South Central
Wire | Central Avenue to Sparkle for the Holidays
Posted on 11/26/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
One Hundred Community Sponsors Contributed to Holiday Decoration Fund
Earlier this fall, community members representing the greater downtown Phoenix community, including the City of Phoenix, METRO Light Rail, Phoenix Community Alliance, neighborhood organizations and local business owners, created the Holiday Decoration Fund, and put out a call for contributions to help bring seasonal sparkle back to our city’s grandest boulevard.
Last year was the first time since light rail construction began that the holiday streetlight decorations on Central Avenue were installed. By the end of that season, however, it was clear that the decorations were too deteriorated to reuse and a solution needed to be found.
In just a few short weeks, the organizers of the Holiday Decoration Fund have gathered enough community-wide support to decorate 219 streetlights, 184 of those sponsored by 100 financial sponsors, with a few salvaged decorations from last year. Streetlights on Central Avenue, ranging from North Central to South Central, will be decorated with candy canes and poinsettias with LED lights adding some sparkle.
“This says so much about what the community can do when it comes together,” said City of Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “Holiday decorations are an important aspect of vibrant community. Thanks to Phoenix Community Alliance for their leadership, and to all the participants who are brightening Central Avenue.”
“South Mountain area residents and businesses really get in the spirit of the holidays, with many events and celebrations for families to enjoy,” said Councilman Michael Nowakowski. “The opportunity to have Central Avenue – the main route connecting the central city and our downtown to the South Mountain area – decked out in holiday lights would really add that extra layer of excitement for families and children. Let’s turn Central Avenue into a holiday wonderland!”
“I am thrilled to see holiday decorations come back to Central Avenue. These decorations foster a sense of community among Phoenix residents, and help build a festive holiday spirit for downtown shoppers, diners and visitors,” said Councilman Tom Simplot. “I applaud the leadership of Phoenix Community Alliance and the Midtown Museum District Neighborhood Association in making this happen.”
“Holiday decorations along Central Avenue are one of our greatest community traditions,” said Mo Stein, Chairman of Phoenix Community Alliance’s Board of Directors. “Growing up in Phoenix, this was always a family activity. What better way to continue to bring families together and celebrate the Heart of our City, with new restaurants, shops, housing and light rail happening daily. We thank everyone who is helping this great tradition.”
“The Downtown Phoenix Partnership is very excited about the prospect of holiday lights along the entire length of Central Ave through the central city. This is our signature street and it deserves to be the showcase of our holiday festivities,” said David Roderique, President and CEO of Downtown Phoenix Partnership.
Central Avenue will twinkle with spirit from Thanksgiving through the MLK Holiday. ‘Tis the season to bring your family and friends to Central Avenue, ride the light rail and take in the beauty of the season.
The following is the list of 100 participating sponsors of Holiday Decoration Fund:
A Tropical Concert
Aragon Real Estate Group
Arizona Central Credit Union
Arizona State University
Artisan Lofts on Central
Barron Collier Companies
Best Buy Insurance
BMO Harris Bank
Brophy College Preparatory
Care First
CAVCO Homes
Central Park Square
Central United Methodist Church
Chateaux on Central
City of Phoenix Industrial Development Authority
CityScape
City Square
Cricket
Davis Enterprises
Dick’s Ace Auto Repair
DOXA Central, LLC
DWL Architects & Planners
Evergreen Commercial Realty LLC
First American Title Company
FEZ Restaurant & Bar
Friendly House/Unity Way Fire Star
Gaedeke Group LLC
Habitat Metro LLC
Hon. Ruben Gallegos and Kate Gallegos
Hon. Tom Simplot
Goodwill of Arizona
Grandview Neighborhood Association
H-M Investments LLC
Hazel and Violet Ink
The Heard Museum
H-M Investments LLC
Hula’s Modern Tiki
Inspired Connections
Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona
Investors Warranty of America/Jones Lang LaSalle/Security Title Plaza
Irish Cultural Center
Jim McPherson
John Graham
JP Morgan Chase
Just You Transportation
La Canasta Restaurant
Comedor Restaurant
La Bodega Furniture
Laura Crosby and Cat Sweetsir, 2800 Tower
Lawrence and Geyser, Geyser Management LLC
LBA Realty Fund II – Company V, LLC
L.D. Schneider & Associates
Marcos de Niza Tenant Council
Maricopa Integrated Health Systems
Martha+Mary
McCormack Baron Salazar
McCarthy Cook & Co. / Viad Corporate Center
Metro Realty LLC
Midtown Museum District
Native American Connections at Devine Legacy
Native American Connections/Phoenix Indian Center/People of Color Network
Novidades Delzous
Omninet
One Camelback Office Building
One Thomas Building
Parallel Capital Partners/City Square
Park Central Mall
Pastor Consulting, Inc.
