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Posted Nov 16, 2007, 6:17 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Governor's Park/Capitol Hill, Denver
Posts: 2,634
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Phoenix - Part One of Two by DenverAztec
I am in Phoenix several times a year for business and decided to post a thread of the photos I shot this past year. Most are from the last few months. This is thread one of two and I hope you enjoy my perspective of a unique American city. Phoenicians take great pride in what they have and here are some facts about Phoenix to help explain why they live where and how they do:
• Phoenix was incorporated as a city in 1881 and geographically, covers about 515 square miles.
• Maricopa County--where Greater Phoenix is located--covers 9,127 square miles
• Phoenix' elevation is 1,117 feet
• Greater Phoenix is in the heart of the Sonoran Desert and covers 2,000 square miles
• Phoenix Major Employers/Industries: The early economy of Phoenix was primarily agricultural, dependent mainly on cotton and citrus farming. In the last two decades, the economy has diversified as rapidly as the population has grown. High tech, aerospace and service industries make up the major portion of the economic base of Phoenix. Major employers include Banner Health, Honeywell, Wells Fargo and Target.
• Phoenix's estimated population as of 2006 was 1,512,986, making it the fifth largest city in the United States.
• Its city proper covers an area larger than those of New York City, Philadelphia and Miami combined. Making it the biggest state capital and the 10th largest land area for a city in the United States; however, because of its huge area, the city had a relatively low population density of only 2,938 people per square mile.
• Phoenix has an arid climate, and its average annual maximum temperature is the highest of any major US city. In fact, out of the world's large urban areas, only some cities around the Persian Gulf, such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Baghdad, Iraq, and some cities in North India such as Amritsar and Jaipur have comparable summer temperatures.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel, where I stay on business trips.
Encanto Park and the Surrounding Neighborhood - In 1934, the Encanto area began as the City of Phoenix park. The park is composed of 222 acres of land consisting of picnic areas, a lagoon, boat house where boats can be rented, swimming pool, nature trail, amusement park, fishing and two golf courses. It is approximately bounded by Thomas Rd. on the north, Encanto Blvd. on the south, 15th Ave. on the west and 7th Ave. on the east.
Church on Central
Luhrs Tower, my favorite highrise downtown
Patriots Square Park, located in downtown is a mixed-use park containing an outdoor performing arts stage and hosts community celebrations such as the Arizona Asian Festival and Cinco de Mayo.
Sprawling on 600-acres is the complex called Taliesin West. It was designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Built in 1937 onward, a architect's house and studio, large house, of concrete with timber frame, canvas roof, in a hot, dry, rural area, in Idiosyncratic Modern style. The word Taliesin means "a shining brow" perhaps alluding to the scenic location and vista. Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin, are considered two of Wright's greatest architectural masterpieces.
This iron dragon was a gift to Mr. Wright from China. Frank thought that all dragons should breath fire, so he installed a gas line and had it spit fire when guests came to visit.
The Westward Ho, downtown Phoenix
The Orpheum Theatre is a small, intimate theatre (seating 1,364) in downtown Phoenix. It was originally used for vaudeville acts as part of the nationwide Orpheum Theatre chain. Construction began in 1927 and was completed in 1929 for a total cost of $750,000. It was designed and built by architects J.E. Rickards and Harry Nace. Built in a Spanish Baroque style, intricate murals and moldings were an integral part of the design, all meant to give patrons the impression that they were enjoying the shows "al fresco." At one point all the murals and moldings were painted black when the Orpheum was used to show Spanish films. It was thought that such decorations would detract from the films. The theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places and on my list of favorite buildings to just gaze at! Heck I wanted to scale it and take home one of those little Pan creatures, but then came to my senses.
The Phoenix Art Museum complex and Theater. The museum was founded in 1936 as the Phoenix Art Center. It later evolved into the Phoenix Fine Arts Association, before being renamed the Phoenix Art Museum. Collection includes 17,000 works of art that span the centuries and the globe. Its emphasis is on American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary, and Western American art and fashion design.
Was Zorro Voluptuous?
Homes near the Art Museum
Back on Central
Hole-in-the-Rock, in the Papago Park area, is a series of openings (tafoni) eroded in a small hill composed of bare red arkosic conglomerate sandstone. The sandstone was first formed some 6-15 million years ago, and the tafoni are thought to have been eroded by water.
Desert Botanical Garden - The world's largest collection of desert plants. On 50 acres located within Papago Park in Phoenix, it was founded in 1939 and garden now has more than 21,000 plants, including 139 species which are rare, threatened or endangered.
Not the best of photos, but can you see the hungry owl in the hole of this saguaro cacti? I didn’t want to get too close for it was his feeding time and I was not in the mood to loose an eye to a nocturnal hunter in the middle of the desert.
Street Lamps, I think this is a Sun Devil?
The Heard Museum was founded in1929 by Dwight B. and Maie Bartlett Heard to house their personal collection of art. Much of the archaeological material in the Heard's collection came from La Ciudad Indian ruin, which the Heards purchased in 1926 at 19th and Polk streets in Phoenix. The Heard Museum has an extensive collection of Native American artifacts, including the largest kachina doll collection--donated in part by the late Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater--of any museum in the country. Arizona is home to 23 reservations representing 21 different Native American tribes.
This hair style had to be the inspiration for Princess Leah in the earlier "Star Wars" flicks.
Palm Drive, one of many palm lined streets in Phoenix.
No other city with the population of Phoenix has the ability spread out and the construction opportunities are endless. Only great things are to come if their city planners have the vision, and that vision is shared by all Phoenicians! Thank you to the Phoenix Forumers who gave me advice on where to go in their great city. Thread two found at this link: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141843 
Last edited by denveraztec; Nov 24, 2007 at 10:21 PM.
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