There’s no doubt that the holiday season has traditionally been a time of giving. Never has this been more important than now. We are busier and more overcommitted than ever these days. Perhaps the best way to count your blessings this season is to help others in need.
Re/Max First is partnering with LA Cares to collect food and personal care items for the holiday food drive. LA Cares is a non profit organization serving over 60 families per month with supplemental items that help bridge the gap between available income and basic needs. LA Cares also helps local residents with utility payments when necessary, and can sometimes help identify other resources to assist during a crisis. The organization is entirely volunteer run and even provides food pantry delivery services for those who cannot get out on their own.
This year, Re/Max First will donate up to $1000 for food pantry items brought to our office at 116 Central Park Square between December 1 and December 22. One item donated to the food pantry through our office will equal one dollar in cash for LA Cares to help with other needs here in town.
LA Cares and Re/Max would ask that you take a look at the list of items requested and check it twice before donating! While cleaning out the pantry is always a great idea no matter what time of year it is, the food pantry cannot use items that are expired. There are also a variety of other non perishable things that aren’t needed and might surprise you. I know I was surprised, and also thankful for the heads up!
If you’d like a bit more information about the Food Drive, here’s a link to Carol Clark’s informative write up in the LA Daily Post. Los Alamos is a wonderful community with so much to offer residents. It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to give back and help those around us who might be struggling this holiday season. Please stop by anytime during business hours, 8:30AM – 5:30PM Monday through Friday, and drop off your items. We’re at 116 Central Park Square and we’d love to wish you a Happy Holiday! Or if you’d like to make a cash donation to LA Cares this season, contact them at (505) 661-8015 for more information.
And as always, when you’re itching to talk real estate in Los Alamos, give me a call! Los Alamos is the place I call home and I’d love chat with you about housing here in town. Let’s make this holiday season warm and merry for the entire community!
Gifting art in Los Alamos isn’t actually a difficult task. For a town that was put on the map for science related reasons, we have a long history of incredible artistic talent. So as we come into the holiday season and you start looking for unique gifts, you might be surprised to find that perfect present in an unusual spot!
The Karen Wray Gallery
Located at 1247 Central Avenue in Suite D-2, the Karen Wray Gallery is currently hosting a Group Art Exhibition. The exhibition runs through January 2, 2023, but this could be a wonderful way to get out and experience local art in an unexpected way.
The Gallery offers art from local artists in mediums covering everything from digital reproductions of original paintings (Giclee), to ceramics, furniture, glass, and of course – plenty of prints and paintings! Karen Wray offers art by well known local artists Secundino Sandoval and Keith Kelley as well as newer artists just waiting for you to discover their work. You can check out the gallery website HERE to plan your visit, or you can view gallery offerings and order online. And if you’re looking to surprise a hard to shop for person in your life, consider a gift certificate. The gallery offers workshops and art classes for adults to fit every ability and interest level. You could be unlocking the inner Picasso in your loved one’s life this holiday season!
Fuller Lodge Art Center
There’s really no way to put everything the Art Center has to offer in one small blurb. Back in 1967, The Los Alamos Arts Council was established to promote civic engagement in the arts. Over the years, they’ve offered camps for kids, art classes for the community, music, folk art awareness, and everything in between. Since the Arts Council joined with the Fuller Lodge Art Center, visitors and residents in Los Alamos can enjoy year round themed art exhibits that cover nearly every medium.
If you’re searching for a unique “little something” for that special someone, you might try the Art Center’s Gift Shop. The shop is located in historic Fuller Lodge directly across the street from Ashley Pond. The picturesque shop is almost worth photographing just to provide some ambiance to go with your choice of gift!
Little Studio on the Mesa
If you haven’t yet discovered this amazing venue in White Rock, I can only suggest that you check it out as soon as possible. The studio is located in a small, triangular building across the street from Smith’s in White Rock at 113 Longview Dr. Sometimes Google maps gets a bit confused, but you can get all the info you need HERE. No appointments are necessary and their programming looks like a parents’ dream!
But Little Studio isn’t just for kids. Parents are welcome to bring kiddos along as they experiment with fused and stained glass projects or pottery painting. Or parents can leave their kids at home and hit the twice monthly Paint Night @ the Tub when the Studio goes on the road to Bathtub Brewery for a fun night of art and conversation. Punchcards are available and leading up the holidays you can enjoy ornament painting, card making, and a fascinating pre-K activity called “Elf Yourself”.
