One of you guys has to go photograph this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...00871&t=h&z=21

WTF?

Looks like the front end to an aircraft. That's very close to me, I may be able to photograph it.

--don

I now know of three of those. There is one just off the 17th green of the Links course at Biltmore that would be easier to photograph and there is one at 32nd street and Air Lane. Im not sure why the one is at Air Lane but the one you posted and the one at Biltmore both appear to be in backyards and used as children's playgrounds.

Edit: I wen't on bing maps to take advantage of their "bird's eye view" and the cockpit isn't there. Now the question is which one is older, Google or Bing?

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=pkw...=b&form=LMLTCC

Here are the other two:

Apparently Google is older on this one as the bing map shows this lot completely graded and ready to build with the airplane gone, poor kids!
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=3...01526&t=h&z=20

whoops, the other doesn't show up on any maps!

I "live" in South Carolina, but only go back home for about a day a month. I'm a flight attendant based here, and stay in a crashpad when I'm not flying.

cool, welcome to the forum!

I know a few others have talked about cycling in the past, well I rode up south mountain the other day all the way up to the TV towers. Holy shit! That was more work than I expected.

The one off of Airlane is is used by the Airport Fire Dept. for training.

Check out this cool thing Cleveland is doing:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011...iative_ki.html

They're trying to attract 100K new people to Cleveland over the next 10 years, especially those from foreign lands. Its early in the idea stages but I like that they're thinking big. In a lot of ways I think Phoenix needs to learn from rust belt Cities like Detroit and Cleveland that are having to get creative and think outside the box to redefine themselves. Phoenix certainly needs to redefine
itself as it continues to grow up.

I would hope our next Mayor would do something similar to this. While Arizona has certainly taken a beating reputation wise in the immigration area maybe there's ways to make Phoenix stand out as a beacon amidst that muck. I'd love an influx of 100K new immigrants to PHX over 10 years, especially if they were all to move between the I-17, SR51, Sunnyslope Mountain and the Riverbed. That would do wonders for our Central city, making it a more diverse and interesting place.

/\Not sure how this would work... you get 100,000 people to come here and do what? Seems like you need to focus on attracting companies and jobs and diversify your economy first, then if need be, try to attract a bunch of immigrants that could fill various positions.

We don't need a ton of extra people (potentially unemployed) using public services (roads, emergency rooms, etc. etc.) that can't contribute. If there were jobs for everyone first, then the services would be able to be kept up with the influx of people.

^ Oh I agree and like I said Cleveland's program is in the super early stages, so I'm not sure how it'll all work out. I'd just like to see Phoenix continue to grow in a more diverse way so its not just all either white folks or Mexicans, thats a bit boring culturally. In the last census Asian growth in AZ was way up, and thats a good thing, though they're still only a small sliver of the population.

When I lived in StL for college they had a big Bosnian population that was displaced there during the wars in their homeland in the 90's. Most of them lived in one area and there were ton of great Bosnian eateries, shops, etc (I highly recommend Bosnian food if you ever get the chance) it was sort of a "Little Sarajevo." Phoenix did end up with quite a few of the "Lost Boy" refugee's from the Sudan but sadly they're so impoverished and completely unaware of modernity that its not like they'll come here, settle into a neighborhood and begin opening their own business and restaurants.

Critical Mass
 

I did my first Critical Mass this past Friday. It was really fun. Any of y'all participate in that?

what is that?

It's actually a worldwide event that started in SF back in '92:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass

But here's the fb page specifically for the Phoenix ride:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Criti...323217?sk=info

There were almost 100 riders there this month :)

I participated accidentally a few months ago when a bicyclist riding in Critical Mass struck me as I was walking in Midtown, fortunately with no injury to either of us.

Interesting that I've never heard of this. I'm assuming with that many riders, they would split into groups of varying speeds? If so, I'd be easily convinced to go to one.

I've been on a couple of these "raise awareness" rides in the past few years and they moved at snails paces, though they were small enough groups that there was only one group. I want to say the pace was like 12/14mph.

It's all one group. Moving about as one massive blob is part of the point. I found it fast enough b/c i'm a casual rider. But to appease some of the ppl that want to go faster, they're made "blockers" (or "corkers" as described in the Wiki). They basically ride at the front then block lighted intersections so the entire group can cycle through as a contiguous blob. This obviously puts them at the end of the group, so they then sprint back up to the front to block the next intersection.

