It’s been three years since Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana opened its doors in Scottsdale. But as we all know, change is the only contant. Thus, the pizzeria will be heading downtown. Which is cool, because downtown Phoenix needs to keep growing. Anyway, their new home will be on the historic 1st street. Executive Chef Matteo Schiavone will obviously maintain the quality food items, some of which are imported straight from Italy. Located near the ASU Downtown campus and the Phoenix Public Market, the new location is guaranteed to bring in more business. The downtown location will open its doors on May 28 with a grand opening party on May 31.

Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana | 705 North 1st Street | Phoenix

It is the last day of the year. You’ve probably already figured out what you’re doing tonight, but if you still need some ideas, check out this New Year’s Eve party round up. So grab your dress, grab your suit, a couple bottles of champagne and let’s get ready to have some fun tonight.

Scottsdale’s NYE Block Party – Block parties are always fun because they let you walk around and mingle with thousands of people. In one of the Valley’s most happening spots, this will be a great party.

A Gatsby New Year’s Eve – Taking place at the W Scottsdale hotel, you can party like it’s 1920 tonight. Make sure to wear your flapper dress and tux.

Mill Avenue Block Party – Tempe’s yearly event will surely draw thousands of guests. With pretty much every bar participating, there will be live music, dancing, and fun.

“RA”ckin New Year’s Eve Party – Every location of RA Sushi will be celebrating tonight with a party. Enjoy food and drink specials while you bring in 2013.

For more New Year’s Eve party ideas, click here.

Sure, it’s not exactly going to be like Time’s Square on New Year’s, but CityScape Phoenix will have a lot to offer while you’re saying goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013. Also take note, New Year’s is one of Arizona’s largest nights for DUI arrests, so why even risk it? If you stay at Hotel Palomar, you can just ride the elevator home instead of getting behind the wheel.

Let’s take a look at some of the hottest NYE parties going down that night:

Copper Blues

You can party the night away and enjoy live music at Copper Blues when The Instant Classics take the stage at 8:30 pm and play until 2:00 am. Guests can choose from three different packages ranging from general admission to all inclusive ($25 – $75 per person). Doors open at 6:00 pm and reservations are recommended.

Gypsy Bar

For its first New Year’s Eve celebration, Gypsy Bar is going all out and hosting a “Reset” party. The night kicks off at 8pm with specialty entertainment acts, Go Go dancers, video DJ LA and food and drink specials and packages. At midnight, guests will be treated to a complimentary champagne toast and party favors while they watch the ball drop in Times Square on 12-foot, high-definition screens as confetti and balloons drop from the ceiling.

Arrogant Butcher

Start the night off with dinner at one of Downtown Phoenix’s favorite restaurants, Arrogant Butcher. They will be offering a special dinner menu from 11am from 10pm highlighting some of its specialty menu items.

Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix at CityScape & Stand Up Live

Ring in the New Year with Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix at CityScape with beautiful downtown accommodations, a night of fun and special VIP treatment.

After you’ve had a day to rest from stuffing your face this Thanksgiving, head to CityScape in downtown Phoenix for more holiday festivities. This Saturday, CityScape Phoenix will officially kick off the season with the lighting of the Christmas Tree.

Local favorite band, Jimmy Eat World will help light the tree at 6:30 p.m. Followed by a performance by the Phoenix Symphony Brass Quintet and Christmas carols from the ASU Gospel Choir. You can head there early for the opening of the ice rink at 2:00 p.m.

The festivities also include a figure skating show, face painters, free cookies and hot chocolate and much more. If you’re 21 and older, grab yourself a beer or wine from Chloe’s Corner and enjoy their beverages outdoors.

‘Tis the season, folks.

The holidays will be here before we know it. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. The bad thing: We have no gift ideas yet for our loved ones. The good thing: You can enjoy all the wonders of the holidays starting November 23. CityScape Phoenix will kick off the season with a tree lighting event and the opening of the CityScape Phoenix Ice Rink.

