PHOENIX | Spreading Wings to Fly

[Teakwood]

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This was approximately when and where I proposed to my amazing girlfriend (and she said yes!!!!)

[TonyAnderson]

Love the vibe of this. We don't see enough Phoenix here.

[MayDay]

Great set - especially love the Biltmore shots.

[DetroitSky]

Very nice, and congratulations on the engagement!

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures! We need to see more Phoenix on here.

Looks like there's as much, or more, Scottsdale than Phoenix, but that's fine with me. Scottsdale is pretty cool in and of itself?

Where is that western town? I remember reading about it before, but I can't remember where it is. Carefree? Cave Creek? That place east/southeast of Mesa?

Where did you go to get the desert pictures? I drove from Las Vegas to Phoenix before, and I remember when I left the Mojave Desert and entered the Sonoran Desert. First there were the saguaros, then we came down from the mountains into a Joshua tree forest, and then bypassing Glendale to the north, it went back to saguaros.

Congratulations on the engagement? Where did you propose? Is that where the other pictures are from?

[FREKI]

Beautiful nature!

[ChrisLA]

Spatacular, and jaw dropping scenery.

[bobdreamz]

Phoenix needs more skyscrapers like these !


https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1531/...0856244a_b.jpg

Who knew Phoenix could be so cool & so hot at the same time?

Nice set of pics !

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by TonyAnderson

Love the vibe of this. We don't see enough Phoenix here.

Thank you! Phoenix definitely isn't the first city that comes to mind for skyscraper lovers, but that doesn't take away from the personality of the city and region. Also, strong join date, buddy.

Originally Posted by MayDay

Great set - especially love the Biltmore shots.

Thank You!

Here's a couple more then:

Originally Posted by DetroitSky

Very nice, and congratulations on the engagement!

Thank you! I feel particularly lucky these days.

Originally Posted by FREKI

Beautiful nature!

Yeah, it is. I didn't realize how many more nature shots I took than building shots until I started compiling this thread!

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

Spatacular, and jaw dropping scenery.

Thanks, and I definitely agree.

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

Phoenix needs more skyscrapers like these !

Oh, there are plenty. My fiancé and I were laughing about how stereotypically Arizona all of the Saguaros made the whole area look

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

Who knew Phoenix could be so cool & so hot at the same time?

Nice set of pics !

Thank You!

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Great pictures! We need to see more Phoenix on here.

Looks like there's as much, or more, Scottsdale than Phoenix, but that's fine with me. Scottsdale is pretty cool in and of itself?

Thank you!

Yeah, you're right. There is a bit of Scottsdale mixed in. Scottsdale doesn't have the same ring though. And hearing the name always makes me think of this:

• Video Link

Should we say Phoenix Metro? Salt River Valley? or

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Where is that western town? I remember reading about it before, but I can't remember where it is. Carefree? Cave Creek? That place east/southeast of Mesa?

That is Goldfield, an abandoned mining town from 1893. It's in Apache Junction. It is about the biggest tourist trap I have ever seen, but at least one with some very cool and very evident history as well.

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Where did you go to get the desert pictures? I drove from Las Vegas to Phoenix before, and I remember when I left the Mojave Desert and entered the Sonoran Desert. First there were the saguaros, then we came down from the mountains into a Joshua tree forest, and then bypassing Glendale to the north, it went back to saguaros.

The desert shots are from South Mountain around Dobbins Lookout, The Desert Botanical Garden, and the Lost Dutchman State Park at the foot of Superstition Mountain. The first two are in Phoenix proper, the third in Apache Junction.

(The Desert Botanical Garden was hosting the Sonoran Light exhibit from Bruce Munro. He previously had a similar show at Longwood Gardens, and we partially planned this trip to see the exhibit in the desert.)

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Congratulations on the engagement? Where did you propose? Is that where the other pictures are from?

Thank you!! I proposed at a secluded spot on South Mountain, since there were soooo many people around, and she wouldn't want it to be a show. The other shots from the mountain are all relatively close by.

[Murphy de la Sucre]

Surprisingly no skyline shots.

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by Murphy de la Sucre

Surprisingly no skyline shots.

*Fixed

[PHX31]

Very beautiful pictures! Of course it is interesting to see an outsider's perspective of your home region. I can tell exactly where you are in all of your pictures, except the first mural... is that near Barrio Cafe like the others? Did you eat there? What did you think of the Heard Museum? (personally I think the historic and pre-historic artifacts and pieces of Native art are amazing, the newer stuff is cool too but not quite as much). Your pictures of the Biltmore are the best and most extensive I've ever seen of the place.

I think this is the first picture set of Phoenix since xzmattzx's threads (that are in the main photo forum and not in the SW subforum). When people say "we should see more of Phoenix" I think us Phoenicians laugh because all anyone ever does on SSP is rip the place. So we pretty much just gave up! But we enjoy it here and I think your pictures did a great job capturing the place. We'll just wait for the next visitor to take more amazing pics.

P.S. congrats!

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by PHX31

Very beautiful pictures! Of course it is interesting to see an outsider's perspective of your home region. I can tell exactly where you are in all of your pictures, except the first mural... is that near Barrio Cafe like the others? Did you eat there? What did you think of the Heard Museum? (personally I think the historic and pre-historic artifacts and pieces of Native art are amazing, the newer stuff is cool too but not quite as much). Your pictures of the Biltmore are the best and most extensive I've ever seen of the place.

I think this is the first picture set of Phoenix since xzmattzx's threads (that are in the main photo forum and not in the SW subforum). When people say "we should see more of Phoenix" I think us Phoenicians laugh because all anyone ever does on SSP is rip the place. So we pretty much just gave up! But we enjoy it here and I think your pictures did a great job capturing the place. We'll just wait for the next visitor to take more amazing pics.

P.S. congrats!

Thank you! Hah, yeah, I'd assume my trip was Phoenix 101 for anyone that knows the area. I feel the same way when an outsider comes through Philly.

The 'Bienvenidos a Arizona' mural? That was part of the 'Build Your Own American Dream' mural on the north side of Barrio. Yes, we ate there, but only happy hour $1.50 tacos and half price margaritas, so I'm not sure we got the full experience. With my fiance being from Mexico City (and being a pretty good cook herself), we have had trouble finding Mexican food anywhere stateside that quite compares with what you can get in Mexico City.

I found the Native American School side of the Heard Museum incredibly depressing. I also found the artifacts to be a little bit light. I rather enjoyed the modern stuff, if even mostly from a craftsmanship point of view. Also they had cool stuff like pottery made with native clay from around the country (i.e. Hudson River pottery made with Hudson River clay, Potomac River pottery, etc.,) which I found to be really interesting.

Thank you! I didn't think I really covered that much of the resort though. Some lady on the plane on the way out was trying to tell us about the amazing resorts in Phoenix and how we have to stay at one, and I told her that it was our dream to just stay at the Biltmore if we had the money. She then informed us that the Phoenician was far more luxurious, but I told her that I really don't care because FLW didn't design it. Not that we have money to stay at either resort anyway. Someone's spare bedroom on AirBnB was sufficient.

From a skyscraper standpoint, it certainly isn't a destination. Or necessarily from an urban standpoint either. but it is really, really pretty, really clean, and the air doesn't have that musky humidity smell that you get in the northeast when it gets warm, so Phoenix gets a thumbs up from me.

[bigcubfan]

I've always liked Phoenix. Been there many times for spring training which I just got back from last week. The 'lack of urbanity' of it doesn't bother me like it does a lot of people. I like the wide open feel of it. Great job with the pics, I saw a lot of that stuff, or have seen it, on other visits.

[Murphy de la Sucre]

Yes I have a uh question, is there height restriction in downtown? Why not superhigh buildings, you know, in the desert area, the taller the cooler, it is right isn't it?

[bigcubfan]

^ Because the airport is a stone's throw away.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by Teakwood

Yeah, you're right. There is a bit of Scottsdale mixed in. Scottsdale doesn't have the same ring though. And hearing the name always makes me think of this:

• Video Link

Should we say Phoenix Metro? Salt River Valley? or





That is Goldfield, an abandoned mining town from 1893. It's in Apache Junction. It is about the biggest tourist trap I have ever seen, but at least one with some very cool and very evident history as well.





The desert shots are from South Mountain around Dobbins Lookout, The Desert Botanical Garden, and the Lost Dutchman State Park at the foot of Superstition Mountain. The first two are in Phoenix proper, the third in Apache Junction.

(The Desert Botanical Garden was hosting the Sonoran Light exhibit from Bruce Munro. He previously had a similar show at Longwood Gardens, and we partially planned this trip to see the exhibit in the desert.)



Thank you!! I proposed at a secluded spot on South Mountain, since there were soooo many people around, and she wouldn't want it to be a show. The other shots from the mountain are all relatively close by.

Goldfield was the place I was thinking of near Mesa, although I was off slightly with my directions.

I guess it's different if you live there all your childhood, but I thought Scottsdale is a pretty cool place. It seems like Scottsdale and Tempe were 1A and 1B as far as the cool places to go in the metro. Places like Glendale, Mesa, and Chandler seem like the blander places.

I'll have to check out those places if I ever get back. Although, northwest of Phoenix was pretty nice too!

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by bigcubfan

I've always liked Phoenix. Been there many times for spring training which I just got back from last week. The 'lack of urbanity' of it doesn't bother me like it does a lot of people. I like the wide open feel of it. Great job with the pics, I saw a lot of that stuff, or have seen it, on other visits.

Having not visited during the summer, I imagine urbanity is the last thing people are after in July/August.

Thank You!

Originally Posted by Murphy de la Sucre

Yes I have a uh question, is there height restriction in downtown? Why not superhigh buildings, you know, in the desert area, the taller the cooler, it is right isn't it?

I imagine demand has a lot to do with it. There is still sufficient of undeveloped/underdeveloped land around the core, and I imagine that would have to fill in before someone makes the investment to build taller.

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Goldfield was the place I was thinking of near Mesa, although I was off slightly with my directions.

I guess it's different if you live there all your childhood, but I thought Scottsdale is a pretty cool place. It seems like Scottsdale and Tempe were 1A and 1B as far as the cool places to go in the metro. Places like Glendale, Mesa, and Chandler seem like the blander places.

I'll have to check out those places if I ever get back. Although, northwest of Phoenix was pretty nice too!

I thoroughly enjoyed Scottsdale. Probably the most walkable area we visited while there. We didn't see too much of Tempe, outside of a (rather nice) shopping center/town square, and In-N-Out. We only drove through the rest.

[xzmattzx]

I did a little neighborhood tour of Old Town Scottsdale about a year ago, if you want to see that.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=214162

There's a little bit of history there!