suburban "suburbanrambler" r.'s Profile

A rambling structure stepped to accomodate it's sloping site, frequented mostly by the neighborhood tennis buffs, it's a good place to do a basic workout with the requisite freeweights, machines, aerobics studio, raquetball courts. this location of NMSW boasts the best pool setting in all of it's Albuquerque locations.

Good for what it is: a gym with a pool (actually) 2- one indoor, hot tubs, saunas, free wts, machines, bikes and steppers and ladders (all w/ tvs). Lots of broken lockers (what the ....?!) in an area the size of two football fields. in the burbs.

Locally owned, run, and managed, Zombie cafe in David Kaufman [pedigree: a former NY'er, CIA trained chef, a pattiser] bakes tasty, moist and crusty croissants and pastries and cakes in-situ and lunch items like pannini and sandwiches, and bagels, and burritos [and does catering too, see website: http://zombiedoug.../ ].  [come to think of it, this place evokes Pattiserie Claude in the West Village/ NYC in the quality of its croissant NOT the person - http://www.yelp.c... ] or the food at tartine in SFO http://www.yelp.c...

Zombie  occupies the premier storefront fronting Isleta Blvd, a plaza, and fruited trees in a building owned by the South Valley Economic Development. It's that structure next to Blakes Lotta Burger that sports a definitive personality which uses, in my opinion, an architectural language divergent, others would opine, an updated vernacular of the valley using corrugated metal, cmu walls, colors. It  could also be characterized as modern and hip with perhaps an over-smidgen of earnestness-- you know the one with the sky-piercing improbable arrow of a decorative overhang, nay, a jaw of a roof-- and the same building that just got painted on its prominent site wall a colorful fresco depicting the valley's agricultural  life and beginnings. [aside: The American Institute of Architects- Albuquerque Chapter recently relocated it's offices here]. I did not mean to review the architecture but being one,  I could not help it - i actually like the structure: it offers a point of view, and applaud the architect and client for the cojones for its realization. i welcome too that it's built without donning the ubiquitous santa fake adobe ;-) .

but i meant here primarily to jot a praise to zombie's croissant. which are good. The cafe makes a convenient re-fueling/ ''caffeinating' station on my way to and from the various school constructions I manage in the valley. in this sense, Zombie is a godsend and a good addition to the oft-forgotten, and way under-rated rio grande south valley.