The Barelas Community
The community of Barelas packs quite a lot of important places, great activities, sights and sounds into a nicely compact area of the MetroABQ. The ABQ BioPark Zoo is a prominent destination, encompassing 64 acres along the Rio Grande. During special times, from the zoo one can hear the howl of the coyotes, the cackling of the monkeys, and the singing of dozens of varieties of birds. Just south is an entrance to the Rio Grande river system bike paths that stretch the length of the city, with Tingley Beach as one of the first stops.
Large, lush Tingley Field, just east of the BioPark Zoo, used to be a baseball stadium from 1937-1968, but is now the largest public greenspace in Barelas. Parts of the newly-rediscovered Barelas Rail Yards are now open, with a fantastic Growers Market and Craft Fair open Sundays. The Rail Yards are architecturally amazing…youll have to see it to fully grasp whats going on there.
The Alvarado Train Station sits just north of that. Nicely centrally located is the Barelas Community Center, mural seen above, with tennis courts, smaller greenspaces and indoor spaces for clubs, sporting events and other community activities. Also in Barelas we have two elementary schools, Dolores Gonzales & Coronado Elementary. The wall mural above, is outside Coronado Elementary, and below adorns the Barelas Community Center.
