General Phoenix Metro Discussion Thread

[AZSunHiker]

Hey fellas. Huge admirer of the Phoenix Metro and Arizona as a whole here. I'll be leaving the Boston area for a Phoenix / AZ vacation on Halloween. Gonna spend a couple days in Phoenix Metro and then a day in Flagstaff / Sedona and a day in Grand Canyon Village area. Any recommendations would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated. Weather should be interesting because I'm expecting PHX to be low 80s during the afternoons and Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Village to be mid20s at night! Will be staying in Scottsdale, Flagstaff, and GCV. My goal is to see as much insanely beautiful and impressive scenery / landscapes as I can.

Sedona has far too many places to see on foot and too remote to do by car so be sure book the Pink Jeep Tours.

Metro Phoenix has a great variety of terrain types. Recommend using the hiking websites (e.g. https://www.alltrails.com/us/arizona ) to scout places to visit and motorcycle ride recs for great drives (e.g. https://www.theadvocates.com/arizona/knowledge-base/best-motorcycle-roads-in-arizona/ ). Some good ones off the top of my head: Camelback Echo Canyon side, Piestewa Drive around Piestewa Peak trailhead, Different Pointe of View restaurant, Dobbins Lookout, Papago Park, Apache Trail to Theodore Roosevelt Lake (not sure how much of this trail is open), Lost Dutchman State Park, Ahwatukee Foothills from Desert Foothills Trailhead along Desert Foothills Pkwy to Chandler Blvd to the neighborhood on the 35th Ave hill, the Boulders, Fountain Hills, Highway 87 through the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, and McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

There's a lot of varied terrain within the Phoenix metro.

[azcats]

Originally Posted by WarrenBuffett2024

Hey fellas. Huge admirer of the Phoenix Metro and Arizona as a whole here. I'll be leaving the Boston area for a Phoenix / AZ vacation on Halloween. Gonna spend a couple days in Phoenix Metro and then a day in Flagstaff / Sedona and a day in Grand Canyon Village area. Any recommendations would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated. Weather should be interesting because I'm expecting PHX to be low 80s during the afternoons and Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Village to be mid20s at night! Will be staying in Scottsdale, Flagstaff, and GCV. My goal is to see as much insanely beautiful and impressive scenery / landscapes as I can.

Be brave...and come now - you could save $$ on your hotel bill in Scottsdale! HA! Grew up in Scottsdale - old Scottsdale - and know Boston well - my parents came to Phoenix from there (Newton) many moons ago - when Phoenix was a small outpost. I spent many summers as a kid in New England - Mass. the Cape...Rhode Island...etc. Lived and worked one summer on Newbury St. from Arlington "Ahhhlington" (The Public Garden - "Gahhhden") to Mass. Ave. How did I survive what I did in my youth!

Scottsdale:
The Sugar Bowl on Scottsdale Rd. - just south of Indian School Rd. Been there for decades and decades. Simple ...old soda fountain style for ice cream and sandwiches. Old Family Circus cartoon prints on walls - cause Bil Keane lived on the side of Mummy Mountain from the 1950s - till he died.

Los Olivos Mexican Restaurant: The only Mexican Restaurant I ever go to in Scottdale - because I've been going there since I was a kid. 2nd St and Brown.

Taliesin West: Frank Lloyed Wright's winter home.

Paolo Soleri gallery: Double Tree - west of Scottsdale Rd.

Sedona:
I avoid Sedona. Yes, the red rocks are beautiful...and if you have never been there - you have to go at least once. The roads are jammed packed with tourist.

Jerome:
Just south of Sedona on Highway 89 - up halfway on Mingus Mountain ...is the old mining town of Jerome. Go during the week - beat any crowds. It has transformed into a great spot for shops and restaurants. Get a window seat at Haunted Hamburger - and you get a beautiful view of the Verde Valley below - including the red rocks of Sedona.

Prescott:
(where I live) continue south on 89 - go over the top of Mingus Mountain - you come to Prescott. The original territorial capital of Arizona. It is over 5,500 feet - 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix. It is on the edge of the Bradshaw Mountains - the Prescott National Forest. The courthouse square is a great place for shops, restaurants, and antique stores - Whiskey Row (has the oldest bar in Arizona). Senator Barry Goldwater announced his run for the Presidency on the steps of the courthouse. Up from the courthouse is the Sharlot Hall Museum. It has the original Fremont House. Fremont was the territorial governor. He later moved to California - became governor there - and Fremont, California was named after him. Right up from there on Gurley is the Liquor Deli. Great sandwiches.

