Community Spotlight – Sycamore Square is a post from: Rail Life

For this community spotlight we head to Mesa, just north of the Sycamore station, to check out Sycamore Square.

Sycamore Square consists of 30 homes that feature covered parking and a nice community pool in a very “transit friendly” location. On the map below, you can get a good idea of how close the community is to the light rail line.

While recent sales in the area have been in the $40-$60k range, don’t expect those numbers to last long. Investors and people looking to live near the line are realizing how much a transit friendly lifestyle can be a convenience and a money saver.

We get a LOT of calls and inquiries about “affordable” homes near the light rail line. While many people understand the importance of living in walk able areas near transit, they don’t always grasp the fact that it might cost a few extra bucks to live there. Once people stop to factor in the time savings, gas savings, possible insurance savings and many other factors, the light begins to go off in their heads.

We often talk of the neighborhoods along the line as being part of a “city within cities” where people have easy access to all of the things along the entire light rail line. Jobs, sporting events, restaurants, bars, concert venues and so much more. Living at Sycamore Square would certainly give people easy access to all of the great things along the entire line and help them save some cash along the way.

View Homes Near METRO light Rail in a larger map

Built in 1984, the townhomes at Sycamore Square average 1119 square feet. Two floor plans were built, one is 1067 and the other is 1170 square feet.

302 North Sycamore – Mesa, AZ.

If you would like more information about homes near the light rail line, please contact Nick Bastian at Realty Executives. Nick can be reached at 480-463-4514 or via email at nick at RailLife.com.

Foreman Talks Tempe Transit is a post from: Rail Life

Transportation in Tempe, or anywhere around the country, can be a very interesting topic. With a couple of very heated battles happening in the Tempe political arena recently, transit seems to have been a bit more quiet than one might expect.

Tempe has light rail, their bus system and the popular Orbit systems for people to use. The kid friendly transit passes allow any Tempe resident, up to age 18, to ride for free which is a great program designed to help introduce people to public transit.

Recently, I saw the video below by Tempe city council candidate Dick Foreman speaking of our transit system and of the proposed Tempe Streetcar project.

As some of you may know, I’ve been a huge fan of watching the economic growth and opportunities along our light rail line. It’s no big secret that I think fixed route transit lines create opportunity and economic development along with providing the opportunity for people to live a less car-dependant lifestyle if they so choose. Take a look at this short video to hear what our friend, Dick Foreman has to say about the future of transportation in Tempe.

“when you take in to account the tax dollars from development, the jobs created and the construction fees, the streetcar will be a great asset to developing a modern city.” – Dick Foreman

Yes, I am happy to support Dick Foreman for Tempe City Council. I hope you will too.

Downtown Mesa The Next Mill Avenue? is a post from: Rail Life

I read a really good article about downtown Mesa yesterday titled, “Our view: Arrival of colleges could transform downtown Mesa.” The article stated what I have been thinking / trying to say for a while now. It talked about how important these new colleges coming to Mesa could be for the transformation of the area.

“For a downtown corridor that some may see as nothing more than the Mormon Temple at one end, blight and closed businesses at the other end, and not too much in the middle — the prospect of residential colleges locating there is huge and welcome news.” East Valley Tribune via msnbc.com

The article points out the somewhat obvious fact that Mill Avenue and downtown Tempe would be very different without ASU and the students, employees and jobs brought to the area because of the college.

One thing that seems certain is the fact that these students are going to need places to live, work and play. Heck, they just might want to live close to campus and close to a light rail station, right? For now, the downtown Mesa area seems to be a bit more affordable than their neighbors to the west in Tempe. When someone calls and says they want to buy a house near ASU for “cheap”, they are often surprised at how few sub-$200k homes are actually located within close proximity to campus. In Mesa it might be a bit easier for now, but there is a limited supply and a demand that should increase as students begin descending on this part of town. We’ve heard that new housing options are coming, and that will be something of a necessity for the area.

