How many years until downtown Phoenix becomes a destination spot for people in the valley? (Scottsdale: 2015, apartment)

[i'm not a cookie]

Originally Posted by phenomenon

People move to Phoenix specifically for the cheap suburban housing and the chance to have a backyard. If you want the high-rise urban lifestyle perhaps New York or Chicago would suit you better. Why must every city be exactly the same? Moderator cut: .

PS: real Arizonans go to Harkins, not AMC

Slow your roll, amc at the esplanade used to be the best until they renovated it and decided to make it all fancy but I'm excited for the new Harkins at fashion square. Also no one is saying that all of phownix should look like Nyc but out downtown should at least be better than it is. Even if our downtown improves that doesn't mean anything to ppl who like to live the suburban lifestyle, it's not like the rest of phoenix will be stripped of its suburban atmosphere. I think we can all agree that having a strong downtown will do our city good.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by phenomenon

People move to Phoenix specifically for the cheap suburban housing and the chance to have a backyard. If you want the high-rise urban lifestyle perhaps New York or Chicago would suit you better.

Many people do move to Phoenix for those reasons, but not everybody does. A metro area of over 4.5 million residents is bound to have some diversity in backgrounds & tastes. Just because the Phoenix area grew on the suburban sprawl notion doesn't mean everybody has to live that way. I personally don't see what's so great about having a cheap slab of stucco for a home anyway. A home is an investment, and cheap prices often equate to cheap quality.

From a personal standpoint, I enjoy having my own house & yard, but I also get tired of the maintenance & upkeep. Sometime in the not too distant future, I might be looking to move to either downtown Phoenix or Tempe for a more centralized location in a condo where I wouldn't have all the worries like I do with a house. A person shouldn't have to move to New York or Chicago for highrise urban living. Many other cities offer that kind of inner city living ... even Phoenix does to a certain point. Nothing wrong with suburban living, but there is demand for other kinds of residences besides just that. What's it to you anyway if some people prefer to live more centralized and vertical?

[locolife]

I think a diverse housing stock is exactly what this region is lacking. The same people saying "people only come to Phoenix for a backyard and suburban lifestyle" should also be worried about what the Phoenix economy is based on. When you have an entire generation of high tech workers who seek out and demand an urban lifestyle, as we do today, it's going to be important to respond to that need in order to remain competitive and grow a diverse economy that is not so dependent on boom and bust real estate cycles.

I don't care if someone is a blow in or was born and raised here, your vote counts the same if you're a resident of the city/county/state when the voting takes place. That's where things matter and there is nothing wrong with Phoenix having some urban living options that only enhance the region as a whole

[locolife]

Originally Posted by i'm not a cookie

How many years do you guys think until downtown Phoenix becomes a major player in the valley, in terms of being a sought after place for real-estate, young people, restaurants and bars. For example, when my friends and I go out it's always to downtown Scottsdale or East Phoenix; I try to get them to go to downtown PHX but no one ever really wants to go/seems to take downtown Phoenix seriously. I feel as if most major American cities(besides Houston and or Dallas) have pretty big downtowns where a large portion of the population goes to for entertainment and what not. Downtown Phoenix is getting better, and during games or big shows it can get crowded, but outside of that it is pretty dead at night.

This is already happening now, downtown Phoenix has surpassed Scottsdale for the highest rent district in the Phoenix metro area. There are something like 5,000 units (either rental or condo) under construction in the central core now with many, many more being planned/discussed. Go check price history on condos downtown, if you wanted in at a reasonable price it's already too late.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by phenomenon

People move to Phoenix specifically for the cheap suburban housing and the chance to have a backyard. If you want the high-rise urban lifestyle perhaps New York or Chicago would suit you better. Why must every city be exactly the same? Moderator cut: .

