Audio By Carbonatix
It’s no secret that the advent of the light rail has invigorated the downtown dining and nightlife scenes. Downtown used to be a concrete jungle catering to the 9-to-5 crowd, but has increasingly branched out to lure in Valley residents to eat, drink and be merry after hours.
This interest has spurred the Downtown Phoenix Partnership to release a dining guide featuring the 100+ restaurants that occupy the 90-square block district at the urban core of Phoenix.
The free guide launches Tuesday and will be available in print at a variety of hotels, convention centers, and restaurants. It includes information on eateries in development, and features like “5 Places To Take Out-of-Towners” and “Date Night Downtown.”
Within the guide there is also a fold-out map peppered with over 100 restaurant listings, with a legend to keep it simple. The map’s guide is broken down by type of cuisine and includes helpful info about whether the establishment caters to the lunch-only crowd or burns the midnight oil for the night owls. This is clearly a plus for anyone trying to navigate the sometimes tricky day-to-night transition downtown.
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
One thing that was notably absent from the map, though, was the light rail route and stops, something that would have undoubtedly helped those out-of-towners better navigate our city.
For those on the go, the dining guide will be accessible online beginning Tuesday through the Downtown Phoenix Partnership or on the street through any Downtown Ambassador (in their bright orange shirts). In addition to being well-versed in the scene, Ambassadors can both recommend a restaurant within walking (or railing) distance and print out a coupon specific to the dining destination.