With negotiations said to be in the works for yet another college, the area seems to be on the fast-track to breathing new life into an older area that many had written off as dead. The light rail line is sure to be a real asset to business owners, college students and a bunch of people in the area. Thousands more are soon to be “rockin’ the Rail Life!”

Mayor Smith in downtown Mesa

Towards the end of the article it says they hope mayor Smith gets re-elected this year. I’m willing to bet he does. Any takers?

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Rail Life Pic Of The Week – The Wet Spot is a post from: Rail Life

So, I shot this pic back in mid-March at a place many of you have probably visited.

Anyone know what the name of the bar was in mid-March or what the name of the place is today?

Hint: Some of you might be shocked to know that the place recently changed their name…

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.

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Uno Mas Margarita Por Favor is a post from: Rail Life

I don’t know a lot of Spanish, just a few words. I can count to 10, and I know a couple of phrases that really have no gentlemanly value to them, but I have been known to say an enthusiastic, uno mas margarita, por favor! on occasion.

When I heard the news from our friends at the city of Tempe that Loco Patron is coming to Mill Avenue, I thought, muy bueno!

From the press release, I read that Loco Patron has leased nearly 5000 square feet of space on the ground floor of the Tempe Gateway building. Yep, the very same building where Allstate Insurance recently announced plans to take up shop. Sounds a bit ironic, doesn’t it? You know what else sounds ironic? Waste Management is moving into the same building. Waste Management and Tequila? There has to be a joke in there somewhere, right?

Being a past recipient of multiple “best of” awards for their margaritas, I think Loco Patron will fit in just fine on Mill Avenue. Being a Margarita fan, I’m certainly willing to give them a try.

“Loco Patron will take over an ideal southeast-facing location in the eight-story, 260,000-square-foot Tempe Gateway building at the corner of Third and Mill, adjacent to the Tempe Light Rail stop. The restaurant will feature a sports bar as well as a patio bar where customers will be able to enjoy Loco Patron’s award-winning cocktails and Mexican fare.” – City of Tempe

How cool is this location for a Margarita joint? Seriously, it’s a few feet from the light rail station on Mill Avenue at the northwestern corner of Mill and Third Streets. Pretty cool.

For the past several years, there has been somewhat of a void between the lake and the Mill Avenue District. With this year’s re-opening of the Flour Mill where we will see special events, and with the new outdoor patio and bar coming to Monti’s in the near future, the “transition” between the lake and Mill is getting better and better.

With a projected opening of “early Fall 2012” for Loco Patron, along with a new bar / patio at the Casa Vieja, Canteen Modern Tequila, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and Restaurant Mexico all rockin’ Mill Avenue, I think it’s a good time to say… “uno mas margarita, por favor!”

Margarita pic by Kim Wood

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Marriott Coming To Tempe – Rockin The Rail Life is a post from: Rail Life

The City of Tempe recently announced that a new hotel will soon break ground at Fifth and Forest.

Yep, a shiny new Residence Inn by Marriott will soon be joining the list of “places to stay along the light rail line.” This 173 room hotel will open in late 2013/early 2014.

Where is Fifth and Forest you say? Well, it happens to be right across the street from the Tempe Transit Center AND just east of Mill Avenue. A pretty cool location, if you ask me.

Tempe Transportation Center – Fifth & Forest

“The new Residence Inn hotel will feature guest suites containing fully-equipped kitchens and will offer state-of-the-art amenities, including an outdoor rooftop pool and fire pit with panoramic views of downtown, about 3,500 square feet of meeting space and 5,700 square feet of ground-level retail space.”

The Marriott will be just a block from the Tempe Mission Palms and will join them in allowing people the convenience of staying in the Mill Avenue area, while having great access to the airport and downtown Phoenix via an easy and affordable light rail ride. The new place sounds cool, as it will have “fully-equipped kitchens and will offer state-of-the-art amenities, including an outdoor rooftop pool and fire pit with panoramic views of downtown.”

