Hi all! This Friday we went to the Artwalk in Phoenix. Ummmmm where to begin? Shontielle, Katrice and I (Erica Nicole) got there around 8:30. We were lucky to find parking because it was very crowded.
Once we started walking around on Roosevelt between 7th and 7th we learned that First Fridays have changed drastically. The last time I was there (nearly two years ago) it was filled with 20-30 somethings, great art, cute little restaurants. It was very young, hip-hop, classy-casual, etc.
Now it's wack. The art is still there, the restaurants are still there but the cool people have been replaced with teenagers in white tees, drug dealers pushing empty baby strollers and hippies - no, for real. Some of the night's highlights:
We were hit on by 13 year-olds - twice
Called drunk ho's by 13 year-olds once (wrong on 2 levels, obviously)
Watched a side-show performer stand on broken glass with his bare feet
Met evangelists for Mason Betha's church in a restaurant/bar
Why you should go:
There are cool artisans who make cool stuff. Shontielle and I bought super cute earrings
The art is still there and gorgeous/funky
You can try cool stuff like Hemp ice cream sandwiches
If you go into a restaurant you can avoid the white tees
Why you should skip it
It is hard to stroll when people are rudely rushing into you
It can get expensive if you eat there and buy stuff from vendors
There were about 1000 police officers around
The crowd is slightly depressing
The Basics
Days: Every night but the 1st Friday of the month is the hot night
Time: 7pm until
Cost: Free galleries. Individual prices at restaurants, bars, vendors etc
Location: Roosevelt between 7th and 7th
Crowd: Teenagers in white tees, hippies who yell at you on the sidewalk, police
Dress code: none
Atmosphere: A lingering feeling of having your purse snatched
Make up your own mind but we prolly won't be at First Fridays again. I will take in the art on an off night. Until next week's exploits, if you left the south side of (insert any city here) to get a good job and live in a nice house here, getting shot by some halfway gangsters in Phoenix would be pretty pathetic. So stay away from the club!
T&E!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't think you gave First Fridays a fair shake. The street vendor area is only one little part of the ArtWalk. There are galleries, programs at the Phoenix Art Museum (which is large, well lit and air conditioned) Grand Avenue venues and events and a free shuttle designed to help you hit all the spots while you park at the library in a well lit and safe parking lot. Walking around any dust downtown area is sure to be a downer, the Art Walk is much more than that, you should really think about trying it again and exploring the more substantive parts of the event.
ReplyDeleteWill do Tia1 Thanks for the second chance!
ReplyDelete