Urban Life

What to do in Downtown Phoenix

People often ask us what to do in downtown Phoenix? What are the best restaurants? Do we have a favorite nightclub or bar? Are there tours of downtown Phoenix. What cultural venues and events happen in downtown Phoenix? I think you get the idea.

Since we specialize in downtown real estate, it is natural to think we know where to go and what to do. In response, we've been putting together a list of over 100 things to do and places to go in in downtown Phoenix. I'll tell you, it is quite a project.

The initial phase is done and we have created our list that includes some of our favorite restaurants, bars, places to listen to music, places to shop, museums, theaters and lots more. Over time we will be adding individual posts on the different places with our thoughts.

In the meantime, you can check our the list on our sister site that specialized in all things downtown... www.UrbanConnectionRealty.com. For a direct link to the article simply go to,

What To Do and Places to Go in Downtown Phoenix Arizona

CityScape Announces Downtown Phoenix Grocery Store Partner

Mayor Gordon was joined by Mike Ebert (Red Development) and Barbara Henderson to announce the long awaited name of the grocery store that will be going in at CityScape in downtown Phoenix Arizona.

The grocery partner will be… a drum roll please… Oakville Grocery Company, a 100+ year old grocery company based in Napa California. Oakville Grocery recently opened in Scottsdale near Kierland and will branch out to offer their special take on food, wine, cheese and sweet things in downtown Phoenix.

Barbara Henderson, Oakville’s General Manager for Arizona, says the company has a passion for food, wine and a great customer experience. When asked about supporting local food purveyors, Henderson said she met with Kimber Lanning of Local First Arizona and shares her passion for supporting the community. Oakville will feature 15 or more local food providers as well as a number of other fine vendors.

The store will be about 9000 sqft and is scheduled to open at CityScape in September 2010.

Now that the wait is over and we’ve found out who will be the second grocery option for downtown Phoenix, we’d love your feedback. I believe it may be a good fit. Certainly, Oakville is not your typical grocery store and may well turn out to embrace the urban/downtown experience with a sense of authenticity.

Annual Downtown Phoenix Pub Crawl News & Info

A cold beer in a cool downtown… it must be the Downtown Phoenix Pub Crawl. It is time for the 3^rd rendition of this annual event and its coming up soon… Friday, November 13^th at 9:00 PM.

The festivities begin at 4^th Street & Garfield and features fifteen of downtown Phoenix’s finest beer and spirits joints including:

1. 1130 the Restaurant
2. Bar Smith
3. Bentley's Night Club
4. Carly's
5. Coach and Willie's
6. District
7. Hooters
8. Kincaid's
9. Majerle's
10. Seamus McCaffrey's
11. Sonoma Casual Dining
12. Steve's Greenhouse Grill
13. Stoudemire's
14. TGI Friday's Front Row
15. The Turf

Special additions to the event include:

• After Hours Breakfast to Sonoma Casual Dining starting at 1:30 AM.
• Discounted Room to crawlers at the San Carlos Hotel. Go to www.hotelsancarlos.comand enter in the code “DPUB.”
• Trolleys to transport the crawling teams to their respective pubs will be available as well.

You can purchase tickets at the event for a mere $15.00 or in advance for just $12.00 by going here.

Hope to toss down a cold one with you tomorrow night…

Gene Urban
The Urban Team
602-234-5777

your downtown & central phoenix real estate guys

Downtown Phoenix Locals... Your full service grocery store is coming.

Wow... it's really happening; A grocery store for downtown Phoenix residents is soon to be reality. The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is expanding to become the Downtown Phoenix Public Market Urban Grocery & Wine Bar. We like that our name is part of their name but it's quite a mouthful to say.

The market has a planned opening date in late September and will offer expanded operating hours and a lot more merchandise. Shoppers will still enjoy the highly successful farmers market open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus they will be able to food shop five days a week from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Speaking of shopping, patrons will find a fine selection of food stuffs from local farmers, ranchers and suppliers. Buy Local First is not just a statement, but a way of doing business at this downtown market. Some non-local items will be brought in where regional products are not available.

