Tempe Conventions & Visitors Bureau

There’s the defending American League West Champion Angels. There’s the undefeated and top-ranked college baseball team in the country at ASU (who beat archrival and the second-ranked U of A Wildcats last night!). There are 11 other Major League teams within easy driving distance, including two division champions and the NL representative in the World Series. Tempe is the center of the baseball universe each spring. Having been to both, Spring Training in Arizona is literally in another league compared to Florida. The weather is better, the stadiums are nicer and it’s much more convenient to see different teams. And Tempe is the best place to get to it all because it is centrally located to all 12 Cactus League teams. Most are within minutes Downtown. And don’t forget the Devils. Few college programs have had the success or the tradition on the baseball diamond as ASU. When it comes to the national pastime, Tempe is the place to play ball.

This week, Tempe was named the “Best Walking City” in Arizona and one of the top 100 in the nation. Very cool.

 Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association surveyed major cities across the U.S. to find the “Best Walking Cities.” Tempe was ranked 66 among the Top 100 Walking Cities in the country. Tempe was given a 95 out of 100, mainly because of having the most people who walk to work, the most people who use mass transit, the amenities in our downtown and the most parks per square mile. To see the results, visit www.prevention.com/bestcities.

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine and we were talking about why we love Mill Avenue so much. This sums it up…She was on the patio of La Bocca, a new restaurant and wine bar, on Saturday. While they were drinking wine and sharing an order of bruschetta, they saw a guy with dreadlocks, riding a skateboard past the patio, carrying a guitar. Recently, I saw one man playing the flute on the corner and another on a rather normal-looking bike, wearing a very unusual headlamp. There’s the regular poetry slams at Mill’s End Espresso and the wafts of live music coming from The Big Bang and The Loft. You can always count on having a good time on Mill, and you’ll never run out of food to try, but the best part about it is the mix of people here. You never know what you’re going to see and I find that inspiring in so many ways. Everyone is welcome…and I’m glad that they enjoy Mill as much as I do.

I think it’s so awesome that Flogging Molly is coming to Tempe for St. Patrick’s Day! They are the type of band that would play Boston on this holiday (big lovers of the green beer you know), but nope, they decided to join us warm weather loving folk in Tempe. This is going to be an awesome show!