As cool as the hotel sounds, it’s the location, location, location that makes us wonder why the couple of news releases we have seen make little to no mention about the proximity to the light rail and transit lines. ( Bus, Orbit, etc. ) As an “extended stay” type of product, one just might think that people visiting for a conference or to visit an ASU student might want a convenient way to see the sights via the trains. Maybe it’s just me, but I think this spot SCREAMS transit oriented development. Helllooo…

From the photo and information on the Tempe.gov site, we learn that the hotel will be 11 stories tall. This should allow for some pretty sweet views of the mountains to the north, Sun Devil Stadium to the east, and the Mill Avenue district to the west.

It’s pretty impressive to see all of the construction activity in this area. Just a block east there is a new 300 unit apartment building under construction, and there is the new Hayden Ferry project said to be underway by year’s end.

As you can see by the map below, Fifth and Forest is just south of the light rail station at Veterans Way. ( Sun Devil Stadium station ) You know the site, right? It’s where Bandersnatch once stood, back in tha’ day.

View Hotels near light rail in a larger map

Without a doubt, there is a ton to do in the area. Having a light rail station right across the street, makes the place even more appealing.

The Residence Inn reflects a growing level of interest among hotel developers in the downtown - Tempe spokeswoman Kris Baxter-Ging

Soon, even more visitors to our great state will be “rockin’ the Rail Life.”

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Broken Hearts at Downtown Phoenix Market is a post from: Rail Life

The news hit me hard… I was reading through my Google+ page late Friday night and saw a link posted by my friend Edward Jensen that said, “The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is closing.” My first thought was that this was a mistake, maybe a bad joke. Was it April Fools Day? I clicked the link and read the article in disbelief. From there, I went to Facebook and found more information and more confirmation that the Market is indeed closing its doors May 12th.

Within hours of the news, there has been an outpouring of love for this downtown gem. The new “Save Downtown Phoenix Public Market” Facebook page already has people looking for answers and looking for ways to save the market. Natalie Morris from the Market left the following comment:

“Hi guys- its Natalie Morris from the market. Everything is true- the Urban Grocery is indeed closing its doors on Saturday May 12th at 5pm. The outdoor market on Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights is still going strong and will remain open ALONG WITH ROYAL AT THE MARKET inside. Community Food Connections, the non-profit we operate under, will also continue to remain strong and aid in our community.

I would like to say to the community that the grocery has been a wonderful place to work. I have met so many people, created so many new relationships and established so many, many friendships.

Thank you again…”

A couple of years ago, Verde closed its doors after a short time in business, many remember that well. It sucked, it hurt and it brought about many questions about the entire area. As bad as losing a few downtown places has been, there have been some great spots open up and many are doing fine. The loss of the market seems to be different than a restaurant or place of business. While the Market IS a restaurant and a business, the Market really does mean a lot to loyal followers and to fans of the entire downtown Phoenix area.

More Than Food – A Symbol:

Doors to the Market are scheduled to close on May 12th at 6PM. People are wondering what went wrong, what they can do, how they can help, how they can Save The Market.

The chicken and the egg discussions continue. Everyone I’ve ever talked to about the Market loves it. They love the idea, they love the “local” flavor and many people know that Cindy Jensen and Natalie Morris have put countless hours along with their blood, sweat and tears into the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Unfortunately, there may not be enough people in the area to support the cost of operating the Market. 

Please note! The Wednesday and Saturday outdoor markets will continue and the super-awesome Royal at the Market coffee bar will still be open!

It is Saturday and I hope to see a BUNCH of people at the Market this morning. Please join me and a bunch of cool people to celebrate this community treasure.

We don’t yet know what is next, but it is time to pay attention.

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Tempe Allstate Employees In Good Hands is a post from: Rail Life

It was recently announced that Allstate Insurance Company has leased 66,000 square feet of office space at the Tempe Gateway building located at Mill Avenue and 3rd Street. Yep, right next to the Mill Avenue light rail station.

