Are you one of those people that is not a big fan of Mondays? You know, a busy beginning to a very hectic week after an awesome weekend… Well, you’re in luck because Mondays no longer have to suck. Take a deep breath and head over to the Phoenix Public Market. This treasure of a spot really does have something for everyone. They rock the open air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, they have some amazing food, a very cool beer and wine selection, awesome produce and goods from local artisans, food truck Fridays and a great little coffee shop on site. Seriously, if you are living in a cave and don’t already know about this place, come on out and take a look. Need a good excuse for a happy hour? Give em’ a try for that, too.

The Phoenix Market is a beautiful place
PHOENIX PUBLIC MARKET URBAN GROCERY AND WINE BAR ANNOUNCES NEW HOURS OF OPERATION
Store Will Now Be Open for Business on Mondays:
DOWNTOWN PHOENIX–Urban Grocery and Wine Bar at the Phoenix Public Market, a program of Community Food Connections, announced new hours of operation today which includes for the first time being open on Mondays. Starting today the new hours are as follows:
Monday -Friday: 10 am – 7 pm (Wednesdays the store will be open until 8 pm)
Saturday: 7 am – 6 pm
Sunday: Closed
For more information please visit www.phoenixpublicmarket.org. The Phoenix Public Market’s Urban Grocery and Wine Bar is located at 721 North Central Avenue / 14 East Pierce Street – 3 blocks south of Roosevelt Street and the light rail stop.
The map below shows the location of the Phoenix Public Market. It’s a very easy destination via the light rail, and they have recently installed some great bike racks, as well. If you drive, parking is also available. You don’t need to live downtown to enjoy all of the great things they have to offer. Just do yourself a favor and get there. Even on a Monday.
View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map
I took this pic a few weeks ago when I was down by Tempe Town Lake with my kids. Yesterday, I was reminded about it when talking to my cousin who lives in Chicago. Interestingly enough, it was a gorgeous day in Tempe today. High 70’s with plenty of sunshine and a nice breeze is hard to beat. In Chicago? Scattered snow flurries, probably a bit chilly on the lake.
Go on out and enjoy the weather. Take a walk, rent a boat, have some fun.. If you live near the light rail line, just exit at the Mill Avenue station and head North to the lake. Easy as pie…

Remember, Rail Life has a Phoenix Light Rail Group on Flickr. Basically, we want to share some of our pictures from the community and allow people to add their pics (or videos), as well. These can be light rail related, but we also want pics or videos of your favorite spot, restaurant, sports team, community, event etc.
Remember when a portion of the light rail line was shut down because of some work being done at Freeport McMoRan? Well, guess what… There will be similar similar delays tomorrow as a helicopter will be flying around Downtown Phoenix.
Here’s part of the scoop from METRO:
Helicopter Lift at Central/Washington
01/29/12 05:00 AM – 01/29/12 01:00 PM – Slight delays to light rail
Due to a helicopter lift on a building near Central Ave. and Washington St. in downtown Phoenix, METRO light rail service will be slightly impacted on Sunday, January 29, morning. Trains will not stop at the Washington/Central Ave. station between 5 a.m. and approximately 1 p.m., but service will continue. The two nearest stations to board or de-board from are the 3rd St./Washington or Van Buren/Central Ave. Service both east and westbound should only be impacted during the actual lifts, which could suspend service for a few minutes. Please give yourself extra time to arrive at your final destination. Thank you for your understanding.
The map below shows the areas they are talking about. As you can see, the stations are pretty close together along this portion of the light rail line so using a different station probably won’t kill you. Hopefully, the delays won’t be too bad, just plan on your trip taking a little longer if riding tomorrow. Heck, just take the opportunity to sit back and watch the helicopter flying overhead. :)
View Phoenix Valley METRO Light Rail Map in a larger map