So as you round out your holiday shopping list and get ready to enjoy the season, make plans to visit our unique businesses here in Los Alamos that showcase some serious artistic talent on the hill. And when you’re ready to shop homes in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat real estate with you.
There’s no doubt that aging causes us to think this phrase, if not say it, far more often than we’re comfortable with. As I was driving past the now almost completely leveled Hilltop House Hotel, I couldn’t help but wonder if those residents in town who have been so adamant that the place needed to go realize that the Hilltop House really did used to be cool.
Believe me, I’m not arguing with the necessity of tearing it down. The place had become what developers sometimes call a “money pit”. A property that required so much in the way of renovations as to make it financially unrealistic to do anything but tear it down. Not to mention it’s location. This is quite literally the first thing of Los Alamos that many of my real estate clients see. But what if that view had been much different than it has been for the last decade or so? What if it had looked like this?
Perhaps that’s what I’d like the latest batch of Los Alamos transplants to understand. When folks first came to town in the seventies and eighties, the Hilltop House really was welcoming. In the seventies you might have met a friend (or even your Realtor!) at the Hilltop Coffee Shop. By 1979 you’d have been meeting your Realtor at the Real Estate Associates office, which went in where the coffee shop was.
Remember phone books? How about those big names in Los Alamos real estate?
The Real Estate Associates office was eventually moved away from the Hilltop House property. If you’d like to take a peek at it now, you can. In White Rock. The office portion of Herman’s Auto Body might look somewhat different than the rest of the setup. Probably because it began life as the Hilltop Cafe & Coffee Shop!
Once the addition of the second story restaurant was added by 1981, life’s special events were hosted in the Hilltop House Restaurant, later reborn as the Trinity Sights Restaurant. Bridesmaids in frou-frou dresses whirled around the floor with groomsmen wearing matching cummerbunds. Or if you grew up locally here in Los Alamos, you might remember taking your mother to the Mother’s Day buffet at Trinity Sights. This was a premier place to experience Prime Rib Sunday as well.
The view from the Hilltop House Restaurant was always stunning!
What so many of us don’t realize is that the Hilltop House is literally soaked in Los Alamos history. The hotel itself was built by the Waterman family. Most of us are familiar with Roger Waterman and TRK Management, but we might not know that the Watermans had quite a long history of hotel and hospitality in Los Alamos. Wendy Hoffman wrote a lovely article in the LA Daily Post earlier this year about the creativity the Watermans brought to their construction business. But if you look at the overhead beams in the photograph of Trinity Sights above and think to yourself, “hmm, how very church like!”, you’d be absolutely correct. Waterman salvaged those lovely beams from a church demo project elsewhere in New Mexico and thought they might make a very classy edition to the restaurant upgrade.
Photo from spring 1999 with the new Conoco station visible on the right.
I don’t think we often appreciate the amazing flexibility of the Hilltop House. At one point a movie production company approached the hotel about needing rooms for production crew. At the time the 42 room hotel couldn’t have handled that many people. But quick thinking on the part of the Watermans utilized salvage from other projects to expand the hotel to 92 rooms. The restaurant was enlarged because the existing cafe wasn’t enough to provide for such a large number of guests, and with a lot of can do attitude the hotel made it work!
Hilltop House Annex ~ The building’s facade was intentionally matched to the existing hotel.
This wasn’t an unusual occurrence for the Hilltop House. In the mid eighties, the hotel acquired what was called the Hilltop House Annex at 464 Central Avenue. These apartments were furnished and maintained as an extended stay facility for those who needed a place to call home while shopping for a permanent residence, or those who were here in Los Alamos on business for more than a short stint. As a Realtor in the here and now, I certainly wish there was a similar set up now! The annex is now a standard apartment building, but still looks much the same as it did when the Hilltop House ran it.
Roger Waterman pictured in front of the Hilltop House
When Roger Waterman was asked about his feelings on the demolition of the hotel he’d spent so much of his life building and re-imagining, he was practical. He was quoted by Wendy Hoffman as suggesting, “It’s outside of the market, on the edge of town, and there’s nothing left worth salvaging. It would face some remediation issues, so if it can be replaced with something else, that’s OK.” Roger Waterman went on with pride to mention the hotel’s more than thirty years of being an integral part of the community here in Los Alamos.
