ABQ Uptown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
ABQ Uptown Shopping Center

Southwest Corner
Location	Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Opening date	November 2006
Developer	Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
Management	Simon Property Group
Owner	Simon Property Group
No. of stores and services	51
No. of anchor tenants	3
Total retail floor area	230,026 square feet (21,370.1 m2)
No. of floors	2 (Toni and Guy and The Melting Pot) 1 (other stores)
Parking	750 spaces

ABQ Uptown is a cool outdoor shopping mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's owned by a company called Simon Property Group. This mall is one of four big shopping spots in the Albuquerque area. You can find 51 different stores here!

Some of its main stores, called "anchor tenants," include J.Crew, The North Face, and Lush. It's also home to the only Apple Store in all of New Mexico. When you visit, you'll enjoy music, lights, and fun decorations, especially during holidays.

Discovering ABQ Uptown

ABQ Uptown first opened its doors in November 2006. It was designed as an open-air "lifestyle center." This means it's a shopping area that feels more like a town square. It was built by a local architecture company named Dekker/Perich/Sabatini. They are known for their designs that fit the Southwest style and are also eco-friendly.

How ABQ Uptown Started

Before ABQ Uptown was built, the land was empty for many years. It was a 20-acre lot located between two other malls, Coronado and Winrock. This spot used to be where St. Pius X High School stood. The school was taken down in the late 1980s.

A Storefront and a statue

There were plans to build a huge project called The Commons. This project would have included tall office buildings and a hotel. But those plans didn't work out, and the land stayed empty. Later, Hunt Building Corporation bought the land. They planned a mixed-use development. This means it would have shops, homes, offices, and even a grocery store.

In November 2006, ABQ Uptown officially opened. It brought many new stores to Albuquerque. Some of these stores, like the Apple Store, were new to New Mexico. To help with parking, a three-level underground parking garage was built. It can hold 300 cars.

What's Happening at ABQ Uptown Today?

ABQ Uptown opened in two main stages. The first stage, in November 2006, included the shops and the parking garage. It also involved changing roads and utilities in the area. The second stage, which opened in 2008, added multi-family housing nearby.

Simon Property Group bought ABQ Uptown in 2012. They also used to own Cottonwood Mall. Many shops and restaurants at ABQ Uptown are very popular.

Here are some of the businesses you can find there:

• Ann Taylor
• Anthropologie
• Apple
• AT&T
• Banana Republic
• Bravo Cucina Italiana
• California Pizza Kitchen
• Charming Charlie
• Chico's
• Eddie Bauer
• Elephant Bar Restaurant
• Fidelity Investments
• First National Rio Grande
• Francesca's
• GAP
• Gymboree
• Jared The Galleria of Jewelry
• J. Crew
• J.Jill
• Jos. A. Bank Clothiers
• L'Occitane en Provence
• Lucky Brand
• Lululemon Athletica
• Lush
• MAC Cosmetics
• McAlister's Deli
• Michael Kors
• Pottery Barn
• Sleep Number
• Soma
• Starbucks
• Sunglass Hut
• Sushi Freak
• Talbots
• Teavana
• Mati
• The Melting Pot
• The North Face
• T-Mobile
• Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy
• White House Black Market
• Williams Sonoma

This huge shopping center is about 1,000,000 square feet. It has become a major attraction in Albuquerque.

Different companies own the malls in the uptown area. Simon Property Group owns ABQ Uptown. Brookfield Properties Retail Group owns Coronado Center. Goodman Realty Group owns Winrock Center. These companies are working together to make the uptown area even better.

New developments include a new movie theater with the city's first IMAX screen. Many new stores and restaurants have also come to Albuquerque. These include Dave & Busters, BJ's Restaurant, and H&M. Some stores, like Banana Republic and The Gap, have even moved to ABQ Uptown from other malls. They did this to get more customers and be more visible.

Living Near ABQ Uptown

To help improve the uptown area, apartments were built across from ABQ Uptown. This building has 198 units and opened in 2008. These apartments offer many cool features.

Some of the apartment features include:

• Energy-saving lights and windows
• Tall ceilings (9 to 12 feet high)
• Washer and dryer inside each apartment
• Granite countertops in the kitchen
• Modern lighting
• Private balconies or patios
• Stainless steel kitchen appliances
• Big walk-in closets
• Stylish concrete and wood-style floors
• Ready for all your technology needs

The apartment community also has great shared spaces. These include a fitness center, a pool, and a wellness center. There's also a cafe, a lounge, and a recycling program. Wi-Fi is available in common areas. The cost of apartments can change based on size and features. There are different sizes, including studios. Pets are allowed, depending on their size. These apartments are super close to the ABQ Uptown shopping center.

Fun Events at ABQ Uptown

ABQ Uptown hosts several fun events throughout the year.

• Taste of ABQ - This is a food festival that celebrates local food. Restaurants from ABQ Uptown and other local spots join in. It happens for one day in early August.
• Christmas Tree Lighting - Every year, the mall lights up a huge Christmas tree. This event usually takes place in early December. It includes live music, entertainment, and sales at many stores. The Christmas tree is 45 feet tall and is a big holiday attraction.
• Holiday Stroll - This event happens on the same night as the Christmas tree lighting. You can usually get free hot chocolate, fondue, and baked goods from almost every store. Toni and Guy also gives out "mini manicures" at different spots in the mall.