Celebrate Thanksgiving with our list of what we love most about the Valley

Righteous gems of the Valley

If watching countless hours of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” taught me anything, it’s that hidden gems are out there just waiting for anyone willing enough to hunt for them. Here in the Valley, our vast sprawl is rife with such undiscovered treasures. Hole-in-the-wall eateries and dives tucked into nondescript strip malls. Quirky and charming shops known to only a few. Off-the-radar dance parties at underground venues or out in the desert. Unique local curiosities that have to be seen firsthand.

Discovering these spots has been something I’m thankful to have experienced. Like encountering the quaintly cluttered Books on 7th Ave, a treasure trove of tomes hidden in a quiet corner of Sunnyslope. Or visiting the delightfully retro Superstar Video in Glendale, one of Arizona’s few remaining video rental stores.

Roam around town and there are other gems to discover. There are greasy spoons like the comfortably shabby Parsons’ Family Restaurant in Glendale. If you’re in the mood for Chinese, the cash-only window-service takeout joint Liyuen in south Phoenix and the late-night food stand Lucky Wok in north Phoenix are both favorites of those in the know. Or, if you’d like to whet your whistle somewhere off the beaten path, the kitschy Tallyho Cocktail Lounge in Scottsdale is a fun drinking destination thanks to its mix of Old English decor and old-school vibes.

Lesser-known attractions can be found throughout the Valley. Did you know there’s a technology museum in Tempe called Vintage Lasers and Holograms? You do now. The Arizona Falls along Indian School Road near 56th Street or the Oak Street Alley Murals in Phoenix’s Coronado Neighborhood both make for fun strolls.

There is much more out there. You’ll have to take it from here and uncover some hidden gems yourself. They’re well worth seeking out. – Benjamin Leatherman

Music, memories and more

There are so many things I’m thankful for in Phoenix, but here’s just a few I’ve thought about recently:

As the Phoenix New Times music editor, I’ve spent plenty of time immersing myself in the local music scene, and I can tell you that we’ve got something special here. Any night of the week, in every corner of the Valley, there’s live music happening, from superstars at State Farm Stadium to up-and-comers in tiny bars. In the local scene, artists collaborate, show up to each other’s gigs and produce stellar music across all genres. It’s inspiring to watch.

As a Phoenix resident for more than 30 years, I’ve seen plenty of people, places and things come and go. Some I don’t miss – looking at you, Joe Arpaio. But my memories and sense of nostalgia for others persist, and I’m not alone. Look at the thousands of people who showed up to bid farewell to Metrocenter, or the folks who came to the “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” Circle K for a movie screening before the convenience store changed hands. We may not have the longevity of other U.S. cities, but people who have lived here for a decent length of time hold these parts of Phoenix’s past close to their hearts, and I love it.

Let’s be real: A lot of Phoenix is brown (desert) and gray (concrete). But for a few glorious weeks each spring, the city bursts into color. The blooming season lights up front yards, hiking trails and roadside cactuses with bright flowers in every color. The brevity of the phenomenon only adds to its sweetness, and my camera roll holds the memories of spring’s gift to us to tide me over until next year. – Jennifer Goldberg

More than meets the eye

As a California native, I never thought I’d live anywhere else. Once I got past the triple-digit summers and the never-ending 202 traffic that makes me feel like I’m playing a real-life version of “Mario Kart,” I found a city ever-abundant in identity.

The people of downtown Phoenix are the driving force of a cultural renaissance that creates a charm that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Its allure is intoxicating, with hidden gems on just about every corner.

Here are a few places that remind me that Phoenix is truly one-of-a-kind:

Killer Whale Sex Club is not a sex club. Behind the muraled walls of the repurposed bungalow-style building, you’ll find a speakeasy-like bar that prides itself on being on the anti-batch-cocktail bandwagon. Its menu is filled with high-quality handcrafted drinks and hilarious items for purchase that will make you do a double take. The ambiance is enticing with its dim lighting and Polaroids of customers that you’ll have to see for yourself.