PS: real Arizonans go to Harkins, not AMC

If you actually READ 43's post, he's not moaning about downtown. Moderator cut: . He's stating the truth about what a lot of people in the suburbs here think and the entertainment habits they have (not all of us), but he's more positive about downtown than a lot of people around here. As a long time Valley resident (virtual native), I've seen the same changes that 43 has in the last five years, and a lot of change before that as well. I remember when downtown was pretty scary to us suburbanites. No more. In another 5 years? BIG changes, with or without a new arena.


Fact is, people here can HAVE a yard, within a couple of light rail stops of downtown. But I'm happy to see more housing options downtown for those who want the no yard lifestyle. I might want it myself before too long. And if I do, I'll definitely look at downtown as an option.

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

I say in 5 years it will be a place to go to but will still be overshadowed by Scottsdale/Tempe. In 10 at its current rate, and pending a Coyotes/Suns new stadium it will finally be what it should have always been.

I'm inclined to agree. Given how different things are downtown compared with 5 years ago, I bet it won't take more than another 5 to get to the point where people regularly view it as an entertainment destination. I really think a few more clubs and restaurants in the city center combined with a few more of the trendy/scene spots that are in Roosevelt is all it will take to keep the development wave going and continue to attract more people to homes downtown. Light rail certainly helps as far as getting people from other parts of the valley downtown, but present expansion that is almost complete aside, there aren't going to be more public transit options within a short time frame of 5-10 years. If anything, Uber's presence as a lower-cost alternative to traditional taxis has helped encourage people looking for a night out to expand their radius of possibilities.

One thing that is unique about this area is that there are multiple entertainment districts that stand alone. Scottsdale is well known nationally and is a place that attracts the most tourists. Tempe caters to the college-aged crowd, even among locals. Downtown Phoenix won't likely ever be that, but I think it has the potential to improve significantly if things continue along their current trajectory. This is all assuming that the economy and housing market doesn't materially take a step backward and that the investment in downtown development at least maintains its current pace.

[phenomenon]

Want to see a concert? The Ak-Chin Pavillion is out in Maryvale.
A football or hockey game? The Cardinals stadium and Gila River arena are out by Westgate.
The metro's best bars and clubs are in Tempe and Scottsdale, as well as the best shopping malls.

There isn't even a grocery store downtown. The area is still unlivable. But at least you have your AMC theater, right? Better fill-up on those $10 popcorns. It's a typical blow-in trait to go to AMC by the way...a theater chain that's available in EveryTown, USA. Let's make Phoenix a clone of every other city. Maybe next we can attract a Whole Foods to really put us on the map. Harkins Theaters is a home-grown Phoenix institution and gives the city a unique character. It has been the pride of Phoenix for decades and has only recently expanded to a few location in other Western states like California and Texas. Local Arizona businesses will always get my support over the big national chains.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by phenomenon

Want to see a concert? The Ak-Chin Pavillion is out in Maryvale.
A football or hockey game? The Cardinals stadium and Gila River arena are out by Westgate.
The metro's best bars and clubs are in Tempe and Scottsdale, as well as the best shopping malls.

There isn't even a grocery store downtown. The area is still unlivable. But at least you have your AMC theater, right? Better fill-up on those $10 popcorns. It's a typical blow-in trait to go to AMC by the way...a theater chain that's available in EveryTown, USA. Let's make Phoenix a clone of every other city. Maybe next we can attract a Whole Foods to really put us on the map. Harkins Theaters is a home-grown Phoenix institution and gives the city a unique character. It has been the pride of Phoenix for decades and has only recently expanded to a few location in other Western states like California and Texas. Local Arizona businesses will always get my support over the big national chains.

You've identified a problem, Yes Phoenix has great suburbs, that doesn't mean that we can't try for a good downtown does it? They aren't mutually exclusive...

Agreed on Harkins however. I hate AMC.

[BIG CATS]

Unless they centralize things better, I say over 10 years, and perhaps never? Its difficult to say. I dont see people coming to the Valley and wanting to hit up a Dbacks game or Suns game, unless for some reason they are huge fans from out-of-state. The downtown area is just too spread out for most people, and not in a dense, good, NYC-like way.

[folicure]

10 years.