Adding to the excitement will be some very sweet additions to the market:

• Royal Coffee Bar will be opening a place in the market.
• Take out foods will be offered at the deli counter including yummy sandwiches, fresh salads and special soups.
• Wine, Wine, Wine... in back where the parking lots is (soon to be was) will be the new patio/wine hang out. Patrons can enjoy an appetizer, glass of wine and friend time.

We are both excited and proud of the hard working people who for five years have fought to make the Phoenix Public Market happen. We can't wait to experience the next chapter in your food book.

The Phoenix Public Market is located at 1st Street & McKinley. We urge you to visit them soon and often.

Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
602-234-5777

Parlor Continues The Nello's Tradition with an Urban Flair

I enjoyed by first Nello’s pizza about 20 years ago and have been a fan ever since. Now we have one in the central Phoenix area… life is the region is just keeps getting better.

The Parlor is the latest offering from the Mei family with Dan's son, Aric, teaming up with noted Valley chef Jared Porter to create an inspired version of Nello’s.

The moment you drive up to Parlor you sense it’s not your typical pizza joint… how many mid-century modern pizza parlors do you know?

Aric must have had some fun designing/creating this place. The building is a blend of bare brick, a classic 50’s deco wall, recycled wood and fun remnants of the beauty salon that formerly called this place home.

I had a chance to sit down and chat with Monica Castillo, Parlor’s manager. She is a proud member of the staff here. Monica took me through the menu and offered fun tidbits of information.

• The pizza dough uses the original Nello’s recipe and all breads, pastas and such are made on site.
• Aric’s grandfather’s original sausage recipe was used to create their unique sausage and is artfully reproduced by the good people at Schreiner’s Sausage on 7th Street.
• McClendon Farms, considered by many the top organic grower in our region, supplies produce and other tasty goods to the Parlor… they're the same grower that supplies Pizzeria Bianco and Tarbell’s. I bet chef Porter had something to do with that bit of luck since it’s not easy to get on McClendon’s customer list.
• Several other locally-owned suppliers offer goods to the Parlor including Queen Creek Olives and Four Peaks Brewery. 

I tried their signature salad, Parlor Insalata, for lunch. It was a delightful mix of greens, feta, olives, salami and more. Best of all it wasn’t over dressed and the clean flavor of the organic ingredients shined.

A variety of build-your-own and signature pizzas, pasta, appetizers and salads offer patrons many choices.

I look forward to taking a gang for dinner to try more of the menu. Prices are quite reasonable, especially when you consider everything is made from scratch with fine ingredients. It looks like a couple could have a great meal, a bit of vino and walk out spending under $40.00.

Parking is in the back and plentiful. Signage is subtle so be ready to pull in to the driveway just west of 20th Street on the north side of Camelback.

The Parlor
1916 E. Camelback  Phoenix, AZ
602-248-2480

____________________________________________

Best to you on your next dining experience...

Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
602-234-5777

Postino Central... A New & Old Restaurant Tradition In Phoenix

I wanted to wait for the excitement to cool down before going to/writing about Postino Central. Not surprisingly, the excitement hasn't dropped a degree.

Postino Central has to be good... it took over the location of a true landmark, Katz Deli. It is not easy filling the shoes of a legend, yet Postino has done just that. Although nothing like it's predecessor, I believe Howard Welcher would be happy knowing the vibrancy Postino has created. Some of the neighbors are probably not so happy with the overflow parking Postino's popularity has created, yet the vibrancy likely offers more positives than negatives.

I arrived at lunch time to a packed place with several excited patrons waiting for a table on the patio. Yes, it does have a nice covered patio, with misters, where guests can enjoy themselves and the outdoors.

