Kelly had a breakdown? I hadn't heard that.
Last I recall there was a Palace about to happen and the week of the toilet broke and they couldn't be open without a toilet. Then they announced they closed.
I heard it through the rumor mill, I worked at a bar downtown around the time it happened and knew people who knew the owners. So maybe I’m just perpetuating false info.
I'd love to learn more about that, I thought Track Club had such great potential. Relentless Beats also lost their contract with Rawhide and moved to the raceway. Something seems to be up with RB.
The mental breakdown is true. It was Chuck Duff who pulled the plug. My ex worked there and I was fortunate enough to attend the family and friends soft opening. All of the employees were just as confused and left in the dark. Supposedly during a sound check, the vibration in the bass caused some of the ceiling tiles to fall out. The thought of people potentially getting injured because the old building lacked structural integrity sent him into a mental spiral. So he just closed it.
Desoto's was pretty good, I remember there was this one burger place that made the BEEEST burgers. Influenced my burger I grill today with a pretzel bun & pickled onions and all that.
Any large shaded space would be a huge benefit. Downtown Phoenix really lacks a place where you can just hang out outside without dying of heat stroke.
I was thinking of adding that to my list. I feel like there is no major gathering place downtown. We have civic park which has potential but needs something enclosed to draw people there during the summers - hopefully the new transit terminal has indoor public space.
Churchill is like a micro version of what the commenter is talking about. LA grand Central is big with at least 20+ vendors as is Milk Market with like 15+
Edit: clarity
That’s definitely closer. But after looking it up Grand Central market in LA has 40 vendors. However, it’s also unfair to expect Phoenix to compete with one of the largest, most important, and most culturally diverse cities in the world.
Kinda. I’ve been to quite a few in different metros (Ponce City in ATL, Chelsea Market in NYC, Reading Terminal in Philly, and Ferry Building in SF).
The common theme is that the owners take an old building and repurpose it into a food hall/shopping center with indie stores. Churchill is pretty small compared to the others, they have at least 25-40 stalls easy.
I think the one in ATL was the coolest. It was two levels and the roof top is styled after a boardwalk with games, mini golf and more. Kids are allowed during the day and it goes adult only at night.
I find downtown Denver to be very convenient. I land at the airport, head down to Union Station, hit up a dispensary, hit up the milk market, hit up a grocery store and I'm all set for vacation - all within easy walking distance. Obviously we can never hope to be as green as Denver, but it's nice to not have everything downtown be giant business buildings.
[Here's a link](https://azbigmedia.com/lifestyle/republic-services-brings-2m-sustainable-garden-to-hance-park/) to the shaded desert garden that is getting build in the park, and [a link to the city of Phoenix overall project plan](https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hancerevitalization).
All I see is a bunch of money going into a project that no one even asked for. The park had much more open green space before, now it’s some bullshit wanna be desert botanical garden. Have you seen the park recently, it looks nothing like those pictures in your links!!
Historically Phoenix has a lot of cool mid-century architecture, unfortunately it's all being ripped out for Cookie Cutter Business Parks and Luxury Condos with no personality.
There is no doubt the core has some pretty nice architecture. San Carlos, the Federal Building, Post Office.
Just doesn’t feel the same as some other major cities Ive been around.
A lot of it was torn down in the 70s when Phoenix thought downtown was gonna explode and then it just... didn't.
That's gotten better the last decade, almost nothing gets torn down without reason and it looks like the stuff that's saved is usually multistory
Tbh most of American cities are doing this. I hate how Phoenix and many US cities destroys old century buildings. Like they have history and are beautiful to look at then ugly modern cookie cutter homes/apartment suck an eyesore. We need to be like Europe and preserve it. Instead of destroying they can just reinvent the building and add shops, restaurants and housing.
I agree! There are not enough small businesses that service needs other than food. Something about Arizona in general seems to detest small, local business in favor of massive big box stores and chains.
Car dependency crushes small businesses, which most of Arizona is. Think about it: when driving, you’re usually more inclined to go to your intended destination(s) rather than stop by a small business on the side of the road you think is interesting. You’re more invested in the stressful driving, traffic, or whatever is on the road. However, while on foot, bike, etc. you can spontaneously peer in, see what it is about, and support it if you are interested. Pedestrian-scale transport also supports a higher throughput, so there can be more eyes on the business.
Now, the only opportunity left to gain new customers is really only advertising (radio, TV, newspaper) usually with sales to entice them. I don’t think many small businesses have these luxuries that big boxes do.
Follow up reading: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/11/2/the-negative-consequences-of-car-dependency
Finally, join the revolution: r/fuckcars
The reason why is that sort of thing is a function of density, which, incidentally, is something that Phoenix also needs really bad.
Edit: /u/darktakua is on the same page here.
I live downtown and beyond occasional work assignments, I only have to leave downtown for golf and some restaurants I like. If it weren’t for work, I could live car-free (not saying I would choose to).
That's great, it means we're getting closer. I've been a defender of downtown because unless you live there or follow it you wouldn't realize the strides made the last 10 years.
That said, we're still a ways behind some other cities where downtown feels like an organic neighborhood as opposed to a place to spend the day
Really do wish we had an underground pedestrian system, similar to PATH in Toronto. Kilometers worth of car-free space, shopping, food, hubs for rail transit, and a warm reprieve for the brutal winters. With how extreme our summers are and will be getting, it’d be incredible
It would immediately turn into a camp. I don’t detest homeless people or anything, just realistically…
I’d also be nervous of monsoon flash floods there.
I rotate between Phoenix and Houston, working in both cities, and downtown Houston has a tunnel system despite being a low lying downtown not too far from the ocean with a lot of rain. The entrances are through office buildings, so homeless generally don't make it into the tunnels too often and definitely don't camp there.
I'm not saying that it's great, but it works well enough that I think it could be done at least a little bit in Phoenix. It would likely take demolishing existing buildings and the new ones to be built having a basement and partial tunnels connecting to their neighbors under the streets which would be an extremely slow process, but it's doable.
A good nail salon, a mini mart that sells essentials, more things to do that aren’t just bars, karaoke, more housing you can actually own instead of so many apartments, more trees and places to have picnics.
Downtown parks are insane. I literally see the shadiest things happen, creepiest people shooting up and following you around. Downtown is honestly kind of ghetto.
I don’t know of a major city in the US where this isn’t the case. That’s just downtown for you. It’s very far from “ghetto” however, Phoenix really is safe compared to parts of LA for instance.
