque real estate market well, and he worked tirelessly to sell my home. He is an excellent agent.
-- Danielle Grado
This is the guy you want as your agent. Period. I've bought and sold a few properties over the past 10 years, and I've never seen an agent go to bat like Chris did for me. He uses solid evidence and research to determine values - buying and selling - and added a vast amount of intelligence and ethics to my transaction. It is a strange market these days, and you need to have the best resources available to make an informed decision. He's one of those resources.
-- E M Adler
"We have dealt with a number of sellers' and buyers' agents in various cities in the past, and Chris Lucas is definitely one of the two best agents we have ever dealt with.The other agent, in Tucson, had actually won many awards for going above and beyond for her out of town clients.Chris Lucas is in the same league and is an outstanding, helpful, and knowledgeable real estate professional. Chris also has interests in Native American arts, history, current events, and local charitable causes, including canine rescue organizations. Because of his college journalism background, his descriptive writing is excellent whether presenting a real estate listing or a critique on the current dining scene in Albuquerque. Chris cares about his community and his chosen full time real estate career --- and most importantly, he is detail-oriented,caring, and authentic."
-- Edward & Jacqueline Arnold
Chris Lucas is the best. He was constantly in touch and informed me of progress every step of the way. His knowledge of Albuquerque is outstanding. He appreciates architecture, history and responds to questions. Most of all he is patient, kind and generous. I sold my house in the cold of winter. Chris helped and got it sold.
-- Elisabeth Van Camp
"Chris was grand to work with. He allowed us to take our time, went through several variations and offers etc. and stayed focused throughout."
-- Jeff Krueger
"Chris was a real partner in the sale process, with helpful input and patiently educating me on the process."
-- John Mendenhall
"I have known Chris for several years both as a friend and now as my realtor with this recent transaction. He is knowledgeable, trustworthy, conscientious, responsive and an overall great person to be with! Chris is all this and more! I trusted Chris to follow-up and move the process along, and he did so with a professional demeanor paired with humor, at all times.
Chris spent a great deal of extra time trying to track down information re: the solar web connection for the solar installation on the newly purchased property. He was always right "on top of" each step of the negotiations and purchasing process.
Support by the Century 21 Unica office staff was also excellent as evidenced by email messages I received."
-- Mary Zaremba
Chris Lucas is highly regarded by our family for his kindness and professionalism. His expertise in listing our property was far beyond our expectations. His enthusiasm and pride in his work shined through the beautiful marketing he provided for our home. Thank you!
~Aaron Blecha
-- North UNM Home
"I chose Chris based on reading reviews on his website.
I have bought and sold several properties over the years, and Chris is by far the most efficient agent I have ever used!
Timely communication is important to me and Chris exceeded my expectations.
Chris made the entire buying process a delightful experience!"-- Richard & Lara Willard
Our wise and trusted friends highly recommended Chris Lucas. We will now highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell.
Chris is a professional with high integrity. That integrity and his honesty, combined with his sharp advocacy for our purchase, gave us confidence in the process.
Our experience was superlative in every way. Chris listened, and as we changed course a few times, he followed our wishes. He gave us clear advise, and negotiated a great deal for us. And beyond that, he was exceedingly pleasant to work with.
Chris is great!
-- Romero family, Albuquerque, NM
I chose Chris Lucas over other brokers that I interviewed because he was more intelligent, better informed and easier to talk to. Also, my husband was ill at the time and we both knew that I would be selling the house and moving to another state after his death. We felt that Chris Lucas was the only broker in ABQ sensitive enough to deal with what I would be going through emotionally during the time of the sale. Even though it was three years later when I called Chris, he was ready to handle the sale and deal with my demands during that sensitive time in my life. I was not an easy client to work with and he was incredibly tolerant and sold the property in a matter of weeks.
Chris Lucas was genuinely kind and generous with his time and expended a great deal of energy with regard to the sale of my house. It was a good experience overall. The overall experience was outstanding because of Chris Lucas.-- Sharon van Ivan, South Valley; now NY City
"Chris was wonderful to us and always had our back. He was strong in negotiations and that is exactly what we needed. We would highly recommend him.
He was always available when we had questions."-- Taya & Jesse Davis
Chris Lucas' knowledge of the property, was very valuable to my wife and I. He's very friendly, and went above and beyond for us.
-- Timothy Martinez & Angel Apodaca
Talk about a wonderful guy! Loved doing business with Chris: he was patient, light-hearted, knowledgeable, professional, and someone I'd love to have for a friend as well as a realtor.
-- Zillow Agent Review
Chris is a wonderful, knowledgeable realtor. As a first time homebuyer, I began this process with very little knowledge about how to find a house. I found one online, and Chris's contact information came up, so I sent him a message to get more information. He called me within 20 minutes. He was prompt, and began helping me figure out what I wanted in a house. Buying a house can be a daunting task, but Chris made the process easy. He has vast knowledge of the area, and what to look for when buying a house. I ended up buying a rather large house for very little. Chris helped me find exactly what I wanted, and taught me everything I know about real estate. I feel like I didn't only gain a realtor, but also a friend. I would definitely recommend him to anyone trying to buy or sell a home.
-- Zillow Agent Review