Pavilions Apartments/Gray Development
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Financial Center/Robert Knight and Associates
Phoenix Revitalization Corporation
Pierson Place Historic District/Charley Jones
Pinnacle Property Management
Place by the Park LLC
Carol A. Poore, Ph.D.
RAZA Development Fund
Red Development LLC
Regency House Condominiums
Roosevelt Row
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Security Title Plaza
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS
Southwest Gas
Switch Restaurant & Wine Bar
Tapestry on Central Condominium Association
Taqueria Tepehause
The Comisar Collection/TV Museum Phoenix
The Foundry Hotel
The Great American Tower Office Building
The Mueller Family
The One Thomas Building
The Phoenix Plaza Association
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Urban Affair LLC
Urban Initiatives
Valle Del Sol
WESCO
Westward Ho Associates, L.P.
Younan Properties
Special Thanks to: Ali Avey – Premiere Volunteer; Joseph Benesh – Phoenix Center for the Arts; Margaret Deitrich – Midtown Museum District; Susan Engstrom – The Great American Tower; Steve Banta and Hillary Foose – Valley Metro; Luz Enriquez and Councilman Nowakowski – City of Phoenix; Don Keuth and Jo Marie McDonald – Phoenix Community Alliance; Jim McPherson; Catrina Kahler – Urban Affair; Dave Roderique and Terry Madezska – Downtown Phoenix Partnership; Eva Olivas – Phoenix Revitalization Corporation; Kurt Schneider – LD Schneider & Associates; Olga Soto; Victor Vidales – REMAX Real Estate; All of the team at WESCO – Mark Forman, Geoffrey Kay, Michael Knoblock, and Christmas Light Decorators Doug Topham and Aaron Farrelly.
About Phoenix Community Alliance:
Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and a collaboration of over 250 major business corporations allied with government, education, research, health & science, as well as arts & cultural organizations. The organization, formed in 1983, is the major, private sector catalyst for the urban renaissance in Downtown Phoenix and the Central City. For more, visit PhoenixCommunityAlliance.com.
Let’s Deck the Halls and Central Avenue
Posted on 10/11/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Get that bell on a pole!
Community members representing Downtown Phoenix and beyond (including DPJ) have been working on a plan to make Central Avenue sparkle and shine during the upcoming holiday season.
It’s a big idea worthy of this great city – and it’s going to take a community-wide effort to make it happen.
Think of it: up to 10 miles of our city’s grand boulevard festooned with decorations!
A Holiday Decoration Fund has been established, with donations needed by October 25 to get the decorations up by Thanksgiving.
There are hundreds of light poles that can be decorated, so the more donations the more festive Central Avenue will be!
Read the following invitation to participate and let’s all come together and contribute to the spirit of Phoenix and the holiday season.
Dear Phoenix Community:
Please help us bring the spirit of the Holiday Season back to Central Avenue from Camelback to Dobbins!
Last year was the first year since light rail construction began that our Central Avenue street lights had holiday decorations. By the end of the Holiday Season (Thanksgiving – MLK Holiday) the decorations had deteriorated and are no longer usable.
A number of property owners and managers of buildings along the Central corridor are eager to help bring decorations back to the street.
We hope you will be too!
The cost to purchase or refurbish – and install, store, maintain, and remove the decorations, as well as purchase new hardware to support them – is excessive.
The most affordable option for the short and long term is to lease new decorations. Many communities across the country are tending toward this direction.