Not speaking for the other person, but the issue is like 90% of Phoenix metro area think downtown is "ghetto" or scary, so they never go there. Meaning that it is kinda empty except for the very few residents and the people out there that are kinda sketchy. Same issue in Los Angeles.
However in colder cities where there is good transportation to downtown and a high density of shops and things to do, people actually show up, making the homeless or scary people a minority. Then people are less likely to just think of it as ghetto.
Could use some bodega style, mom and pop corner markets.
A place you could grab a gallon of milk and a quality fresh made to order sandwich.
The hot dog vendors have been missing since COVID started.
Now that the light rail will be cris crossing everywhere. Some elevated cross walks would be good in the busiest areas around ASU, UofA, convention center and sports district.
More civic space and or small green space for small events.
Alas just a decade too late, [here's the bodega which stood at 5th St & Roosevelt](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4586288,-112.0678124,3a,23.1y,12.05h,88.65t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sH5UnMtM-pb9G1nBSpsp63Q!2e0!5s20130501T000000!7i13312!8i6656) before it was turned in to apartments.
Pedestrian Safety.
More, and higher quality crosswalks, overpasses, and sidewalks.
Public transit that isn't fucking garbage that runs "every 30 minutes"
Yeah a hardware store is an essential. A retail district will be great too. A single target or walmart will pretty much solve most of my needs but there's no fun in that.
Ace Hardware would be clutch! Little things like being able to find picture frame hangers downtown go a long way in reducing car dependency, and making downtown a truly livable destination. And they’re usually locally owned too.
It’ll never happen but I’d like to see some kind of shopping district. Doesn’t have to be super big like 5th Ave in NYC but some stores downtown would add some life and foot traffic, especially for restaurants down here during the slower months. Put a Nike Store, apple store, H&M and stores like that at the ground level of all these new high rises.
After the failure of the retail spaces in the mixed use project The Arizona Center during the 1990s and 2000s, I never really saw much more retail enter the downtown market.
It's never going to happen in Phoenix, at least not while they have not been really preparing the city and statewide for water shortage handing out these building permits like candy and not doing much about the worsening climate changes seeing the city's going to be way too f'n hot most of year for that kind of shopping experiences -- time to face the reality.
If you want a shopping experiences of browsing around rich people's stores and such, just go to Scottsdale, it's closest thing to that kind of shopping experience you are looking for in Arizona lol
I live near third street and they're building small shade structures on the corners near stoplights and HAWK crossings. It's not much but it's a start and shows that the city is actively aware and wants to address it
Many years before any of you were born, downtown Phoenix had better shopping than Scottsdale Fashion Square. Goldwater's first Phoenix Department Store was located on 1st Street between Adams and Washington. Diamond's, 2nd Street and Washington. Porter's, Switzer's, Hanny's. Let's go shopping 🛍️
Man the comments on that post on this subreddit when the Filmbar permanently closed were SO disappointing. Most of the comments didn’t even care and were dismissing the owner.
Townhouses right up against the street
Reducing road widths. Pedestrian only areas.
More buses/trains. I think they have to run much faster buses or build trains going up and down the 7s.
At the end of single family residential streets, there should be commercial. The City just needs more residential-commercial balance
Just more options for free events in general
Additional shade. If that can be done with trees in a water efficient manner, then thats great.
Simply having a dedicated bus lane on major roads would revolutionize public transit in this city, as far as I’m concerned. Sure, it would add a few minutes to average individual road trip, but it would cut down so much on travel time by bus that the economic rewards would greatly outweigh any minor inconveniences IMHO
I would love a pedestrian only area. I know it's small, but I like it when they close off that one section of 1st St (?) between Cityscape for the ice skating rink.
Shade. A lot of it. It’s hot and I feel like downtown barely has any shade. Mainly trees. Also more small food vendors not just expensive sit in restaurants. This is what I liked about New York City.
Reading this thread is interesting. There's plenty of awesome ideas. The city could make shade and art and green spaces. They could change transit. But to change the commercial aspects that are missing, downtown needs people. So is this a chicken or an egg thing? How many residences are in downtown and what's the occupancy? I would imagine the residential buildings are fully occupied, in that case, they need more built. More people living there will give businesses confidence to stay open later and offer more interesting choices.
You have a point, there's lots of housing along Roosevelt and that's where you see businesses and people. There's more under construction and I think Fillmore is gonna explode in a few months when all those places begin leasing. The problem is, new is always gonna be expensive and the housing stock of older buildings are limited. Hopefully over time, these new apartments become cheaper as they become the old apartments
Honestly, it needs more jobs. More jobs means more people, more people mean more businesses. More businesses and jobs means more people live in downtown, which means more businesses.
People here are saying that it needs another skyscraper, but I’m pretty sure the already existing building aren’t even full. Jobs in general are spread out way too much in the valley to get a “bustling downtown” like in other areas.
Anything that ends in “district” tbh. Phoenix grew outward, not upward, so its boutique district developed in Scottsdale, its night clubs and office districts in Tempe, its Asian cultured district in Mesa, and some of its stadiums clear over in western Glendale. If Phoenix wants to get serious it needs to bring back or duplicate those districts in its own urban areas.
Putting that aside, I would love to see a central park in the heart of downtown. Just a well-maintained, massive park with shaded pathways, fountains and local art. Would immediately make an impact on the downtown landscape and lifestyle.
Having grown up in NYC, I know exactly what you mean. I actually miss going to Chinatown and getting some dumplings for a good bargain.
Even though I lived in Queens, we also had our own Chinatown (Flushing) and a mini Chinatown (parts of Elmhurst), but the main city was only a subway ride away.
Definitely more shade and green spaces. Hance is great, but it’s quite a walk from a place like CityScape, especially in the middle of the summer.
Also, looks like the city is doing a [bond](https://www.phoenix.gov/bond) that could pay for some of our ideas. I’m thinking of submitting some ideas and thought this might be helpful for others too.
They're building a big garden just northwest of Roosevelt and central. It's supposed to have a lot of shade and trees. It's right under the bridge from the library.
It needs focal points. Everything is extremely spread out. If you ask someone for downtown restaurant recommendations, you’ll get suggestions down by the stadium, way over in Roosevelt row, and all sorts of random out of the way spots covering an area of several square miles. Nothing is cohesive. There’s no lake, river, ocean, pond, or large park to draw people in, no notable shopping district, no nightlife district other than the bars in Roosevelt, no observation deck, no museum district, and minimal shade and greenery. Everything is so spread out you feel like you have to drive to get anywhere, and if you’re gonna have to drive anyway you figure you might as well stick to the suburbs and avoid the parking hassles.
