Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicelord John
Negative nancy.
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Ha- I know. Just sucks that cities like Tempe can get it right most of the time, yet Phoenix can't even manage to make true urban living desirable in one of its only areas with the potential for upscale walkable amenities. Nowhere else in Phoenix can you be in walking distance of real shopping, fine dining and hotels, as well as bars that attract business professionals and the like. Yes, the existing neighborhood was built to suburban standards, but continuing to build both commercial and residential projects in that style just seems like such a miss to me.
There's no reason places like Grigio Metro, Gracie's and the Vue, for example, can open their doors to the blight that was Apache, yet Broadstone on Camelback barricades itself from Biltmore Fashion Park and The Esplanade.
Fine if this area was meant to always be suburban, but why waste high rises and urban projects like Optima on this area? The city would be much better off if these were all transplanted to midtown on the light rail, with garbage like Broadstone and the office park on 22nd left to the Camelback corridor if that's all it will ever be.
Sigh.
On a positive note, nothing would make me happier than a completed Portland Place. One of the best pockets of urbanity in our city.