By Sara Ventiera | realtor.com
Luna Lodge, in Albuquerque, NM, is the quintessential Route 66 motel.
A kitschy, neon sign with an arrow points to the parking lot that’s lined by three square Pueblo Spanish Revival buildings with flared stucco hoods over the doors. The 1949 property was even placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 “as one of the best examples of a largely unaltered tourist court remaining along New Mexico Route 66.”
But despite its iconic status, the motel fell into disrepair over the decades. The dilapidated, boarded-up building became a magnet for criminal activity.
Then Luna Lodge got a new lease on life. In 2013, the renovated building once again began welcoming people into its rooms. But they weren’t just passing through. The former motel had been converted into 30 affordable apartments for low-income and disabled tenants.