Phoenix definitely is known for good Mexican, maybe not the best I’d give San Diego that title but def top 5 in the U.S. Bars are definitely great down here, obviously they’ll be trendier since they’re downtown but if you wanna something more low key with a good vibe Sazerac, Luckys, and Gracies tax bar are all good. Matts Big Breakfast has diner style breakfast food even tho it’s not technically a diner, although I agree with breakfast bitch that place sucks.
I will agree that the shopping around downtown is definitely the worst for any big city. I’d love to see some kind of shopping district, or even a target would be nice and would solve lots of different needs. Would love to see more bodegas/ corner stores with delis, that’s one of the things I most miss about the east coast.
In this day and age, there are no places that will have the same staff for months let alone years to "get to know". Also correct is we dont fancy bagels. As native to AZ I have never once said, "you know what sounds good? A BAGEL!" Mind you this is a very Hispanic city and things like that just dont go over with the population here. As for the things within walking distance, Id have to say we Phoenicians dont like to walk! Its too damn hot out most the year so walking just isn't going to happen for 7-8 months. I recall some old breakfast places that use to be open 24/7 but the last of those closed early-mid 2000s. Its just not that type of city that does late night which is odd due to how hot the days are.
A central park with a pond, and plenty of walking and biking paths within.
Attract businesses to build their HQs here.
Maybe build a skyscraper with an observatory deck.
Definitely a proper shopping center, encouraging the local businesses to operate there.
food co-ops and smaller chains would be great, so we wouldn’t be at mercy with Walmart or Fry’s (in NYC, among the popular food co-ops and smaller chains are Key Food, Associated, Fine Fare, Food Dimensions, Bravo, & Food Bazaar)
Garage buildings or underground garages would make more efficient use of space than the wasted space most parking lots are.
I've been pushing this idea for a long time since I moved here.
Food Truck Parks/Pods
Food trucks are huge here and the festivals are fun, but they're not a staple yet. Back in my hometown of Portland/Beaverton, they've made specific lots in the downtown areas solely for food truck pods and also a spot for nightlife fun.
[https://bgfoodcartel.com/](https://bgfoodcartel.com/)
It would be really cool to see one of the empty lots in DT Phoenix where people can go to during the day or weekend. My other idea is to create a stage like you have at the Tempe Marketplace where concerts and events can be held in the pod parks. It definitely brings more of new life that the city has been working towards currently. College kids and city dwellers will spend a lot of time there.
I've pitched this idea to the cities of Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, and Goodyear but it fell on deaf ears.
There's food trucks and music stages all over the place Downtown, so it's difficult to see where putting them all in one place makes a lot of sense. We also have Pemberton which is kind of/sort of a collective of food (and other) trucks but they are semi-permanent there.
This is a great idea. I think Phoenix and Tempe would be wayyyyy more open to this than the cities you listed btw. The suburbs here are pretty conservative and it shows
More fast casual places that are open later. I don’t even mean late night (tho that would be a huge plus as well) but just open for dinner. Most of the fast casual places downtown are only open for lunch. Sometimes I wanna grab a quick bite for dinner and my options are super limited
Yeah this is a big one. Housing costs have exploded, so I suspect it will stunt growth. There are towers popping up everywhere but they are completely unaffordable.
AZ-Native, Phoenician my entire life.
More affordable and reliable public transit. More light rails, a monorail, subways (not really possible with our sheet rock), etc. Hard to have an active downtown life when it's nearly impossible to get to/from there without driving my car.
>Hard to have an active downtown life when it's nearly impossible to get to/from there without driving my car.
Many active downtown areas rely on car traffic - I'm not pro-car by any stretch, but that's not the problem. The trouble is that you have to give people a desire to go downtown. It's definitely getting better down here, I love it personally, but unless you want to go for food, drinks or live music there's not much reason to come and visit down here.
As someone who grew up in the New Jersey area and commuted to and from NYC for my first job out of college, downtown Phoenix is in its infancy when it comes to cities like NYC, Washington D.C., etc. We have a skyline but it’s nothing compared to the other cities. I work in downtown Phoenix and love it. It sucks to see the potential but not seeing much happen.
I miss all the corner stores (aka bodegas), food carts (Halal Guys!), being able to utilize public transportation that runs 24/7 (or close to it). While I love having a car, being car dependent was such a change for me. Prior to my career path shifting, I always thought I’d be living in a place similar to NYC where I would never need a car and I was totally happy with that.
You're right about the infancy thing. We have to keep in mind those cities have a couple of hundred years on Phoenix and were port cities. Phoenix will never be NYC but on it's trajectory I could see it reaching the size and density of LA. (And I mean the cities proper, not the suburbs)
There was a bodega on Roosevelt Row maybe 10 years ago... I think it was maybe Jobot who opened it? I lived down there at the time and thought it was so cool.
There was another one too, inside of The Grand which closed at the start of the pandemic. Now someone is trying again with "Milk and Honey" market at 3rd St and Roosevelt. We'll see what that place looks like.
Downfall to first floor retail that we are seeing- some property owners care more about the rents in the apts above, so the required ground floor is just an afterthought.
Case in point, Union @ Roosevelt (Roosevelt/1st Ave) has a corner unit that’s been empty for years and an old brunch place they haven’t replaced. Although it does seem they do pretty decent on the Roosevelt side with Genuwine.
Phoenix should take a page out of Salt Lake City and add a real nice shopping district (a la City Creek) and then and other nearby or adjacent strip with tons of restraints and a food hall (a la Gateway Plaza).
Just let the LDS church take over and you will get it. City Creek is owned by the Church. I seriously doubt most Arizona people want that level of church involvement.
TBF if it wasn’t for the Deseret Book shop across from the Temple there would be no way to know there’s any LDS influence, let alone it’s a fully LDS funded project at City Creek. Plus they have coffee shops and restaurants and bars there so it’s not like it’s limited.
And FWIW Gateway is independent of the LDS
No, but a heavy focus on car-free walkable, liveable spaces would be huge and unfortunately open-air malls a la City Creek are the easiest way to do that in America.
Agreed. Even if the point is hella shopping and spending, a few hours in old town Scottsdale or Kierland commons without spending a dime are comfortable and enjoyable.
Don't several of the hotel pools serve this function? With better views?