We have worked with all the vendors involved and have arrived at a reduced rate of $210 per street light. This includes everything: the decoration and banner (examples pictured right), installation, removal, the purchase of new hardware required to support it all and tax.
The City of Phoenix and Valley Metro Rail are assisting us and support this effort. Also, some property owners want to help decorate streets and areas along and adjacent to the light rail.
We do not have much time. Please join us!
The Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA) has agreed to be the facilitator for the Phoenix Holiday Decoration fund.
Payments must be processed by October 25.
- Let’s “banner” together PHX.
Download the contribution form from PhoenixCommunityAlliance.com.
Then use your credit card to donate online.
Or make checks payable and mail to:
Phoenix Community Alliance
234 North Central Avenue
Suite M-1100, Floor 1A
Phoenix AZ 85004
(ANY level of contribution is appreciated! PCA is a 501 (c)3 organization and your contributions are tax deductible.)
Please do not hesitate to contact PCA at 602-254-7477 ext. 22 with any questions you may have.
Thank you! And here’s to a Happy Holiday season!
JOSEPH BENESH, Director, Phoenix Center for the Arts
KENNY BARRETT & CINDY DACH, Roosevelt Row
DAN CARROLL, Chairman, Midtown Museum District
CATRINA KAHLER, Publisher, Downtown Phoenix Journal
DON KEUTH, President, Phoenix Community Alliance
EVA OLIVAS, President, Phoenix Revitalization Corporation
DAVE RODERIQUE, President & CEO, Downtown Phoenix Partnership
VICTOR VIDALES, Business Owner, REMAX, South Mountain Real Estate
GEORGE YOUNG, South Mountain Village Resident
Listen Up PHX | The Lineup 3.26 – 4.1
Posted on 3/26/12 by Erin Bartynski » No Comments
Each week, Listen Up PHX brings you The Lineup, a list of live music events going on in greater Downtown Phoenix, picked by music blogger Erin Bartynski.
Monday 3.26: Inner Urge at the Lost Leaf. Live jazz music starts at 9 p.m. As always at the Lost Leaf, there’s no cover and the show is 21+.
Tuesday 3.27: South Central Swing dancing to live music at the Duce. Grab a partner or mix and mingle — with drink specials and a free swing dance lesson, you’ll have the confidence to jump, jive and wail. 7:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. $7 at the door.
Wednesday 3.28: The Milk Carton Kids at the Rhythm Room with opener Wes Kirkpatrick is an all ages show. Doors are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door. Visit their website before you go, www.themilkcartonkids.com, where you can download the soft, soothing folk album Prologue for free!
Thursday 3.29: Ladies Night at Copper Blues features live chic-rock music by Lunatics & Lovers. No cover, starts at 7 p.m. Drink specials include $5 martinis and $20 for a bottle of wine and bruschetta.
Friday 3.30: For those craving an indie-rock show, White Rabbits will be at the Crescent Ballroom with opening act Gull. Doors at 7:30 p.m., music starts at 8:30 p.m. Cost: $13-$15, ages 16+. Head to White Rabbit’s website for a free download of their single Heavy Metal before catching them live.
For those looking to dance their way into the weekend, this week’s Sticky Fingers features Blatta & Inesha, who will be dj-ing their new style of dance music, a self proclaimed mix of techno and electro which they’ve named “Techno Nouveau,” at Bar Smith. Doors at 9 p.m., music until 3 a.m. $10 cover, 21+.
Saturday 3.31: Colton Avery at the Hard Rock Cafe at 8:30 p.m. $8 in advance, $10 at the door. An all-ages show, must be 21+ at the bar.
Sunday 4.1: Wind down your week with a free acoustic bluegrass show by Run Boy Run in the Lounge at the Crescent Ballroom at 8 p.m. Head over to their website to give their EP a stream for free.
Historic Property Owners Recognized in Centennial Celebration
Posted on 2/05/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Mayor Greg Stanton, the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office, Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission and Heritage Commission hosted a reception to recognize the owners of Phoenix historic properties.
