Broadmoor

The Broadmoor Neighborhood NE

The last Nob Hill Neighborhood to be developed, the Broadmoor Addition was added in 1945, during the housing boom at the end of WWII. Starting at residential-zoned Morningside Drive, on the eastern edge of the College View Neighborhood, Broadmoor extends east to the Washington St arterial, which is the eastern edge of Nob Hill, & north & south up to Lomas Blvd & down to Copper Ave.

The location of the neighborhood in Nob Hill is a good one: the north/south border arterial of Morningside Dr is a slow residential street, & Washington St, while a busy connector on the east side of Nob Hill, has only one lane on each side, so traffic is limited somewhat. The streets are not exactly checkerboard grid-pattern—they twist bit & a few of them come to an end—again keeping the traffic slow in the neighborhood. The southern Broadmoor border starts a block north of the Central Ave/Route 66 corridor at Copper Ave. There, a smart neighborhood design creates a four-blocks-long wall, a noise & traffic buffer against entry into the neighborhood from the busy Central Ave Corridor.

An image of the very young Broadmoor neighborhood, probably around 1950 as it was being developed, shows the curvy streets in the southern section, & no residential development at all in the top portion…Backing up even further, Broadmoor wasn’t much more than thoughts on paper back in 1935…

Quick to develop though, lots filled in & were gone by the mid 1950’s; the neighborhood rapidly evolved & is a bit different than the architecture in the rest of Nob Hill. The youngest neighborhood, Broadmoor consists of basically four distinct housing styles: pared-down Mid-Century Modern & Pueblo Revival styles & nouvelle Ranch style homes. A few Territorial style homes dot the neighborhood as well, like this pristine duplex.

In the early 1950’s, as more family members clocked into the work force, two-car garages became more important. Alleys had also disappeared by then, at least in Broadmoor, as garages were brought up to the front of the property. As one leaves the Broadmoor Neighborhood heading east, alleys begin again & continue on for miles.

Just like the other two Nob Hill Neighborhoods north of the Central Ave/Route 66 Corridor, Broadmoor also has duplexes discretely scattered about the neighborhood—often I walk past the small duplexes & don't realize it. There are also numerous well-maintained multi-family triplexes & fourplexes in the northern section of the neighborhood, close to Lomas Blvd. And when you need more space, why not build up…

The Nob Hill Neighborhoods are always evolving, of course. Broadmoor is no exception: I’ve noticed solar PV systems on a few more rooftops there recently. Solar panels do well on flat rooftops, & the neighborhood has that in abundance, like this Pueblo Revival with discrete PV solar array on the roof. Other signs of evolution are metal roofs. Often considered one of the Northern NM building styles, metal roofs have been around for well over 100 years, but were probably not originally used in the Nob Hill Neighborhoods. They shunt water away from the structure well, & last longer. In Broadmoor, you can see them begin to replace petroleum-based asphalt roofing shingles.

Not all Nob Hill Neighborhoods are allowed to evolve as organically as Broadmoor: next door, the recently minted Monte Vista & College View Historic District has new building & permit restrictions that prohibit many alterations, including changing out roofing styles. These historic zones were created to “protect areas of historical, architectural or cultural significance.” It is always best to fully understand the zoning regulations in areas you may want to live.

Certainly the small neighborhood has its share of vibrant & often low-water front yard gardens & now-tall shade trees that cool the sidewalks & houses. A stroll around the neighborhood for impromptu front yard garden design ideas is a unique neighborhood experience.

Walking along the quiet streets in the Broadmoor Neighborhood, you don’t feel like you’re surrounded by hundreds of thousands of other city-dwellers in the MetroABQ. While walking, you will pass a few Little Free Libraries, tucked away on interior limited-access streets. This typical Broadmoor two-car Ranch-style home includes a Little Free Library in front.