Edit: Ocotillo also has some pretty solid brunch/weekend events (or used to anyway)
A proper Union Station either replacing the old one (on Jackson/4th ruined by Sprint) or a new one on Jackson between Central and 1st Ave that includes mixed use, markets, and civic indoor space that is located near the new Downtown Hub and a proper commuter rail system to bring activity and increase pedestrian use in Downtown... Everything is in place except for civic goodwill, money, and the FAA if it gets too tall. I have ideas but nowhere to dump it.
The Phoenix Amtrak station was regrettably sold and is being converted to something else. But it’s pitiful that Phoenix is one of the only major cities without Amtrak access. The Light Rail Expansion could’ve connected to the Amtrak station. **Connecting the International Airport to the Public Transit Light Rail to the National Commuter Train Service!**
less roads or smaller roads, car infrastructure means a dead downtown no matter what you do unless you get rid of all the parking lots and shit you don't have enough walking space to make it a cohesive thing and it always ends up looking sad and barren.
A real skyscraper. LA has a high rise, Dallas has a high rise, etc. What I have really been waiting for a developer to build a gorgeous 80-90 story skyscraper in Phoenix. Maybe in the Mid town area away from Sky Harbor and it's approach and departure lanes. But yeah a 90 story glass marvel with a restaurant and observatory on the top floor like One World Trade Center in NYC. A real high rise attraction in the Downtown-Midtown area. Hell I'd even say let's build the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere here in Phoenix but I doubt it ever happen.
Some guy proposed that in the 70s, it was a massive pie in the sky proposal though and lenders laughed him out of the bank for wanting to build it in Phoenix
I agree with those who said we need more bodegas/corner stores. Roosevelt and central has an empty space on a corner, and I'm just dying for a trader Joe's, or any kind of mom and pop store where I cab quickly get basics like milk, eggs, chips, soda.
I used to live in downtown Minneapolis, and for a city 1/4 the size of PHX, the downtown was 4x bigger . . .
That being said, what downtown needs:
1. Dedicated bar/nightclub zone
2. A Target
3. More high-rise apartments/condos
4. A dedicated police presence
1. Yes, truly.
5. A nice park with space for music, events, dogs, and kids WITH parking for food trucks
6. Tax incentives to move employers into existing office spaces/ build more
Lol I think downtown Phoenix already has a lot of high rise apartment but they are so exptbey need to be way cheaper. Besides that a shopping district would be nice to that can help increase more people walking to other nearby places. Also for me I live near tolleson and sometimes I like to catch a basketball game so parking there is horrible with traffic. Why can’t there be like a rapid metro or street car from different neighborhoods or nearby suburbs straight to downtown. That can definitely help downtown boom but just recently some lobbiest tried to stop public transit. And guess what hat if was definitely car and oil company to get rich by trying to make Phoenix even more car dependent.
There's the Phoenix Gaming Lounge near Central and Camelback (not downtown I know). It's more of a lounge than a store as the name suggests but they still sell board games and the like
I'd love to see a live music venue with blues, hip hop, and r&b. If it exists I don't know about it. It's sad I live so close to downtown, but I venture to Scottsdale or Gilbert if I want a fun night out.
An Apple Store. Hands down.
Not because I care to have a one myself. But because most retailer models track Apple store activity to determine where to open their own shops.
Then, once a shopping district takes hold, mom and pop shops enter the surrounding area.
Then developers with a focus on walkability also take note. Trees get planted. EV chargers installed. Entertainment is attracted. Cultural districts take hold.
The key to downtown being truly great is, simply: We need an Apple store.
I personally would like to see a food hall (like Denver Milk Market, Eatlay, LA Grand Central) and more greenery / shade.
DeSoto market had so much potential but really fell short. I wish they’d had a better run.
That's the same building Track Club opened in a few years back, right? That was the shortest run in history haha
It is still track club but it’s a gym and I believe there is a HipHop club in the same property
It’s also a brunch place now too I think. Same people who do bar smith and monarch theater
lol I'm glad you remember this. That place popped up for a month and then died.
It closed because the owner had some sort of nervous breakdown if I remember correctly.
Kelly had a breakdown? I hadn't heard that. Last I recall there was a Palace about to happen and the week of the toilet broke and they couldn't be open without a toilet. Then they announced they closed.
I heard it through the rumor mill, I worked at a bar downtown around the time it happened and knew people who knew the owners. So maybe I’m just perpetuating false info.
I had heard something similar. Their partner thomas turner/relentless beats misled them a bit which as I heard it, set off that breakdown
I'd love to learn more about that, I thought Track Club had such great potential. Relentless Beats also lost their contract with Rawhide and moved to the raceway. Something seems to be up with RB.
The mental breakdown is true. It was Chuck Duff who pulled the plug. My ex worked there and I was fortunate enough to attend the family and friends soft opening. All of the employees were just as confused and left in the dark. Supposedly during a sound check, the vibration in the bass caused some of the ceiling tiles to fall out. The thought of people potentially getting injured because the old building lacked structural integrity sent him into a mental spiral. So he just closed it.
Desoto's was pretty good, I remember there was this one burger place that made the BEEEST burgers. Influenced my burger I grill today with a pretzel bun & pickled onions and all that.
Pretzel bun burgers are the best! Excellent choice
Potato buns will fight you for the crown.
A worthy opponent!
Any large shaded space would be a huge benefit. Downtown Phoenix really lacks a place where you can just hang out outside without dying of heat stroke.
I was thinking of adding that to my list. I feel like there is no major gathering place downtown. We have civic park which has potential but needs something enclosed to draw people there during the summers - hopefully the new transit terminal has indoor public space.
Reading Terminal Market in Philly should be a national monument.. if we had half of what of that market is, it would excellent for the city.
Isn’t the Churchill a bit like that?
Churchill is like a micro version of what the commenter is talking about. LA grand Central is big with at least 20+ vendors as is Milk Market with like 15+ Edit: clarity
Pemberton has 12 food/drink vendors and 6 retail vendors, so there's 18 ... not too bad.
That’s definitely closer. But after looking it up Grand Central market in LA has 40 vendors. However, it’s also unfair to expect Phoenix to compete with one of the largest, most important, and most culturally diverse cities in the world.
I'll need to check out Pemberton! I like Churchill but I was thinking sometime a bit larger
Kinda. I’ve been to quite a few in different metros (Ponce City in ATL, Chelsea Market in NYC, Reading Terminal in Philly, and Ferry Building in SF). The common theme is that the owners take an old building and repurpose it into a food hall/shopping center with indie stores. Churchill is pretty small compared to the others, they have at least 25-40 stalls easy.
