Iconic Mill Avenue serves up a collection of local businesses, new restaurants and nightlife that brings students and residents together in community. Photo from the City of Tempe.

Right in the heart of Arizona State University sits the eclectic and unique downtown of the City of Tempe. Boasting an iconic nightlife, an array of unique local businesses, tech companies, lakefront property and an unparalleled history, downtown Tempe is truly the place to be.

Downtown Tempe is home to the iconic Mill Avenue, a street marked with local businesses, new restaurants and nightlife that bring students and residents together in community. Just north of Mill Avenue sits Tempe Town Lake, a top attraction in the state of Arizona, drawing visitors to its water and waterfront parks for community events and recreational activities.

The newest location of Postino is housed in the former ASU Art Annex. Along with Snooze AM Eatery, this restaurant has led to a new crowd of visitors along College Avenue, expanding the idea of the Tempe Downtown. Photo from the City of Tempe

As Tempe continues to grow and evolve, the definition of downtown is changing. New businesses are coming to make the city home and development is continuing to change the blueprint of Tempe Town Lakefront. Up-and-coming local restaurants are claiming territory in Tempe, forever changing the landscape of downtown, like Culinary Dropout at Farmers Art District and the Postino Art Annex on College.

With new projects taking place daily and an eye towards a bright future, the Tempe Downtown will always be at the center of it all.

Tempe Town Lake light rail bridge connects the Phoenix-area METRO Light Rail with the downtown Tempe area. Behind, sits the Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge. Photo from the City of Tempe.

Tempe Town Lake and the Tempe Beach Park serve as the main gathering place in downtown Tempe, with concerts, festivals and events like Fourth of July Tempe Town Lake Festival occurring throughout the year. Photo from the City of Tempe.

Phoenix has become a destination for popular events. Most recently, the downtown Phoenix area served as the main hub for the 2015 Super Bowl, hosting an array of events, concerts, and activities related to the big game. Photo from City of Phoenix.

Downtown Phoenix is hot in more ways than you can imagine!  As the urban heartbeat of the city, downtown is pulsing with activity. Riding the wave of the recent Super Bowl successes including Super Bowl Central and the NFL Experience, downtown is a vibrant sought after destination!

“The Super Bowl was the perfect event to showcase Downtown Phoenix and we really opened a lot of eyes,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “Over the past decade, there have been nearly $4.7 billion in investments to revitalize the downtown core. The results speak for themselves — world-class shopping, entertainment and restaurants, METRO Light Rail, a top 25 convention center and more than 3,500 hotels rooms with a lot more to come.”

The new amenities in the area allows visitors to experience the Downtown Difference!

The Downtown Difference consists of more than 800,000 square feet of retail space featuring popular brands, professional sports, live entertainment, great food and fun activities.  CityScape, a 5-acre, mixed-use development that blends urban living with work, shopping and entertainment, includes notable restaurants, a hotel, offices and outdoor event space.

The Arizona State University Downtown Campus is home to more than 10,000 students. The downtown area is home to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, College of Public Programs, College of Nursing & Health Innovation and the future home of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Photo from City of Phoenix.

Downtown Phoenix has more than 4,800 residential units, 9,000 permanent residents, and a workforce of 64,000 daily.  The Arizona State University Downtown Campus, which opened in August 2006 with 2,766 students, now has more than 10,000 students enrolled. The campus, which is continuing to expand, is home to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, College of Public Programs, the College of Nursing & Health Innovation and other notable programs.  The new law center, which will house the Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law, is expected to open in the fall of 2016.

Serving as an education capital, Phoenix is home to remote campuses of rival universities, Arizona State University and University of Arizona. The Phoenix Biomedical Campus provides advanced training to students from the U of A College of Medicine. Photo from the City of Phoenix

Education thrives in Downtown Phoenix!  The Phoenix Biomedical Campus (PBC), the city-owned campus sits on 30-acres providing advanced medical training to students at the UA College of Medicine and doing cutting-edge research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN). The campus looks forward to the opening of the 220,000 square foot $100M outpatient cancer treatment clinic operated by the UA Cancer Center and the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, later this year.

Downtown Phoenix is hot and attractive to new residents.  High-rise projects such as 44 Monroe, Arizona’s tallest residential high-rise, opened its doors in 2008 offering 196 condos.  The Summit at Copper Square, the second tallest residential tower, overlooks Chase Field, offers 165 condo units. Downtown Phoenix residential developments continue to grow.  Portland on the Park, is the anticipated urban project that will include 170 luxury condos and lofts in 3 structures ranging from 4, 12 and 14 story towers. The property is within walking distance of the Light Rail, Margaret T. Hance Park, and the Japanese Friendship Garden.  The West Fillmore redevelopment project, which began taking proposals from private sector developers in spring 2015, will be one of the largest developments in downtown history. The 7.5-acre site is expected to meet the demand for downtown living, providing provide homes for 1,000 new downtown residents in addition to retail shops and restaurants.

Phoenix is seeing many new residential high-rises opening in the downtown area.      Photo from City of Phoenix.

The METRO Light Rail runs right by Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Photo from City of Phoenix

New employers and their employees are making Downtown Phoenix home.  Jay Geier, CEO of The Scheduling Institute recently opened his Arizona Headquarters in the Warehouse District and cited that the location’s close proximity to restaurants, hotels, and entertainment is ideal for his clients when they fly in to town. Convenient transportation is key to the explosion of downtown development.  The METRO Light Rail connects Downtown Phoenix to points throughout the city and the world.  The commuter train launched in December 2008 provides reliable transportation connecting passengers from West Phoenix to the East Valley through Downtown Phoenix with dedicated stops at the Convention Center and Sky Harbor International Airport.