I’d like to thank the Historical Society for the use of their archive photographs, most of which come from the Waterman collection. You can find even more information about the Hilltop House’s long history here in the archives. Also feel free to check out Wendy Hoffman’s article on the Waterman connection to the Hilltop House here. If you have any additional memories of the Hilltop House Hotel, the restaurant, the flower shop, the gas station, or any other of the dozens of pieces of Los Alamos that have existed at the Hilltop House, feel free to share them in the comments!
And even though my real estate office at Re/Max Associates isn’t located in that cool location at the Hilltop House, come and have a chat when you’re ready to talk real estate in Los Alamos! Give me a call anytime. I’m your home town real estate broker and I love to talk Los Alamos!
If you’ve never visited the Los Alamos Little Theater, this might be the year to give it a try. If you act quickly, there are still a few tickets available for Clue. This stage adaptation of the popular movie starring Tim Curry and based on the board game would be a fantastic way to enjoy the dramatic talents of your local friends and neighbors!
It’s not unusual for a small town to have a dramatic society, club, or gathering of locals who just enjoy the heck out of a stage production. But most drama clubs don’t have an origin story quite like ours. Meaning that their production history likely doesn’t include Robert Oppenheimer on stage. (It was a non speaking role, but still!)
When you think about scientists from a multitude of backgrounds gathered together with the purpose of research and development on a scale never before attempted, you might assume any drama happening was of a suspenseful and Hollywood thriller like origin. But there was a common theme between the scientists, civilians, and military personnel living in the Secret City back in the 1940’s. They wanted to enjoy life. They built ski hills, golf courses, rifle and archery ranges, and horse stables. They created mountaineering clubs, explored the terrain, started choral societies, bands, orchestras, and danced every chance they got.
There’s just something exciting about going to the theater!
The Los Alamos Little Theater (LALT) began as a drama club sometime in 1943. According to the LALT’s own history, the first group consisted of military personnel, civilians, and scientists who had some or no experience with stage acting. One might even suggest they were just looking for something fun to keep them occupied in their off hours. They would send away for dramatic plays or scripts and then act them out for each other.
In the beginning they couldn’t decide what to call themselves. It was agreed upon that the “Drama Club” sounded childish. By the fall of 1943, the “Little Theater Group” was formalized with a board of directors. Members paid 25 cents each month to support the group with the hope that they would eventually be self sustaining through ticket sales and contributions from the public.
The first production was Right About Face. It opened on January 8, 1944. The cost was 35 cents for civilians and 20 cents for soldiers and WAC. The ticket price got you a seat for the stage production, refreshments, and admission to the dance held afterwards. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
Later ticket prices were 50 cents for the stage production and dance, or just 15 cents if you only wanted to dance. The first seven productions took place during the war. Oppenheimer’s non speaking role was in Arsenic and Old Lace. In the first 26 years of operation, the Little Theater Group performed an incredible 125 productions in venues all throughout the Secret City.
By 1971, Los Alamos County was considering the demolition of its Recreation Hall on Nectar Street. The building had originally been designated the East Cafeteria during the war. Fortunately for the Little Theater Group, the county fully supported their desire to take over the building and convert it into a play house. The county even gave the group the $6000 that had been allocated for demolition costs to use in their renovation. And THAT was when the Los Alamos Performing Arts Center was born.
Since the creation of the PAC in 1971, the Los Alamos Little Theater has put on over 230 productions. You can see a full list of their dramatic presentations on their website. Some of these presentations were collaborations with the Los Alamos Light Opera or the Santa Fe Community Theater. And every year on Halloweekend you can enjoy a fully interactive version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show starring your friends and neighbors from around town.
If you’ve ever been interested in drama, it might be time to check out the LALT. Volunteers are always welcome. Whether you crave an opportunity to be on stage or you enjoy the action behind the scenes, this could be the niche you’ve been looking for here in Los Alamos. And when you’re ready to join our unique community, give me a call! I’d love to chat Los Alamos Real Estate with you.
There is no doubt that the world feels a little nuts right now. The holidays are coming up fast. The time change FINALLY happens this coming Sunday on November 6. Between interest rates and inflation, you might feel as if your head is spinning trying to keep up!
When it comes to the real estate market, there are all kinds of assumptions being made too. If you’ve considered buying or selling your home in the next few weeks or months, you might even wonder if you missed your window. I assure you, that isn’t the case at all!
Fall is SO beautiful!
