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AZ Restaurant Week Along the Phoenix Light Rail

Tony Arranaga — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:06:28 +0000

I’m borrowing a list from the crew at CenPho.com (sign up for their email alerts here) which has a rundown of all the Central Phoenix restaurants taking part in Arizona Restaurant Week. Of course, here on Light Rail Blogger, I’m giving the CenPho.com list a light rail spin.

Arizona Restaurant Week (September 18th through September 26th) celebrates local hot spots by offering deep discounts at some of your favorite dining destinations. Below you will find my list of participating restaurants along the light rail line in Phoenix.

Aiello (Camelback Station)

Cheuvront (McDowell Station)

District America Kitchen (Central and Van Buren Station)

Durants (Encanto Station)

Harley’s Italian Bistro (Indian School Station)

Kindcaid’s (3rd Street and Washington Station)

Portland’s (Roosevelt Station)

St. Francis (Camelback Station)

The Compass Arizona Grill (Central and Van Buren Station)

Information on how to ride the Phoenix light rail can be found here and a Phoenix light rail map can be found here. Take time to treat yourself and enjoy the week!

Why Tour de Light Rail is the Only Pub Crawl I Like

Tony Arranaga — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:17:34 +0000

What I’m about to say will either bother some people or shock them: I’m not a huge fan of pub crawls on the Phoenix light rail. It’s not that they’re bad, In fact, I appreciate how pub crawls bring people downtown to experience light rail for the first time not to mention the revenue created for local businesses. Here’s my issue: I just can’t drink that much. This means for me, the price of a ticket is a waste.

There is one exception to the rule, and that’s the 2nd Annual The Tour de Light Rail which takes place this Saturday night. I first met organizer Lennox Punch last year over lunch, as he prepared for the innaugural ride to bars around Phoenix. I like the pub crawl because every Tour de Light Rail benefits the Arizona Hemophilia Association. As it turns out, Punch has a personal stake in making sure the event takes off: His brother is a hemophiliac. The Tour de Light Rail blog post below explains why this year more than ever, the event is so important.

The first thing that differentiates this from all the other pub crawls is that one-hundred percent of the proceeds go to charity. This is not some bar promotion in the traditional sense, or a specialty showcase of some sort. All though bars do get massive traffic and exposure! This is about getting bodies – a lot! – out to have a great time, while at the same time trying to capture that sense of happiness and goodwill, and turning that into dollars to those who need it most. It’s no secret that a lot of things are falling by the wayside during this tough recession In these trying times, every penny is going to number-one. And there is nothing wrong with that. Survival is paramount. However, things like the arts and philanthropy have taken a hit. Plato once wrote, “Necessity, who is the mother of invention.” If that’s the case, then creativity is her daughter. And this Tour de Light Rail is a wonderful example of all those forces coming together.

According to the TdLR website, last year’s event raised $1200 – that could send 40+ children to a monthly youth event, or support 24 families in crises, or buy 48 medicial alert bracelets. A small amount of money can do so much for people who are living with the genetic disorder.

This year’s event sounds like it will be even bigger than last year with sevem awesome CenPho bars lined up: Doc’s Place, Draw 10, George & Dragon, Macayo’s Depot Cantina, Seamus McCaffreys’, The Tavern on Mill, and The Turf Pub. Tour de Light Rail tickets can be purchased online or over the phone. Prices start at $30 and come with a t-shirt.

Cheers! Here’s to another successful event!

A Phoenix Light Rail Map can be found on this page.

Phoenix Light Rail Map

Tony Arranaga — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:03:31 +0000

View Phoenix Light Rail Map of Stops and Nearby Bike Racks in a larger map

Skateboard decks to the rescue

Tony Arranaga — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:13:46 +0000

A popular First Friday gallery recently put the call out to Phoenix artists and other public figures. The owners of After Hours Gallery asked the local celebs to design a skateboard deck for an exhibit and auction to benefit families with autistic children here in Arizona. You may recall, I volunteered my friend Kyle to help me create a work of art. (Ollie the trolley and a skateboard) Upon realization that my artistic skills were limited to the stick figures and smiley faces, the Best of Phoenix Jordre quickly took over the project and created our masterpiece. Thank you, Kyle!!!!

I’m so excited to be a part of such a great cause! You can see more shots of Kyle’s work here. Meanwhile, you can see what other artists did with their decks here and then hop on over here to see who will benefit from the event.

The cost of living carfree

Tony Arranaga — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:50:04 +0000

How much do people really save living carfree? You might want to consider how much you’re spending using alternative modes of transportation. This way you can compare the amount you spent owning a car and the amount you spend using alternative modes of transportation.