General Phoenix Metro Discussion Thread

[dennis1]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

I think it's great that every city has its own identity. What fun would it be if every place seemed like every place else? In fact, that's usually one of the biggest criticism of the Valley, so if you're complaint is that different parts of the region are too distinct, I say: hooray!

I just feel it shows lack of unity with Phoenix. LA has this with Orange County as well.

Originally Posted by PHX31

I do agree that it sucks that most of our sports teams are named "Arizona". I bet people in Denver, Minneapolis and Indianapolis feel the same way.

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

I think that's one of the drawbacks of a state with one giant metropolitan area.

I moved to Arizona from Cincinnati (in Ohio, there's Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus competing with one another, as well as smaller cities like Dayton, Akron and Toledo doing the same) and Phoenix's complete dominance (understandable, given that at least 60% of the state's population lives somewhere in the Valley) over the rest of Arizona has always fascinated me.

Even Minneapolis hurts less because of corporate clout. The Coyotes should not have changed their name imo. Phoenix does have complete dominance but when people leave the are they say they're from scottsdale or tempe, not the phoenix area.

[RichTempe]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

I think that's one of the drawbacks of a state with one giant metropolitan area.

Arizona is hardly unique in having only one giant/large metro area: UT, CO, GA, NV, WA, OR, IL, IN, HI, MN, MI to name a few. Then you have states like WY, ID, AK, ND, KS, IA, NB where there is also only one metro area, but it barely cracks half a million if that. I don't think Phoenix's size is a drawback for AZ. Of course that's just my opinion.

Also, don't forget we also have Tucson, which while not giant, is still a million in the metro area.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by dennis1

I just feel it shows lack of unity with Phoenix. LA has this with Orange County as well.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'll take heterogeneity over homogenization any day.

I don't think there's any "lack of unity" in the Valley. When the D'backs won the World Series a million people showed up downtown, they weren't all from the municipality of Phoenix that's for sure.

[Jjs5056]

I also disagree that when people leave from Chandler, Tempe, etc. that they don't use "Phoenix" as the general metro area from where they came. I had plenty of friends from all the various cities, and whenever we'd go on trips or talk to out-of-towners, they'd mention they were from Phoenix. Scottsdale is the exception, but it's the Phoenix-Scottsdale-Mesa DMA anyway, and if anything, having an upscale suburb like Scottsdale so close to Phoenix is a positive - the only thing that would make it better would be if mass transit connected downtown to Old Town.

With light rail, Midtown is no longer a detriment to downtown as they both form what many consider to be the Central City, which leaves the Biltmore as really the only area that competes with downtown; but, like Scottsdale, it offers an upscale lifestyle that isn't even possible downtown, so in many ways, it's simply complementary. Would it be better if the upscale urban part of Phoenix was located at Central/Camelback rather than 24th/Camelback? Sure.

I like that each city in the metro area is building up their downtowns, and many like Glendale, Mesa and Tempe (even Chandler has mentioned hopping aboard) are seeing the benefits of mass transit.

What hurts Phoenix the most is employment sprawl. If downtown was the major employment hub of the city, it would make these conversations pretty moot. Downtown has still come a long way, but its growth would be expedited by a ton if the companies that chose/choose outlying areas located downtown instead. Tempe's growth has been astonishing and that's based largely on ASU and State Farm. I'd love to see what Phoenix could become if another university located downtown, and a large company decided to open operations there (not even a HQ necessarily, but something on the scale of a State Farm).

[dennis1]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'll take heterogeneity over homogenization any day.

I don't think there's any "lack of unity" in the Valley. When the D'backs won the World Series a million people showed up downtown, they weren't all from the municipality of Phoenix that's for sure.

Fair enough.

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

I also disagree that when people leave from Chandler, Tempe, etc. that they don't use "Phoenix" as the general metro area from where they came. I had plenty of friends from all the various cities, and whenever we'd go on trips or talk to out-of-towners, they'd mention they were from Phoenix. Scottsdale is the exception, but it's the Phoenix-Scottsdale-Mesa DMA anyway, and if anything, having an upscale suburb like Scottsdale so close to Phoenix is a positive - the only thing that would make it better would be if mass transit connected downtown to Old Town.

With light rail, Midtown is no longer a detriment to downtown as they both form what many consider to be the Central City, which leaves the Biltmore as really the only area that competes with downtown; but, like Scottsdale, it offers an upscale lifestyle that isn't even possible downtown, so in many ways, it's simply complementary. Would it be better if the upscale urban part of Phoenix was located at Central/Camelback rather than 24th/Camelback? Sure.

I like that each city in the metro area is building up their downtowns, and many like Glendale, Mesa and Tempe (even Chandler has mentioned hopping aboard) are seeing the benefits of mass transit.

What hurts Phoenix the most is employment sprawl. If downtown was the major employment hub of the city, it would make these conversations pretty moot. Downtown has still come a long way, but its growth would be expedited by a ton if the companies that chose/choose outlying areas located downtown instead. Tempe's growth has been astonishing and that's based largely on ASU and State Farm. I'd love to see what Phoenix could become if another university located downtown, and a large company decided to open operations there (not even a HQ necessarily, but something on the scale of a State Farm).

