PHOENIX | Until Next Time

[Sekkle]

Well, it’s about time for me to head back to Portland. This is the remainder of the photos I’ve got for Phoenix this summer. I’ve gotta say, that, if I had to pick any summer to come back to Phoenix, this was a pretty good one. Plenty going on with the protests surrounding SB 1070 – it made for some interesting photographic opportunities.

Phoenix gets a pretty bad rap here on SSP, and there’s no denying that it’s not the most urban city out there… but I’ve tried to show that there’s still plenty of character to be found here. I think most Phoenix SSP forumers will acknowledge (and are probably tired of hearing from others) that it still has a ways to go, and it’s not for everybody, but there’s certainly more to this city than sprawl and tumbleweeds. The photos I’ve taken this summer have probably focused disproportionately on the grittier side of the city. I don’t mean to paint Phoenix as all run-down, abandoned, or overrun with graffiti and discarded couches – that’s just generally what I like to photograph.

There are lots of pics in this thread (~130 or so). Hopefully your computer doesn’t have too much trouble loading it and hopefully you don’t fall asleep halfway through. Anyway, on with the show.

Some previous threads…
Phoenix (July 2010)____________Phoenix (June 2010)____________Portland (May 2010)____________Portland (April 2010)


And this one…

[Urbanguy]

Wow, what a fantastic thread! Thanks so much for sharing these.

[Leo the Dog]

Excellent photos as always! Too bad this is the last set of PHX photos for the summer.

[LAsam]

Beauty. One of my all-time favorite Phoenix photos.

[PHX31]

Great pictures, I'm going to miss your Phoenix threads. I like the grittier shots, especially considering you seemed to venture into areas of the city that most people rarely go.

I'm still trying to figure out where this, this, this are located.

And is this located on South Central Ave somewhere? It's probably in a not very nice area, but it's a pretty perfect example of a small scale street front retail building that could be opened up with something great.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Used to drive by "Mo Money" on my way to work when I lived there. Really wish you stayed in Phoenix and kept churning these out

[flar]

Great work! I'd love to see what you could do with the cities in the midwest and northeast.

[Sekkle]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I'm still trying to figure out where this, this, this are located..

1st one - On Garfield, just east of 16th St.; 2nd one - the alley behind the shops on the south side of Roosevelt at 5th St.; 3rd one - West side of 15th Ave, just north of the Grand/Roosevelt/15th intersection.

Originally Posted by PHX31

And is this located on South Central Ave somewhere? It's probably in a not very nice area, but it's a pretty perfect example of a small scale street front retail building that could be opened up with something great.

No, that one's on Grand, just NW of the 9th Ave/Polk intersection. I do think that stretch of Grand between I-10 and downtown has the potential to be a pretty cool area. There are plenty of storefronts along there that could be redeveloped, and relatively few empty lots.

[stepper77]

Very nice collection. Thanks for sharing!

[cityscapes]

I have been enjoying your Phoenix posts a lot. You've definitely changed my perception of the city. I can't wait to see Portland through your lens again!

[downtownpdx]

Vivid and gorgeous as always. Thanks for sharing Phoenix with us -- you always have a great way of capturing the unique side of a city.

[giovanni sasso]

great show, sekkle - i've enjoyed all three phx sets. the abandoned church, the mega-hot traffic and the river/bridge/light-rail/skyline stand out on this.

pdx awaits your return!

[i_am_hydrogen]

Many thought-provoking photos. Great work!

[Urban Zombie]

You've done it again, brother. This is it, this is mystical schydt...

[ColDayMan]

Stunning photos.

[plinko]

Fail. I see no shots of Gilbert or North Scottsdale here.

Three epic threads...I really miss sunrises over Four Peaks.

[HooverDam]

Very nice job as always. I love the mountain and sky shots, as well as this nice shot of Midtown. I'm stuck out in LA through the end of the August and your thread certainly made me homesick.

Originally Posted by Sekkle

No, that one's on Grand, just NW of the 9th Ave/Polk intersection. I do think that stretch of Grand between I-10 and downtown has the potential to be a pretty cool area. There are plenty of storefronts along there that could be redeveloped, and relatively few empty lots.

That area is called "Lower Grand" and you're right, its got a ton of potential. There has been some talk by the Grand Avenue Merchants Association and others to perhaps someday run a Historic Streetcar up and down Grand to help revitalize it. It could become a good connector between the State Fair Grounds and Downtown.

The OS Stapley Co buildings in particular would make a great single screen art house cinema with attached restaurant/coffee shop/bar kinda place.

[Kroney]

Excellent work Sekkle. I enjoyed each of your Phoenix photo threads. Thanks for sharing.

I've viewed your threads in the past and I always came to the conclusion that Portland must have an abundance of cool street art and graffiti. But after seeing a bunch of such examples in your Phoenix threads, I'm thinking you're just really good at finding it.

P.S. I do hope you stopped in for a pint at SunUp Brewery when you photographed the "Have Your Papers Ready" billboard near 3rd & Camelback.

[TonyAnderson]

Thanks for all the eye candy.

[bobdreamz]

It's always great to see another side of a city besides the skyline shots. A very enjoyable set of pics!