So, they try to raise awareness and get people to leave their cars and start biking by pissing off the people they are trying to reach out to, drivers?

I have no interest in stopping, so it's probably not the ride for me.

On that note I have to agree with sun devil about the irony of blocking an intersection. If some fuck tried to do that to me when I am driving my car, they would end up with a broken face.

you guys must always be rushing to the hospital with birthing women in your backseat or something...

Well I'm off to Germany. Possibly post pictures later.

Off to Vegas this weekend. Will try to get some cool pics. :)

--don

Off to Chandler. Won't post pics.

Based on some of Critical Mass' exploits in San Francisco, it sounds like they're to the biking community what PETA is to the animal rights movement.

I'm all for alternate means of transportation, but don't go about it with a self-righteous, militant attitude.

Also, we've got a Canadian (Ayreonaut) who posts in the Midwest forum, but is in Phoenix this week without a car and looking for things to do (he's out in Litchfield Park). I suggested, if he could swing it, to ride the light rail and check out Downtown Phoenix and Mill Avenue, as well as the Heard Museum and, if possible, visiting Papago Park, South Mountain and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Since I'm stuck up on the mountain, I can't be much more use than that.

Then lucky for you, the Phoenix ride isn't the San Francisco ride :)

What doesn't he post here looking for things to do? I'd be happy to help him out.

I suggested he post here.

;)

Alright, here's my post. Buckeye basically spoke for me. I ended up being busy all day today, but it looks like I've got tomorrow afternoon (and probably all day Thursday) free and have no idea what to see or where to go (outside of what Buckeye already suggested).

My mom's got the rental, so she'll probably just drop me off downtown at some point, and I'll be on foot for the most part. I'm pretty much open to anything that is worth while. I'd be perfectly happy just wandering around taking pictures of random shit, but wasn't able to do that today (I was stuck in the NE corner of Scottsdale).

Thanks in advance for any tips. :cheers:

BTW, I leave Friday morning.

Well if she drops you off downtown then you'll have heard museum, Phoenix art museum (free weds afternoons), desert botanical gardens, pueblo grande archeological site, Phoenix zoo, hiking at Papago park, mill ave/ASU, and the Wednesday evening farmers market all within walkig distance of a train station.

or, you know, there's also actually stuff in downtown to do.

I'd suggest making a quick visit inside the Burton Barr Library. I know its not everyone's favorite, but I dig it, even though that means jack shit.

Like what? Get drunk?

I would do basically what Vicelord said. Walk around downtown a bit. Take some pictures, see some of the buildings, maybe eat lunch somewhere, then grab a day pass on the light rail and go to the Heard Museum. (only a couple stops north of downtown at the Encanto station). It's something that's nice and cool (it's kind of hot today) and is famously uniquely phoenix.

Unless you're with someone that could be your tour guide around downtown to show you the random stuff and the off-the-beaten-path cool places to hang out, you'll have a hard time going at it alone.

Assuming you get on light rail right downtown, along the way up to the Encanto station, the Van Buren station has the Civic Park which may have cool photo ops and a nice place to waste a half hour. The McDowell stop has the Burton Barr Library and the Phoenix Art Museum. Then you get to the Encanto Station and the Heard Museum.

If you're not much into museums... I think this would be a boring day for you alone. :tup:

well he is 22... maybe he should just do some day time bar hopping between downtown and mill ave.

:cheers:

wow, posts can be too short? that's the only reason i'm typing this line.

Well I must say Germany these past few days has been amazing urban and convinent to get around. I'm going to come back with many new ideas for urban planning and other things. The downtown and even the suburbs sure as hell beat the crap out of Phoenix, Chicago, LA, San Fran, and pretty much every American city.

http://www.dailyhaggis.com/wp-conten...9/08/o_rly.jpg


lol glad you're having fun

Along the lines of the Phoenix Giants hat I posted earlier, Ebbets now is selling a 1958 Phoenix Giants jersey, on sale for $99 down from $185-ish. Its pretty slick, I'm getting one:

http://cdn.ebbets.com/images/uploads/PHX58H-550.gif

Where in Germany? I freaking love Germany...was in Nurnberg last summer and going again this winter.