Inside is an open, lively dining room with a modern interpretation of "Deli." I clicked off a few pictures and soon met Tory, his name, not political affiliation. Tory showed me the menu and we briefly talked about what makes Postino work. He proved to be a great multi-tasker as we chatted, he took care of guests and we chatted some more.

Many things came together making the Postino experience. Atmosphere, value, community and humanity. The place offers many climates to dine... covered-misted patio, inside space with low tables, high tables, counter-style, busy areas and even a few intimate spots. I don't think they missed anything here.

The menu offers great variety without being indulgent...plus the prices won't wipeout your wallet. A variety of Bruchetta, served on a small wood plank, are a local favorite. Plus, a mix of healthy, creative salads and panini style sandwiches give variety and choice; They even have a kid's menu.

The wine and beer offerings are surprisingly European with several exclusive selections. I was happy to see Arizona's Four Peaks and Old Creek products on the list... buy local first. A nice touch is their to-go bottle discount... take $9.00 off the price.

Postino Central is getting rave reviews on Yelp and many other sites. Am I surprised? Not really, the Arcadia store set the tone and the new location simply offers us Central Phoenix folks a close-in option. A big thanks to the DeMarco's for giving us a sweet place to hang out and satisfy our cravings.

Postino Central
5144 N. Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ
602-274-5144

Postino is located a couple blocks north of the Central & Camelback Metro Light Rail. See Raillife.com for all your light rail news.

Another Great Radiate Phoenix Meeting at Downtown Phoenix's Turf Pub

We had a great Radiate Phoenix gathering at Turf Pub last night. As always it was a rich mixture of downtown residents, personalities and simply people who love the urban life. A few people we've been missing like Don Keuth and the boys from Make Phoenix Weird were there as well as many new faces.

After a bit of social time, Catrina Knoebl started things off by inviting urban activist, Yuri Artibise to talk a bit about Jane's Walk that is happening this weekend. Next we were introduced to Malissa Geer, our speaker for the evening.

Malissa Geer acts as a liaison between the ASU downtown campus and the community. I was immediately taken by her calm , yet strong presentation skills; Few adults have the speaking ease this young woman possesses. She clearly loves her role helping students acclimate to new surroundings and have a great social and academic experience. This is no easy task as she juggles the needs/wants of students, ASU, the downtown business community, City of Phoenix players, residents and more. She may get a job with Cirque du Soleil after this experience.

A few items of note we came away with included:

• The downtown Phoenix Campus at ASU wants to be a part of the downtown experience at a core level.
• Incredible opportunities exist for collaboration on events, services and more.
• Approximately 5400 students attend classes downtown and this number is expected to rise to the 20,000 range by 2015.
• 1300 faculty and staff currently work downtown. this will rise over time as well.
• Upon completion, the Taylor Street Dorms will house 1250 students.
• The School of Criminology is, in large part, moving from Glendale to downtown Phoenix. Several thousand students will be part of this program.
• Students play a large role in the staffing of many downtown businesses including the Sheraton.
• The ASU College of Nursing provides a variety of services available to the community and often at lower costs. Contact them to learn more.

Many of us know ASU had a lot of interplay with the community, but not not at the levels discussed. It is very exciting for the downtown community and holds great rewards for the future.

The evening ended with lots of people enjoying the digs at Turf, an Irish Pub and Restaurant on 1st Street. Many of us grabbed a bit to eat and the food was very tasty. I tried their "Paddy Melt" while others treated themselves on more traditional Irish fare. Naturally, I pulled out a pack of cards and did some close-up magic for the gang... I don't think they'd let me come if I didn't.

All in all, another great time was had. Thanks go to Catrina, Claudia and the staff at Turf for making Phoenix a better place to live.

Gene Urban
The UrbanTeam at Realty Executives
602-234-5777

P.S. Downtown Phoenix presents unique opportunities to people looking to buy rental properties. ASU's growth in the region suggests rental housing will be in demand. Let us know if you'd like to explore this thought.