All In One Phoenix has more to it than meets the eye. This family-owned business is a one-stop shop for all things fashion-related. Owned by a husband and wife, the store is split between a clothing side and a hall of rooms reserved for makeovers and waxing. From designer items to upscale vintage, the floor is filled with handpicked items that will make you feel like each item was curated just for you.

2ty Fruity Pop-up Market and Disco is a celebration of creativity abundantly filled with passion projects from local queer artists, creators and entrepreneurs. The queer art collective called Thems has put on two successful pop-up markets at the Afternoons Studio. Wandering from vendor to vendor, you’ll see that artistry is evident. You’ll find recycled clothing, handmade trinkets and even home decor. Everything is eye-catching and chances are you won’t be leaving empty-handed. – Sophia Biazus

Our palm oasis in the desert

Like so many Phoenix residents, I didn’t grow up in Arizona. When I was a kid, the leaves turned orange in the fall and sturdy pine trees stood tall throughout the freezing winter. Never did I think I’d live somewhere with palm trees. To me, these skinny, foreign plants signified tropical paradises and island vacations. They meant days spent by the pool with piña coladas in hand.

Now, my backyard sits in the shade of a gorgeous old palm tree growing across the street. I drive by tall tropical palms on my way to work. And gardeners cultivate specialty varieties throughout the Valley. I know that these trees aren’t particularly good for our desert environment. They don’t provide much shade and they don’t absorb carbon as well as other types of trees. Nevertheless, whenever the city feels overwhelming on a hot summer day, I can’t help but think how lucky we are to live somewhere with palm trees.

Certain varieties of these gentle giants offer much more than vacation vibes. Phoenix is home to trees that produce Black Sphinx dates, a unique type of palm fruit that only grows in Arizona, offering a true local flavor. In Mesa, the Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus is home to the Date Palm Germplasm, a grove of 140 trees that grows and preserves rare date species. Some of the varieties were first brought to Phoenix in the 1800s and now aren’t grown anywhere else in the world. Types of dates grown there include Barhee, Khir, Amir Hajj, Khalasa, Khadrawy, Honey, Rhars, Sphinx and the ASU date, a hybrid discovered in a Glendale backyard in 1995. Some of the original Black Sphinx date groves were located in now-populated areas of Arcadia. A few trees remain in backyards where homeowners nurture these ancient fruit producers.

In 2021 and again this year, the ASU grove partnered with Sphinx Date Co. in Scottsdale to bring unique dates to customers throughout the Valley. So palm trees mean so much more to the Valley than inspiring daydreams of ocean breezes. They remind us to enjoy the endless blue-sky days, they tie in to the rich agricultural history of this desert region and they produce gorgeous, sweet fruits at the same time. – Tirion Boan

A bounty of food, drinks and a dose of the outdoors

Before moving to the desert, the word I most often saw associated with Phoenix was “beige.” People used it to paint, in broad strokes, everything from housing and landscape to food and culture. I don’t have enough space to share how decidedly false that is, but with each passing day, this transplant continues to be astonished by the deep commitment to a local food system, the unparalleled access to the outdoors and the blissful patio season.

While having a freewheeling conversation with a local chef turned baker, he said to me that, from a culinary perspective, Arizona has incredible food access. He was marveling at the amount of local grains grown and milled here, and his comment still sticks with me. In a place that on the surface seems infertile, I’ve been awed by the incredible bounty of local produce, animals and grains that make their way from nearby farms and ranches to our plates and glasses. It’s a testament to the people who take on hard and often thankless work, as well as the markets and restaurants that do everything they can to put those ingredients – and the people behind them – on display.

This tree-hugging Coloradan also had admittedly limited expectations for the outdoor activities in the Valley. Yet, I’ve found myself at trailheads just minutes from my front door, breezed along the canal on my bike and been whisked to the top of a ski slope in under three hours – a rare feat these days when driving from Denver to the Rockies.

