Route 66, lined with colorful shops and cafes in historic Nob Hill

Route 66, known locally as Central Avenue, is the most historic east-west thoroughfare in Albuquerque - it gently descends down a hill from the city's west mesa, crosses the Rio Grande and becomes the main drag through Old Town and downtown, and then begins a gentle ascent after crossing I-25 and climbing past the University of New Mexico campus into funky, hip, and gay-popular Nob Hill. Pictured here are some of the colorful storefronts and cafes along Route 66 in the heart of Nob Hill.