In spite of the economic changes going on, the real estate market is still in good shape. Homes are still selling and home prices are remaining steady. In September 2022, I unexpectedly had my best month ever. In light of these facts, let me share a few important things to remember.
In spite of what you might have heard:
Home prices remain steady and consistent.
A few homes are staying on market “longer” than they were during the previous two years, but this is actually “normal”.
No change in the market has actually happened, nor does the data suggest there is a change happening soon.
The fall season and the holidays are ALWAYS slower in the real estate market. Things will pick back up in January of 2023 just as they do in January of every other year.
Heading out to watch the Toppers can be a fun fall activity too!
Something else I like to remind folks is that just because your neighbor’s or your friend’s home sold for X price in Y number of days does not have any impact at all on what might happen with your home. If you really want to know a good sales price for your home and how many days on market you might expect before you get an offer, call your broker and ask! It’s like looking for any other data. Go to the source to get good information. I’d love to chat with you about your home. Give me a call when you’re ready and we can talk real estate in Los Alamos!
As we gear up for Halloweekend 2022, I thought it might be interesting to dig into the Great American Main Street Program in general. Most of us realize that our amazing Halloween festivities are planned through Los Alamos Main Street, but we might not realize that this organization is actually part of a huge network supporting small towns across the United States.
Main Street, Anytown, USA
According to MainStreet.org, “collectively, the Main Street movement is the leading voice for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the country”.
What does that really mean?
Think about our struggles here in Los Alamos to pep up our downtown areas. We spend countless hours talking about bringing in businesses, restaurants, and activities that encourage residents to enjoy our community. That’s what The Main Street Movement is all about.
This movement focuses on small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts. The United States has a long history of small town life going back to our identity as a fledgling country. A number of towns used to have a town square, (or a plaza!) with a community building or courthouse in the center, and businesses, financial institutions, and restaurants occupying the surrounding streets. Or maybe the towns were more like Western towns you see in old movies where there was a main street lined with mercantile stores, hotels, and businesses. Perhaps these business centers were clustered around the railroad or a main highway crossing. No matter where they were, these central areas were the lifeblood of the surrounding community. A place to gather and enjoy the fruits of labor.
Ashley Pond during the Manhattan Project days. I think we need to give our downtown area more credit for progress, don’t you?
Gradually over time, super highways and air freight terminals changed the way that local businesses were able to compete. Big box stores moved in with lower prices and a larger selection of goods and services. Smaller businesses couldn’t compete and gradually were lost to time. Since the addition of Internet shopping to the economic landscape, small businesses struggle even more to maintain storefronts that allow them to connect with their communities.
Main Street America is all about salvaging that community feeling. Our Los Alamos chapter was given the Great American Main Street Award in 2016. That’s quite an honor! The award was established in 1995 and each year since, the organization has picked winners from towns and districts nominated all over the country. In 2022, Biddeford, Maine, Hammond, Louisiana, and Laramie, Wyoming have all been honored for their amazing efforts to revitalize their Main Street districts.
In 1947, the Atomic Energy Commission built our Community Center as a place for community life in Los Alamos. The complex housed the post office, retail shops, and even a cafeteria. From 1953-1995, this complex also housed the Mesa Public Library. These were the very beginnings of Main Street Los Alamos, a term that would not become “a thing” until developer Tom Netuschil renovated the Community Center Complex into Central Park Square in 1998.
Community Center circa 1950s
Here in Los Alamos, the efforts to revitalize our Main Street are still full steam ahead. You might have noticed that the Hilltop House Hotel is coming down. We have modern apartment complexes going up and a continually growing number of Main Street activities planned to help our community connect. Los Alamos is a great place to be! When we were granted the Main Street America Award in 2016, we were dubbed “One to Watch”. So while the progress might seem slow at times, the wheels are in motion. And if you’re willing, volunteer with Main Street Los Alamos and get involved! Or, if you’re ready to join our community, give me a call! I’d love to talk Los Alamos real estate with you.
I happen to really enjoy the history behind our housing options here in Los Alamos. But a few of my readers have recently asked if I have any information regarding up and coming plans for potential NEW housing in Los Alamos County. If you want to see what’s in the pipe, you can always check the Community Development Page HERE. But here are a few of the possible and/or probable new housing projects going in around the county.