“How many summers have you been through?” is a common question I get when people learn I’m not from Arizona. This year marked four, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that this summer was particularly hard. While day trips to Prescott and Flagstaff offered some reprieve, I feel like I’ll savor this patio season a bit more. In lieu of trail beers, my husband and I like to end a long day of hiking by stopping at a local brewery, and you can bet I’ll take every single opportunity I can to sit outside and feel the cooler breeze, hear the buzz of people celebrating the day and have a little taste of Arizona in my glass. Thank goodness there are so many options to do so. – Sara Crocker

The awe-inspiring land

Especially in the scorching summer, it’s easy to forget Phoenix sits at the heart of a beautifully diverse land. From the pine forests of the Tonto and Apache in the east to the lush Sonoran desert in the south, Arizona is home to so many different and awe-inspiring ecological climates.

Arizona is also one of the most biologically diverse states, with about 800 species of animals calling it home – the most of any inland state – as well as 4,000 species of native plants.

People have lived in and celebrated the state’s lands for thousands of years, long before anyone called it Arizona or our current way of life came to dominate. For those people, there was no price on the land. The Earth belonged to no one and to everyone.

I’m thankful to live in the middle of such beauty, where a new adventure is just a few hours away. From Coconino to Cochise, I’m always looking forward to seeing more of this state. – TJ L’Heureux

A thriving Valley vegan scene

I’m grateful that the vegan side of the Valley is thriving. From the Early Bird Vegan on Broadway Road to Nami on Seventh Street, there are tons of great spots for animal lovers to grab guilt-free bites.

I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived in the Valley in 2017 and found out how many amazing vegan spots there were in Phoenix. Before I relocated from the Sunshine State, I thought Arizona was a rootin’-tootin’ land of cheese, beef and potatoes. Little did I know there were so many plant-based eateries that make it hard to choose the best place to take out-of-state vegan friends when they visit.

One of my all-time favorite spots is The Coronado PHX, which boasts a meat-free menu that includes some of the best cauliflower tacos I’ve ever had. (Their drinks aren’t half bad, either.)

A quick trip to Mesa uncovers one of the best tea rooms I’ve ever been to. Drink Me! Tea Room is not only 100% vegan, but it’s also a gorgeous place that looks transplanted from England.

If you love “Alice in Wonderland,” it’s a must-see. The tables are designed with illustrations from the book’s original 1865 release. The tearoom also has savory treats that taste meaty without any trace of animal products.

Throughout the year, the owners redecorate the tearoom to match different themes. In October, they designed it to look like Halloween Town from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This year, they had vegan marshmallow treats designed to look like little ghosts. It was magical. – Serena O’Sullivan

The best ‘winter’ in the country

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the greatest time to be in the Valley. As sleet, snow and frost encapsulates helpless bumblers bundled up in other cities, Phoenicians shake off our summer sweat and start trotting around like a bunch of gay turkeys.

From November to April, the weather in Phoenix is truly unbeatable and the activities are limitless. You want to sit on a rooftop bar and sip on a hot toddy in a light sweater and flip-flops? The sunset welcomes you. Want to hike a mountain in shorts and a tank top? No sweat. Thinking about cosplaying a New Yorker and fashioning some real winter garb? It gets plenty cold at night for a true desert rat. Or, drive two hours north and experience real snow and all the recreation that comes with it.

This leads me to my cherished annual tradition for which I am incredibly thankful: roller-skating into the New Year. While many New Year’s Eve customs involve parties, Champagne toasts and elegant attire, I mark the occasion by donning my roller skates and cruising through the streets of downtown. Without fail, Mother Nature blesses the Valley with a chilly, starry night every New Year’s Eve. The quality of the terrain may be questionable, but the exceptional weather and boisterous crowds bar hopping, cheering as I skate by, make for a unique New Year’s experience. As a community, we temporarily set aside the scorching heat and embrace the endless possibilities the New Year brings. You might be thinking, “Well, you can enjoy the same wonderful weather next door in California.” But then, you’d be in California. – Emma Randall

A much hotter version of home

On April 1, I packed my hyperactive pit bull, 10 suitcases and my dad, who would be my travel companion, into my Jeep Renegade and set off down the Alcan Highway. It would take 10 days and 3,600 miles to safely arrive in Phoenix. My furniture would take an additional six weeks to make the journey.

