because that's who is pushing for this are the hipper than thou crowd. Sorry, but it's true.

And Hoover (since you don't want me to be polite and use your name,) there is a food/drink cart which hangs on the south side of washington when the minority night clubs are busy on the weekends.

Am I part of of the hipper than thou crowd (I don't think so, I buy most of my clothes at Target for Christ sake)? Are most of the middle aged to old people who attend DVC meetings? I don't think so.

I think we've got to realize if we want to be a big, awesome, urban city like Chicago, there's room for all types, hipsters included.

Street food vendors means more vitality on the street and thats what we all want. It also means an easier way for people to go into business for themselves, and that seems like a good thing too.

E: Here's an article about Sacramento street food:
http://www.munchiemusings.com/2010/0...reet-food.html

an interesting quote:
Which makes sense, easier to keep a small area clean. But I thought Id cut off the 'those carts seem dirty' argument at the pass.

Also, this:
Sounds like part of a solution for Central Phoenix's horrific dirt lot/parking lot problems! Imagine the undeveloped block of CityScape or the parking at Wesley Boilin Plaza full of food trucks creating an active street scene and a real urban environment!

EDIT: VV Target sells jeans for like $15, hard to beat! Though my father recently told me he buys his jeans at Ace hardware and recommends I do the same. However, I don't think I can convince myself to buy pants from a hardware store.

Target? you're a baller. I cruise the clearance rack at Wal Mart.

Who cares who wears what. So, you want more people DT, but only certain types and you want more stuff, but only as long as it doesn't attract "those" people. :koko:

John is mostly right. Seattle has a ton of these mobile food trucks. They specialize in everything from ice cream sandwiches to bbq. Most are decorated, some are redesigned to look like the food items they sell. These places use twitter to advertise their location and then show up for a few hours and move out. The way that they are marketed creates the perfect storm for hipsters. First, twitter. Then, give 20-somethings the idea that something is limited-time-only and they will flock to it to be "the first". These trucks don't tend to locate at business centers but at vacant lots or bank parking lots. Most large businesses don't want them on their property because they have their own cafeteria or exclusive agreement with a food services company to provide meals to the employees.

Im not saying the food isnt good, I'm just saying, John is right about the crowd. The only thing he wrong about is the trucker hats. They wear fedoras now John. Both the men and women.

This is Maximus/Minimus - a pig shaped bbq truck in seattle.
http://www.notadinnerparty.com/blogs..._Pig_Truck.jpg
www.notadinnerparty.com

Thanks for clearing that up glynnjamin.

By the tim i start referring to fidoras, they'll be on to something else. Wait, are first friday and the farmers market still cool?

The last First Fridays was absolutely dead, so I think Phoenix may have killed one of the urban gems of Arizona. Frakking morons...

--don

Went looking for places in downtown/uptown and there are some real deals. 150k will get you a one bedroom at One Lexington that is fully upgraded.

I wonder what will happen to 44 Monroe. Its been off the market for a while after the lender took over the property.

Unfortunately the HOA fees are killers.

I tried going into the tower to go up to the top but the security guard wouldn't let me. It's a good sign that people are still living there.

Well, yeah.... People living there was never questioned.

Don, what do you mean Phoenix killed first fridays?

I know! Last First Friday i drove home after rehearsal and saw lots of people around Cityscape and all light rail stations.

Not too bad. HOA's at Lexington are 300 a month which includes your water and part of your A/C bill and 44 Monroe should probably be around 600 which includes everything (water, electric, internet and tv).

I agree that a $300 HOA fee isn't bad, but don't forget about "special assessments". Places like these can send you a bill for thousands to be paid immediately and/or over a 12 month period essentially raising your HOA fee.

When they do any work to the structure everyone pays in addition to the HOA. These aren't one time things, nor are they cheap. I know of some examples that were in the 12k range, you're now paying over $1000/month to pay off this assessment plus your HOA fee of $300-600, before you even tackle your mortgage.

It can/will happen someday, probably not too soon for a newer structure, but just beware.

Yeah, they stuck me with a bill one time for a $250/mo special assesment for elevator replacement. In addition to the $320 I was already paying, it almost meant I couldn't afford to live in my house anymore, but since it included everything even cable, it was doable.