Speaking of the Convention Center, the expansion of the facility and construction of the 1,o00-room Sheraton Hotel enables Phoenix to accommodate 80% of the association meetings market and attract high profile events such as the MLB All Star Fanfest, NBA All Star Jamfest, WWE Fan Axxess and notable conventions such as the NRA and U.S. Greenbuild.  In 2015, the Phoenix Convention Center welcomed the Super Bowl NFL Experience and looks forward to hosting fan fests for the College Football Playoffs in 2016 and the NCAA Final Four in 2017.

A nighttime view of the Phoenix Convention Center. Photo from City of Phoenix
Speaking of the Convention Center, the expansion of the facility and construction of the

Downtown has something for everyone!  The redevelopment of Downtown Phoenix has redefined our city.  The Downtown renaissance provides lasting memories with lively indoor and outdoor activities at CityScape, including Lucky Strike bowling alley, Stand Up Live Comedy Club and a host of bars, restaurants and shops.  Sports fans will feel right at home at Chase Field where the Arizona Diamondbacks play and Talking Stick Resort Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns. Theater goers will enjoy visiting the Herberger Theater, Symphony Hall and the historic Orpheum Theatre.  Downtown Phoenix is more than a destination, it is a community that makes residents and visitors from around the globe feel right at home!

A view from above. The City of Phoenix is home to professional sports facilities Chase Field and Talking Stick Resort Arena. Photo from the City of Phoenix.

Downtown Gilbert’s Heritage District lights up at night. Photo from the Town of Gilbert

Once known as the “Hay Shipping Capital of the World,” Gilbert, Arizona spans more than 72 square miles and is home to more than 235,000 residents. Its humble beginning started in its downtown, now known as the Heritage District. Gilbert’s Heritage District is the symbolic center of the community, where echoes of the Old West meet the world of modern cuisine. It has been named one of the five Best Food Neighborhoods in Metro Phoenix by the Phoenix New Times and is commonly referred to as “Delicious Downtown Gilbert.” This area’s growing popularity is years in the making, with past and present community leaders envisioning the Heritage District as a destination for people to shop, dine, work and attend school.

A parade runs through the main street of Downtown Gilbert in the 1940s. Photo from the Gilbert Historical Society

Today that vision is coming to life. If you visit the Heritage District you will see families lined on the picnic tables outside Joe’s Real BBQ and a line down the sidewalk to have breakfast or lunch at the Farmhouse.  Don’t forget Liberty Market, a Gilbert staple, that’s always busy at any time of the day.  Postino’s and Joy Ride, two of Upward Projects’ latest investments in Gilbert, have full and lively patios every day of the week.  Oregano’s, one of the first restaurants to kick-start the revitalization of Gilbert’s downtown, is always packed. And downtown’s newest additions Zinburger, Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles and Barrio Queen Café are bustling day and night.

Joe’s Real BBQ is a mainstay of the Heritage District. Photo from the Gilbert Historical Society

And it’s about to get even busier.

Later this year, Snooze AM Eatery, a trendy breakfast and lunch establishment, will also open its doors. Pomo Pizzeria and Petersen’s Ice Cream Company will also join the various restaurants in the Heritage Marketplace development, which at total build out will encompass over 70,000 square-feet of retail space.

What was once a quiet center of a small town is now a thriving hub of one of the fastest growing and safest communities in the country.  Under the iconic water tower, you will see families enjoying the splash pad, an outdoor concert or the Saturday Farmer’s Market while others are watching local theater at the Hale Centre Theatre.  But, before and after, you won’t want to miss a meal at one of the downtown’s many restaurant offerings.

To add to the growth and excitement Gilbert’s first University, Saint Xavier, will open its doors this fall, just steps behind the new Heritage Marketplace off of Gilbert Road.  This will bring a new energy of young, enthusiastic students; adding to the already eclectic vibe at the center of the community.

If you haven’t been to Gilbert’s Heritage District, get out and discover Gilbert.

Postino and Joy Ride, two of Upward Projects’ latest investments in Gilbert, have full and lively patios every day of the week. Photo from Town of Gilbert

The Paseo de Luces revitalization project opened in 2014. Photo from the City of Tolleson

The 2014 revitalization project of Downtown Tolleson into Paseo de Luces has spawned into an entertainment destination that people want to experience. Paseo de Luces (Path of Lights) is more than a downtown; with its family-style seating, it has become a gathering place for all people.

Visiting Paseo De Luces offers the opportunity to enjoy an amazing art collection designed and fabricated by West Valley Fine Arts Council’s Gallery 37. This collection consists of seven sculptures that comprise the Paseo de Arte (Path of Art), which embodies the city’s past, present and future.

The West Valley Arts Council recognized the City of Tolleson as its Champion of the Arts. Photo from City of Tolleson

Paseo De Luces offers family-style seating, making it a gathering place for all people. Photo from City of Tolleson

In 2015, the West Valley Arts Council recognized the City of Tolleson as its Champion of the Arts for including this art collection as a staple in the new downtown design, as a symbol of the community’s commitment to the arts. In addition to this remarkable artwork, Paseo de Luces has a Central Plaza with a water feature, free Wi-Fi and a sound system that plays music all year long.

Crowds gather to celebrate the holidays in the new Paseo de Luces. Photo from City of Tolleson