Tempe Beach Park

Whether you’re looking for the best place to ride your bike, hike a trail, or just a cool place to plop down for a family picnic, this pleasantly landscaped park, originally built in 1931 and completely renovated in 1999 as part of the construction of the city’s Town Lake project, has what you want. With […]

Tempe Town Lake

This gateway to Tempe is practically a town unto itself. It’s home to an historic baseball field that plays host to softball games and carnival rides, as well as the Splash Playground, a one-acre water park that actually collects the water your kids are playing in, then filters, cleans, and re-circulates it in a state-of-the-art […]

Terra Java Coffee House & Bake Shop

Long considered to be one of the coolest art/coffee houses in Phoenix, Terra Java Coffee House & Bake Shop’s offers comfy couches and other relaxing seating, Wi-Fi access, and plentiful, spacious tables that make it a great place for students to study. Its baristas also whip out any number of caffeinated concoctions – ranging from […]

The Adobe Grille

The flavors of New Mexico have landed in Scottsdale, celebrating the state’s signature Hatch chiles. While a few dishes (carne adovada and red chile posole) pack some serious heat, milder mouths will do just fine with tenderloin rellenos, pork tamales or a beguiling chorizo-stuffed chicken in amaretto-mushroom sauce.

The Reef

Rock, pop, and R&B music pulsates through the evening air every weekend at this colorful Southeast Valley eatery and nightspot adorned with bright green and pink neon lights. DJs man the decks and throw down Top 40 hits and hot rhythms on Saturdays for the benefit of those crowding The Reef’s dance floor. If you’re […]

Time Out Lounge

Familiarity is the name of the game at the Time Out Lounge. Owner Laura Kelly-Phillips and husband Ed (a.k.a. the Tall Man) took over the suite at the end of Huntington Square Shopping Center in 1988. The two have been behind the bar on a weekly basis ever since, and many of the bartenders have […]

The Tribe House

Few things have been as quintessentially punk rock in the Valley as The Tribe House. Over the decade the rooms inside this red brick residence located near the intersection of 24th and Oak streets in East Phoenix has been a meeting ground for anarchist collective, housed a zine library, functioned as a recording studio, and […]

The Trunk Space

Populated by a kooky coterie of performers and artists, the Trunk Space has become a haven for nationally touring indie outfits and a number of burgeoning local bands. This quaint performance space and art haven located on the grounds of the historic Grace Lutheran Church is a stomping ground for a variety of musicians, artists, […]

The Underground

Punk and hardcore shows have returned to downtown Mesa, as local indie concert promoter Mantooth Group has resurrected the old Nile Basement and transformed it into The Underground. There’s an old school spirit to the place, as dozens of posters and fliers from Phoenix shows from the last two decades have been pasted up around […]

Venue Scottsdale

Since the Venue hosts a torrent of local and national music acts, the vibe at this Old Town concert hall changes with whoever’s taking to its ample stage, adapting its ambiance to fit a variety of styles. One night, a local rock band like Digital Summer might blow out the joint with its melodic sound, […]

The Western

Located on a stretch of Fifth Avenue near Indian School Road, the sleek little country music joint perched at the edge of Old Town comes courtesy of Tucker Woodbury (The Vig bars and The Little Woody tavern in East Phoenix) and Stateside Presents promoter Charlie Levy. A kind of honky-tonk version of the Crescent Ballroom, […]