forgiven

7th Street & Thomas, Downtown Phoenix

taken 10-11-2005

in season

12th Street & McDowell Rd, Downtown Phoenix

taken 12-31-2005

sunshine paradise

Lindsay & Main St, Mesa

taken 10/09/2009

trailer park express

Lindsey & Main Street, Mesa

Grass, desert or train??

Most of us here in the Valley of the Sun seem to think we only have two landscaping options for our yard - grass or desert. These people decided to create another possibility - why not have a complete miniature village set-up right in your front yard!

taken 10/09/2009

temptation wins

32nd Street & Southern, Mesa

taken 10/9/2009

National Veteran's Cemetery

Pinnacle Peak & Cave Creek Road

This is where my father is interred. This is a beautiful, desert cemetery on the outskirts of town, and it is one of my favorite places to go because it is so quiet and peaceful.

There are many hundreds of graves here, from older WWII veterans to the present Iraqi war. Unfortunately, there are sites being added everyday, many of them being young soldiers.

taken 5/25/09, Memorial Day

faith fulfilled

Mesa Drive & University, Mesa, AZ

This is not my church, but I liked the architectural design. There is a good sample of 60's era church buildings in Mesa, including, the predominately present Mormon churches. I will post some more styles in the future.

taken 10/12/2009

the little people

Lindsay & Broadway Rd, Mesa

We call them "snowbirds", although the politically correct name is winter visitors. They come from the northern states, stay through the winter, then leave by May before the heat comes in for the summer. Generally happy folks; as smiley as the Arizona sunshine. What a life!

taken 10/15/2009

think big

Stapley & Main St, Downtown Mesa

taken 10/15/2009

a world away

Main Street & Stapley, Central Mesa

taken 10/15/2009

time for a visit

Mesa & Brown Rd, Central Mesa

taken 10/15/2009

convenient corner

Gilbert & Broadway Rd, Central Mesa

There is one thing about the Valley, we have no shortage of convenience stores. There seems to be one on every corner, luring people in for ice cold drinks, candy, six packs, cigarettes and gas too. Seems there's always something you can get, right down the street.

taken 10/14/09

sneaking around again

Stapley and 8th Ave, Mesa, AZ

taken 10/15/2009

western sky

Main Street & Dobson, Downtown Mesa

taken 5/5/2007

decades

Downtown Phoenix, near 7th St & Thomas, alley view

Remember when Phoenix was the ideal Southwestern city? We didn't have many fancy restaurants back then, but we had lots of beautiful desert. And maybe this wasn't the place to spend a lot of time; more of a fly in, drive out, but it was very affordable. We didn't have the big store names as much back then. But we did have lots of entrepenuers that would sell you almost anything, for not very much, cause the rent was so cheap.

Now we have the Metrorail, big sports arenas and $10 martini's. We have high end people living in low end parts of town, securely protected by iron gates and big dogs. What little character there was here seems too diluted to notice anymore.

I guess, some people have changed the city, but the city hasn't changed some people.

taken 08/23/2005

a quiet response

Downtown Phoenix, alley near 12th Street and Palm Lane

There's are somethings I don't really talk about, usually meaningful moments in my life. I don't talk about them because I don't want to trivalize them with verbage. So I take pictures and I let the photos express my feelings.

I know they're not pretty pictures, or places you'd even want to spend time. I guess I choose them for their raw, uncovered, exposed nature; no hidden veneer here. To me, that's truth; the inside, the under parts, stripped of any facade.

taken 09/22/2005

another dollar

Downtown Phoenix, off of 7th Street & Thomas Rd

You sure don't have to be rich to live Phoenix. Just about everyone, of any economic status, can get by well enough here. Fancy, multi-million dollar homes on Camelback Mountain are only a few miles away from simple, single story apartments, big enough for one person to live a fairly quiet lifestyle. Life is what you make of it; you choose your way.

taken 10-31-2005

pot of gold

Dayton and Monte Vista, Downtown Phoenix

To some people, the Phoenix alleys are an eyesore and they would like to permanently do away with them. It may not show the best side of the city, but to me, it was a treasure chest full of color and texture.

Amoungst the decay and neglect, I could discover something different and wonderful everyday.

taken 08-23-2005

vintage quality

Coranado Historic District, Downtown Phoenix

The old days of Phoenix are being condensed into smaller and smaller areas, due to the rapid expansion of loft condos, growing Latino neighborhoods, and stucco homes popping up everywhere there is a empty space.
Still, you don't have look too far to find remnants of the way things used to be. We sort of got stuck in time for little while, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing!

taken 08-23-2005

do unto me

Near 7th Street & Virgina Ave, Downtown Phoenix

Phoenix used to be known as a very conservative area. With all the growth from the last several years, the city is moving towards the left (though still right of center). Nevertheless, there are still many that embody the old ways; those who just want to be left to do their own thing.

