What have Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul done for Albuquerque?

no one cares

Sorry for the long reply in advance, but you asked, and I like talking about this.

We're now known for something besides poverty and crime and violence, although Breaking Bad probably never would have been set here if we weren't famous for those things. Whenever I meet someone and I tell them I live in Albuquerque, they say, "Breaking Bad! Walter White, yeah! Science!" Someone once asked me if I ever met the cast, as if it's such a small city that you can spot them all over town. And I think, in all the time the show has filmed here, I've seen them filming once. And I live in a part of town where a lot of scenes have been filmed, especially Mike's on BCS. (Well, I did meet Bob Odenkirk a few months ago at a baseball game, so I guess it's not a total stretch to think you can spot the cast.)

I would say the shows are heavily entwined with the city's identity at this point. A lot of local spots are famous simply for having been featured on the show. I ate lunch at The Dog House the other day, and while there, two tables of people behind me, not together, were talking about Breaking Bad. Driving around the city, you see a lot of signs in the Better Call Saul font and style, and businesses always advertise if they've been seen on either of the shows. The restaurant where Hank and Skyler had their dramatic meeting in the final season used to have a sign over the booth where they sat that said: "Breaking Bad filmed here." That restaurant closed shortly after the show ended, sadly. The Candy Lady's claim to fame is that they provided the blue "meth" (rock candy) props, and they still sell it in little plastic bags like Jesse did. You can't live in Albuquerque and not see some shred of Breaking Bad on a daily basis. It'll probably always be that way, since we really don't have much more to offer in the city proper, and that's the sad truth. It's interesting, too, that even with all that being said, a lot of locals still haven't seen BB or BCS and don't want to. They think it paints the city in a bad light, but I always thought BB did a fantastic job of portraying Albuquerque quite accurately, and now BCS is, too.

On a personal note, I enjoy it every time I see something I remember from either show, which is pretty much every time I leave the house. I drove west today and passed the sign to To'hajilee. I live just a few blocks from the ice cream shop where Hector does his business on BCS. Mike's favorite diner is right behind where I work. I often take the train Mike rode when he arrived in Albuquerque, and I always think of that scene now. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to run into one of the characters on the street, but I guess that's the beauty of being a fan. BB and BCS have brought some much-needed life and fun to an otherwise very drab, dark, downtrodden, dusty town.

Edited to add that the cast has been kind to Albuquerque. They've had two BB/BCS nights with the local baseball team (where I met Odenkirk), and these were charitable events. Jonathan Banks did one or two advertisements for helping the local homeless population, and we have a big homeless problem here. I'm sure there are other examples, but the point is that the cast/crew seem to be gracious and giving to the city.

One more quick thing. A couple of years ago, Odenkirk and Banks made some comments about Albuquerque being a pretty lousy place to film. Mostly they said it was boring, although Banks especially made some negative points. Some locals got bent out of shape about it, saying that they shouldn't film here if they don't like it, but I agreed with the actors. It IS a dull place to live, unless you like feeling like you live in an episode of COPS, and then there's plenty to do. And Odenkirk is right that there is a lot of hiking to be done and nature to be seen, but nights in the city are best spent locked in your house. Video of their interview here: https://youtu.be/FODE5UkPr-0

Originally it was supposed to be filmed around my area in Riverside, CA. It always makes me wonder how different it would have been.

Apart from the aqueduct, sanitation, the roads, irrigation, medicine, education, health....

I was wondering if anyone recognizes the mall where they shoot the Cinnabon scenes.