The ice rink at CityScape is the largest outdoor rink in all of Arizona. In homage to the ice rink at Rockefeller Center in New York, the rink will become a distinguished holiday staple in downtown Phoenix, as it will be dramatically placed in the center of Central Avenue.

From November 23 to January 6, you can enjoy ice skating Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Proceeds from skate rentals will be donated to six Valley charitable and non-profit organizations.

Throughout the season, Chloe’s Corner will be offering a free hot chocolate with every skate rental. If you’re 21 and older you can purchase beer and wine from Chloe’s and enjoy their beverages outdoors. ‘Tis the season, folks.

Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, Cityscape has something for everyone. Whether it’s a fancy schmancy restaurant or just a casual place to grab a drink, it’s starting to attract much of the nightlife in the downtown area. But what about lunch time?

With plenty of offices in the surrounding area, Cityscape is the perfect spot to gather your co-workers for a lunch that doesn’t come in a sack. Check out our round-up of the restaurants that offer lunch specials so you can make the most of your mid-day escape.

Fuego CityScape

Happy hour at this newly opened modern Mexican restaurant goes beyond the typical fare. Monday through Saturday from 3pm to close, enjoy 18 different menu items for $6 or less. Menu choices range from Cubano sliders and a BBQ pork quesadilla to empanadas and mini veggie tostadas. For drinks, chose from wines by the glass, premium drafts, housemade sangria, the Fuego Margarita or the mojito of the day.

Copper Blues

Every weekday from 11am-3pm, Copper Blues is taking a section of their menu and making it available for $9.95 and adding in a soft drink. Monday is burgers, Tuesday is salads and sandwiches, Wednesday is pizza, Thursday is the entire menu and Friday is pizza with a beer for $9.95.

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The spring sun is shining bright and what a great way to enjoy the sunshine than with a tall glass of this week’s lemony fresh The Mix Tape by DJ William F-ing Reed. Serve it up all weekend long. Here’s the recipe: Listen. Enjoy. Repeat.

Beach House – Myth
Neon Indian – Hex Girlfriend
Lemonade – Neptune
Bowerbirds – Tuck the Darkness In
Madeon – Icarus

If you’re a tall, leggy-lady you’re: a) making us jealous b) in luck because Long Tall Sally is bringing their spring/summer collection of casual wear for the 5’8″ or taller woman to Phoenix for a weekend pop-up shop! Shop the collection of maxi dresses, suits, denim, outerwear and more. All items are specifically designed for women or those who require a little extra length in the torso area, sleeves, inseams or anywhere else. It’s not just adding extra inches to a hem either. Instead, each and every garment is crafted from start to finish with a tall woman in mind so that the rise, pockets, waist, sleeves and inseam all fit perfectly, proportionally on a taller figure.

Shop the collection March 10 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and March 11 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix.

Hyatt Regency | 122 N. 2^nd Street | Phoenix, AZ 85004

Happy Friday! T.G.I.F. Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Here’s our list of what’s up around town:

Listen Up: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents red, blue, GREEN: a blues by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, mixing hip-hop, poetry and activism, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. Free pre-show chat with the artists Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Theaster Gates. Your show ticket gets you free access to neighboring SMoCA after the show at 9:00 p.m. More details and ticket info here.

Drink Up: Join the MBar at the Montelucia Resort & Spa for their daily happy hour, Monday – Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with $10 off wines by the bottle $5 off wines by the half bottle, mix drink specials and light bites. Stay late from 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. for live music by Remedy tonight.

Up on Art: Join District American Kitchen & Wine Bar downtown Phoenix tonight from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. for an special local artist reception happy hour. Artist Robert Holman Charon will showcase artwork that evokes an all-embracing balance of converse yet connected imagery, while Kristine Kollaschshows her artwork that boasts rich layers of color and texture. Specials on snacks and drinks while you listen to sweet sounds of local DJ Jared Alan and admire newly installed artwork from two local artists.

