What’s living in willo like? Urban enthusiast worried about PHX

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by kytoaz

I was just talking to my friend about the lack of true walkability in Willo and Encanto. Both are beautiful hoods with nice people but not much in the way of amenities. I prefer Coronado or Cheery Lynn when it comes to walkability.

Completely disagree. On its perimeter (Central, McDowell, 7th Ave, Thomas) Willo has

• 40 restaurants
• 6 beauty salons
• 3 barber shops
• 3 coffee shops
• 2 nail salons
• 2 convenience markets
• 2 veterinarians
• a bank
• a liquor store
• a pharmacy
• a pet supply store
• a bar

Coronado has similar development along 7th St and along McDowell, but it doesn't amount to nearly as much. Coronado does have a Safeway near its SW corner (Willo has a Safeway and a soon-to-be Sprouts a half mile away). Coronado also has a small market and a restaurant in its middle. Sounds to me like a wash or a slight edge to Willo. Willo also has 2 major museums, light rail and is a couple of blocks from the soon-to-reopen Burton Barr Central Library.

If you want to expand Coronado to 16th St to add to its list it does a bit better, but then you can do the same and give Willo credit for businesses a couple of blocks north and south on Central.

Cheery Lynn appears to have a restaurant, a bar, a deli and Hospice of the Valley on its boundaries.

Encanto-Palmcroft, I would agree, has less access to things.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by synapse

Depends where you are. I know what you mean, I lived in Chicago, but there are areas of Phoenix that are walkable. For instance, if you live downtown, you can easily walk to light rail, Diamondbacks games, Suns games, restaurants, stores, and shops. If you live in Old Town Scottsdale you can walk to spring training games, bars, restaurants, and the "riverwalk." If you live near Mill Avenue in Tempe you can walk to a ton of restaurants and bars and Gammage, where Broadway plays are. Yeah, a lot of Phoenix is sprawling suburb - but not *all* of it.

Exactly! Midtown is walkable as well, but it's lively only on weekdays, and not much there for nightlife ... however, light rail can easily be accessed from midtown to downtown or Tempe for more things to do. It's true that probably 90% of metro Phoenix is suburban styled, but the approximately 10% which is urban and walkable has really come a long way in the last few years. I'm really glad to see a good share of the vacant lots finally being developed, and a 30 story building under construction near 3rd Street & Pierce. There is still lots of progress to be made, and I hope eventually there will be taller structures rising above Chase Tower.