Immediately south of Downtown, Barelas traces a rough triangle just north of where you now enter Albuquerque's oldest neighborhood. You occupy the roughly triangular area that the source describes as bounded by Coal Avenue, the BNSF railroad tracks, and the Rio Grande. Originally a separate village, Barelas was absorbed into Albuquerque during the railroad-fueled growth of the 1880s, yet it still retains a distinct identity.
The settlement here was formally established in 1662, predating even Old Town, and that long history roots the streets you walk today. For decades this was one of Albuquerque’s most economically distressed areas, but it has seen significant development since the opening of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in 2000 and may be beginning to experience gentrification. The neighborhood’s main commercial spine is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as the Barelas-South Fourth Street Historic District, a reminder of the area’s civic life.
The boundaries claimed by the Barelas Neighborhood Association extend all the way south to Woodward Road, even as the district changes near Bridge Boulevard. Coal Avenue to one side, the BNSF tracks to another, and the Rio Grande completing the triangle, Barelas has kept its own identity since 1662.