Arkansas Place
You might not know this property by its contemporary name, but almost everyone in Los Alamos County knows of The Black Hole. This was once home to the Piggly Wiggly before Ed Grothus acquired the property for the use of his Los Alamos Sales Company. Although Rutherford Homes advertises on their website that Arkansas Place will be ready for move in by Spring of 2021, a quick drive by the property suggests they might be behind schedule. The last update on the Community Development page happened in December of 2019. This project was most definitely affected by Covid-19, but it does seems as though there has been work going on lately.
The plans submitted to the county council boast 44 townhouses each with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Units are designed to be tall and narrow with a two car garage at the base of each home. Two of the units are freestanding and the others are duplexes. Considering the location and the builder’s promise of an open floor plan, the views throughout each home are likely to be magnificent. Go to the Rutherford Homes website for more information and to sign up for updates.
Ponderosa Estates Phase 3
According to the Los Alamos County Development page, the newest expansion of Ponderosa Estates near the Guaje Cemetery is moving forward. Final sketches have been approved and the council is awaiting the submission of a final subdivision plan. Even on the most recent satellite imagery it is possible to see machinery in the area of construction. If you’re wondering where exactly this new phase is going to go, you’re probably not alone.
New lots in Ponderosa Acres to the left of Maple Dr as planned on the Los Alamos Parcel Viewer
Over 30 years ago, the original plan was for 222 dwellings on 111 acres. This latest phase will have a higher density of homes than originally planned. The reasoning behind this change might surprise you. Sure. We could use the additional housing, but the first phase of Ponderosa Estates was pre Cerro Grande fire. The area now proposed for building was affected by fire and flood, which changed the density of the vegetation. Several decades later the builder has proposed that this makes the terrain better able to support more homes per acre. Still, it’s a little daunting to imagine 49 residential lots on 11.62 acres. That works out to be about .24 acres per lot.
This is a view of the existing parcels from the same map. The difference in parcel size is fairly significant.
It might be hoped that smaller parcel sizes in larger quantities might help to offset the increased costs of building a home in 2022 vs what the cost per sq ft was back in 1993 when phase 1 was started. One thing is for certain, this neighborhood has amazing outdoor access for those lucky enough to call it home. As of yet, nothing has been mentioned about Phase 4. The parcel map below shows the location of this final phase. If you’d like to explore the Los Alamos County Parcel Viewer, click HERE.
Phase 4 will likely occupy the large yellow section outlined in red.
The Hill Apartments
In case you’ve no idea where these are located, you’ll find them just below the hospital at the end of 35th Street on the Omega Canyon side. The plans submitted to the county suggest the completed apartment complex will include 149 units. The plot of land is just under 10 acres, so probably larger than most of us realized.
I think we should expect a little more work to be done on Trinity Drive in that area over the next several years. 149 new apartments will generate quite a lot of traffic during the morning and evening commute. That’s also in the general vicinity of the proposed new location of Los Alamos favorite, Pet Pangaea. The plans submitted to the county included a storefront on the corner of 35th Street and Trinity and four apartments on the second floor of the structure.
North Mesa
Any development of the land on North Mesa between the Middle School and the baseball fields has been tabled for the moment. That land belongs to the Los Alamos School District. However, there is another privately owned plot of land right beside Broadview now under consideration for housing.
This chunk of approximately 17 acres is currently addressed as 659 San Ildefonso Rd. There has been a bit of buzz lately in the Daily Post and around town that this might become a new subdivision. If so, the lots along Pueblo Canyon would include some really lovely views.
A canyon view is one of the coolest perks of living in Los Alamos.
Since the beginning of private housing in Los Alamos County, developers have been a bit wary of putting too many houses on North Mesa. Remember that access to North Mesa is tricky in bad weather or when it comes to evacuation. While traveling through Rendija Canyon isn’t exactly a pleasant way to evacuate, Barranca Mesa does offer this as an alternative to the roundabout. Exiting Barranca Mesa also involves a right turn onto Diamond Drive into a dedicated lane. Not so for those of us coming from North Mesa. Depending upon the number of additional homes being planned for the future, it might require some additional infrastructure to address traffic issues.
Regardless of what part of the county you live in, there’s no doubt that life in Los Alamos comes with plenty of adventure. Whether you like the outdoors, the history, or just the small town community feel, Los Alamos is a great place to be! When you’re ready to talk housing in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’m your hometown real estate broker.
