My Corner of the World: Urban Recollections

I've grown up in a place where...

...Summer feels like this.

...Good food is never far away.

...There's a Circle K on every corner,
and one within walking distance from my house.

...Comics stores an other odd shops live right across the street from my neighborhood. (I'm not complaining; the custom framing store, the tiny deli, and the local music store are all fascinating.)

...The public transport system looks this cool...almost. Plus, there's lots of opportunities to meet weird and fun new people, and see the city.

...Sculptures and public art fixtures abound, some more...interesting...than others.

...I get to pick my school, even though this one's about a billion miles away from my perch. I'm so lucky to have an education at all, let alone different options to suit my own desires.

(The Melrose District, in Uptown Phoenix. One of my favorite sections of vintage shops.) 

...Cool places hide among the grunge. If you keep an acute watch as you drive around Uptown Phoenix, you can find a lot of really cool, small local places—like vintage and resale shops! My favorite. This is part of the Melrose District, where there are, among other things, many vintage shops. I love these parts of Phoenix! So much character in such a shabby little place.

(Retro Ranch, a vintage store uptown in the Melrose District.)

(One of my all-time favorite vintage shops. Again, Melrose District. I have other haunts outside of this area but that's for another story, another day...)

...This is everyone's reaction to the first days of winter/cool weather. After the initial cooler days, though, it quickly becomes "too cold" for most of us intolerant Phoenicians.

...Record stores are within reach. 10 minutes' walk, 6-8 minutes' bike ride (depending on cross-walk lights). The brighter side of local Phoenix shops. Once I get past the small deli and the dingy DQ, I reach this lovely place, along with select others nearby.

...Local shops thrive. This is another which can be discovered after the small deli (named "Cheese 'n' Stuff...mmmm...?). Frances Vintage ("A modern boutique with vintage charm") is another of my favorite detours, though it's a dangerous one. I really have to watch my wallet in there—the shelf displays tend to get a bit feisty.

...Palm trees are hard to miss, everywhere you go. I've sort of developed a taste for these abundant specimens over the years. They make excellent silhouettes against the sunrise and sunset.

Which brings me to my next point...

...Sunrise and sunset looks like this. And so much more. Every day it's almost more incredible than the last day. I am never not breath-taken by the sunrises or sunsets I see here. Sure, it's partially due to the pollution, but...I'll take what I can get. It's the little things.

...This alone allows me to survive summer. The QT frozen drinks do the job when I'm melting away into nothingness in the summer heat.









I don't think Phoenix is ugly. I know it's not Paris or New York or some greatly acclaimed and gorgeous city, but it's my home, and it has its hidden perks. I especially love discovering new and exciting places among the many buildings. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: beauty exists everywhere, you just have to want to find it. Every day I look around and discover some new, if small, detail to marvel at.