Tucson:
If you have time - a quick 1 1/2 hour drive from Phoenix. It is nearly three times as high as Phoenix - and great big beautiful mountains surround it. The University of Arizona campus is a beautiful campus - with red brick buildings. On campus, is The Center for Creative Photography houses Ansel Adams photo archives. Just south of Tucson - west of I-19 - is the San Xavier del Bac Mission. It was built in the late 1700s before Mexico won its independence from Spain. The reason the right tower was never completed - if it had been finished - Spain would have stopped sending funds. There is also the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum...and the DeGrazia Gallery on North Swan.

Have a great trip!

[WarrenBuffett2024]

Thank you both very much for your very thoughtful and considerate replies. I will reply with a more thorough and appreciative message later, when I’m out of work. @azcats I am from Fall River and currently work as a high school teacher in the city. Tough job. Do not recommend. Just a temp post-college transition job for me but nonetheless miserable. Anyways, I went to BC and lived in Newton for a few years. I also frequent Providence on a weekly basis. I’ll be leaving New England soon…good riddance.

[Obadno]

Do anything along highway 89a

[Obadno]

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2024/10/02/whole-foods-sets-closing-for-phoenix-store.html

Which store is closing?

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by Obadno

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2024/10/02/whole-foods-sets-closing-for-phoenix-store.html

Which store is closing?

The old one down the street...

Ahead of the store opening, Whole Foods will be closing its store about a mile south at the corner of Tatum and Shea. The existing Paradise Valley store will close on Oct. 13.

[KEVINphx]

Originally Posted by KEVINphx

I agree with all this

WELL - it's October and it was just 115 this last Saturday and in the middle of ANOTHER unprecedented heatwave this time breaking records for September AND October.

Tell me again about how it's not that bad . . . . lmfao. Tell me your an AC office worker without telling me your an AC office worker.

Here's to hoping for a cool thanksgiving and to be below 100 by Christmas

[KEVINphx]

Originally Posted by WarrenBuffett2024

Hey fellas. Huge admirer of the Phoenix Metro and Arizona as a whole here. I'll be leaving the Boston area for a Phoenix / AZ vacation on Halloween. Gonna spend a couple days in Phoenix Metro and then a day in Flagstaff / Sedona and a day in Grand Canyon Village area. Any recommendations would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated. Weather should be interesting because I'm expecting PHX to be low 80s during the afternoons and Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Village to be mid20s at night! Will be staying in Scottsdale, Flagstaff, and GCV. My goal is to see as much insanely beautiful and impressive scenery / landscapes as I can.

Phoenix around Halloween could likely still be in the mid to high 90s - typically cools off after that. Especially with the never ending hell summer we are having this year . . .

Stay hydrated and pack accordingly - you'll need an array of layers given the varied weather from Phoenix to Flag and the Canyon

[jermykermy]

[azcats]

Those are nice photos. The last time I was down there - Central Station was literally a hole in the ground. You don't happen to have any photos of the development - from the north...south...east...and west? I have the Phoenix webcam - that shows Central Station...however, your photos are sharp - crisp. That big new development on the northeast corner of Fillmore and Central - came out of nowhere!

To the guy (who works construction) expressing anger. Yes, even though I didn't work outside as you do - it is a f*&$#%* bear - I experienced enough heat in the summer to realize - I don't want it the rest of my life. We have choices. I remember growing up in the Valley...as a kid - my father made us pull weeds in the middle of the day - at the end of June - and we had to get the roots! That's why I am an excellent swimmer - swimming competitively since the age of five! I used to hate when people that would move to Phoenix and complain about it. Then, go back! Those people you see jogging at four in the afternoon - at the end of June...? Those people came from where it was bitter cold in the winter - with snow and ice. I lived in Tucson for eight years - at least it cools down at night. That's why I live in Prescott. We can get a big monsoon - in August - dropping the temps to 66 - 2:00 in the afternoon. I look at the Phoenix webcam - still bright and sunny - and 107 degrees! Phoenix is so huge now - with all that asphalt and concrete - it will never cool down at night in July and August. During the day, can you really tell the difference between 105 and 115? I can't. Summer is over - you have a couple of more weeks down there.

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

Well, thankfully we are looking at a high of about 76 this Friday with lows in the 50s!!! Had to wait a couple more weeks this year but at least it’s finally here!!!

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by KEVINphx

Phoenix around Halloween could likely still be in the mid to high 90s - typically cools off after that. Especially with the never ending hell summer we are having this year . . .