U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings for the Healthiest Communities in the U.S., and in 2022 Los Alamos County, New Mexico, came out on top for the third year in a row. It’s the first community to take the number-one spot more than twice. ~ Travel & Leisure
Hmm. We’re the first community to take the number one spot more than twice? Considering the first time we won this award was right smack in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, it’s getting me thinking about what makes living in Los Alamos healthier than other communities.
View of Los Alamos from canyon’s edge at American Springs.
If the criteria for being considered the healthiest community in America is population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure, I have to say I would love to see the scores in each category for all of the 500 communities evaluated. How on earth would you put a numeric score on our aging infrastructure or our stop and go vitality. These topics are pretty consistently in the minds of the public. Of course, the other big topic is housing. So how did Los Alamos snag the number one spot?
Rendija Canyon
“Los Alamos County received a perfect score for its availability of affordable housing, public safety, population health, and access to parks.” Travel & Leisure
Wow. Surely some of us are wondering at the notion Los Alamos gets a perfect score in the category of affordable housing. So how does our available housing stack up?
Interestingly enough, according to a 2022 study conducted by Pew Research, Americans worry about the availability of affordable housing more than they worry over drug addiction, the economic and health effects of Covid-19, and crime. Pew studies also go on to say:
About six-in-ten U.S. adults living in urban areas (63%) say that the availability of affordable housing in their community is a major problem, compared with 46% of suburban residents and 40% of those living in rural areas. ~ Pew Research
Careful what you wish for! Affordable housing used to look like this!
This actually infers that while the housing crunch is a national concern, Los Alamos is less worried about this issue than 499 other communities. That actually makes me feel pretty darned positive! It’s hard to let go of that insulated feeling when you’re living in a tiny county perched atop a mesa. Los Alamos was never meant to be anything but solitary. So it’s good to hear that in some things, we’re just like everybody else. Housing all over the world is difficult to find. In America we’re experiencing a tough time finding our dream home, but it’s happening all over the country!
If you’re out there shopping for a home in Los Alamos, have faith that the right situation is out there for you just as it as for so many other hopeful homeowners in other zipcodes. And in the meantime, don’t forget to take advantage of the other amazing things that make Los Alamos the healthiest community in America! Head to the park, plan a hike to the reservoir to check out the fall colors, or go play a round of golf. Get involved, enjoy, and when you’re ready to buy or sell real estate in Los Alamos, give me a call. I’m your hometown real estate broker!
There’s no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way we grocery shop. For some, ordering both perishable and non perishable items online has become the way to go. Perhaps you’re a big fan of Amazon subscribe and save. If you do go to the grocery store, you’d best be prepared to play hide and seek with the items on your list. In fact, if you really want to know where to find something, ask the nearest employee pushing an online ordering cart in front of them. Personal shoppers are now a staple of the grocery industry and chances are, they’ve already had to seek and find everything you’d ever want to locate!
Nowadays, local Los Alamos grocery shopping is limited to either the Smith’s in White Rock, or the one in Los Alamos. Our Los Alamos Smith’s has been expanded to include retail that resembles a super Walmart, which is actually a pretty nice perk. But if you haven’t been in the area for long, you might be surprised to discover that there used to be more than one grocery store chain in town.
Piggly Wiggly
Before the Black Hole or the current plans for beautiful new housing at Arkansas Place, there was a grocery store. If any of you can remember exactly when this market opened, please feel free to comment. If asked, most long time residents who recall the Piggly Wiggly at 4015 Arkansas Avenue can’t actually remember it not being there. Some folks called it the Tom & Jerry Market because of the mural painted on the Arkansas facing side of the building depicting the famous cartoon cat and mouse. It’s possible that the store was operated independently for a short time after Piggly Wiggly pulled the franchise, but that hasn’t been confirmed. Whatever its name, the grocery store was still around in the 80’s before closing and eventually becoming the Black Hole. If you live at that “end” of town, you can imagine just how handy it was to have a small grocery store option in the area.
Ed’s Market
If you ask Yelp, Ed’s Food Market at 1183 Diamond Drive is still open for business. Considering the space is primarily occupied by Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Los Alamos Social Services, you’re probably not going to be able to swing by for a gallon of milk after work. Not long after the Smith’s Marketplace opened, Ed’s Food Market closed its doors. Back when the store was still operating, it certainly made a handy place for high schoolers to pool their funds and pick up snacks or meals. The mom and pop grocery store was owned and operated by a local Los Alamos family, the Kindsfathers. With kids in the local school district playing sports and participating in activities, Ed’s was a great example of a small business involved in the community.
