Oakville Grocery will be opening in Downtown Phoenix as part of the CityScape project. Originally AJ’s had signed a lease but when Basha’s ran into financial trouble they pulled out of the project, leaving us all to wonder who would take their place. I was hoping for a Fresh & Easy or a Trader Joe’s although I never thought that either were a likely possibility.
Looking at Oakville’s Web site, I see the store has the look and feel of a Trader Joe’s but it also looks…expensive or just too fancy for Downtown. I don’t know a lot of Downtown residents who would really benefit from an expensive grocery store. Will it be possible to pop in here for a gallon of milk and not pay close to 4 bucks? Can I get a cheap loaf of regular bread here on a Sunday afternoon or will it be those loafs of artisan bread covered in birdseed mix for $4.99?
There hasn’t been a grocery store in Downtown Phoenix since I was born, so I guess anything is better than nothing but this seems like a bad choice to me. I wish them luck and I hope I’m wrong, but at least there is a CVS going into CityScape because that is more my speed.
I was excited to finally see [title of show] at the Herberger Theatre on opening night, especially after having interviewed the monstrously talented Lauren Lebowitz, one of the musical’s stars, earlier in the month. Going in, I knew that the show would be the real-life story of two, out-of-work New York actors in 2004 who decided to write a musical about two, out-of-work New York actors who decided to write a musical. The fast-paced, hilarious, and yet subtly serious story follows these two quirky actors and their two equally-quirky best friends as they navigate from the unemployment line to creating a major Broadway hit.
Biddle and Lynch began collaborating on each other’s plays via email and the result is a double bill, Tangelico/A Cube with a View, now playing at 
The redevelopment of that block, a project known as the Luhrs City Center is stunning, both in how it looks and that it is actually being completed. The project respects the historical importance of this site and original structures and mixes the old art deco style with the the modern. The redevelopment is thrilling and I stand behind it. (There is talk of the “D” word, Demolition, for part of the block, specifically the 1914 Luhrs Central Building on Madison and Central.) I think that this particular part of the plan totally sucks and I’m surprised that a city like Phoenix with so few historic structures left manages to find ways to knock down the ones still standing. The promise is that there will be a new, 200 foot high hotel built on the site.
You might think of the Downtown Ambassadors as knowledgeable, charming, helpful, and orange–and they are certainly all of those things–but what you probably don’t know is that the Ambassadors are some of Downtown’s most frequently stalked and talked about public figures. In fact, Ambassador Guy gets caught in paparazzi crossfire more often than Mayor Phil Gordon.
Sounds like some peeps you’d like to party with, right? 
Adams (1902-1984) was an American photographer known mostly for his wilderness photography. I’ve always been a fan of his work, particularly because I enjoy the art and mysteriousness behind black and white photography. Despite the lack of color, Adams’ photographs always look so much more real to me, so much more dramatic. You can’t help but wonder about the stories behind each photograph, especially as you stare back at images of Death Valley, Yosemite National Park, the Grand Canyon, churches in New Mexico. With his camera, Adams seemed to be able to capture the story of a place while simultaneously prodding you to discover something hidden beneath the surface.
Festive Friday: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, the Ambassadors will be stationed outside the Information Center [US Bank Building, 101 N. First Ave., Ste. 190] sharing sweet treats courtesy of Downtown businesses. You can also pick up coupons for FREE food items from participating restaurants to be used throughout the month. Plus, music by 
Hanny’s
Over 50 teams of aspiring filmmakers-with a range of talent and experience more expansive than the floating Hallelujah Mountains of Pandora–will converge at 
Twenty-eight teams entered that first 48-hour challenge back in 2005. Jason Francois and Big Brain Productions took fourth place in that festival, losing points for being over the running time limit, with their film 48 Hours To Go and Francois would later join non-profit A3F as assistant director. The growing popularity of A3F events (an astounding 82 teams entered the challenge in ‘07) has allowed A3F to put on a variety of challenge-based festivals through each year, including one-shot, 72-hour, all-star, and heroes and villains.
Impress us enough and we’ll help fund your Valentine’s Day dalliances by awarding you one of two (2) $25 gift cards to 