Currently in a suburb of Hamburg. Germany is so freakin amazing!

Welcome to America. I was in China/Hong Kong the past two weeks and if they want something (high speed rail, skyscrappers, etc.) they get it done. America is boggled down in one big bureaucracy machine (especially Phoenix). Its next to impossible to get things done quickly and efficiently. Obviously we have a lot more political freedoms than China so I am no way suggesting we move towards a Chinese form of government.

That said, I sure will miss this:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1258/...f62a0711_b.jpg

So am I the only dummy that didn't know Best Western is HQ'd in Phoenix? It looks like they're over by the Biltmore's golf course. It drives me crazy that so few large Phoenix based corporations have a Downtown presence.

It sure would be nice for Best Western to have their corporate HQ in Downtown PHX with a flagship hotel as part of it. I know most of their locations are suburban/roadside motel type establishments, but they do have some urban locations, see here:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9...ernboweryg.jpg

According to their WikiP page they are offering some more upscale "Best Western Premiere" locations in Europe & Asia. If that's something they're looking to eventually roll out in the US it would be terrific for Downtown PHX to be the launching point for it.

Like I've said over & over, the next Mayor really needs to sit down with PetsSmart, Taser, Cold Stone, Best Western, CSK Auto, et cetera and try to lure them Downtown.

EDIT: Welp looks like their WikiP page is out of date, they do have BW Premiers in the US, here's a list:

http://www.bestwestern.com/premier/h...=united-states

All the more reason there ought to be one Downtown. We're still woefully short on Downtown hotel rooms and I imagine even a BW "Premier" would still offer a more affordable price for lower end convention and business travelers than current Downtown hotels.

I'm with you on all of that, but didn't CSK just get bought out? Are they going to continue their hq here?

Hm a bit of internetting seems to say thats the case. Though I imagine they may keep a Western US/regional HQ here. Though that of course would reduce their need and thus likelihood of building something taller/higher density downtown.

Either way the general point stands even if not for that particular company anymore.

On the topic of headquarters, I always thought it would be cool for Fender to have a visible presence (I don't think many people know they are even here). With the music and entertainment venues downtown, it would be cool for them to have some sort of public marketing thing downtown in conjunction with their corporate offices.

BWI does have the corporate offices just behind Arizona Biltmore. They are accessible from 24th Street or 25th street about 3 blocks south of Lincoln.

I used to get so damned frustrated when I'd try to cut through there on the way home from work at Biltmore and they would have the gates locked... that's about all my experience with it.

I believe they are located there because of rents and the fact they have a nice location with grass and trees with mountain views. They would undoubtedly have to pay more to be downtown, and they'd be giving up all the easy surface parking for employees, grassy and mountain views, and the cache of saying they have a Biltmore location.

As for CSK, it's never going to happen. Since O'Reilly Auto is based in Missouri, and they don't have enough of a local presence in Phoenix, there would be no need for a large scale corporate office here.

You've highlighted why none of those corporate headquarters will be moving downtown any time soon.

Yep thats the problem with most of the big corporate HQs that are located in more suburban areas. Thats why I think its something the Mayor would actually have to take a leadership role in, a corporate migration Downtown isn't going to happen on its own here.

The City has to find a way to make Downtown more appealing for those types of companies. If TIFs were available in AZ I think that would be a big part of the puzzle. A PHX Mayor leading other Statewide Mayors into pressuring the Statehouse into allowing TIFs is another thing that needs to happen.

In a weird way it may be easier to attract a few large companies downtown at once rather than one at a time. If (in a future world of a good economy) you had a few Corporations coming Downtown as part of a larger plan that helped Downtown achieve that tipping point we're all waiting for it would maybe be more appealing than one company having to feel like they're Urban Pioneers.

I think the key to getting companies to HQ in downtown, aside from financial incentives like TIFs, is the residential. If downtown becomes a place that a quality workforce wants to live (and can from a capacity standpoint, which we currently don't have), more companies will eyeball downtown as an attractive location. So basically I think we need more quality housing downtown to increase our appeal to HQ location decisions.

My company is moving its AZ HQ to CityScape in a few months. Wonder if I'll still be working here by then.

This is a move from Midtown, though. Correct?