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Posted Jul 25, 2022, 4:51 AM
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them bones
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Santa Barbara adjacent
Posts: 7,440
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The sun comes up very early in Phoenix in the Summer
Those of you who have been here a very long time might remember that I was one of the first two or three Phoenix forumers. It’s a city I dearly love, but had to leave because I got tired of designing projects in places like Anthem and Queen Creek. I left in 2002 and returned regularly through 2014 or so. Oddly while I have been to Arizona almost yearly since then, I hadn’t been to Phoenix at all during that time.
I had to come back for a funeral. Not something I wanted but had to do.
And so I returned last month. I have a great deal of history with this place, and my children and wife had little to no experience with it. The majority of our 4 day trip was spent with family and lurking around old haunts from childhood and college. It was a nostalgic thing for me.
But on Saturday, on nearly the longest day of the year, I managed to get some time alone. When I was in college one of my favorite things to do was to get up early in the summer and watch the sun come up. This could be done in so many places, hiking in the mountain preserve, Papago Park, roaming downtown, or just driving out to the middle of the desert. In the summer watching the sun come up over Four Peaks is truly magical.
So on that Saturday I got up at 4am and made my way to Tempe Butte, a 350ft tall promontory point anchoring downtown Tempe and Town Lake. I was treated to an absolute gem of a sunrise. The light in the desert is just different. I’ve never been able to pinpoint it, maybe it’s as simple as the dryness in the air. I love that sky.
Enough with the essay. Let’s get to the pictures…
IMG_8323 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8325 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8331 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8332 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8336 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8342 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8346 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8375 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8393 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Tempe Town Lake was built at great cost and risk by the City of Tempe within the existing Salt River dry bed. It opened in 1999 and 20+ years later has spurred billions in development. Tempe is now easily equal to Scottsdale and East Camelback (Biltmore) as the premier office district in the state. The transformation has been amazing.
Here is a rendering from the early 1990’s:
tem002 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
And now:
IMG_8402 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8403 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8412 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8418 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8419 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8422 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8424 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8425 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8426 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8427 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8428 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
According to the current Phoenix forumers, this is The Pier development and has taken years and years to get to this point…
IMG_8432 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
I didn’t venture to Mesa this time…there is rarely reason to…
IMG_8433 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8442 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The scale of downtown Tempe is so much different than it was when I was at ASU 25 years ago…
IMG_8443 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8445 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8450 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8462 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The Superstitions looming large…
IMG_8464 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8468 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8470 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8471 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8475 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8483 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8497 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8501 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8508 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8510 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Papago Park, Squaw Peak, Camelback Mountain…my kids were like ‘what are all these rocks in the middle of the city?’
IMG_8511 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8519 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8529 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The upsidedown pyramid of Tempe’s City Hall is still badass…
IMG_8530 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8531 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8533 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The city has been working on redeveloping the original cotton mill since before I graduated from ASU (1999). Someday it might be something…
IMG_8535 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8538 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
UofA is a much better school, but of course I’m partial to ASU…
IMG_8543 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8545 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8548 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8552 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8557 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8559 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8571 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
When Tempe Town Lake opened, ASU created a rowing team. Previously there was no body of water in the state that would work for such a thing. ASU has been relatively successful and unique in that it can be practiced year-round…
IMG_8580 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8581 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8582 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8588 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8594 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8595 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8596 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8597 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8598 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8601 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8606 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8607 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8611 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8612 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8613 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8617 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
In the early 1990’s, due to traffic, a twin span was added to the Mill Avenue bridge over the Salt River. Unfortunately the twin span lacks much of the grace and uniqueness of the original…
IMG_8624 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8630 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8632 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8651 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8660 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8669 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Still a few 19th Century buildings left on Mill Avenue…though not many…
IMG_8671 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8672 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8678 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8685 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8686 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8687 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Being only 6:30am, I ventured to downtown Phoenix to see what I could find interesting down there. I have to say, despite all the new buildings (as there should be), it seems to have actually lost ground to Tempe and Scottsdale as a center of activity for the Valley. That’s just my opinion of course (I don’t live there anymore), but in the small time I was there, it didn’t seem much different than 20 years ago…with one exception… ASU has made a concerted effort to build a downtown campus which does seem to activated many more streets than previously existed. I will say that 20 years ago at 6:30am on a June morning you wouldn’t have found anyone in downtown Phoenix. It did seem more lively now…at least people live there…
IMG_8688 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8689 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8697 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8699 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8706 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8707 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8710 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8711 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8712 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8721 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8722 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8723 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
This will eventually be a two tower complex called Central Station if I understand correctly…
IMG_8731 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8732 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8738 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8739 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8743 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8746 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8752 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8754 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
For some reason I cannot remember this building at all from when I lived down here…
IMG_8769 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8773 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8776 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The now empty Chase Bank Plaza…a building I like very much in form (Welton Beckett), but meets the street…poorly to say the least…
IMG_8777 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8780 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8781 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8792 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8793 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8799 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8808 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Whomever decided that the stucco should be painted light landlord beige to contrast with the splitface brown block should be shot…
IMG_8813 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8817 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8829 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
At least it’s not pink anymore…
IMG_8831 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8837 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8838 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8839 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8840 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Finally partook in Matt’s Big Breakfast. It’s pretty good…
IMG_8842 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Bertrand Goldberg…mmm…
IMG_8856 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8857 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Midtown looks exactly the same…20 years later…
IMG_8858 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8859 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8864 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8869 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8876 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8878 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8882 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8884 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8885 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
mmm…Honey Bears…
IMG_8889 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Scottsdale…had to take my kids to the Sugar Bowl…
IMG_8890 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Hole-in-the-Rock…
IMG_8892 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8900 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8901 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
This was not much of a view when I lived here…
IMG_8909 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8910 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8916 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8917 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8923 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
South Mountain…
IMG_8924 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8925 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8931 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8934 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8936 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8945 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8951 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8952 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8953 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8954 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
IMG_8970 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Phoenix…
IMG_8971 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
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