2010 Mesa National Poetry Slamoff

Anthology, Inc., in association with Evermore Nevermore and Queens Pizzeria present the 2010 15th Annual Mesa National Poetry Slamoff! Poets have been working for four months to earn a spot on the Mesa National Poetry Slam Team, come see the results of their hard work! Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door

Mysta Craft Workshop

April 26th starting at 6pm. Hang at Evermore Nevermore and create or recreate if you've done it before a craft.

Check out the inside of this great store.

Evermore Nevermore is a unique collection of one-of-a-kind clothing designs and accessories, costumes and comic books, pop culture art and cool-ass collectibles.

Home, Sweet Home! in Downtown Mesa, of Course

Richard III

Southwest Shakespeare Company of Mesa AZ, is going to start their production of Shakespeare's Richard III this week at the Mesa Arts Center. And we celebrate the Bard's birthday this Friday,the 23rd!

Friday Night's Fun

http://jeansnewbeginning.blogspot.com/2010/04/friday-nights-fun.html

de la Cruz Bistro in Downtown Mesa.

The place was full, and much to our delight; dancers and music. We had not a clue what entertain and fun we would have watching and listening. This dancer, Liliana is fantastic. If I could do half of the movements she does, I would be thin for life. The food, oh my, the food...it was wonderful, a blend of Cuban, Mexican and South American delights. If you are in Mesa some evening and with not a clue where to eat….try this delightful restaurant.

Took this from Jennifer Hanson's blog about her date in Downtown Mesa

Jennifer's blog- Nothings and Notions from my Noodle tell about a recent date with her husband. Apparently she got the idea from a book called

Simply Romantic Dates on a Dime. Jennifer said "Downtown Mesa, AZ is a very interesting place to visit. It has a beautiful center for the arts - which brings in some excellent concerts and plays - and a museum of contemporary art. One of the more unique features of Mesa is the permanent sculpture collection - an outdoor display of sculptures that spans a six-block stretch of Main Street. But the sculpture we came to see was this one

A twenty-five-foot sculpture of the famous painting by Grant Wood, American Gothic. This traveling exhibit, named God Bless America and created by J. Seward Johnson, has been touring cities all over the U.S. and has most recently made a stop in our very own Mesa, AZ.

This thing is incredible. When viewed from across the street, it appears to be a 2-D cut-out from every angle - looking like someone had simply sliced up the original canvas and enlarged it. One has to be right under it to be able to see the three-dimensional, gigantic details. It was a very interesting effect.

we headed into the Museum of Contemporary Art for "free admission Thursdays."

(Museum of Contemporary Art - photo by Devin Hanson)

Jennifer's date Devin Hanson took these pictures. All of them in our wonderful Downtown, which is a secret to the 97% of the 460,000 residents of Mesa! WHY, when we have all of this to be proud of. I love it when people find us and take pictures to remember!

Local First Arizona, good idea.

Support Local Tip #2: Question preconceived notions! Is big box always cheaper & more convenient? I find tons of killer deals in local shops, & local restaurants have more flexibility in offering daily specials than chains. W/ a higher likelihood of better quality goods & services & the fact that the $ you spend w/ locals recirculates in the AZ economy up to 3X MORE... suddenly "cheap & convenient" sounds pretty weak.

There are great deals to be found all over Downtown Mesa. Cucina Di Vita's coupon deals, Nunthaporn Thai's killer $7.00 lunches, Boutiques like Blossom and Contagious. Even free museum entrances on three for days, and free activities on the First and Second Friday of EVERY month.

Contagious is an understatement. You can't stay away.

There are a new batch of adorable glamour hats that you will want to pick up at Contagious on Main Street in downtown Mesa. They retail for $25 each. Check them out, I bet they go quick

.http://makazhome.blogspot.com/2010/04/glamour-hats-just-in.html

All Aboard...Light Rail

Arizona PIRG, a group that advocates for the public interest, released a report this week titled The Business of Light Rail. According to the AZ PIRG website, the report provides an on-the-ground perspective of how light rail helps small business owners in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Many of the businesses mentioned were negatively impacted by the light rail during several months of construction. Now that the system is up and running, the business owners are seeing the benefits of having light rail roll along the streets of Phoenix. What exactly does the report accomplish?

However, as of yet, there has been no document which compiles anecdotes of how the light rail has benefited the local economy. This report provides real-life examples of businesses that have thrived by having light rail access near their establishments, documenting perspectives from local business owners in their own words that statistics simply cannot provide.

Arizona PRIG

There report mentions six common themes and perspectives amongst the 14 businesses profiled in the document.

¨ increased foot traffic due to light rail

¨ businesses shaping their location decisions in anticipation of light rail, thereby potentially decreasing urban sprawl

¨ light rail’s value as a transportation alternative for special events like community festivals

¨ increased visibility for the businesses near the light rail

¨ light rail’s role in community development

¨ light rail’s role as a mobility option for people who cannot drive.

Here is the link to the report

http://www.arizonapirg.org/home/reports/report-archives/smart-transportation/smart-transportation/the-businesses-of-light-rail-a-compilation-of-local-business-interviews.

Another announcement about Mesa's extension of light rail....

Mesa to unveil light rail extension details. Metro will give the public its first full look at how the light rail system will look in downtown Mesa when the planned 3-mile extension is to be completed in 2016.

The April 24 presentation will unveil the latest plans for where stations will be positioned, how they will be designed and how they will integrate with the city’s plans to redevelop downtown. After taking public comment, Metro will proceed with engineering the four-station extension. This open house will be held in conjunction with other downtown Mesa events including the MacDonald Street Farmers’ Market and MACFest. It will take place at:

Saturday, April 24, 2010
9 a.m. – noon
18 W. Main St., Mesa (between de la Cruz Bistro and Milano’s Music)

For additional information on this meeting or project, please contact Carla Kahn at (602) 744-5552 orckahn@metrolightrail.org. Light rail extension information is also available online.

Awesome merchants in Downtown

I found this blog about our little hidden gem called Downtown Mesa. I know outsiders think this is all you get when you come to our town. But we know better, huh? You gotta love the reference to crack and other antique stores!

Loot.
I been shoppin' for old stuff again.

We hit the Antique Plaza on Main in downtown Mesa. This place is huge and has two levels! It's amazing how much old crap was crammed in there. I brought home some more pretties. Behold:

A milk glass planter/vase, a gold rimmed milk glass bowl, a milk glass reamer, a milk glass bowl/dish, a vintage apron, a cheese slicer, and a gold rimmed (supposedly 22kt?) milk glass egg plate.

But the best find? That citrus reamer. I saw it the minute we walked in the door. There's a big stairwell that leads to the basement, and it was on a shelf down there. I had my husband go see what the price on it was, and it turned out to be only $8!!! Take that, you crack smoking, $65 dollar charging antique vendors at the other place!!! It's pretty too - much nicer than the ones that say Sunkist on the side that I've been finding. I'm so happy with it!