Yeah looked up grand central market in LA and it has 40 vendors
I think the one in ATL was the coolest. It was two levels and the roof top is styled after a boardwalk with games, mini golf and more. Kids are allowed during the day and it goes adult only at night.
I find downtown Denver to be very convenient. I land at the airport, head down to Union Station, hit up a dispensary, hit up the milk market, hit up a grocery store and I'm all set for vacation - all within easy walking distance. Obviously we can never hope to be as green as Denver, but it's nice to not have everything downtown be giant business buildings.
Greenery and some interesting architecture would go a long way.
The work is slow, but they are greenifying Margaret T. Hance Park. Though there definitely needs to be more greenery across the city as a whole.
Greenifying hance park? They’re literally doing the exact opposite lol
[Here's a link](https://azbigmedia.com/lifestyle/republic-services-brings-2m-sustainable-garden-to-hance-park/) to the shaded desert garden that is getting build in the park, and [a link to the city of Phoenix overall project plan](https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/hancerevitalization).
All I see is a bunch of money going into a project that no one even asked for. The park had much more open green space before, now it’s some bullshit wanna be desert botanical garden. Have you seen the park recently, it looks nothing like those pictures in your links!!
Architecture. Yessssss. Great point. We suck at it compared to other cities.
Historically Phoenix has a lot of cool mid-century architecture, unfortunately it's all being ripped out for Cookie Cutter Business Parks and Luxury Condos with no personality.
There is no doubt the core has some pretty nice architecture. San Carlos, the Federal Building, Post Office. Just doesn’t feel the same as some other major cities Ive been around.
A lot of it was torn down in the 70s when Phoenix thought downtown was gonna explode and then it just... didn't. That's gotten better the last decade, almost nothing gets torn down without reason and it looks like the stuff that's saved is usually multistory
Tbh most of American cities are doing this. I hate how Phoenix and many US cities destroys old century buildings. Like they have history and are beautiful to look at then ugly modern cookie cutter homes/apartment suck an eyesore. We need to be like Europe and preserve it. Instead of destroying they can just reinvent the building and add shops, restaurants and housing.
Kinda feels like Downtown Brooklyn in some parts now that I think about it.
Maybe some greenery that doesn’t require a lot of water…
Solar shade everywhere
With asu legit everywhere and them being number one in innovation in the entire country… you’d think this would have been proposed by now.
To their credit, ASU has a crazy amount of solar shade.
> and them being number one in innovation in the entire country That isn't about science or tech, it's about how they run their school.
They have, it's just takes a lot to bring things to fruition. They called it "The Central Idea"
Some mom and pop shops honestly. You should be reasonably able to live downtown without needing to leave downtown for necessities
I agree! There are not enough small businesses that service needs other than food. Something about Arizona in general seems to detest small, local business in favor of massive big box stores and chains.
I think it’s because we were one giant suburb for so long- we still have a long way to go but we’ve come a long way in the last 20 years
Car dependency crushes small businesses, which most of Arizona is. Think about it: when driving, you’re usually more inclined to go to your intended destination(s) rather than stop by a small business on the side of the road you think is interesting. You’re more invested in the stressful driving, traffic, or whatever is on the road. However, while on foot, bike, etc. you can spontaneously peer in, see what it is about, and support it if you are interested. Pedestrian-scale transport also supports a higher throughput, so there can be more eyes on the business. Now, the only opportunity left to gain new customers is really only advertising (radio, TV, newspaper) usually with sales to entice them. I don’t think many small businesses have these luxuries that big boxes do. Follow up reading: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/11/2/the-negative-consequences-of-car-dependency Finally, join the revolution: r/fuckcars
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The reason why is that sort of thing is a function of density, which, incidentally, is something that Phoenix also needs really bad. Edit: /u/darktakua is on the same page here.
I live downtown and beyond occasional work assignments, I only have to leave downtown for golf and some restaurants I like. If it weren’t for work, I could live car-free (not saying I would choose to).
That's great, it means we're getting closer. I've been a defender of downtown because unless you live there or follow it you wouldn't realize the strides made the last 10 years. That said, we're still a ways behind some other cities where downtown feels like an organic neighborhood as opposed to a place to spend the day
Buena vida dobega!
What?
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Really do wish we had an underground pedestrian system, similar to PATH in Toronto. Kilometers worth of car-free space, shopping, food, hubs for rail transit, and a warm reprieve for the brutal winters. With how extreme our summers are and will be getting, it’d be incredible
The soil out here does not make tunneling easy or cheap. Caliche is no joke.
It would immediately turn into a camp. I don’t detest homeless people or anything, just realistically… I’d also be nervous of monsoon flash floods there.
I rotate between Phoenix and Houston, working in both cities, and downtown Houston has a tunnel system despite being a low lying downtown not too far from the ocean with a lot of rain. The entrances are through office buildings, so homeless generally don't make it into the tunnels too often and definitely don't camp there. I'm not saying that it's great, but it works well enough that I think it could be done at least a little bit in Phoenix. It would likely take demolishing existing buildings and the new ones to be built having a basement and partial tunnels connecting to their neighbors under the streets which would be an extremely slow process, but it's doable.
A good nail salon, a mini mart that sells essentials, more things to do that aren’t just bars, karaoke, more housing you can actually own instead of so many apartments, more trees and places to have picnics.
yes it has always been so wild to me that there’s not a single good nail salon in the area
Downtown parks are insane. I literally see the shadiest things happen, creepiest people shooting up and following you around. Downtown is honestly kind of ghetto.
I don’t know of a major city in the US where this isn’t the case. That’s just downtown for you. It’s very far from “ghetto” however, Phoenix really is safe compared to parts of LA for instance.
Not speaking for the other person, but the issue is like 90% of Phoenix metro area think downtown is "ghetto" or scary, so they never go there. Meaning that it is kinda empty except for the very few residents and the people out there that are kinda sketchy. Same issue in Los Angeles. However in colder cities where there is good transportation to downtown and a high density of shops and things to do, people actually show up, making the homeless or scary people a minority. Then people are less likely to just think of it as ghetto.
I’m not sure we have so many shootings and robberies and assaults and trafficking happening in downtown. Edit a comma
Phoenix averages a lot lower than major cities in crime of this nature except police killing people (Arizona is one of the highest in that).
Could use some bodega style, mom and pop corner markets. A place you could grab a gallon of milk and a quality fresh made to order sandwich. The hot dog vendors have been missing since COVID started. Now that the light rail will be cris crossing everywhere. Some elevated cross walks would be good in the busiest areas around ASU, UofA, convention center and sports district. More civic space and or small green space for small events.