Radiate Phoenix Meets at Turf Restaurant on April 28th

Radiate Phoenix, the downtown non-traditional networking group is meeting tomorrow night at The Turf Restaurant & Pub in downtown Phoenix. Unlike most networking groups, Radiate Phoenix is more about knowledge than business cards. This month's featured speaker is Malissa Geer.

Malissa Geer is the Community Engagement Liaisonat the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. Her job, as well as being a highly achieving student at ASU, is to be a catalyst to help enrich the downtown experience. Malissa's insightts will be both informative and valuable.

We will be gathering near the downtown campus at The Turf from 5:30-7:30pm and will also hear from Turf's owner Andrew Mirtich about how ASU and other factors influenced their decision in selecting Turf's location.

If you love downtown and want to be a part of making it even better, you should come Radiate with us. Look for our review of the evening is the next couple of days on Urban Life.

Gene Urban
the Urban Team at Realty Executives
602-234-5777
@geneurban

Previous Radiate Phoenix Posts:

Radiate Phx Meets at Maizies, Urban Farm Discussion
Radiate Phoenix at Sens Tapas with Patty Johnson
Radiate Phoenix meets at SideBar with Nan Ellin, author speaker
Radiate Phoenix (Formerly Called Ignite Phoenix) meets at Chez Nous
Radiate Phoenix celebrates 1 year anniversary

RADIATE PHOENIX MEETS IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX AT SENS TAPAS

The Radiate Phoenix gang met at Sens Asian Tapas in downtown Phoenix last night and what a meeting it was. Radiate Phx is touted as a non-traditional networking event and last night was a classic example of what sets this group apart from the crowd.

The event began at 5:30 as always with a bit of social time. Old members and new ones had a chance to catch up on life, business and their involvement in the downtown Phoenix scene. Founder's Claudia Bullmore and Catrina Knoebl welcomed the group and asked each of us to briefly describe the type of person or business that would best help us personally. 

Next up was a talk by Patty Johnson, from Connections,  who has been hired by the Mayor's office to help brand downtown Phoenix and implement ways to carry the downtown message across the Valley and Nation.

 Patty is a powerhouse of energy and has/is orchestrating a number of events and activities to spread the word about the excitement going on downtown. I found it to be an inspirational talk and truly validated the City's commitment to the area. If you get a chance to meet Patty you'll find a true person of zeal... she must get triple shot espressos at Lux.

After wards people chatted, talked to Patty and enjoyed a beverage or one of the fine tapas Sans offers. I was told to try the pork & cabbage dumpling, just one of the many unique dishes chef/owner Johnny Chu delivers. It was amazing...like a party happening in my mouth. WOW!.

Kudos to Catrina and Claudia for another great evening. By the way, you can find out more about Radiate Phoenix at meetup.com.

Enjoy your day,

Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
"Your downtown and central Phoenix real estate guys"
602-234-5777

MATSURI... DOWNTOWN PHOENIX HOSTS A JAPANESE FESTIVAL 2009

Downtown Phoenix will be the place to be this weekend, February 21st and 22nd, for Matsuri, A Festival of Japan.  This will be the 25th anniversary celebration and filled with lots of fun activities.

I lived with a Japanese family during my days at UCSB. Ken Ota was my judo and aikido sensei and living with  his family was quite an experience. The respect and integrity of their culture deeply affected me in a wonderful way.

The festival is jammed packed with activities the entire family will enjoy including: Taiko drumming, Kendo karate demonstrations, Japanese Lion Dance, native folk dancing, a Kimono fashion show and much more. A complete schedule of events is posted on the organizer's web site.

One of the best features of this kid friendly event is the price... its free. Just come down to the Heritage & Science Park and enjoy Matsuri.

If you are traveling by Light Rail its just a short walk from the 3rd St. & Washington stop. Check out RailLife.com for maps and rail info.

Enjoy...

Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
602-234-5777

The Matsuri poster to the right was designed by Phoenix artist Brian Fisher and generously provided by tireless Matsuri web developer and general get-it-done person, Penny Levy.