Entertainment???? Please help.... (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe: houses, theater, casinos)

[NezzaBlue]

I was on here a while ago and got a lot of great advice with my move from Connecticut to Phoenix. I have been here 2 months and its great for the most part.

I am 24 as well as my boyfriend, and we have no children.
My question is what fun things are there to do? Besides the weekend getaways (sedona, flagstaff, etc) and the wonderful shopping, (which I do love,) we can't seem to really find anything to do. I know there is a million things but we can't seem to find them. I am hoping we can get some ideas off of this post.

Please reply...Thanks

[silverbear]

Phoenix has more hiking trails than virtually any other major city. It's a little hot to enjoy them now, but when things start to cool down in September, you can hike first thing in the morning. Morning hikes will be better in September and October. By November, you should be able to hike at any point in the day: MOUNTAIN PARKS/PRESERVES HIKING TRAILS

If you enjoy art, the hot summer months are a great time to spend a day in air-conditioned comfort inside the Heard Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum:
http://www.heard.org
PHOENIX ART MUSEUM

You might also enjoy First Fridays, which bring thousands of people downtown for gallery tours each month: www.artlinkphoenix.org - Home of artlink, Art Detour and First Fridays

There's a similar program called Artwalk on Thursday nights for the galleries in Scottsdale: Scottsdale ArtWalks & Events

There's always live music. The Rhythm Room in Central Phoenix is my favorite club with an unpretentious feel, cheap beer, and great live blues (as well as occasional jazz, roots music, and alternative rock). The Rhythm Room

In the fall, home tours in the city's historic districts resume. It's always fun to look inside other people's houses while learning a bit about Phoenix history: LoveUrbanLiving.com - Calendar of Events

Of course, after all that you'll need to eat, and the city is full of great restaurants. Some of them offer specials deals during the summer to compensate for the absence of tourists. Some sources of restaurant info:
Phoenix - Restaurant Guide
Feasting in Phoenix — “When Zagat meets Sex and the City…”
Southwest - Chowhound

[sheena]

Originally Posted by NezzaBlue

I was on here a while ago and got a lot of great advice with my move from Connecticut to Phoenix. I have been here 2 months and its great for the most part.

I am 24 as well as my boyfriend, and we have no children.
My question is what fun things are there to do? Besides the weekend getaways (sedona, flagstaff, etc) and the wonderful shopping, (which I do love,) we can't seem to really find anything to do. I know there is a million things but we can't seem to find them. I am hoping we can get some ideas off of this post.

Please reply...Thanks

How about the casinos. How about the comedy club in Tempe?

[Boatdrinks]

I recommend getting a subscription to Phoenix magazine. It has a great monthly rundown on all the special events, concerts, festivals, etc., and also has a great running list of restaurants, clubs, museums, theaters, etc. We got a subscription when we first moved here and still have it today.

[Steel87]

What kind of activites are you looking into? There have been a number of great suggestions made above.

There are a number of activities to do. Every month there is a different traveling tour to Gammage Auditorium where you can see current popular traveling productions of Broadway plays and musicals such as Avenue Q, Light in the Piazza, Utopia, etc. There are also a number of professional local productions that you can look into.

Classical symphonic orchestra such as Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Scottsdale and Tempe all have musical concerts and special events, and not just classical music. They often have guest artists and some special concerts include a Star Wars Music Festival about 2 years ago. Look into these.

Comedy clubs and Jazz Bars. One nice place is the Piano Bar down in Tempe. There are some nice jazz bars to look into in Old Town Scottsdale.

Weekly Classic Car Shows at the Scottsdale Pavillions. These shows attract hundreds of car enthusiasts every weekend. These shows are set up in the parking lots of the Scottsdale Pavillions.

Cirque du Soleil commonly travel to Scottsdale and perform shows by Westworld. Some have had open-ended or long-term productions.

There are dozens of museums that you can visit, including Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum.

Some outdoor activities near McDowell Mountain in northern Scottsdale include hot air ballooning over Phoenix, hanggliding, horseback riding. You can also go tubing down the Salt River, a common weekend pasttime for students in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills.

Old Town Scottsdale Clubs like Axis/Radius, Mist, e4, Devil's Martini, Sky Club are all pretty popular among young people. There are also a number of great restaurants scattered throughout Phoenix, a lot are in Scottsdale, such as Cowboy Ciao, Seasaw, Hacienda, Mastro's, etc.

Check out monthly updates on the Kierland Commons website, they commonly have some monthly guests or events such as Scottsdale Fashion Show, or television personalities from the Food Network like Giada de Laurentiis, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Michael Chiarello,and Mario Batali have all frequented and performed live airing shows or demonstrations here.

If you like shopping, check out the trunk shows at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Square or Saks Fifth Avenue at Biltmore. Many designers have exclusive trunk shows are these locations, such as Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta and Chanel.

What else are you interested in? I would also suggest you to suscribe to some phoenix magazines. Many have great events listed, concerts, clubs, jazz nights, etc.

[chocolaterie]

Hi there,

My husband and I are around your age group (I'm 23 & he's 26). We personally recommend live music venues and just going out to restaurants with patios. I grew up in Cdn weather, so the night weather here is wonderful in my opinion. I'd also suggest networking. The most fun I've had is going to meet new people. And The Comedy club in tempe is fun.

[topjimmy]

Dolly Steamboat Sightseeing Cruises - Arizona's Junior Grand Canyon Tour of Canyon Lake near Phoenix, AZ

[NezzaBlue]

Thanks so much for the ideas and links.

Once again this website has proved to be extremely helpful. We will definetely check this stuff out.

I used to live in Connecticut about 40 minutes away from Manhattan, and 5 from the beach. So that was our entertainment.

Once again I thank all of you.