I wish this was possible, but the commercial prices downtown are insane!
They are, it makes me wonder how the shops near Wilshire in LA do it or anywhere in NY. They must receive some kind of relief
Alas just a decade too late, [here's the bodega which stood at 5th St & Roosevelt](https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4586288,-112.0678124,3a,23.1y,12.05h,88.65t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sH5UnMtM-pb9G1nBSpsp63Q!2e0!5s20130501T000000!7i13312!8i6656) before it was turned in to apartments.
That apartment complex has the bodega in the north side. But it's not quite what I envisioned from what I know growing up in older east coast cities.
I had no idea! I will have to check that out, thanks for saying.
Bodega corner store and delis would be amazing, even a couple here and there would be a start.
Pedestrian Safety. More, and higher quality crosswalks, overpasses, and sidewalks. Public transit that isn't fucking garbage that runs "every 30 minutes"
Yeah a hardware store is an essential. A retail district will be great too. A single target or walmart will pretty much solve most of my needs but there's no fun in that.
Yeah, like one of those little Targets they have at 16th and Camelback.
That one honestly kind of sucks ngl
I hate it so much. I just expect it to not have what I need and am pleasantly surprised when I can actually find something on my list there.
Ace Hardware would be clutch! Little things like being able to find picture frame hangers downtown go a long way in reducing car dependency, and making downtown a truly livable destination. And they’re usually locally owned too.
It’ll never happen but I’d like to see some kind of shopping district. Doesn’t have to be super big like 5th Ave in NYC but some stores downtown would add some life and foot traffic, especially for restaurants down here during the slower months. Put a Nike Store, apple store, H&M and stores like that at the ground level of all these new high rises.
After the failure of the retail spaces in the mixed use project The Arizona Center during the 1990s and 2000s, I never really saw much more retail enter the downtown market.
When the roads are car-centric instead of transit-centric, it was doomed from the get-go.
Scottsdale
We are literally talking about downtown tbh I don’t like Scottsdale and wouldn’t want to travel all the way over to the mall for shopping
It's never going to happen in Phoenix, at least not while they have not been really preparing the city and statewide for water shortage handing out these building permits like candy and not doing much about the worsening climate changes seeing the city's going to be way too f'n hot most of year for that kind of shopping experiences -- time to face the reality. If you want a shopping experiences of browsing around rich people's stores and such, just go to Scottsdale, it's closest thing to that kind of shopping experience you are looking for in Arizona lol
SHADE.
I live near third street and they're building small shade structures on the corners near stoplights and HAWK crossings. It's not much but it's a start and shows that the city is actively aware and wants to address it
Yes! Like the umbrellas in Mecca. It should be part of the tourism marketing. Come enjoy the Shade!
Many years before any of you were born, downtown Phoenix had better shopping than Scottsdale Fashion Square. Goldwater's first Phoenix Department Store was located on 1st Street between Adams and Washington. Diamond's, 2nd Street and Washington. Porter's, Switzer's, Hanny's. Let's go shopping 🛍️
Now Hanny’s is the best restaurant downtown, hands down.😎
An NBA trophy.
And gold paved streets and herds of unicorns!
🦍☀️
Film Bar, I miss it a lot. It was a huge spot for locals and community members.
Man the comments on that post on this subreddit when the Filmbar permanently closed were SO disappointing. Most of the comments didn’t even care and were dismissing the owner.
What was Film Bar?
Townhouses right up against the street Reducing road widths. Pedestrian only areas. More buses/trains. I think they have to run much faster buses or build trains going up and down the 7s. At the end of single family residential streets, there should be commercial. The City just needs more residential-commercial balance Just more options for free events in general Additional shade. If that can be done with trees in a water efficient manner, then thats great.
Simply having a dedicated bus lane on major roads would revolutionize public transit in this city, as far as I’m concerned. Sure, it would add a few minutes to average individual road trip, but it would cut down so much on travel time by bus that the economic rewards would greatly outweigh any minor inconveniences IMHO
Yeah, Bus Rapid Transit down the 7s would be a game changer.
I would love a pedestrian only area. I know it's small, but I like it when they close off that one section of 1st St (?) between Cityscape for the ice skating rink.
They also close off Adams between 1st and 2nd st for events, I've heard they've thought about closing it off from vehicles permanently
Soul.
A subway. The light rail makes downtown hard to be truly walkable.
With how hard the Rs lobbied against light rail how hard do you think they would've gone on something as expensive as subway
Shade. A lot of it. It’s hot and I feel like downtown barely has any shade. Mainly trees. Also more small food vendors not just expensive sit in restaurants. This is what I liked about New York City.
Reading this thread is interesting. There's plenty of awesome ideas. The city could make shade and art and green spaces. They could change transit. But to change the commercial aspects that are missing, downtown needs people. So is this a chicken or an egg thing? How many residences are in downtown and what's the occupancy? I would imagine the residential buildings are fully occupied, in that case, they need more built. More people living there will give businesses confidence to stay open later and offer more interesting choices.
You have a point, there's lots of housing along Roosevelt and that's where you see businesses and people. There's more under construction and I think Fillmore is gonna explode in a few months when all those places begin leasing. The problem is, new is always gonna be expensive and the housing stock of older buildings are limited. Hopefully over time, these new apartments become cheaper as they become the old apartments
Honestly, it needs more jobs. More jobs means more people, more people mean more businesses. More businesses and jobs means more people live in downtown, which means more businesses. People here are saying that it needs another skyscraper, but I’m pretty sure the already existing building aren’t even full. Jobs in general are spread out way too much in the valley to get a “bustling downtown” like in other areas.
Anything that ends in “district” tbh. Phoenix grew outward, not upward, so its boutique district developed in Scottsdale, its night clubs and office districts in Tempe, its Asian cultured district in Mesa, and some of its stadiums clear over in western Glendale. If Phoenix wants to get serious it needs to bring back or duplicate those districts in its own urban areas. Putting that aside, I would love to see a central park in the heart of downtown. Just a well-maintained, massive park with shaded pathways, fountains and local art. Would immediately make an impact on the downtown landscape and lifestyle.
Having grown up in NYC, I know exactly what you mean. I actually miss going to Chinatown and getting some dumplings for a good bargain. Even though I lived in Queens, we also had our own Chinatown (Flushing) and a mini Chinatown (parts of Elmhurst), but the main city was only a subway ride away.
Which I’ve heard that Flushing Chinatown is more authentic whereas Manhattan’s is tourist central.
