Downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is bustling with activities for foodies, fans and families.

Sports fans can see the Diamondbacks at Chase Field or the Phoenix Suns or Mercury at U.S. Airways Arena, both bordered by great places to eat before or after the game. Head to Majerle’s (pronounced: "Marley’s", and named after Phoenix Suns legend Dan Majerle) or Alice Cooper’stown for good eats with other fans.

Downtown caters to those interested in the arts, with the Herberger Theatre (where you can see off-Broadway to Ballet Arizona), Orpheum Theatre, and Symphony Hall. The Metro Light Rail takes you to the Phoenix Art Museum and Heard Museum, both just a couple stops north of downtown. You can also catch Artlink’s First Fridays, on the first Friday evening of every month, where all the art galleries, shops, bars and restaurants stay open late and vendors and street performers entertain crowds on Roosevelt Row and beyond.

If you have a family, be sure to check out the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, housed in a historic school that’s known for the [pool] Noodle Forest, their tricycle carwash, and the three-story Climberini among numerous other exhibits. Also head to the Arizona Science Center for their hands-on exhibits and the Dorrance Planetarium.

If you come hungry, you might recognize some of downtown’s best restaurants from the Food Network, where Pizzeria Bianco has been highlighted, as well as Matt’s Big Breakfast. Expect a wait at both, but the food is worth it. Be sure to also stop by Hanny’s, Phoenix’s first department store, now turned into a hip spot for eats and drinks. Chef Johnny Chu creates delicious Asian tapas at Sens, and the renowned Nobuo Fukuda prepares amazing creations at Nobuo at Teeter House.