While I may have had my presumptions about Downtown, some friends of mine moved to downtown Phoenix a few years ago and after a few barbeques, birthday parties and other social events, I realized that the Downtown area, and specifically the historic district, has a touch of style that can’t be found anywhere else. The artists, entrepreneurs and small business owners have taken over and their imprint can be found all over the landscape.
Thanks to a re-zoning plan, the historic area that surrounds Chase Field and U.S. Airways Arena is now brimming with small bars, coffee shops, restaurants, a bodega and all sorts of other revamped houses turned businesses that are all involved in the community and its local events, including First Friday. It might seem strange to walk into a business that was once a house but it is truly a wonderful thing due to the comfortable, laid back feeling that occurs in a home. I recently spent some time talking about downtown with my friend John. He is a realtor that specializes in midcentury modern homes, lives in the Downtown area and is also a small business owner on Roosevelt Street. He is pretty much my go-to guy on all things involving Phoenix.
Here is a small snapshot of what Downtown has to offer, during the time I spent with my friend John:
We met around lunch time at Jobot Coffee for a tasty iced coffee and an amazing chicken salad. This is an old house right off of Roosevelt that was renovated into a coffee shop and popular lunch spot. During the cool months in the desert, it is even possible to sit on the front porch and catch up with friends like it’s your own house…you just don’t have to clean it! From there, we walked over to Bodega 420 for a few items that John needed to pick up. This is a true DIY general store. They have a little bit of everything, including a black board for suggestions on items to carry. After that, we walked over to Golden Rule Tattoo to meet up with another friend. It’s important to note here that EVERYWHERE we went was walking distance.
We were able to chat for a bit before we had to part ways. However, across the street was a great little record store called Revolver 
Records, and I just couldn’t pass up heading over there. Of course, this is another great historic place turned small business. They carry everything from old jazz records to the new Radiohead album and also feature live music from time to time. There is a plethora of other great places to visit beyond these locations, including the Phoenix Public Market, The Lost Leaf and Carly’s Bistro.
Art, convenience, culture, good food and great coffee…this is what you can expect in the revamped downtown Phoenix. Keep your ear to the street, because this area is still changing and evolving to include wonderful businesses and homes all renovated to bridge the gap between a historic development and a modern society.