Today we are continuing our exploration of the historic districts in downtown and uptown Phoenix, Arizona with a look at the Alvarado Historic District near Central and Monte Vista in downtown Phoenix.
Before we talk about Alvarado, let's talk a little bit about owning a historic home. Clearly there are advantages and disadvantages to owning a -truly historic home.
The advantages are many:
- You own a piece of our city's heritage and history.
- Your home is likely to be quite unique.
- Historic neighborhoods tend to be chummy and a place where homeowners take a lot of pride and often know each other.
- You can expect lower property taxes and access to special financial programs offered by the City of Phoenix. You can learn more about these at the Historic Preservation web site.
- Many of the neighborhoods are walking distance to the urban core, light rail and the many delights downtown and uptown Phoenix offers.
- Your friends will think you are cool... well maybe that's a value judgment because I love historic homes.
We will discuss some of the disadvantages in another post since I am sure you want to learn more about the Alvarado Historic District now.
As you can see from the map, the Alvarado historic district sits south of Oak and east of Central Avenue behind the Heard Museum. There is a reason it is close to the museum since its its original residents were Dwight & Maie Heard. The Heard Family built a 6000 sq.ft. home in 1909 they
called Casa Blanca. Later he bought up a bit of land he then subdivided.
Today, Alvarado is known for it large lots, nearly a 1/2 acre, and 32 period revival homes including Spanish, American Colonial, Tudor and Gregorian. The narrow tree lined streets give a sense of comfort and grace to the neighborhood. Access to the Heard Museum, light rail, Phoenix Museum of Art are but a few of the benefits of life in Alvarado.
The homes, built between 1927 and 1940, average about 3800 square feet and many sit on 1/3 acre lots. Below is a little virtual tour we created to give you a better sense of the homes and neighborhood. Enjoy-- Gene Urban
