Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Arizona > Phoenix area
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 01-04-2011, 12:46 AM
 
Location: Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
132 posts, read 279,200 times
Reputation: 109

Advertisements

Hi there-
Is Phoenix and it's attractions walkable or easily accessible from the light rail for a tourist who does not rent a car? Thank you!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-04-2011, 05:07 AM
 
Location: Metro Phoenix, AZ USA
17,914 posts, read 43,417,255 times
Reputation: 10726
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianbeach85 View Post
Hi there-
Is Phoenix and it's attractions walkable or easily accessible from the light rail for a tourist who does not rent a car? Thank you!
Only a few. (Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center, Pueblo Grande come to mind) Phoenix is a very spread out city, and the light rail only covers a small part of it, along with downtown Tempe. A car is a necessity to go beyond that.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 08:18 AM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
6,405 posts, read 8,987,536 times
Reputation: 8507
Depends on what you plan on doing and where you are staying. Phoenix proper does not appear to be the most exciting place around (especially compared to Brooklyn). I must admit, however I've only set out on foot downtown twice. There's likely more than I know about. But if you planned on seeing downtown Scottsdale you will need a car unless you want to spend lots of time on a bus.

If you list some of your plans and where you are staying you'll get better info regarding your transport options. The Phoenix forum has very knowledgeable folks.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 08:27 AM
 
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
2,153 posts, read 5,176,099 times
Reputation: 3303
Rent a car or be bored.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 08:52 AM
 
2,879 posts, read 7,779,962 times
Reputation: 1184
I am a licensed school bus driver, but I live without a car. Phoenix isn't a late night town, but there are scores of restaurants and bars with happy hour(s). Suns and D'backs are on the LR, so is the financial district. I never go to Scottsdale. Parts of it are nice, but it is not convenient, cops are ticket-happy, everything is expensive and a lot of it isn't that good. If Sin City (LV) is number 1 in breast implants and Sun City is number 1 in dental implants then I would say that Scottsdale is number 2 IN BOTH.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 09:37 AM
 
Location: Metro Phoenix, AZ USA
17,914 posts, read 43,417,255 times
Reputation: 10726
Quote:
Originally Posted by khuntrevor View Post
I am a licensed school bus driver, but I live without a car. Phoenix isn't a late night town, but there are scores of restaurants and bars with happy hour(s). Suns and D'backs are on the LR, so is the financial district. I never go to Scottsdale. Parts of it are nice, but it is not convenient, cops are ticket-happy, everything is expensive and a lot of it isn't that good. If Sin City (LV) is number 1 in breast implants and Sun City is number 1 in dental implants then I would say that Scottsdale is number 2 IN BOTH.
What a tourist's needs are vary somewhat from those of someone who lives here. Just because you don't go to Scottsdale doesn't mean that the OP might not want to see the whole northeast side of the Valley, including Scottsdale, and the LR won't do that.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 11:13 AM
 
963 posts, read 2,302,244 times
Reputation: 2737
I am a New Yorker who is used to walkable downtowns, and lived in Phoenix for three years. Yes, downtown Phoenix is very walkable. The only problem is that you will be the only one doing it! However, if you plan carefully you can easily get around downtown Phoenix with a combination of walking and light rail. The attractions are somewhat spread out but if you are not in a rush (and it is not the middle of summer) you will enjoy it.

Downtown Phoenix is rather sterile by big city standards, it all feels more like a sprawling suburb than a big city. If you're expecting a big city culture you will rather bored with the very limited options you have without a car. Honestly, if you have a car, it expands the range of features you can explore. For example, Sedona, Jerome, Tempe, Tuscon, The Apache Trail are all day trips that offer amazing attractions and scenery that should not be missed.

Moderator cut: advertising What you will find amazing is how empty the streets of downtown Phoenix are, given its size. To access Phoenix's best natural features such as South Mountain Park, Papago Park, Desert Botanical Garden a car is almost a necessity.

Last edited by Kimballette; 01-04-2011 at 12:04 PM.. Reason: advertising
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 03:34 PM
 
2,942 posts, read 6,518,103 times
Reputation: 1214
If you ride a bike, it opens up a lot more possibilities....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-04-2011, 06:40 PM
 
Location: Tempe, Az
1,421 posts, read 1,491,139 times
Reputation: 411
Quote:
Originally Posted by observer53 View Post
Only a few. (Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center, Pueblo Grande come to mind) Phoenix is a very spread out city, and the light rail only covers a small part of it, along with downtown Tempe. A car is a necessity to go beyond that.
Observer is right. I live in Tempe near the light rail.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-05-2011, 03:15 AM
 
1,619 posts, read 2,042,649 times
Reputation: 693
Rent a car.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Arizona > Phoenix area
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:41 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top