Downtown Mesa is cool again (Phoenix, Scottsdale: living, restaurants, homeless)

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by observer53

You are looking at only one part of the city. Tempe is not all "college turds and bums".


Downtown Mesa is a work in progress. It started not just from "ground level" but from a deep hole. Lots of progress, I'm giving it time.

We're talking about downtowns, and yes, most of the downtown Tempe area (at least during the many times Ive been) was majority young folks, sprinkled with bums on nearly every corner, many of them as high as a 747.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

We're talking about downtowns, and yes, most of the downtown Tempe area (at least during the many times Ive been) was majority young folks, sprinkled with bums on nearly every corner, many of them as high as a 747.

One can live in Tempe just fine and never or rarely set foot downtown. I've done it for the better part of 40 years.


College students don't bother me like they bother you, though, so I do go to campus or downtown if the need arises.

[43north87west]

Downtown Mesa *has* actually come a long way for those of us who remember what a hole it was. And it's still not that great. But when an area is a total ghetto hole that most decent people deserted in favor of farther and nicer areas, it's difficult to just take it and make it nice. It takes time and a lot of planning, and for Mesa, it's slowly paying off. Comparing it to totally disparate areas like Mill Avenue is ridiculous. Mill Avenue was never a ghetto, so it's not like Mill Ave underwent some magical renaissance.

Main Street is definitely not a thoroughfare anymore either. It's a feature. And it seems to be a hefty revenue generator for Mesa PD as they always have at least one or two cars stopped there. Or maybe the people are still that disreputable. I don't really know.

Also great to hear that Gilbert is still the best thing since the wheel.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by observer53

One can live in Tempe just fine and never or rarely set foot downtown. I've done it for the better part of 40 years.


College students don't bother me like they bother you, though, so I do go to campus or downtown if the need arises.

The rest of Tempe is just like anywhere else in the Valley. Its the downtown that makes Tempe what it is. And yes, I cant stand some of the college kids... the dbags in the sleeveless t's, aviator sunglasses and 'roided out, and their accompanying "woohoo" girls (you know the type). Id rather hang around 16th St and McDowell than be around that element.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

The rest of Tempe is just like anywhere else in the Valley. Its the downtown that makes Tempe what it is. And yes, I cant stand some of the college kids... the dbags in the sleeveless t's, aviator sunglasses and 'roided out, and their accompanying "woohoo" girls (you know the type). Id rather hang around 16th St and McDowell than be around that element.

Your responses are always really dramatic, I've had zero problem finding great places to hangout in and around downtown Tempe where I'm not surrounded by the college crowd. La Bocca, Cafe Boa, Cornish Pastry, House of Tricks, and Postino to name a few.

I also don't find that Tempe crowd to be any more annoying then the Old Town Scottsdale crowd.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Downtown Mesa:
Dining - Downtown Mesa


30 restuarants (including coffee shops)
50 shopping destinations (that includes EVERYTHING)

I got to give BC some credit, as I have not ventured around downtown Mesa in quite some time but thanks to the link above I now realize Mesa has a few things I wouldn't mind checking out:

- There are actually 3 museums in downtown Mesa in addition to the killer arts center that I did know about.
- What looks like a really cool Christmas event going on right now
- Some coffee shops that sound rather tasty
- A brewery, I had no idea.
- Thai, Italian, South American (in addition to Mexican), pizza, gyros and ice cream
- Quite a few small locally owned shops including a record shop, several galleries, comic book store, an herb shop and a store that sells Himalayan lamps?
- A 2nd Friday art-walk

Thanks for the link Cats, downtown Mesa has a lot more to do then I ever realized.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by locolife

I got to give BC some credit, as I have not ventured around downtown Mesa in quite some time but thanks to the link above I now realize Mesa has a few things I wouldn't mind checking out:

- There are actually 3 museums in downtown Mesa in addition to the killer arts center that I did know about.
- What looks like a really cool Christmas event going on right now
- Some coffee shops that sound rather tasty
- A brewery, I had no idea.
- Thai, Italian, South American (in addition to Mexican), pizza, gyros and ice cream
- Quite a few small locally owned shops including a record shop, several galleries, comic book store, an herb shop and a store that sells Himalayan lamps?
- A 2nd Friday art-walk

Thanks for the link Cats, downtown Mesa has a lot more to do then I ever realized.

There is supposed to be a second there in addition to Desert Eagle, not sure if it has opened. Oro Brewing.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by locolife

Your responses are always really dramatic, I've had zero problem finding great places to hangout in and around downtown Tempe where I'm not surrounded by the college crowd. La Bocca, Cafe Boa, Cornish Pastry, House of Tricks, and Postino to name a few.

I also don't find that Tempe crowd to be any more annoying then the Old Town Scottsdale crowd.

That's because a lot of the Scottsdale crowd are ASU students. But yes, Old Town can be raucous, too, no doubt. I prefer to hang out more in the art "district", if you will. The areas around the W, etc, are ridiculous and full of punk idiots.

[ajonesaz]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

The rest of Tempe is just like anywhere else in the Valley. Its the downtown that makes Tempe what it is. And yes, I cant stand some of the college kids... the dbags in the sleeveless t's, aviator sunglasses and 'roided out, and their accompanying "woohoo" girls (you know the type). Id rather hang around 16th St and McDowell than be around that element.

Yep, that's why I am excited about Downtown Gilbert and even some areas of Phoenix. At 30, I am too old to navigate the puke filled sidewalks of Mill and I am not a big fan of the flashy, leased Mercedes crowd that seems to hang in Scottsdale (not referring to ALL of Scottsdale here, but I am sure you know what areas I am talking about).

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

Yep, that's why I am excited about Downtown Gilbert and even some areas of Phoenix. At 30, I am too old to navigate the puke filled sidewalks of Mill and I am not a big fan of the flashy, leased Mercedes crowd that seems to hang in Scottsdale (not referring to ALL of Scottsdale here, but I am sure you know what areas I am talking about).

Unfortunately, Im all to familiar with Scottsdale's phony crowd, seeing that I live pretty close to Old Town. Its just as annoying as Mill to me. The good thing about Old Town is that its much larger and you can escape the dbags by going up to the "waterfront" (I loathe that term), or into the park with the fountains, its always quiet back there.