Phoenix is one of the most walkable areas in America. The city has a population of over 1.5 million people and covers over 500 square miles. Downtown Phoenix is the most densely populated part of the city and is home to many businesses, restaurants, and shops. The surrounding neighborhoods are also very walkable, with tree-lined streets and plenty of sidewalk space. Public parks are also scattered throughout the city, offering residents a place to enjoy the outdoors.
Whether you’re looking for a place to take a stroll or an urban setting to get some exercise, Phoenix is a wonderful city for walking. Here are some of the most walkable areas in Phoenix:
Some of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Arizona include those in Phoenix. Phoenix is a fantastic option for people considering a transfer due to its desert landscapes, year-round pool season, low cost of living, and 300 days of sunshine per year. Phoenix has nearly ideal weather all year long. It’s beautiful in the early spring. Due to this, folks who prefer to go outside frequently visit the Phoenix area. A straightforward walk is one of the more relaxed outdoor hobbies. The Walk Score for Phoenix is 41. While most places in Phoenix require a car, this is not true of the entire city, which serves as Arizona’s capital. Take advantage of Phoenix’s relatively level terrain and year-round sunshine to visit some of the city’s most walkable districts. Here are some places in Phoenix where you can enjoy going for walks.
Downtown Phoenix
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Need to be near the intersection of business, art, and culture? The downtown Phoenix scene is the destination for you! Phoenix’s downtown is where sporting events, concerts, and nightlife occur, and several new, mixed-use commercial buildings have rejuvenated it. Take in a performance at Comerica Theater or visit the Phoenix Art Museum, one of Phoenix’s hidden gems, to get your culture fixed. On First Friday, one of the nation’s most extensive self-guided art walks, visit art galleries across the city.
With 236 restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in the Downtown area, according to Walk Score, walkers can encounter seven of them on average every five minutes. Without a car, getting about is simple thanks to the light rail, but the downtown center is also very walkable. You don’t need to get in your car because everything is walkable in this region.
Booker T. Washington and Eastlake Park
Both communities have a long history of serving as historically black neighborhoods in Phoenix. During the Jim Crow era, they hosted several civil rights protests. These include ones led by Booker T. Washington, the neighborhood’s namesake, and Martin Luther King Jr. You can find the Phoenix New Times newspaper’s main office at 1201 E. Jefferson Street, the site of Phoenix’s first all-black elementary school. The oldest city park in Phoenix, Eastlake Park, is close to the community’s geographic core. Additionally, both areas enjoy easy access to the Light Rail, which travels west on Washington Street and east on Jefferson Street. Because Eastlake Park and Booker T. Washington are practically the same neighborhood, they are under monitoring here.
Roosevelt Row
Roosevelt Row, known to residents as “RoRo,” is primarily a business district renowned for its live music venues, events, and shops. You can find both the Garfield and Evans Churchill neighborhoods connected to it. Since 1948, the Fifth Street and Roosevelt flower businesses have been open continuously. Roosevelt Row is a creative neighborhood participating in the First Friday Art Walk events. The region regularly holds several significant events, including the Pie Social and Chili Pepper Festival. The Taste of Trucks festival offers unique dining opportunities from food trucks.
Garfield
The Walk Score for the Garfield area of Phoenix is 79. Restaurants, sports, museums, and various cultural events are all within walking distance in this historic neighborhood, which offers an urban lifestyle. Another historic district close to the downtown area is the Garfield area. Before Phoenix’s population boom, the room was a collection of farms. The City of Phoenix points to Garfield, built between 1883 and 1955, and one of the original Phoenix town site’s initial additions was the neighborhood. It is also a vivid example of a “streetcar subdivision,” in which the construction of a streetcar line through the area directly influenced residential growth. The neighborhood comprises a range of housing types, including Craftsman, Southwest, Ranch, and International, due to the home that was constructed over 50 years ago.
Governmental Mall
The area directly west of the Downtown Core is known as the Governmental Mall neighborhood. As its name implies, it includes many State institutions, including the Supreme Court and the Arizona State Capitol. Most of the city’s actual residents reside in a cone-shaped area that extends north and west from Van Buren, Grand Avenue, and 7th Avenue intersections. The neighborhood receives the remaining walkability points from this congested stretch of Grand Avenue, which recently became an artist and small business corridor.
Encanto-Palmcroft
You may not realize how near you are to downtown because of the historic revival homes and tree-lined streets. A historic district in the Phoenix area is called Encanto-Palmcroft. Most homes in this area, which are about 75 years old and offer a taste of old-world beauty, were constructed before World War II. The neighborhood invites the public into around a dozen homes every two years in the spring. If admiring attractive architecture isn’t your cup of tea, Encanto Park, one of Phoenix’s biggest parks, is nearby and is guaranteed to satisfy. Grand Avenue runs through the district and is home to distinctive bars, boutiques, art galleries, and renovated warehouses.
Evans Churchill
The Evans Churchill neighborhood borders Phoenix’s downtown. Art walks are held every first and third Friday of the month in Evans Churchill, one of Phoenix’s more artistic neighborhoods. These strolls allow you to interact with hundreds of tourists and locals while taking in the atmosphere and culture of downtown Phoenix. Visit museums, performance spaces, and other unusual locations. If seeing the artwork in the region inspires you to create, the Phoenix Center for the Arts is nearby and provides painting lessons for kids, youths, and adults.
Arcadia
Arcadia, a portion of Phoenix and Scottsdale, was constructed on top of previous citrus orchards and inhabited by citrus farmers throughout the early 20th century. Today, some of the Valley of the Sun’s best dining and shopping is on its green streets. One of Phoenix’s most beautiful and well-liked neighborhoods, Arcadia is a great place to live, work, and play, thanks to its diverse cuisine and culture, easy access by foot, and verdant surroundings. Arcadia is one of the friendliest communities in Phoenix since it is a well-rounded area with many to offer newcomers and long-time residents. The best hiking in the city is at the neighboring Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area.
Tempe
Chandler is to the south, Mesa is to the east, Scottsdale is to the north, Phoenix and Guadalupe are to the west, and Tempe is to the east. At Arizona State University’s location, there is always something going on here, whether it be watching one of the 24 collegiate sports teams that ASU sponsors, attending a play at the Tempe Center for the Arts, or just hanging out in the neighborhood brewery, Four Peaks. You can also visit the historic Maple-Ash neighborhood, a hip area with older structures ranging from ranch homes to farm cottages. Residents can kayak, sail, use stand-up paddleboards, or take in the vista of the water as Salt River passes through the town’s northernmost point.
Glendale
Glendale is tucked away in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area’s northwest portion. This formerly nondescript Phoenix suburb has developed into a lively mini-metropolis with sports and shopping, quickly earning the honor of being one of the city’s top neighborhoods! The quaint center of Glendale is home to a tiny commercial area called Catlin Court, where old houses transformed into specialty boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and antique shops. You’ll be welcomed with mild weather, plenty of sunshine, and countless opportunities to enjoy Arizonan cuisine and culture, regardless of which Phoenix area you choose to call home.