Moving was nothing new to me. I spent much of my adult life country-hopping as a professional athlete. But relocating to Phoenix was something entirely different. This time, I was cutting physical ties with my home state of Alaska and truly embarking on a new adventure.

Admittedly, the Phoenix summer heat and I didn’t get along. I ended up with second-degree sunburns and heat exhaustion several times. Luckily, the discomfort was tempered by the friends I was able to make in my first few months here.

After adding truly Arizonan catchphrases, such as “Just wait for the winter when the weather is amazing” and “It’ll cool down eventually” to my vocabulary, Phoenix started to feel like (a much hotter version of) home.

I haven’t spent enough time in the city to fully explore all of the things that make it great. But I have found my niches – on the field with the Phoenix Rugby Women’s Club and on the sport court at Peoria Sportsplex.

Because Phoenix is a city of outsiders packed together, it isn’t hard to find a kindred soul. And that is what I am most thankful for. We all came to the desert in search of different things but found common ground in a place that by all accounts should be inhospitable.

So, Phoenix, thank you for the hot summer nights and occasional opportunities to dance in the rain. For the friendly smiles of strangers on a tough day. And for the chance to push beyond my comfort zone while reporting on the stories that matter most to you. – O’Hara Shipe

Educational opportunities on every corner

Phoenix, a city pulsing with intellectual vibrancy, not only hosts 19 postsecondary institutions but also offers an array of educational opportunities scattered throughout its neighborhoods.

From the inspirational world of acting classes to life-saving CPR certification, and even ballroom dancing or hand-roll sushi crafting, Phoenix has a class tailored to every passion and interest. It’s a place where the desire for knowledge can take off.

Dive into the tapestry of Indigenous culture and history at Heard Museum, where art shows the profound history of the Southwest’s first inhabitants. Gaze upon the stars of our galaxy at the Arizona Science Center. Then, take a walk at the Phoenix Zoo or visit the OdySea Aquarium to learn about the wildlife all around us. Venture to the future by attending one of Phoenix’s Venture Café events, where innovators and entrepreneurs reveal the next big thing in our ever-evolving city.

Education is about nurturing critical thinking and honing problem-solving skills. It helps shape individuals into informed citizens. In the heart of Phoenix, you’ll find educational opportunities on every corner. – Grace Mack

A diverse mix of people and sports

LGBTQ+ diversity. Stroll through the annual Phoenix Pride festival in Steele Indian School Park and one thing becomes clear pretty quickly: It’s a beautiful mix of people that showcases the diversity of the Valley. The crowd cuts across race and ethnicity, gender, age and size. A lesbian couple walking hand in hand? Check. Dads with a kid? Yep. Twenty-somethings in genderfluid outfits? That, too. It’s the people watching that makes the event so special for me, and so thankful once the weekend comes to a close.

At least for a few days, LGBTQ+ folks come together, march through the streets in solidarity and forget the persecution thrown at them during the legislative session. It’s also a time to set aside the differences that sometimes divide LGBTQ+ people and proudly celebrate what it means to be LGBTQ+. It’s a showcase of how far we’ve come since a brave group of organizers held the city’s first Pride march in 1981.

Sportsball. For sports fans, the Valley is heaven. Where else can you watch Devin Booker and Kevin Durant show off their All-Star skills together, cheer on an Arizona Diamondbacks team that brought the World Series back to Chase Field, delight in the skills of Brittney Griner and Kyler Murray, get rowdy at a PGA event, snag a college bowl game and shake your head at grown men playing hockey in the desert? Don’t forget that you can also feel the rumble of stock cars at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race and, coming next March, watch Phoenix Rising open its defense of the USL Championship they won earlier this month. It’s an embarrassingly rich offering of sports that runs year-round. – Matt Hennie