Central Slope Uptown Market

The bumper sticker on our car should read "Caution, this vehicle stops suddenly for outdoor markets." On a recent Sunday in Sunnyslope, we took a sharp right into the parking lot shared by Central Slope, a sustainable living store, Bomberos Cafe and Winebar, and Neilson Galleries. Carol Blonder Central...

By Carol Blonder

July 9, 2010

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The bumper sticker on our car should read "Caution, this vehicle stops suddenly for outdoor markets." On a recent Sunday in Sunnyslope, we took a sharp right into the parking lot shared by Central Slope, a sustainable living store, Bomberos Cafe and Winebar, and Neilson Galleries.

Carol Blonder

Central Slope Uptown Market

Central Slope interior is filled with locally made, eco friendly art, home, and design products. On Sundays the sidewalk and parking lot are occupied by tent-covered local food and art vendors. Summer months can be tough for outdoor vendors, Michael Keele, owner of Central Slope, has created a vibe that has his vendors committed to sticking out the summer months. Residents of Sunnyslope enjoy the community Michael is building through his "eco+design+market" concept and keep asking for more.

Michael walks the walk of sustainability, living in the neighborhood where he works. The outdoor Sunday venue is an extension of what he carries in the store. Plans, beginning this Sunday, are to offer a rotating series of workshops on sustainable living.

This Sunday's offerings are Children's Yoga at 9:30 am (7 yrs and up) with Christy Grace and Family Gardening (all ages, bring a small pot to plant) at 10:30 am with Doreen Pollack from Phoenix Permaculture Guild. The cost of each workshop is $10.00. Current yoga and gardening workshops will be on going, and Michael plans to add workshops focused on eco lifestyle and design solutions.

For more information and to sign up for the Central Slope newsletter: www.centralslope.com

We love that Michael is creating more than a single focus for his Uptown Market plan. On our stop we picked up okra, tomatoes, corn, mint, honey, and eggs while discovering locally made teas, skin care products and home design products inside. This guy knows what community building is all about.

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