by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Event Calendar, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, LightRailConnect.com Magazine, News & Information
Halloween on Mill Avenue Mill Avenue District Mill Avenue and University DriveTempe, AZ, 85281 PHONE: 480-921-2300 October 28, 2011 – October 31, 2011 Monday, Friday, Saturday [Editors Note: Light Rail Advisors supports nightlife and events in the light rail corridor. We have developed LightRailConnect.com and the LightRailConnect Magazine to push Live, Work, Play near the tracks.] Mill Avenue plays host to an unintentional costume parade each Halloween. Early in the day, families march their adorable ghosts and goblins up and down Mill. When the sun sets, young adults bounce from bar to bar in their showiest outfits. There will be plenty of life, or the undead, roaming throughout the weekend, so be sure to get there early to get into the bar of your choice. Pop into Canteen Modern Tequila for a great dance floor and tasty cocktails, Mill Cue Club to mingle with Arizona State University students, or Rula Bula for a more eclectic and laidback vibe....
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
by Megan Finnerty and Kellie Hwang – Oct. 19, 2011 Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editors Note: Light Rail Advisors developed LightRailConnect.com and the LightRailConnect Magazine that make it easy to Live, Work, and Play near the light rail tracks.] Although downtown Phoenix’s dining and drinking destinations are on the rise, quality late-night options can seem limited. Here’s a sampling of five of the best. Hanny’s This stylish lunch, dinner and late-night restaurant is known for super-thin-crust pizzas and idiosyncratic offerings, including Pork Milanese, a prosciutto and hearts of palm sandwich and an arugula salad. Crowds come for the cocktails and to see and be seen. Details: 40 N. First St., Phoenix. 602-252-2285, hannys.net. District American Kitchen and Wine Bar The bar and restaurant at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix is a comfortable and unexpectedly trendy place to grab happy hour with the post-work crowd, to see live DJs on weekends or to slip in for a late drink after a show at the Herberger Theater Center. Details: 320 N. Third St., Phoenix. 602-817-5400, districtrestaurant.com. Copper Blues At CityScape, this bar and lounge serves the Stand Up Live comedy club with a classed-up comfort food menu designed by notable Valley chef Aaron May. The second-story patio offers stunning views of downtown. Details: 50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 480-719-5005, copperblueslive.com. Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery This rowdy chain restaurant and bar is known for skimpy-kilt-wearing servers and hearty portions of Shepherd’s Pie, potato skins and Gaelic chicken. That said, it’s mostly about the sexy servers. Details: 2 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 602-293-3888, tiltedkilt.com. Coach & Willie’s This upscale sports bar and restaurant has an inviting patio and an interior filled with cushy seating, almost-countless televisions and several...
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Light Rail Business, News & Information
by Kellie Hwang – Oct. 20, 2011 courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editor’s note: Light Rail Advisors agrees that downtown Phoenix needs assistance to grow and thrive. Those are some of the reasons for creation and development of LightRailConnect.com and the LightRailConnect Magazine.] Although about 6 million people come to downtown Phoenix each year to watch sporting events, concerts and theater productions, the streets usually feel empty after 9 p.m. For years, the masses have not been sticking around after the buzzer sounds, the encore ends or the curtain falls. Out-of-towners are often asking Kathy Cline, co-owner of Steve’s Greenhouse Grill, if “this” is downtown Phoenix, she said. “People go to events, buy their food and drinks there, then get in the car and go home. There’s just not that downtown vibe yet.” But with the recent efforts of downtown business owners, entrepreneurs and developers, that is slowly changing. Through better promotion of late-night venues and a new smartphone application that tells users what’s open and what’s hip, downtown leaders are encouraging visitors to linger longer. “Five years ago . . . I would literally watch the wave of people leaving the ballpark, head straight to the parking garages, get into their cars and leave,” said Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks. “Now, the walking patterns are changing. People are going to Stand Up Live or bowling after, and that’s the way downtown should be.” Within a comfortable walking distance of downtown’s biggest venues, about 15 late-night restaurants and bars cater to postevent crowds, staying open past 10, according to the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. The change has come in increments. Some...
by bryan | Oct 24, 2011 | light rail expansion, Mesa City, News & Information
by Gary Nelson – Oct. 22, 2011 Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Light Rail Advisors, the owner of the popular LightRailConnect.com website, endorses smart use of city land and building resources for the development of the Downtown Mesa area] Two decades ago it was the retail centerpiece of a development that was going to transform downtown Mesa. Now, however, it has become such an albatross that some on the City Council think bulldozers might be the only option. The funky building at 51-55 E. Main St. was part of the “Park Place” project in the late 1980s that also included the adjacent midrise office tower and a movie theater. Mesa bought the theater and the 51-55 building as it assembled land for the Mesa Arts Center. The theater was leveled, but Mesa kept 51-55 in hopes it could become a restaurant or some other complement to the arts center. No such luck. Over the past five years, Mesa has had at least three offers to buy and develop the building as a restaurant, but all the deals died. Bill Jabjiniak, Mesa’s economic development director, said interest remains high. Over the past year, 10 interested parties have inspected the building. Five were considering restaurant uses, and the others were looking at retail or arts-related businesses. There also have been numerous phone calls about the property, Jabjiniak said. But the only tenant at present is the Southwest Shakespeare Company, which uses part of the building for rehearsals. Most potential buyers shy away because of parking issues, the cost of redoing the building and uncertainties over light-rail construction, Jabjiniak said. The building’s future is on...
by bryan | Oct 24, 2011 | light rail corridor, light rail expansion
by Gary Nelson – Oct. 21, 2011 01:50 AM Courtesy of the Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Light Rail Advisors, owners of LightRailConnect.com, supports the continued development of light rail further east to Gilbert Drive in Mesa] Downtown Mesa is going to change. Always has, always will. The question, city planner Jeff McVay told the City Council on Thursday, is whether those coming changes will create a viable, livable city center or something less attractive. That’s why he has overseen a citizens committee developing a comprehensive plan for the light-rail corridor from Country Club Drive to Gilbert Road After 21 meetings over the past two years, that committee’s work is done and the plan is now headed toward council approval, probably early this coming winter. As if to dispel any nostalgia for the downtown of old, McVay showed the council several pictures showing that there have been several such downtowns – the horse-and-buggy downtown, the downtown that existed when Main Street was actually U.S. 60, and the eclectic downtown of today. The next one will be the downtown of light rail, possibly evolving into a dense urban core of mid-rise buildings with a variety of business and residential uses. The most intense uses are expected to be in the square-mile downtown area and next to future light-rail stops where Main Street intersects with Stapley Drive and Gilbert Road. It’s not just light rail that will transform the area, McVay said. Baby Boomers are showing an increased proclivity for living in transit-rich urban areas with numerous amenities, so downtowns are likely to draw new residents in coming decades. The plan outlines five basic...