Safeway
Before the big Smith’s Marketplace, the “main” grocery chain in Los Alamos was located over in the MariMac Plaza. The space is vacant now, although it is still owned by Kroger. Most of us are marginally aware of this as it becomes a hot topic off and on in regards to what amenities might possibly go into the enormous space.
Back in the early days of the Mari Mac Plaza when Revco and TG&Y occupied the other storefronts, more about that HERE, the grocery store anchor was Safeway. Sometime in the nineties the store was absorbed into the Furr’s Supermarket chain before Kroger took the store in hand and opened the second Smith’s in Los Alamos County. Interestingly enough, even while the store in Los Alamos was changing names, signage, and being remodeled, the White Rock Smith’s was pretty much exactly as it is today.
Los Alamos now hosts both the Co-op Market and Natural Grocers along with Smith’s. When we’re bemoaning the loss of some of our smaller grocery options, it’s important to remember that our small town isn’t the only one going through these ups and downs with the merchandise industry. Towns all over America are changing with the times. Perhaps its time for all of us to get involved at the local level and get excited about things to come! And when you’re ready to talk Real Estate in Los Alamos, give me a call. I’m your hometown real estate broker!
No matter where you live, shopping for a car is always a significant experience. It can be positive or negative, but for many it’s a rite of passage. And here in Los Alamos, a good number of locals remember starting to shop for their first ride on the Lemon Lot.
For anyone who doesn’t know, the Lemon Lot is the portion of the Sullivan Field parking lot situated on the corner of Trinity and Diamond Drives. For quite a long time, this southern section of the parking lot was just overflow parking for the football field. At some point in Los Alamos history, local folks began to park cars there when it was time to look for a buyer. Because the lot is somewhat located in front of the Methodist Church, some locals have been known to refer to this setup as “Methodist Motors”.
Why a lot full of used cars? As we all know, Los Alamos doesn’t have the population numbers to support a full scale car dealership. At various points in our town’s evolution, there have been one or two used car lots in town. In the eighties there was a small lot operating out of what is now Chiliworks. For a very short period of time another small outfit ran a lot down on DP Road. There have probably been more than a few that are outside my memory. But the Lemon Lot has been the only consistent place to car shop in Los Alamos.
The Lemon Lot was so well known that it made a notable appearance in Judy Blume’s 1981 novel, Tiger Eyes, where the author reports, “Anyone who wants to sell a car in Los Alamos parks it here and potential buyers come to see what’s available.” If you’ve never read the book, it was targeted to a young adult audience and set almost entirely in Los Alamos. While the descriptions of town are rather outdated now, it was pretty accurate back in the day.
image copyright Bradbury Publishing
In the early days of the Lemon Lot there was no permit required. At some point Los Alamos County assumed management of the operation. Permits began to be required. First just to keep the number of vehicles from being overwhelming. Then the county began to require proof of ownership in order to park a car on the lot. I’m sure you can imagine why that rule went into effect!
Beginning in August 2021, permits can now be obtained online! This is great news for anyone wanting to sell a car. It’s a rather interesting shift in our culture that parking, getting out of your vehicle, and actually going inside our stylish County Municipal Building in order to speak with customer care and get your permit is such a hassle.
And by the way, while the name Lemon Lot is rather self explanatory, the origin probably isn’t what you think. It has nothing to do with a yellow fruit looking good on the outside and being sour on the inside. The word “lemon” in this context comes from the Middle English lymon, which meant “something that proves to be defective”.
Of course, buying a used car is always a bit of a gamble. To be honest, buying a new vehicle can be a gamble too. Historically, the Lemon Lot has hosted a variety of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and RVs. Prices tend to be extremely reasonable or rather outrageous. But when shopping, you’ll want to keep in mind that the value of any vehicle is directly related to what someone is willing to pay for it. Maybe not you, but somebody. And the Lemon Lot is a fantastic place to discover unusual or hard to find vehicles that have likely been sitting in someone’s garage for decades or more.
If you’re a local looking for a car, I’ll probably see you around the Lemon Lot. After all, I’ve got some kiddos getting ready to get behind the wheel altogether too soon! And when you’re ready to talk buying and selling real estate in Los Alamos, I’m your hometown real estate broker! Give me a call! I’d love to chat with you.
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