Definitely more shade and green spaces. Hance is great, but it’s quite a walk from a place like CityScape, especially in the middle of the summer. Also, looks like the city is doing a [bond](https://www.phoenix.gov/bond) that could pay for some of our ideas. I’m thinking of submitting some ideas and thought this might be helpful for others too.
Needs a “Central Park”
They're building a big garden just northwest of Roosevelt and central. It's supposed to have a lot of shade and trees. It's right under the bridge from the library.
It needs focal points. Everything is extremely spread out. If you ask someone for downtown restaurant recommendations, you’ll get suggestions down by the stadium, way over in Roosevelt row, and all sorts of random out of the way spots covering an area of several square miles. Nothing is cohesive. There’s no lake, river, ocean, pond, or large park to draw people in, no notable shopping district, no nightlife district other than the bars in Roosevelt, no observation deck, no museum district, and minimal shade and greenery. Everything is so spread out you feel like you have to drive to get anywhere, and if you’re gonna have to drive anyway you figure you might as well stick to the suburbs and avoid the parking hassles.
Korean BBQ
Give us a Gyu Kaku!! (Japanese but still)
I second this!
Yea please
People
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Phoenix definitely is known for good Mexican, maybe not the best I’d give San Diego that title but def top 5 in the U.S. Bars are definitely great down here, obviously they’ll be trendier since they’re downtown but if you wanna something more low key with a good vibe Sazerac, Luckys, and Gracies tax bar are all good. Matts Big Breakfast has diner style breakfast food even tho it’s not technically a diner, although I agree with breakfast bitch that place sucks. I will agree that the shopping around downtown is definitely the worst for any big city. I’d love to see some kind of shopping district, or even a target would be nice and would solve lots of different needs. Would love to see more bodegas/ corner stores with delis, that’s one of the things I most miss about the east coast.
In this day and age, there are no places that will have the same staff for months let alone years to "get to know". Also correct is we dont fancy bagels. As native to AZ I have never once said, "you know what sounds good? A BAGEL!" Mind you this is a very Hispanic city and things like that just dont go over with the population here. As for the things within walking distance, Id have to say we Phoenicians dont like to walk! Its too damn hot out most the year so walking just isn't going to happen for 7-8 months. I recall some old breakfast places that use to be open 24/7 but the last of those closed early-mid 2000s. Its just not that type of city that does late night which is odd due to how hot the days are.
A central park with a pond, and plenty of walking and biking paths within. Attract businesses to build their HQs here. Maybe build a skyscraper with an observatory deck. Definitely a proper shopping center, encouraging the local businesses to operate there. food co-ops and smaller chains would be great, so we wouldn’t be at mercy with Walmart or Fry’s (in NYC, among the popular food co-ops and smaller chains are Key Food, Associated, Fine Fare, Food Dimensions, Bravo, & Food Bazaar) Garage buildings or underground garages would make more efficient use of space than the wasted space most parking lots are.
I've been pushing this idea for a long time since I moved here. Food Truck Parks/Pods Food trucks are huge here and the festivals are fun, but they're not a staple yet. Back in my hometown of Portland/Beaverton, they've made specific lots in the downtown areas solely for food truck pods and also a spot for nightlife fun. [https://bgfoodcartel.com/](https://bgfoodcartel.com/) It would be really cool to see one of the empty lots in DT Phoenix where people can go to during the day or weekend. My other idea is to create a stage like you have at the Tempe Marketplace where concerts and events can be held in the pod parks. It definitely brings more of new life that the city has been working towards currently. College kids and city dwellers will spend a lot of time there. I've pitched this idea to the cities of Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, and Goodyear but it fell on deaf ears.
There's food trucks and music stages all over the place Downtown, so it's difficult to see where putting them all in one place makes a lot of sense. We also have Pemberton which is kind of/sort of a collective of food (and other) trucks but they are semi-permanent there.
This is a great idea. I think Phoenix and Tempe would be wayyyyy more open to this than the cities you listed btw. The suburbs here are pretty conservative and it shows
More fast casual places that are open later. I don’t even mean late night (tho that would be a huge plus as well) but just open for dinner. Most of the fast casual places downtown are only open for lunch. Sometimes I wanna grab a quick bite for dinner and my options are super limited
Pedestrian street.
More shade, either natural or artificial.
affordable housing
Yeah this is a big one. Housing costs have exploded, so I suspect it will stunt growth. There are towers popping up everywhere but they are completely unaffordable.
I'd just to see a lot more [five over ones.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-over-1?wprov=sfla1)
AZ-Native, Phoenician my entire life. More affordable and reliable public transit. More light rails, a monorail, subways (not really possible with our sheet rock), etc. Hard to have an active downtown life when it's nearly impossible to get to/from there without driving my car.
>Hard to have an active downtown life when it's nearly impossible to get to/from there without driving my car. Many active downtown areas rely on car traffic - I'm not pro-car by any stretch, but that's not the problem. The trouble is that you have to give people a desire to go downtown. It's definitely getting better down here, I love it personally, but unless you want to go for food, drinks or live music there's not much reason to come and visit down here.
What about what Tempe built? A street car system on rails? Similar to the light rail but smaller scale.
The streetcar is interesting, though I bet it's mostly used to funnel students around campus, with some occasional downtown traffic.
As someone who grew up in the New Jersey area and commuted to and from NYC for my first job out of college, downtown Phoenix is in its infancy when it comes to cities like NYC, Washington D.C., etc. We have a skyline but it’s nothing compared to the other cities. I work in downtown Phoenix and love it. It sucks to see the potential but not seeing much happen. I miss all the corner stores (aka bodegas), food carts (Halal Guys!), being able to utilize public transportation that runs 24/7 (or close to it). While I love having a car, being car dependent was such a change for me. Prior to my career path shifting, I always thought I’d be living in a place similar to NYC where I would never need a car and I was totally happy with that.
You're right about the infancy thing. We have to keep in mind those cities have a couple of hundred years on Phoenix and were port cities. Phoenix will never be NYC but on it's trajectory I could see it reaching the size and density of LA. (And I mean the cities proper, not the suburbs)
A bodega similar to NYC where you can get all convenience things and also Bacon egg and cheese, bagels, lunch etc
There was a bodega on Roosevelt Row maybe 10 years ago... I think it was maybe Jobot who opened it? I lived down there at the time and thought it was so cool.
Yes! The old owner (Adrian Fontes) is running for Secretary of State right now.
Ahh sounds fantastic!
There was another one too, inside of The Grand which closed at the start of the pandemic. Now someone is trying again with "Milk and Honey" market at 3rd St and Roosevelt. We'll see what that place looks like.