The Tempe Gateway building is 8 stories tall and has 260,000 square feet of Class A space about as close to a light rail station as you can get. While the new Allstate employees will have plenty of choices at nearby restaurants, shops and bars on Mill Avenue, their proximity to a light rail station is sure to get a few of them exploring other places along the line. For any Allstate employees that might not be familiar with our “city within cities” known as the light rail corridor, here are a few ideas to try once you decide to explore outside of the Mill Avenue District.

1. Catch a game: Like most people in AZ, you will probably be driving to work ( at first). If there is a Diamondbacks or a Suns game, leave the car at work and take the train to the game!  Remember, if you go to an event at the US Airways Center, you ride for free, your ticket IS your light rail pass!

2. See a play, visit a museum: The 20 mile light rail line has a LOT to offer: the Heard Museum, Symphony Hall, Orpheum Theatre, Arizona Science Center and so many more great places to explore. The arts community is indeed alive and well.

3. Check out the Market: The Downtown Phoenix Market is a great place to visit during the week and on the weekend. Great things are happening there. Check out the open air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, visit the store, check out the coffee shop and don’t miss Food Truck Fridays.

4. Grab Some Grub: Jump on the train and head either direction for a ton of great places to eat along the line. Just east of you at the Dorsey station, you will find Haji-Baba. Thank me later for this tip. Head west into Phoenix and don’t miss gems like The Roosevelt, Cibo, Maizie’s, Lux and so many more awesome spots. Of course, you will want to find a great place for a drink or a cup of coffee. That’s easy too with a TON of great choices.

5. Buy A Home: Yeah, it’s only a matter of time before many of these Allstate employees will want to live close to work. Imagine walking from your home to a light rail station and having the train drop you off at the front door of your office? How cool is that?!? Heck, there are some great places to live right here within the Mill Avenue District. Luckily, Tempe’s greatest real estate agent can help you out… You may want to find a place within about a 1/2 mile from a light rail station as that seems to be the most convenient for may people working along the line. Luckily, you have choices in Mesa, Tempe and in Phoenix from gorgeous condos to some amazing single family neighborhoods.

If you are working at Allstate, watch out for the guy in the pic below. He lives nearby and drives his cool bike past your building, often. Make sure and say hi when you see him. :)

Allstate is said to be moving in to the building by September of 2012. 66,000 square feet of office space means that a bunch of new faces will be working at Tempe Gateway. It will be nice to see some new faces in the area. I hope they know that their life is on the line…

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Bikes And Transit – Peanut Butter and Jelly? is a post from: Rail Life

Bike riders seem to have been big users of the Phoenix light rail system since day one of operations. In fact, I believe there has been more interest from people riding bikes on light rail trains than what was originally anticipated. Heck, that makes sense because the system as a whole seems to be much more popular than just about anyone anticipated.

There have always been questions about bikes on the light rail cars. Most people know it’s perfectly fine to bring bikes on the train while some people still are not aware that it is ok. One thing is clear, people and bikes can be found on the trains in big numbers. They go together very well.

METRO wants to know what you think about your experiences with bikes and riding the trains. How often do you ride? Do you feel safe? How do you use the system? etc.. Take a few minutes to TAKE THEIR SURVEY.

Here is some info from a METRO press release…

Bike-Transit Integration Survey

Increasing bike integration with the METRO light rail system will serve to expand the catchment areas in the first and last miles of travel. This will help to accommodate the growing demand of bicyclists and pedestrians, and will effectively grow METRO into a more complete and accessible system.

We are looking for your feedback. If your commute involves biking and riding METRO light rail, please take our survey. The survey will take five minutes to complete. Click here to get started.

If you get around one world on two wheels, you definitely want to participate in this survey. I’m sure the data can be used to help make your transit experience better.

What other ways can you say it? 

bikes and transit are like…

peanut butter and jelly

pizza and beer

????

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Rail Life Pic Of The Week – Phoenix Transit Security is a post from: Rail Life

I shot this pic as I was driving down Central Avenue the other day. Wait, I wasn’t actually driving when I shot it, I was parked at a stop light.

METRO and the city of Phoenix seem to take their safety issues pretty seriously.

Hopefully, none of you ever “get” to ride in the back of this car… :)

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.

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