Along with this attitude is tolerance, and even yielding, but most of all an independent spirit that believes strongly in freedom and privacy.

taken 01/17/2007

if dairy queen was in mexico

16th Street & McDowell Road

Colorful hand painted windows catch your attention, luring you into a mouthwatering place. Once inside, you will not be disappointed. A choice of fruity creations intoxicate the senses, as you are compelled to decide which flavor to pick. Will it be a scoop of rich coconut, creamy banana, or tangy mango? Or shall you be more daring and try out tamarind, or even mango-chile flavor ice cream palettas? Maybe just a large cup of fresh fruit and rich cream will do you well?

If you perfer to resist the sweets, you can always settle for nachos, elotes (corn) or tortas (mexican sandwiches). Either way, the experience of these common shops are fun, colorful and satisfying.

taken 01/08/2007

work to live

Downtown Phoenix, off Thomas Road and Monte Vista

When we first moved here in 1992, Phoenix was a little big city. It was very affordable and had lots of people trying to make an honest living. About 15 years later, it became unaffordable; as investors snapped up properties, values inflated beyond reason.

Now it's coming back around again. You can actually buy a modest home for less then $125k. The big time investors have run away crying, and every neighborhood has a bunch of foreclosures. Those that moved here to make Phoenix their home, are still live around. Phoenix has come back to earth; a little more hip, a bit more urban, but still a city filled with people that still love living here.

taken 12-13-2005

eye of the camera

alley off of 7th Street and Palm Lane, Downtown Phoenix

If you take enough pictures, you will soon feel yourself transformed. The camera is no longer just an instrument to document events, but it becomes an extension of yourself. No longer are you seeing things in the same way, now it's all in a camera's perspective; a still moment, a lonely fragment, something special.

When I see something visually interesting, I want to photograph it. It's like the camera is my way of absorbing and understanding the world. It's gives me an excuse to contemplate the light, the person, the scene, in one little piece of time. And then later, in the completed photograph, I can decompress the situation, disecting the elements as if they had some special meaning that would not readily be seen, except in a photograph.

taken 01/20/2007

one for all, all for one

E. McDowell Road & 16th Street, Downtown Phoenix

Phoenix is a community of communities. There are lots of little secrets here; places, groups, and businesses. Some you would never know about unless someone took you there in person. Nevertheless, I don't think Phoenix has the anonmity of some large urban areas. Everyone here has a place, somewhere to fit in, in some way or other. Yet, no one is so attached to their micro community that they don't feel at home within the larger population. There's that casual welcome in the form of a subtle, authentic smile; it's here on most any face.

taken 01/09/2007

time to share

Near 7th Street & Thomas Road, Downtown Phoenix

If anything, Phoenix is an outdoors place. This is surprising since we are known for our extreme summer heat. Some may think residents are rarely seen out of their hideaways, always seeking relief from the blazing sun. Like the other desert creatures, we are lured outside as soon as the sun goes down. It's plenty hot still but the evening offers release of all the stored up energy of the sheltered day, as we come alive in the night warmth.

taken 01/20/2006

in service

Wilky's, corner of Mesa Drive & Main Street, Downtown Mesa

There is something about this shop that really attracted me. Maybe it's the cluttered layout that seems to lack any discernable organization, or the way the parts are condensed into every square inch of available space. Or maybe it's just the way it was lit up at night - seeming sort of empty, yet crowded. But I think it's that it reminds me of some old shop my father used to take me to when I was a kid; kind of like a dad's hangout away from mom.

taken 04/14/2007

the little people

Coranado Pool, 12th Street & Oak, Downtown Phoenix

Almost everyone in the Valley seems to have a pool. Everyone but inner city kids. The City of Phoenix saw to it to provide one as a place to go for relief from the extreme summer heat. They made it free for kids under 12 years old, sometimes even providing a bag lunch too.

This summer the pool never opened. In fact, city budget cuts have caused some pools to close down permenately. It's always those who have the smallest voice that the government seems to target first!

taken 01/11/2006

a good night's sleep

Main Street & Alma School Road, near downtown Mesa

Unlike Phoenix, Mesa (a suburb of Phoenix) has kept much of it's original businesses in tact, at least for now. Time is suspended in the many old neon signs remaining from the decades past when Mesa's Main Street was a primary throughfare for travelers coming from the east.

Many of those motels are now empty or have become low-rate apartment rentals. Only the signage alludes to better days, provoking daydreams of northern vistors in plaid shorts and wide-brimmed hats, sipping margaritas by the pool.

taken 04/16/2007

sausage factory

Downtown Phoenix, around Washington and 7th Avenue

Long abandoned, this meat factory is not in the nicest part of town. Trash blows along the side of the building. The train tracks to the south are a hang out for those engaged in suspcious activities. Next door is a large homeless shelter where crowds of desparate-looking people roam around, seeking food and shelter.