The “Arizona Centennial Celebration,” held Thursday at City Hall, recognized 78 Phoenix historic property owners for helping to preserve our city’s history.
Mayor Greg Stanton (fourth from right) and Councilwoman Thelda Williams (third from left) were joined at the event by former Phoenix Mayors (left to right): John Driggs, Skip Rimsza, Paul Johnson, Terry Goddard, John Nelson and Phil Gordon. Photo courtesy of Edward Jensen, Downtown Voices Coalition.
“The majority of our city’s historic properties are privately owned and it is important to recognize the contributions of these individual property owners in preserving our history,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton.
The celebration drew many property owners and preservation advocates.
Each property owner received a certificate noting the property’s historic significance, and will receive an exterior wall-mounted plaque noting its historical significance on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
Plaques like this one will be installed on the selected properties.
The selected properties include homes, schools, churches and commercial buildings listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register. Many also are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, William E. Cavness House, Monroe School, Wrigley Mansion, Carver High School, Tovrea Castle, Gold Spot Market, Hanny’s and Temple Beth Israel, among others.
Downtown Discovered, One Bite at a Time – Day One: Native Assimilation
Posted on 9/07/11 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
(This article appeared on the June/July DPJ Mag)
Welcome to Downtown Phoenix. The urban heart (and stomach) of an area 4 million strong.
Whether eating soulful Mexican out of styrofoam and tinfoil from Carolina’s; skillful, inspired Japanese comforts from Nobuo at Teeter House; or, sanctified artisan pizza from Pizzeria Bianco, a contrasting roster of indulgent experiences exist to be unearthed, and digested.
Photo Courtesy Michael | Ruiz
Discovering your new surroundings or re-exploring the neighborhood you call home, guidance can go along way. In the mood for hangouts popular for their locals-only appeal? Craving see-and-be-seen experiences, hitting destinations preyed upon by Downtown’s more self-aware?
Or, are you one of those globe-trotting chowhounds on an immortal search for bucket-list worthy eating in every new city (or neighborhood) you visit?
As more of a rough template than a step-by-step, exhaustive travel guide, we’ve assembled a light-footed list of notable and respected neighborhood institutions pointed by easy categorization. Pick and choose, mix and match, here are some ideas.
Day One: Native Assimilation
Forgo blatant tourist traps, event-driven sports bars and corporate outposts and spend the day with those who live and breath Downtown Phoenix on a daily basis. This is someone’s home, after all.
Early Morning: Catch up on e-mails and morning caffeine deprivation at Royal at the Market, the cockpit-sized coffee bar tucked toward the rear of the Phoenix Public Market’s indoor grocery. Understated, high-design meets some of the best coffee in the city, roasted in-house daily.
Mid-Morning: Great any hour of the day, opt for a late breakfast at the original Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles for Phoenix’s best known (and best tasting) example of the classic soul food combination.
Lunch: Did you arrive thinking premium-sourced seafood couldn’t be found in the desert? Trek a few miles north to Uptown and reset your thinking at Hana Japanese Eatery, a compact neighborhood sushi spot dedicated to pitch-perfect, seafaring goodness.
Afternoon: Even the natives enjoy their late-afternoon libations. For a chilled brew consider The Main Ingredient Ale House. Located in the quirky Coronado Historic District, TMI (as locals have affectionately chopped it) offers a wide range of beers, craft and known, alongside elevated pub grub favorites.
Dinner: Go casual, go pizza. Though Downtown Phoenix has no shortage of exceptional pizza, locals frequently by-pass more traveled paths for something more mellow, though no-less delicious. At home in the historic Roosevelt neighborhood, Cibo Pizzeria is gem dedicated to artisan pies constructed with superior ingredients.
Late-Night: Hankering for a place habituated by Downtown’s tried-and-true? Begin casually at the Lost Leaf, a personable beer and wine address flooded nightly with artists, musicians and other locals searching for an informal night-cap. Got a buzz and feeling adventurous? Polish the night at Phoenix’s quintessential dive bar (and last-standing tiki bar) the Bikini Lounge. A little off the beaten path along Grand Avenue, expect no-nonsense bartenders, stiff pours and dirt-cheap tabs.
