SANTA FE PLAZA A Southwestern Shopping Paradise
N
ot many people think of Santa Fe without thinking of the plaza, the national historic landmark which comprises the square and surrounding buildings in downtown City Different. Home to several annual events including Indian Market, Spanish Market and Santa Fe Bandstand, no other aspect of Santa Fe is quite so well known as that little parcel of land boxed in and surrounding West Palace Ave, Lincoln Ave, East San Francisco and Old Santa Fe Trail. For those of us who need a history refresher, the plaza was built in 1609 when Santa Fe was established by Don Pedro de Peralta. Yes, Plymouth Rock was just another stone and the pilgrims had yet to celebrate their first Thanksgiving when the plaza was founded. Originally a fort surrounded by large defensive walls enclosing residences, barracks, a chapel, a prison and the Palace of the Governors, the plaza was the end of the Camino Real (the road from Mexico City). Eventually, large houses for Spanish officers replaced the fortified walls, changing the plaza’s atmosphere significantly. In 1822, the famed Santa Fe Trail made its way from St. Louis, Missouri right into the heart of the plaza. Today, the plaza boasts some of the best shopping in New Mexico, and certainly in Santa Fe. With arts, crafts, dining and just about every signature southwestern item you can imagine, the plaza has never been in the past 400 years a place folks just “pass up on” when they come through town.