Interesting. Do you think Phoenix needs to add more then one corporation through? Because Dallas has grown at the same right, yet they have much more corporate clout. I feel companies like GoDaddy should be in Downtown Phoenix and not Scottsdale.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by dennis1

Fair enough.



Interesting. Do you think Phoenix needs to add more then one corporation through? Because Dallas has grown at the same right, yet they have much more corporate clout. I feel companies like GoDaddy should be in Downtown Phoenix and not Scottsdale.

GoDaddy opened their new HQ in Tempe along the Price Corridor.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by RichTempe

Arizona is hardly unique in having only one giant/large metro area: UT, CO, GA, NV, WA, OR, IL, IN, HI, MN, MI to name a few. Then you have states like WY, ID, AK, ND, KS, IA, NB where there is also only one metro area, but it barely cracks half a million if that. I don't think Phoenix's size is a drawback for AZ. Of course that's just my opinion.

Also, don't forget we also have Tucson, which while not giant, is still a million in the metro area.

Drawback was a poor word choice. As soon as I posted that, I said to myself "shit, I forgot about Tucson."

[dennis1]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer11

GoDaddy opened their new HQ in Tempe along the Price Corridor.

Had no idea. Shows how much I know .

[InTheBurbs]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I do agree that it sucks that most of our sports teams are named "Arizona". I bet people in Denver, Minneapolis and Indianapolis feel the same way.

Then you have the New England Patriots. They are named after 6 states, but that doesn't seem to have hurt them.

The Cardinals and Coyotes don't play in Phoenix anyway. Even the national media has been getting confused about where they are this week. NBC was reporting tonight from downtown Phoenix, but the whole time the graphic said "Glendale, AZ".

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by InTheBurbs

Then you have the New England Patriots. They are named after 6 states, but that doesn't seem to have hurt them.

The Pats are closer to Providence than they are Boston. And if you live west of the Connecticutt River, you go for NY teams. Thie river also divides the Boston accent from NY.

[KevininPhx]

I wrote a review of last night's Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon at the Orpheum Theater for TVFirstLook.com.

[PHX31]

I was watching the weather channel and they were doing a comparison of sorts between Arizona and New England... at one point they started talking about Univ. of Phoenix stadium in Glendale and they showed a graphic of Chase Field downtown. Basically nobody knows anything.

[KevininPhx]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I was watching the weather channel and they were doing a comparison of sorts between Arizona and New England... at one point they started talking about Univ. of Phoenix stadium in Glendale and they showed a graphic of Chase Field downtown. Basically nobody knows anything.

Just to follow up on my Jimmy Fallon mention above. On the show, he referred to the stadium as being "down the street" from the Orpheum.

[rocksteady]

Originally Posted by KevininPhx

Just to follow up on my Jimmy Fallon mention above. On the show, he referred to the stadium as being "down the street" from the Orpheum.

I'm a former life long resident of Phoenix and I was watching the game from a bar in downtown SF. Between all the shots of downtown, UofP stadium, and The Grand Canyon it seemed as if they were all right by each other and I had to laugh when I would overhear people thinking that was the case. Clueless people! haha

I will say that downtown looked amazing and it is the best I have EVER seen it look. I really hope the city planners took note of the things that worked and what a vibrant downtown should be like. Visually, the advertising on the side of the skyscrapers and the lighting made them look much taller on TV than they really are. We were all impressed and proud to see downtown on TV as life long residents.

[azliam]

Originally Posted by rocksteady

I'm a former life long resident of Phoenix and I was watching the game from a bar in downtown SF. Between all the shots of downtown, UofP stadium, and The Grand Canyon it seemed as if they were all right by each other and I had to laugh when I would overhear people thinking that was the case. Clueless people! haha

I will say that downtown looked amazing and it is the best I have EVER seen it look. I really hope the city planners took note of the things that worked and what a vibrant downtown should be like. Visually, the advertising on the side of the skyscrapers and the lighting made them look much taller on TV than they really are. We were all impressed and proud to see downtown on TV as life long residents.

I agree with you. I found this Getty image online and wanted to share it because I think it's a pretty awesome photo of downtown:

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/ne...hoto/462540106


More photos: http://www.gettyimages.com/asset-det...vent/534732369

[dtnphx]

Go to AZ Central and take a look at the photos they've posted. Some are simply breathtaking.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...zona/22755773/

[MegaBass]

Per Dustin Gardiner, SB XLIX host committee has donated its massive rock-climbing wall, the Grand Canyon Experience, to city for residents' use.

[rocksteady]

Originally Posted by MegaBass

Per Dustin Gardiner, SB XLIX host committee has donated its massive rock-climbing wall, the Grand Canyon Experience, to city for residents' use.

I wonder if they will put this in Hance Park? The renderings have a giant rock wall in the redesign- perfect way to make use of something special and save a little money for something else.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by MegaBass

Per Dustin Gardiner, SB XLIX host committee has donated its massive rock-climbing wall, the Grand Canyon Experience, to city for residents' use.

That's pretty cool! I wonder if it can somehow be incorporated into the Legends Entertainment District?

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by rocksteady

I wonder if they will put this in Hance Park? The renderings have a giant rock wall in the redesign- perfect way to make use of something special and save a little money for something else.

I was thinking the same thing, Hance Park would be a natural fit.