Tagged : midtown phoenix

Moving the series Urban Bike, over from PhoenixMarketTrends, is becoming hard work. This post was released in mid fall last year and makes me very impatient for fall in 2011. I can't wait to jump on my bike an ride over fallen leaves and listen to how they crumple under the skinny wheels.

It’s been a gruesome while since my bike saw much pavement in the last 2 months.  I guess when I think of the places I may ride to, I immediately get a tingle of boredom, but that’s more because of a lack of imagination or the forgotten realism that there are places to discover in Phoenix, that nooks and crannies lie all around and that cycling is a pleasure.

The latter is a, ‘not doubt’, it’s just the city that got me down. I’m a bit mad at Phoenix…

Jon Talton has an interesting series going on Rogue Columnist blog: Phoenix 101, a collection of articles about Phoenix in the past and how it relates and translates to the Phoenix of now.

The new addition is on Phoenix Malls - those quintessential Phoenix landmarks that are more than for shopping, they as moms with stroller indicate are for entertainments, a stroll or walk. In the summer they serve as the metro areas parks.

Park Central - first mall - now partially an office building and at Central a strip of restaurants from The Good Egg, Starbucks to Thai Basil, it's regained some status as a meeting place at lunch and the Starbucks at this location, I hear, is one of the busiest in the city.

When I look at the beautiful homes of La Hacienda historic district my heart begins to beat a little faster, my eyes open up and I feel a tingle in the brain.

La Hacienda is located just north of Thomas and west of 7th Street and is comprised of 2 streets from 3rd Street to 7th Street.

It's one of those communities without sidewalks and that's part of the charm and character which makes this little community so special. That and of course the amazing architecture.

The streets with no sidewalks, ironically, create a sense of exclusivity and a rural feel to what is an are in midtown urban Phoenix. The yards are lush with plants and mature trees creating striking contrasts of shade, dark bark and white stucco as in the photo below.

In the…

The Willo Historic District in Midtown Phoenix is amongst the most favorite and popular of the 35 historic districts due to the very well attended annual home tour and related advertising and also due to the charming, often story book homes.

Willo is actually some 20 different subdivisions built over several decades in which much happened. 

The first homes were mostly from the revival period. 

The Tudor is a very common style seen in Willo as is the Spanish Colonial Revival and Hacienda style homes.

Later after much turmoil in the world the ranch and modern era arrived.

The ranch style homes dominates the newer Northern section of Willo where streets are wider and all the homes are single story except for a few homes. The ranch is…

The light rail station at Indian School and Central Avenue is one where you can easily miss the next trail. It is filled with photographs of the areas history with photos from the early to mid century, often with a history from businesses and people who make this area what it is.  

It is a stop next to the Indian School Park on the East side and on the West an empty lot which only a year ago or so had a strip mall on it.  Now it's another vacant eye sore like so many that litter the area along the light rail: a lot awaiting better economic times.  Which means don't hold your breath.  

In fact, some of the art is very symbolic.  A mosaic in the sidewalk has been so worn one can barely discern it from the rest of the path and the light rail has…

This station is called Park Central due to the location next to Park Central, an old mall transformed into offices with a few restaurants.  Park Central Mall was finished in 1957 which was on the outskirts of town.  It replaced an old dairy farm.  Over time the mall died out as people headed to newer enclosed malls. 

Today Park Central has some bad opinions and it could be used better, but Phoenix has space and there is no need to increase density to this area while so many other lots remain empty.  Some of the current occupants include The Good Egg, one of the busiest Starbucks in the city, a wonderful delicious Thai Basil plus locations for Banner Health Systems and St. Joseph's Hospital.

photos: Artur Ciesielski

The neighborhood is…

Do you want some of the better coffee in town and some decadent traditional, sometimes with a twist, pastries or just to hang out surrounded by an energy resonation inside and out? Then this would be your stop at Lux Coffee.

But, besides the coffee this stop is the main on off point for Central High, several historic neighborhoods and some businesses like the Slippery Pig Bike Shop.  A few large lots await the next building boom.

Photos: Artur Ciesielski

The Art At The Station

"For Al Price, a local artist and former teacher, the goal of the artwork at the Campbell station was to provide a dynamic and engaging experience for students attending nearby high schools and to create a feeling of elegance timelessness for the neighborhood.

A…

The Encanto & Central Avenue Station is surrounded by plenty of residential neighborhood and high-rises.  

Exploring the metro light rail stations is very enjoyable.  It goes through urban Phoenix or the parts of Phoenix that are as closest to urban as we have in the valley, so lot of stuff and interesting places can be found right along this 21 mile strip.  

The Camelback & Central station or otherwise called Uptown Phoenix is one of my favorite stations: probably because of it's location, but the art, size and it importance as well.  

This is a park and ride station meaning that there is a large parking lot where which gets filled up as people approach the more dens Phoenix: the cars stay here and the light rail takes up the rest, plus parking can be expensive in downtown Phoenix.  

It's a popular station becasue it is a gateway to midtown and…