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| - I re-visited the Mill Ave strip last Monday for my spring break since I was visiting my alma mater ASU, after 30 years ;) I took the light rail from north-central Phoenix straight to the Mill Ave/3rd St stop to see what Mill Ave looks like now compared to when I was previously there in 2000 to watch 1970s teen idol Leif Garrett perform a comeback concert with his new band at the old Mill Ave Sport Rock Cafe. Also, Rita's Italian Ice on the strip was having a First Day of Spring freebie ;)
I imagine the "strip" is situated between (shady) Mill Ave / 3rd and Mill / University Dr and also a downtown Tempe. It's a decently re-vamped block to hang out at if you live in/near the area, are an ASU student or a faculty, meet a friend or a date for a bite to eat, or want to entertain your out-of-town family or friend. There are mainly restaurants/bars (some chains, some local), a 'hippy' store, Changing Hands bookstore, and vintage movie theatre to start with- many affordable. Besides the ASU maiin campus, there is a beach park nearby where you can boat (not swim). Since I went there on a Monday early afternoon, it wasn't too crowded. I did see some vagrants, but they weren't bothersome. Overall, it was clean, safe, and gave off a quaint aura during the daytime, with many spots for photo ops. If you ride the light rail or a city bus, you don't have to deal with narrow roads or parking / meters, which is a big plus. Just wear very comfortable sneakers and lightweight clothes and you're off to a pleasant start ;)
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