I found this mural a bit of a novelty, especially with the chain link fence, as if to keep the animals from escaping their beautiful farm paradise.

taken 03/02/2007

a momentary relief

Main St & Mesa Drive, Downtown Mesa

It's hot and I want ice cream. It's 9 pm and the tempreture is 104 degrees. It was 113 degrees earlier today. I drove around to get estimates for the broken air conditioner in my car. It was unbearable to be in the car for more then an 15 minutes, even with all the windows open.

The heat is not the "dry heat" we are known for here. This is monsoon season, which is when the dry heat combines with moisture, making it most unpleasant. We won't get much break until September, which will have high day temps but the nights will begin to cool down (below 100 degrees, that is).

I always tell people, this is like our winter - everyone stays inside during the day. For the other 9 months of the year, we have nearly perfect weather. Even though it's still hot at night, I love the balmy summer evenings.

This old DQ stand reminded me of when I was a kid back in the 70's.

taken 04/14/2007

shabby chic

Coranado Historic District, 12th St & Oak

Almost anywhere you may live in Phoenix, you're never but a stone's throw from a neighborhood of varying economic status. Truly urban and genuinely Arizona, this is Phoenix; portrait of a southwestern city with adobe roofs rising up over of a thick influence of Old West and Hispanic color.

taken 2/06/2006

out of town

I will be out of town for 4 days. No new photos will be uploaded. I will resume daily fotos on Saturday 7/11.

shopping in the hood

Clothing store on 16th street & Oak

Throughout the city are pockets of shops catering to the large Mexican Community living in all parts of the valley. These speciality shops are not necessarily clustered with like businesses but offer a range of services to a for one area, all within walking distance of each other. This clothing store is adjacent to a laundromat, beauty salon, tire retailer, two small Mexican restauraunts, a dollar store, liquor store and a bakery-ice cream parlor.

taken 01/08/2007

ol' times, good times

Mr. Lucky's, on Grand Avenue, going towards Glendale

I don't know what sort of going on's happened at Mr. Lucky's, but I couldn't resist this sign. It loomed over a large parking lot with an abandoned looking building to the west. Like many business on Grand Avenue, it looks as if it's seen better days, seeming anything but "grand".

taken 2/26/2007

simple living

10th Street and Oak, Coranado Historic, in downtown Phoenix

Some historic areas have beautiful, well kept homes that are occupied by those who can afford the higher cost and maintainance of a home over 75 years old. In Phoenix's Coranado neighborhood, there are quaint, 2 bedroom homes from the 1920's, usually owned by singles or couples in the upper-middle income bracket. These historic homes are scattered amoung small, inner city homes or apartments, usually rented by those in the lower-middle income bracket. This combination makes Coranado more affordable, edgy and characteristic of an urban neighborhood.

taken 4/19/2006

in pursuit of happiness

t

Coranado Historic Neighborhood, south of 12th St & Thomas Rd

In the older neighborhoods, there are alleys behind each house. Certainly not the most scenic area to stroll through, but I often found them to offer a unabashed range of color, depth, and character that depicts the way people really live. In our pursuit of style, wealth and thrills, we don't always take note of the way things really are, or accept that it's not necessarily something that needs to be changed.

taken 01/05/2007

room and board

Downtown Phoenix, W. Madison and S. 1st St, next to US Airways Arena

Phoenix has gone through years of attempted urban renewal. Looks like we've finally succeeded at making downtown a place to hang out before and after the game. Then there are those people who hang out cause they have no place else to go.

taken 2/26/2007

night time snack

Rainbow Donuts on McDowell Road, between 12th and 16th Streets

Always looks empty but never seems to shut down. If you were to meander in one night, or early morning (they open at 4 am), you'd most likely find a diverse range of passerby's - or no one at all.

taken 1/09/2007

hostile grounds

A cholla cactus forest, near the Salt River, east of Phoenix

These cactus have "jumping" balls that will cling to anything or anyone that gets within an inch of it. Once they adhere to your skin, there are a dozen of barbed needles to pull out. I think a cholla attack is a type of initiation innocently inflicted on all desert newcomers.

taken 3/22/2007

real food

A little taco stop on Main Street, near Country Club Drive, in Mesa

There are many 24 hour taco stands throughout the city. They cater to the all the late night workers that keeps our offices and businesses spic and span.

taken 4/14/2007

brides behind bars

A bridal shop east of 16th Street and McDowell Rd

Marriage may be a fading industry among white Americans, but the Hispanic community is keeping up the quota. Funny how the bars seem to almost imply a certain irony.

taken 11/23/2006