by Brad Shaffer on September 26, 2008
Grab your liederhausen and thirst for great beer and join thousands at Chandler’s Oktoberfest tomorrow in Historic Downtown Chandler! Sponsored by San Tan Brewing Company and a celebration of their first anniversary, Oktoberfest will feature bands, brewers and a beer-maid contest.
Chandler Oktoberfest
The event will feature San Tan Brewing Company’s fantastic beers as well as booths from other vedors like BJ’s Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewing, Brewer’s Den, Gordon Biersch and Prescott Brewing Company.
The beer tent will feature bands from the area as well as a Beer-Maid contest. The winner will win $4,000 and represent San Tan Brewing Company in future events:
- 5 PM: Polka Band
- 6:30 PM: Guys That Rock (Chandler, AZ)
- 8 PM: Beer-Maid Contest ($4,000 Grand Prize)
- 9:30 PM: Capital Down (Tempe, AZ)
Oktoberfest is a perfect opportunity for those who haven’t seen Historic Downtown Chandler recently to discover how much it’s changed in the past few years. Historic Downtown Chandler has a great array of
unique shoppes and non-corporate restaurants. I’ve said it before - Historic Downtown Chandler has some of the best “everyday restaurants” in the valley all within walking distance from each other.
by Brad Shaffer on July 15, 2008
When working with buyers from larger cities around the country: Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle to name a few, it often comes as a surprise to these transplants that it’s not as easy to distinguish neighborhoods like you can in, say, Chicago: Bucktown, Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast or The Loop. I bring Chicago up because I happened to take a trip there recently and thought to myself, “What if Phoenix had grown up this way?”
“What if Phoenix chose to grow upward and not outward for the past twenty to fifty years?”
So here’s my wish list for the future. Nothing too crazy and some of it’s already in motion in some areas of the Phoenix Valley …
- Density. Sure, there are acres upon acres of pristine desert out there fifty miles from the center of Phoenix but there isn’t much else. I want to see a focus like Tempe has but in other valley cities. Encourage growth like Centerpoint Condos, Mosaic and build the infrastructure that’s needed. Or work to change zoning in areas to encourage more dense growth.But, while I am impressed with Tempe’s growth there are certain things that still make me think that planners haven’t done their job of planning. Take for instance the CVS Pharmacy that is currently under construction on the corner of University and Mill Avenue. While it looks like it will be a nice pharmacy at a prime location - and great for the influx of new residents moving in to the Mill Avenue District - it appears that the CVS will only be one story. Not two. Not three or four or five. Just one.
Better planning, in my mind, would’ve required CVS to include plans lofts, townhomes or condos above even if it only meant four or eight units. And don’t tell me you couldn’t rent those units out once they were complete. That would be a prime location for ASU students. The units don’t have to offer a doorman, granite imported from the middle of some Mongolian mountain or exotic wood flooring. No, they could be simple and well-made units that offer an ideal location for people who don’t make a quarter of a million or more a year.
- Uniqueness. For the most part, Phoenix is a sea of stucco and tile rooftops. Sure, there are pockets of uniqueness like Old Town Scottsdale, Historic Downtown Chandler, the Willow District near downtown Phoenix and the Mill Avenue District of Downtown Tempe. But, I’m selfish and I want more.Along with density comes a certain degree of pride in an area. Pride develops into creating a unique characteristic or personality for that area. Whether it’s a neighborhood known for the arts, design, gays, a certain architecture, shopping, a certain ethnic group … I don’t care. I want to be able to tell people “if you go to this area of Chandler/Gilbert/Tempe/Phoenix/Scottsdale you will find (fill in a unique description here)…” Instead, you’re pretty much going to find more of the same as it stands now.
Uniqueness can be added and these neighborhood personalities pushed along with innovative buildings that appeal to market segments. For instance, a development like EcoLogic Lofts in Chicago’s Bucktown would most likely appeal to those interested in living a green lifestyle. I’d imagine in ten years you’ll see organic bakeries, restaurants or farmer’s markets near this development.
Tangent: Can someone please tell me why we don’t have developments like EcoLogic Lofts here in Phoenix? Why aren’t there requirements for adding to the electric grid with mandatory solar panels integrated into building designs? Sure, there may be developments here and there but it seems like the Valley of the Sun (keyword: sun) would be jumping on this type of design.
- Mass-Transit. Sure, we’re well on our way. I am very excited about the light-rail that debuts in the valley in December. Connecting west Mesa, Tempe and Central Phoenix, the light-rail project is an exciting development. Some cities, like Chandler and Scottsdale, are already thinking on how they can jump on that train and connect their cities to realize the benefits. Most well-developed cities offer a mixture of light-rail/subway, buses and taxis. In a city as large as the Phoenix metro area, you’d think there would be a viable option for those moving here to give up their car and only take mass-transit. But there really is not. Perhaps in five or ten years there will be in Tempe and Phoenix (if you work in those areas or out of your home) but there is not right now.If you planned on moving to New York City you’d give up your car for sure. Chicago? Most likely if you chose to live inside the sprawling suburbs. Seattle? Similar situation to Chicago. The point is that the option is there.What the Phoenix valley needs is a focus on speeding-up the development of mass-transit options and integrating them into the current transportation systems. Mass-transit directly deals with the current energy crisis and the brown cloud that persists over the Phoenix Valley.
That’s it. Just three items. Density, Uniqueness and Mass-Transit. If planners for Phoenix Valley cities developed with these three things in mind I think we’d have a city that offers more than it already does. Developments like The Metropolitan in Chandler and Southbank in Tempe are great starts. Chandler’s recent announcements of light-rail and bus schedules are too not to mention Chandler’s ideas to add density to certain run-down, strip mall intersections.
But, being impatient, I sure wish I could jump into the future and see what this valley of opportunity looks like in twenty years!
by Brad Shaffer on May 31, 2008
It seems Valley of the Sun residents love to shop! The east valley is home to some of the best shopping in the valley. Here’s a city-by-city guide of major shopping destinations in the east Phoenix Valley:
No matter where you live in the east valley - great shopping is just a short drive away!
