amenities Archives - Mesa del Sol

Introducing #PureMesa

February 10, 2015 by mesa_admin

Introducing #PureMesa

#PureMesa

At Mesa del Sol, we’ve tried to take everything that Albuquerque offers and turn it up a notch. From an ideal location, just ten minutes from downtown, to our uniquely fun amenities, our approach to creating a neighborhood that brings people together has been a strategic part of our development plan.

Mesa del Sol is known for a high quality of life and our community encompasses the true beauty of New Mexico’s outdoors. In an effort to amass this beauty, we are utilizing the hashtag, #PureMesa to feature the fun, exciting, relaxing, and uniqueness of our community. To bolster this endeavor we’ve also expanded our social media to Instagram. Follow us, @mesadelsolnm.

We encourage everyone in our network to add the hashtag, #PureMesa to an image or content piece that captures this vision of beauty, culture, relaxation, closeness and neighborly. Users that use #PureMesa on their social media networks will have the opportunity to be featured on Mesa del Sol’s social media channels. It’s our way of saying, “thanks” for connecting with our community.

Get started, now.

Who is behind the snakes of Mesa del Sol?

January 26, 2015 by mesa_admin

Snakes at Mesa del Sol slithering through the native grass on University Boulevard. Photo credit: Michael Brooks

If you’ve gone to a concert at Isleta Amphitheatre or simply live or work in Mesa del Sol, then you may have noticed two 275’ long rattlesnakes along University Boulevard. The snakes bask along the median of the four-lane road with their cobblestone bodies slithering through the native grass.

We caught up with the man behind the snakes, George Radnovich, ASLA, Senior Principal/Landscape Architect of Sites Southwest and asked him to tell the story about the snakes.

Q: Tell me about the conception of the idea and who was involved?

A: The County originally hired us and then the City became involved in helping fund the project. At the time, there was no water available out there, but they wanted to conduct a reseeding and vegetation of the medians. Mesa del Sol is an environmentally-conscious community, and wildlife became a large part of the concept. We agreed that having serpents welcome visitors was a winning idea.

Q: Why did you choose the snakes?

A: We wanted to blend the aesthetic concepts from the environment with the sun and wind of the Tijeras arroyo with the wildlife.

Q: When were the snakes built?

A: We began designing the concept of the project in 2005 and the snakes were built in 2007. Originally there was supposed to be three, but because the four-lane road wasn’t completed, the finished product comprised two snakes.

Q: How long did they take to be built?

A: It took 3-4 months for both snakes.

Q: What are the snakes made of?

A: There is a shell of concrete around a wire frame. Stones were placed alongside the outside of it to create a solid structure.

Q: How big are the snakes?

A: The snakes sit at 6’ tall and 275’ long.

Q: What has transpired since the conception of the snakes?

A.: The snakes have been part of Albuquerque’s definition of quirky, eclectic, catchy, interesting and a sense of place.

Q: How does the snakes connect to Mesa del Sol?

A: It speaks directly to the desert and how it fits into the landscape around it. The snakes fit the theme of Mesa del Sol with the interconnected open spaces combined with the landscape and wildlife that surround us in the central Rio Grande Valley. It made a lot of sense to us to encompass the linearity of the snakes as the entrance to the community.

A lot of people enjoy snapping photos of the snakes.

Here are some examples:

Photo Credit: Sites Southwest

Photo Credit: www.RoadsideArchitecture.com

Photo Credit: Sites Southwest

Photo Credit: Michael Brooks

The next time you take a drive down University Boulevard, snap a selfie with our cobblestone friend and hashtag, #PureMesa to be featured in our social media channels. Or simply wave to the serpents as you pass by…

Albuquerque Named no. 1 Mid-Sized City to Visit

January 21, 2015 by mesa_admin

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s most populous city was recently named the no. 1 mid-sized city to visit by World Property Journal. Photo Credit: Community-Wealth.org

Albuquerque was named the no. 1 Top 10 Mid-Sized American Cities to visit, according to World Property Journal. The high desert climate coupled with views from the Sandia Crest is among some of the reasons why the city topped the list.

Additionally, the Native American culture amalgamated with the lively restaurants and attractions of Nob Hill, Historic Old Town, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the Tinkertown Museum, and the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum come together as a exciting, spicy mix.

The other cities that made the list comprise:

#2- Nashville, Tennessee

#3- Colorado Springs, Colorado

#4- Amarillo, Texas

#5- Boise, Idaho

#6- Roanoke, Virginia

#7- Spokane, Washington

#8- Fort Lauderdale Florida

#9- Portland, Oregon

#10- Savannah, Georgia

To read the full article, click here.

2015 Calendars, Dogs of Mesa del Sol

January 6, 2015 by mesa_admin

Mesa del Sol Community Calendars are now available. First copy is free to residents and was delivered on December 29th. Additional copies available upon request, Mesa del Sol asks you make a donation to Paws and Stripes for the additional calendars. See mesadelsolnm.com for details – Proceeds benefit Paws and Stripes.

New year, new calendar! Contact the Mesa del Sol office and pick up the 2015 Dogs of Mesa del Sol Calendar before they’re gone. The first calendar has been delivered to residents.

Office hours: 8:00am-5:00pm
Phone: (505) 452-2600

Additional copies are available at the request of a donation to the local nonprofit, Paws and Stripes.

About Paws and Stripes

MISSION: To provide integrative service dog training and mental health support to U.S. military Veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury using rescue dogs from animal shelters, benefitting both the veteran and the rescue dog.

ABOUT: Helping Dogs, Helping Heroes: that is the essence of Paws and Stripes. Paws and Stripes provides service dogs for wounded military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. We help veterans so they can live the full and rich lives they deserve. Our dogs only come from local rescues and shelters. Paws and Stripes trainers teach the dogs and the veterans as a team. Our program actively integrates mental health treatment plans into their service dog training program. Mental Health services are offered to both the veteran and their family. These services are offered to each veteran without being required to pay for them.

Donate now.

New Mexican Biscochito Recipe

December 19, 2014 by mesa_admin

Biscochitos are a popular New Mexican family recipe. Image courtesy: Gabrielaskitchen.com

The biscochito was originally introduced to New Mexicans by Spanish explorers in the 16^th Century. The biscochito, derived from the Spanish word Bizcocho, meaning pastry or cookie. Biscochitos are most prevalent during weddings, baptisms, and especially Christmas time with young children leaving milk and cookies for Santa.

In 1989, the New Mexico adopted the biscochito as the official state cookie. The biscochito is among one of the most popular New Mexican family recipes.

Biscochito Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 dozen cookies

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups lard
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons anise seed
2 eggs
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

PREP-15 mins

COOK-10 mins

READY IN-25 mins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the lard and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Mix in the anise seed, and beat until fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the sifted ingredients and brandy, and stir until well blended. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies onto baking sheets. Mix together the 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the tops of the cookies. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

Dog Park Makeover

November 25, 2014 by Mesa Admin

Mesa del Sol Dog Park

The dog park at Mesa del Sol is getting a makeover. As Mesa del Sol continues to expand and construction commences to support new development, dog owners can currently utilize a portion of the park. The final configuration in its entirety will be completed by February.

The construction is exciting for resident pet owners as these new features are currently being added to this popular amenity.

These features include:

Expansion to 1.2 acres
New configuration
Small and large dog designated areas

Future configuration of Mesa del Sol Dog Park

Thank you to everyone for your patience as we await this exciting improvement to our growing community.