Where I live now, I'd be super fucked if they ever raised it significantly. In the summer it costs me $300/mo to keep my house at 82... tack on the $260/mo hoa and it's 560... add a special assessment of anything over about 200 and I could be looking at almost 800/mo in the summer. That would result in me moving out probably.

Exactly... thats why you buy into a new building.

And you thought 12k was bad... Regency House delayed fixing all their problems and it now has a 60k assessment on every unit :omg:

http://phxated.com/phxated/regency-h...-rise-trouble/

Jesus... that place is in trouble.

I *almost* bought there a few years ago.

Wow! That is terrible. How exactly are residents going to pay that off?! If they could afford to pay that much, they'd be living in a much nicer/larger/newer home.

not very exciting, but at least it's something. Seems like 7.5 million dollars could have gone to some really exciting project.


Phoenix's Washington Street will receive centennial face-lift
15 commentsby Lynh Bui - Sept. 9, 2010 09:27 AM
The Arizona Republic


The street that was the centerpiece of celebrations for Arizona's admission into the union nearly 100 years ago will undergo a face-lift for the state's upcoming centennial.

Preparations are under way to transform Washington Street into Centennial Way.


Arizona's 100th birthday is Feb. 14, 2012. Between now and then, Phoenix will improve Washington Street from Central to the state Capitol at 19th Avenue, widening sidewalks, planting hundreds of palm and shade trees and installing shaded bus stops. Paloverdes, the state tree, will be planted to line the way.

The Phoenix City Council is expected to approve a contract next week that will select an engineering firm to design and bring Centennial Way to life.

Although the project, about 1.6 miles, is a collaboration among the Arizona Centennial Commission and other public and private groups, Phoenix is responsible for most of the work on the street because the city owns the property

The $7.2 million project is being paid for mostly by federal transportation funds while Phoenix will kick in about $400,000, said Shane Silsby, a traffic engineer and project manager with Phoenix.

Phoenix Community Alliance, a non-profit civic organization, has installed signs along the road commemorating Washington Street as Centennial Way.

Plans call for commemorative and informational displays that will allow people to learn about the state through a historic walking tour along the street. Improvements include more lighting and shade structures to make Washington Street more pedestrian friendly.

"This will be a true promenade," said Karen Churchard, director of the Arizona Centennial Commission and the Arizona Centennial Foundation. "This project will bring back and showcase some of the historic elements along the street and tell the story of our state."

Beyond being the heart of state, county and city government operations, Washington Street is historically significant because many of the state's first "Admission Day" events took place there in 1912. Admission Day is the celebration of Arizona's entrance to the union.

Arizona's first governor, George W.P. Hunt, walked down Washington Street to the state Capitol where he took the oath of office to become the newly minted state's first chief executive. It is where the state's first parade took place.

Several historic or significant buildings are along Centennial Way, including Phoenix's Historic City Hall, the historic Maricopa County Courthouse and the Carnegie Library, which was Phoenix's public library from 1908 to 1954 and is today the Carnegie Center.

Rick Naimark, deputy city manager, said Washington Street will become the grand parade entrance for centennial events.

He said the project is expected to be complete by November 2011, in time for the festivities.

The new landscaping and shade structures will also boost the surrounding neighborhoods, Naimark said.

"This is a neighborhood that is stabilizing so it's nice this street gets a face-lift," Naimark said.

The design phase will start in October. Construction is to start in March.

Silsby said the city plans to meet with neighbors, the state, the Centennial Commission and other stakeholders before moving forward with designs for Washington Street.

"We're implementing a vision from those groups," Silsby said.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...#ixzz0z3v8Dg8S

^ I think its a good project, we need to do something for the Centennial and with our budget issues I suppose if this money is available from the Feds we may as well use it.

Its not going to be a real impressive promenade though if half of what it lines is dirt lots, those really need to be turned into bosques, grass fields, something.

Like I've said before in the Visionary thread I also think a Statuary walk along and around Washington would be a neat thing, we have so little traditional public art in the city, it would be nice. Especially since so many people who move here or even those raised here know so little about our states interesting history.

EDIT: Also if anyone wants to really nerd out the DVC will be discussing the Centennial Way thing on Saturday: