Vivian N. Is the owner of PhoenixNeighborhoodBlogger.com and a regular contributer to the entertainment and food columns on Phoenix.org

Yelp in Bloom Highlights Some of the Best of Phoenix

With the gorgeous Desert Botanical Gardens as a back drop, Yelp in Bloom took place on Wednesday evening, March 4^th, offering Valley Yelpers a chance to indulge in some of the best Phoenix has to offer. Yelp is a website that allows readers to review and vote on popular eateries, businesses and events throughout the country. Phoenix is quickly a top city for Yelpers to write, talk and blog about.

The Yelp in Bloom event was a way for Yelp to thank their members and offer local culinary hotspots an environment to spotlight their best eats. From heavenly foie gros from Petite Maison to delicious bruchetta from 5^th and Wine, eateries from around the Valley provided succulent fare for tasting. There was no lack of sweet stuff as cupcakes, brownies and gelato were all in attendance.

For tasty drinks, Maker’s Mark,  Cruz Tequila, Full Sail Brewery along with several other distributors offered plenty of spirits. Water was in abundance, provided by the Valley’s new Main Ingredient restaurant, to ease up on some of the succulence. The Botanical Gardens staff offered evening tours to Yelpers leaving many checking membership costs and researching the Botanical Gardens event calendar.

5th and Wine, Bombay Spice, Cien Agaves, Gelato Spot, and Petite Maison are a few of the participants that really should be added to your evening-out lists. The staff at these establishments were delightful to talk with and really went out of their way to make a positive impression on new patrons. Of course the Desert Botanical Gardens are a must visit as well and provides a lively canvas for a fun event.



This article is provided by one of Phoenix.org’s guest writers. We are still in the process of finding a local writer to compose our weekly Lifestyle column. If you know of an individual that would like the exposure that will come from a weekly column on the Valley of the Sun’s most trusted resource site then have them contact Phoenix.org.

The Downtown Phoenix Public Market

Located at 721 N. Central, on the Southeast corner of Central Ave. & E. McKinley Street,2 blocks south of Roosevelt

http://www.phoenixpublicmarket.com/

Downtown Phoenix Public Market

The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is a non-profit organization connecting local artisans and farmers with customers, right in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Part grocery store, part farmer’s market, and open year-round rain or shine, the Public Market provides a place for customers to buy locally-grown produce and hand-crafted arts. According to Nathan Logan, the manager of the Market, “The idea is to have a variety and support local vendors.”

Everything sold at the market is grown or made by the person selling it, and there are a variety of items to choose from. You want artisanal ice cream or Arizona honey? It’s at the Market. How about handcrafted jewelry by Navajo artist Marjorie Jensen? At the Market. What about more eclectic stuff, like Raimondo’s low-carb pasta or authentic Dutch poffertjes? You can get them at the Market. About 90 to 95 percent of the produce sold at the Market is grown in Arizona, but you can rest assured that even what’s imported are high-quality, all-natural goods.

In addition to the market itself, there are also classes offered in subjects like permaculture, which emphasizes organic, self-sustaining production. One of the Market’s main education projects is the Slow Food Movement, a back to the basics approach that emphasizes minimal processing and eating in-season organic produce. No pesticides are used on these crops, and animals are not fed anything but natural ingredients – no fillers, no byproducts. The result is a difference you can taste; Nathan Logan says that he loves the produce at the Market because “it reminds me of when I was a kid.”

The Market also boasts a grocery and a wine bar, open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Market Café offers ready-to-go soups, salads, and sandwiches made with local ingredients, and there’s also a small coffee shop, Royal at the Market, where you can grab a cup of locally roasted coffee or a lemonade made with local organic lemons. Market Chefs whip up delicious samples from produce sold at various vendors, letting you taste how great the food is before you buy it. Free parking on site means it’s always easy to buy fresh, natural goods.

Gardening in Phoenix

Phoenix Gardening Tomatos

Phoenix is blessed with almost year-round sunshine. Although it can get extremely hot in the summer, temperatures rarely dip below freezing even in the coldest month, January. There are two growing seasons in Phoenix, from mid-February through May, and then from September to mid-November. Get started early by planting summer bulbs and root vegetables, such as asparagus and carrots, in January. You can also plant a variety of flowers then, including African daisies, pansies, petunias, and verbena.

February kicks off the growing season, so plant vines and other fruits and vegetables then. Good ideas for your garden include melons, beans, corn, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. If you have citrus trees, start fertilizing them, because they’ll begin blossoming by March. March is when you should plant your herbs and other quick-growing plants, such as basil, lavender, and marigolds. By April, the rising temperatures will have weeds overrunning your garden unless you’re vigilant, so make sure you weed and feed your garden regularly. Summer exotics likes bougainvillea are best planted in April.

May starts the summer months in Phoenix, so take extra steps to protect your plants. Mulch wherever the sun shines to protect young roots, and paint the trunks of your citrus trees with diluted flat latex white paint to reflect the glare of the sun. Because it gets so hot in the summer – up to 130º – keep everything watered; some plants may need watering twice a day. By June, you probably won’t be able to plant anything except the hardiest of plants, like palm trees, pumpkin, and winter squash. July and August begin to cool off thanks to the monsoon, so you can start planting vines, beans, and corn for the fall growing season, but be sure to keep watering.

September sees the end of the monsoon, and also the time when you should plant more delicate vegetables and flowers, like garlic, lettuce, broccoli, sweet peas, and poppies. Because it can still be very hot during the daytime, plant early in the morning or in the evening, when temperatures are less likely to fry your seedlings. October is the month you should plant perennials, wild flowers, and pretty much anything else you can think of, including iris, impatiens, artichokes, and radishes. In November, plant bulbs that require cooler temperatures, such as tulips, crocuses, and hyacinths. Consider wrapping the trunks of your citrus trees to protect them from dropping temperatures. In December, you can plant root vegetables, like carrots, beets, and radishes, but watch for frosts. Trim and shape your trees before spring budding, and get ready to start all over again!

The Tempe Improv Comedy Theatre

930 East University Drive, Tempe, AZ

Tempe Improve Comedy Theater

The Tempe Improv Comedy Theatre is Arizona’s premier comedy club. The comedians who perform here are some of the nation’s best, and have been featured on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and the Late Show with David Letterman. Big names like Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Fatel, Christopher Titus, and Bob Saget are regular acts here, but there’s plenty of up and coming talent too, making the Tempe Improv one of the best comedy clubs in the country.

Tickets can be a little pricey for big headliners, although most tickets aren’t more than $25. However, the club runs a special deal to make weeknight shows more accessible. If you come wearing one of the club’s t-shirts, you get free admission to all Thursday night shows (except for special events). There’s a $3 “convenience charge” for purchasing a ticket online and/or with a credit card, so pay cash at the box office for the cheapest tickets unless you’re sure a show will sell out.

The venue itself is an intimate theater setting, which means you don’t have to worry about sitting half a mile away from the act. We think the best seats are the front row of the balcony: you get a great view and you have plenty of space – the table seating can get pretty crowded, especially at a sold-out show. However, if you’re on a date, you might want to try and snag one of the high top tables in the back; they seat just two, so you won’t have to deal with strangers putting a damper on your date night.

The club’s 8 p.m. shows are dinner shows. Prices for dinner range from $10-$18, with desserts around $8 and drinks from $5 and up. Like most comedy clubs, the food can be a mixed bag, but we always enjoy the beer battered mozzarella sticks, the chipotle pasta alfredo, and the cheesecake. While dinner prices are a little steep, diners get priority seating (doors open at 5 p.m. for 8 p.m. shows) and a free pass to a future show, so it still works out to a pretty good value. The club’s 10 p.m. shows offer burgers, appetizers, and desserts, but not full meals. Beware, though; if you sit too close to the stage, you might end up becoming part of the evening’s entertainment, since a lot of the acts are known for pulling audience members up onstage!

This article is provided by one of Phoenix.org’s guest writers. We are still in the process of finding a local writer to compose our weekly business column. If you know of an individual that would like the exposure that will come from a weekly column on the Valley of the Sun’s most trusted resource site then have them contact Phoenix.org.

State of the Phoenix Economy: Why Life is Still Looking Pretty Good

Some say Phoenix is a Money Tree

Like the immortal bird of its namesake, the Phoenix economy is rebuilding itself one piece at a time, focusing on providing practical solutions where previous governments and markets have failed. These pioneers of economy will succeed by acquiring assistance from governments, investors, foundations, and other businesses.

Further, the economy has been bolstered by the continuing surge in population. Bolstered by its economic growth, the population boom has turned Phoenix into the center of the state’s economy. Over one third of Arizona’s labor force is employed in the metropolitan area. Also, several Fortune 500 companies, such as Time Warner, IBM, Intel, Telecom, Bank of America, and Boeing, have made Phoenix their primary location,

By moving into technology and service industries, the economy is taking on dimensions unheard of in the previous decades. And the long-time business of tourism and business services is stronger than ever, accounting for almost 77 percent of Phoenix’s total employment roster. Banking and financial services remains a strong sector, deriving its power from the high profile financial companies house their processing and/or regional headquarters in Phoenix, including such powerhouses as Chase Bank, American Express, Discover Card Services, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank. In addition, aerospace firms and high technology firms appreciate a considerable share, about 56 percent, of the manufacturing jobs across the Phoenix area.

Consisting of mostly young, well-educated people, Arizona maintains its position in the top five growth states. The state continues to attract new workers due to the high quality of life they can enjoy. As a right-to-work state, employees in Arizona have the option to join and financially support a labor union, joining the already 3.6 percent of others that enjoy the benefits in the private sector.

Though skeptics may tend to look at the recovering Phoenix economy as a glass half-empty, a positive attitude shows that business in Phoenix is on the rise. Recovery is occurring, slowly but surely, and with the continued commitment of existing and new citizens, business will be better than ever.

This article is provided by one of Phoenix.org’s guest writers. We are still in the process of finding a local writer to compose our weekly sports column. If you know of an individual that would like the exposure that will come from a weekly column on the Valley of the Sun’s most trusted resource site then have them contact Phoenix.org.

Just What Kind of Sports does Arizona Have?

Arizona Cardinals

As hot as temperatures can get, Phoenix is even hotter when it comes to sports. As a host to numerous sporting events and home to a thriving sports culture, Phoenix has what every sports enthusiast needs. It offers an array of sports bars, sporting events, and a deep well of sports history. Including basketball, football, NASCAR racing, Phoenix has everything a sports enthusiast could want.

Not every city can claim that it is home to numerous sports franchises, let alone that it represents all four major professional sports leagues in the United States. Two of the Phoenix teams carry the city’s name and play within the city limits.

The first of these professional teams is the Phoenix Suns of NBA fame, who started their career at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum over forty years ago. In 1992 the team changed playing locations to the US Airways Center, which used to be known as the American West Arena.

The teams of Phoenix have not just crossed sports boundaries. By being great teams, they have also participated in historical social movements. As one of the original eight teams pioneering basketball for women, Phoenix Mercury helped launch the Women’s National Basketball Association over ten years ago.

Phoenix also is home to several amazing locations for sports events. Phoenix Mercury and the Phoenix Suns hold court at the United States Airways Center, which has served as the home for the 1995 and 2009 NBA All-Star Games. Similarly, the arena football team the Arizona Rattlers play at the US Airways Center.  Other teams continue to move to the Phoenix area, such as the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League, who moved to the Jobing Arena  over a decade ago.  In addition, the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is home to the Phoenix Flame, the team of International Basketball League fame.

Also, the collection of teams known as the Cactus League determined that the favorable climate of was a good reason to conduct spring training in Tuscon and the nearby Phoenix metro area. How could they not? Though temperatures often escalate close to 100 degrees, Phoenix has the most reliable precipitation of any state. Rainfall is sparse, allowing teams to practice outside with little worry over weather-based interference.

This weather becomes particularly beneficial for sporting events other than football and basketball. Phoenix also hosts the Phoenix International Raceway, a major venue for NASCAR racing events.

This article is provided by one of Phoenix.org’s guest writers. We are still in the process of finding a local real estate expert to compose our weekly real estate column. If you know of a real estate professional that would like the exposure that will come from a weekly column on the Valley of the Sun’s most trusted resource site then have them contact Phoenix.org.

Benefits of Owning a Home in Phoenix:

Image Source: http://freshome.com/2008/03/19/home-interior-design-by-timothy-corrigan/

In Phoenix you will find some of the best reasons to get involved in real estate. Whether you are buying or selling a home, Phoenix is a place rife with opportunities to increase your financial equity and find satisfaction in owning a beautiful home in a great neighborhood. Just a few of the reasons to live in Phoenix include its expected household income, high school graduation rate, college degree attainment rate, and the successful marriage rate.

Getting involved in real estate first involves deciding to stop renting a home so you can own one. Renting restricts your options on what you can do to improve your home. Your landlord determines whether or not you can make certain types of improvements, or if you can make any improvements at all. And should the landlord agree to let you make alterations, it still does not make sense to spend your money on alterations that you do not own. When you leave, the landlord will appreciate the money you spent improving his or her property.

And given that landlords often attempt to keep costs to a minimum, they will likely look to keep repairs and improvements at their cost to a minimum as well. So not only does renting keep you from enjoying the long-term benefits of any improvements you make on the home, it ensures that many repairs and modifications will be done at your expense.

Consider instead the wonderful benefits of owning your own home. Especially at a time like now when the price of a home has never been more affordable. When you own a home you can do whatever you want. And whatever you do to improve your home is a benefit for you to appreciate. Any added value to the home is now money you can add to your bank account should you ever sell your home.

What if you have already purchased a home? Are you now ready to sell it? If so, it is likely you are reeling from a plethora of emotions. Selling the home you have invested time and money into may leave you nervous about leaving behind the place you formed cherished memories in, or anxious about moving to a new place. Or you may be excited about the prospect of moving to a new place with new adventures.

Perhaps the most important advice as you take the steps to sell your home is to first contact a Real Estate Professional. Sensible home owners rely on these professionals to provide a “Competitive Market Analysis,” which gives you an at a glance picture of what your home is worth and what you can expect to make on its sale. The reason you do not stop at one is that each Professional may offer a different perspective. One may offer a view that shows expected profits lower than you expected, while another may suggest your profits could be higher than you dreamed. Gather information from each of them to determine the most informed conclusion.

JD Hayworth Arizona

J.D. Hayworth, previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a local Phoenix A.M. radio host has stated that he is planning on challenging current Arizona Senator and multiple time presidential hopeful, John McCain, for his senate seat.

“We will formally announce at a later time, but we’re moving forward to challenge John McCain,” he said. “I think we all respect John. I think his place in history is secure. But after close to a quarter-century in Washington, it’s time for him to come home.”

Mr. Hayworth cited a recent outcry of support from local Arizonans as having a significant influence on his decision to run.

Many political insiders claim that Mr. Hayworth’s biggest drawback will be his need to raise significant capital to properly challenge the incumbent McCain. It is stated that John McCain currently has over 5 million dollars in campaign contributions that he is planning on using against Hayworth. Many claim to even have a chance in the primary Mr. Hayworth will need to raise at least 2 million dollars.

In addition to the significant amount of money that John McCain has been able to raise he also has the support of Sarah Palin, an individual that has tended to ignite the “base” of the republican party, the part of the party that seems to disagree with the status and politics of Senator McCain.

The team at Phoenix.org

Sarah Palin agrees to campaign in Phoenix on behalf of Senator McCain

Starting March 26^th Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 running mate of Senator John McCain, will be assisting Senator McCain with his reelection bid for his Arizona Senate seat.

Her assistance will include at least one public campaign event and one private event.

Regarding the endeavor Senator McCain was quoted as saying “”I’m looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail with my former running mate, and I know my fellow Arizonans will welcome her, as well”. Senator McCain also stated that he feels that Sarah Palin continues to remain a “leading voice” in the GOP.

The support of former Vice Presidential candidate Palin will be a boost in the arm of the McCain campaign, who are planning for a tough reelection run against former Arizona representative and local Phoenix talk show host, J.D. Hayworth. A Rasmussen poll taken in November of last year shows current Senator McCain and former representative Hayworth in a neck and neck struggle, both with a 45% approval rating.

Check back for additional information.

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