Breaking Down "Breaking Bad" Filming Locations with Adam and Billy - Episode 1

I'm just getting around to Adam Ramirez's and William Dickey's ten-year retrospective series of videos on "Breaking Bad." There were several of us filming-location hunters, each looking for their own special nirvana among the junk yards and fast food joints in the South Valley and elsewhere, but I thought Adam and Bill made the best location-hunting team, not just because they worked so hard, but because they were so LUCKY! Doors opened for them that were closed to everyone else. And luck doesn't just happen - it's a skill too. And they had it! 

From 39:00 to 44:00 they discussed my role, which was to consult my Albuquerque geographic instinct from afar, plus consult Google Earth, and home in on locations (with the valuable help of Sven Joli in Virginia). Adam and Bill discuss one particularly-obscure location, and I wanted to discuss that one: a row of condos. 

The location sits on western bluffs above the Rio Grande. When I was attending West Mesa High School I had a friend who lived about half a mile north of there. Particularly in the years 1972-73 (ages 15-16), I would frequently visit the general neighborhood. Among other things, my friend had built a hang glider, and (with considerable risk) was trying to get the overbuilt thing airborne. At some point, I likely passed by the condos - and remembered them. 

So later, in the 2010-11 timeframe, more than 37 years later, when I was trying to find that obscure filming location, I remembered.... 

It's interesting. Even though I moved from Albuquerque at the age of 23, I still have that instinct. I've lived in Sacramento now for 33 years, but I haven't developed that instinct for there yet. Childhood is a special time. 

Watch Adam and Bill's series!