Stay hydrated and pack accordingly - you'll need an array of layers given the varied weather from Phoenix to Flag and the Canyon

Halloween usually has perfect weather, those days where you can kinda be in anything and be comfortable which makes Halloween a great holiday here especially at ASU where the girls can get..........


......creative ........



at least that's how I remember it.

[Sean1187]

Just thought I'd drop this little nugget. U-Haul/Amerco was selected as the final bidder and is now under contract for 20 E. Thomas aka the former Century Link tower. They're now taking next month to assess the building and figure out how it'll be used.

[combusean]

That's ... crazy. I thought between the fitness center and existing facilities U-haul would have stayed around there for a generation. But I guess this lets them exit their leases in the buildings SW of 3rd and Roanoke.

They might even sell their enormous lot south of the U-Haul Towers. Now that would be something cool to see developed. Lots that big come up once in a blue moon.

[somethingfast]

Just got back from Austin and, wow, what an impressive CBD they have going on there! I'm aware of the construction and have seen the updates but being there first-hand, it was amazing. After visiting Calgary a few months ago, I'm extremely envious of what smaller (much smaller in case of Calgary) metros like these two have compared to Phoenix. I know comparisons aren't fair but one can only hope that Phoenix someday has some real balance of: density, height, and architectural quality.

[combusean]

My take on Austin is that if Phoenix wasn't so polycentric in its own sprawl and having its suburbs compete with it, it would be able to "compete" with cities like Austin. The Phoenix area's luxury destinations are just not compatible with height and density and that's always been a shame, and downtown where that basically does fly just isn't attracting that market despite the super high rents.

The property tax protections the state enacted are even an unfortunate protection against needed gentrification, crummy neighborhoods like Garfiled are going to be million dollar homes filled with legacy poor people just like California. Retailers will never see the income radii they need to locate downtown as a result.

[somethingfast]

^ That all makes sense and agree with the "polycentric" comment. Few large metros have such distinct surrounding cities like Phoenix (LA, DFW come to mind) with the 5 "mini-majors" we have. I still kinda think that even if everything you said wasn't true, there is a distinct lack of vision and pride in our leadership/development/financing community. Probably because few of those latter group folks actually live here. Anyway, Austin looks amazing and is definitely in Top Ten for me in terms of all the things we find important. Amazing that it happened essentially in 10 years.

[azliam]

Originally Posted by somethingfast

^ That all makes sense and agree with the "polycentric" comment. Few large metros have such distinct surrounding cities like Phoenix (LA, DFW come to mind) with the 5 "mini-majors" we have. I still kinda think that even if everything you said wasn't true, there is a distinct lack of vision and pride in our leadership/development/financing community. Probably because few of those latter group folks actually live here. Anyway, Austin looks amazing and is definitely in Top Ten for me in terms of all the things we find important. Amazing that it happened essentially in 10 years.

It also helps that UT is just north of downtown and the city is the state capitol. If you were to stick all of ASU near the Phoenix CBD, I'd imagine Phoenix might look much different. Austin had good bones to its downtown when I lived there in the early 90's (still does in some areas and bulldozed some for more hi-rises in other areas) unlike Phoenix that destroyed most of its downtown bones. Having said that, I still think Austin was a much more creative and unique place in the 90's than it is now.

[azcats]

Per capita...Austin has a much higher personal income and stronger business community than Phoenix. No state income and lower taxes have driven many businesses out of California to Austin. Elon Musk has moved many of his companies out of California to Austin because of his contempt for high taxes and extreme government overreach. I think part of the demise of downtown Phoenix - when zoning laws in the 1960s allowed for high rises to be built all the way up Central to Camelback - like Wilshire Blvd in L.A. A lot of building and growth is helping to improve downtown...however, it still has an uphill battle. There are so many better areas of the Valley to work, live, and shop. The immediate areas due east, south, and west of downtown - don't help.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by azliam

It also helps that UT is just north of downtown and the city is the state capitol. If you were to stick all of ASU near the Phoenix CBD, I'd imagine Phoenix might look much different. Austin had good bones to its downtown when I lived there in the early 90's (still does in some areas and bulldozed some for more hi-rises in other areas) unlike Phoenix that destroyed most of its downtown bones. Having said that, I still think Austin was a much more creative and unique place in the 90's than it is now.

I have said this many times but like LA the things that would combine for a great downtown re spread out.

Imagine if Tempe was across the river from DTphx and old town was only a mile north adjacent to Midtown.

Our "downtown" would be far more impressive and compensate to other metros of our size.