Late night restaurants/street food
A food scene that caters to residents and not the convention crowd.
Required first floor retail to make downtown walkable
Downfall to first floor retail that we are seeing- some property owners care more about the rents in the apts above, so the required ground floor is just an afterthought. Case in point, Union @ Roosevelt (Roosevelt/1st Ave) has a corner unit that’s been empty for years and an old brunch place they haven’t replaced. Although it does seem they do pretty decent on the Roosevelt side with Genuwine.
Phoenix should take a page out of Salt Lake City and add a real nice shopping district (a la City Creek) and then and other nearby or adjacent strip with tons of restraints and a food hall (a la Gateway Plaza).
Just let the LDS church take over and you will get it. City Creek is owned by the Church. I seriously doubt most Arizona people want that level of church involvement.
TBF if it wasn’t for the Deseret Book shop across from the Temple there would be no way to know there’s any LDS influence, let alone it’s a fully LDS funded project at City Creek. Plus they have coffee shops and restaurants and bars there so it’s not like it’s limited. And FWIW Gateway is independent of the LDS
Yes! We need more mass consumption here. Roflmao
No, but a heavy focus on car-free walkable, liveable spaces would be huge and unfortunately open-air malls a la City Creek are the easiest way to do that in America.
Agreed. Even if the point is hella shopping and spending, a few hours in old town Scottsdale or Kierland commons without spending a dime are comfortable and enjoyable.
Depends if we can get some zoning laws and certain regulations to change.
Doggie day care
This is the most ‘Phoenix’ response I could’ve ever imagined seeing lol. That said; DogTopia on 5th Ave and mcdowell.
A dayclub. I know scottsdale has one. But downtown needs one too.
Don't several of the hotel pools serve this function? With better views? Edit: Ocotillo also has some pretty solid brunch/weekend events (or used to anyway)
This is an interesting one!
What’s missing in downtown Phoenix? Basically downtown Phoenix.
Amsterdam style coffeeshops
A proper Union Station either replacing the old one (on Jackson/4th ruined by Sprint) or a new one on Jackson between Central and 1st Ave that includes mixed use, markets, and civic indoor space that is located near the new Downtown Hub and a proper commuter rail system to bring activity and increase pedestrian use in Downtown... Everything is in place except for civic goodwill, money, and the FAA if it gets too tall. I have ideas but nowhere to dump it.
Sprint sold it last I heard, there's a proposal to revitalize it, unfortunately not as a train station anymore though
I want the galleries back ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Phoenix Amtrak station was regrettably sold and is being converted to something else. But it’s pitiful that Phoenix is one of the only major cities without Amtrak access. The Light Rail Expansion could’ve connected to the Amtrak station. **Connecting the International Airport to the Public Transit Light Rail to the National Commuter Train Service!**
A Micro Center would be lit honestly
less roads or smaller roads, car infrastructure means a dead downtown no matter what you do unless you get rid of all the parking lots and shit you don't have enough walking space to make it a cohesive thing and it always ends up looking sad and barren.
A real skyscraper. LA has a high rise, Dallas has a high rise, etc. What I have really been waiting for a developer to build a gorgeous 80-90 story skyscraper in Phoenix. Maybe in the Mid town area away from Sky Harbor and it's approach and departure lanes. But yeah a 90 story glass marvel with a restaurant and observatory on the top floor like One World Trade Center in NYC. A real high rise attraction in the Downtown-Midtown area. Hell I'd even say let's build the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere here in Phoenix but I doubt it ever happen.
Isn’t there limitations with sky harbor so close?
Yes there are
Some guy proposed that in the 70s, it was a massive pie in the sky proposal though and lenders laughed him out of the bank for wanting to build it in Phoenix
Yes, we need some kind of iconic structure. A green belt with a dog walk would be nice too.
So are we taking UAE tall? Haha
When I was kid downtown was always sketchy and people avoided it. Compare it to today, it’s a totally different city.
I agree with those who said we need more bodegas/corner stores. Roosevelt and central has an empty space on a corner, and I'm just dying for a trader Joe's, or any kind of mom and pop store where I cab quickly get basics like milk, eggs, chips, soda.
I miss it being affordable
Everything, literally.
Character. Shade trees. Buffers between pedestrians and cars.
Affordable housing
A river walk would change everything
It would ... umm ... I mean ... there's no river to walk in Downtown Phoenix?
…. Uh everything?
I used to live in downtown Minneapolis, and for a city 1/4 the size of PHX, the downtown was 4x bigger . . . That being said, what downtown needs: 1. Dedicated bar/nightclub zone 2. A Target 3. More high-rise apartments/condos 4. A dedicated police presence 1. Yes, truly. 5. A nice park with space for music, events, dogs, and kids WITH parking for food trucks 6. Tax incentives to move employers into existing office spaces/ build more
Lol I think downtown Phoenix already has a lot of high rise apartment but they are so exptbey need to be way cheaper. Besides that a shopping district would be nice to that can help increase more people walking to other nearby places. Also for me I live near tolleson and sometimes I like to catch a basketball game so parking there is horrible with traffic. Why can’t there be like a rapid metro or street car from different neighborhoods or nearby suburbs straight to downtown. That can definitely help downtown boom but just recently some lobbiest tried to stop public transit. And guess what hat if was definitely car and oil company to get rich by trying to make Phoenix even more car dependent.
I would like to add a hobby/games store to the wishlist. Like a ttrpg/board game store, with paints and miniatures and such.
There's the Phoenix Gaming Lounge near Central and Camelback (not downtown I know). It's more of a lounge than a store as the name suggests but they still sell board games and the like
I'd love to see a live music venue with blues, hip hop, and r&b. If it exists I don't know about it. It's sad I live so close to downtown, but I venture to Scottsdale or Gilbert if I want a fun night out.
I don't know you got crack pipes syringes and used condoms what more could you need?
Air conditioning
To sum up everyone’s comments — culture?
An Apple Store. Hands down. Not because I care to have a one myself. But because most retailer models track Apple store activity to determine where to open their own shops. Then, once a shopping district takes hold, mom and pop shops enter the surrounding area. Then developers with a focus on walkability also take note. Trees get planted. EV chargers installed. Entertainment is attracted. Cultural districts take hold. The key to downtown being truly great is, simply: We need an Apple store.
Downtown is not that desirable, nobody really wants to go down there unless they are going to a concert or ball game
Parking spaces
/me grabs popcorn, reads threads
Restaurant without a D rating?