Kristine Kollasch

Charge it Up: This week, El Chorro is unveiling its three new Blink electric vehicle chargers, which offer green drivers an easy and convenient place to charge their car while they enjoy a great meal.

Laugh It Up: Dennis Miller live at Celebrity Theatre Saturday, January 21 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to the funny man’s single show start at $40.00. For more info and ticketing click here.

Cook It Up: Savoring the Season: An Edible Education Series at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market continues tomorrow with Stocks, Stews & Soups with Chef Payton Curry and McClendon’s Select. Class is from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. and the cost is free, but limited to the first 25 participants. Check full schedule here.

Freshen Up: Celebrate beauty at the Neiman Marcus Scottsdale Beauty 2012 event  Friday and Saturday January 20 and 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m Personal skincare, makeup and fragrance consultations available, makeup experts available for makeovers and introduction of spring cosmetic lines, Free Flow Yoga classes compliments of Sumits Yoga Biltmore Studio at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and more. Call for makeup and yoga reservations 480-990-2100.

Look Up: The Carefree-Cave Creek Balloon Festival takes off Saturday, January 21 at the Carefree Resort & Conference Center starting at 4:00 p.m. Vendors, kids zone and balloon glow from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fireworks at 8:30 p.m. For more info, click here.

 Ballon image via Sun City Times

The newest destination to Arizona’s list of staycation escapes isn’t another golf resort or a multi-acre Southwestern playground. The latest destination is downtown.

Vacationers and staycationers searching for an urban-style escape like us recently, can find themselves at the newly opened Westin Phoenix Downtown hotel. With dramatic floor to ceiling window views from each signature Westin Heavenly Bed, waking up urban in one of the 242 rooms is a breath of fresh white-tea scented air.

Wendy’s Hot ‘N Juicy Tour of America is stopping in Phoenix at CityScape Wednesday, November 30th to hand out over 1,500 free Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburgers with Frosty from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. Burger tasters will also have a chance to win prizes and participate in interactive games. Wow – Wendy’s been getting around with this freebies since September when we told you about the opening of their modern eatery in Phoenix. Keep the freebies coming!

CityScape | 1 East Washington Street | Phoenix, AZ 85004

Image via Wendy’s

Though the record-breaking August heat is rolling into September, it’s time to head to Downtown Phoenix once again for the sights, sounds and tastes of First Friday.

You can start your night by parking at the Phoenix Art Museum and use the free Artlink Phoenix shuttles to get around to a number of art galleries throughout the evening. Admission to the museum is free on First Fridays and be sure to check out the stepping, stomping and hand-clap dancers that are performing there tonight.

We’re especially excited to check out the Shape Shifter: Paintings & Patterns by Jason Smith art exhibit debuting tonight at the After Hour Gallery from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. As seen here, Smith combines mid-century modern inspirations with a dose of psychedelia to create delightfully colorful pieces.

Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue will be happening as always on First Friday and DLT-favorite Phoenix Public Market will be open until 11 p.m. with live music and their always-wonderful selection of fresh local food, beers and wine. Practical Art has live music from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. with snacks and refreshments being served.

Be sure to keep up on the action on Twitter by following and share what’s happening with hashtag #phxff.

The nerds are coming, the nerds are coming! As we count down to Phoenix Comicom on May 26 – 29 (aka the Valley’s largest comic book and pop-culture convention), we wanted to spotlight one of the fest’s wackiest attendees. Named the Arizona Ghostbusters, they are, well, it’s pretty self-explanatory, right. These kid-party favorites will be rolling into Downtown Phoenix with their vintage ECTO-AZ station wagon and inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in tow.

Even cooler, they will be joined by actual ‘Ghostbusters’ cast members such as Ernie “That’s a big Twinkie” Hudson and William Atherton (pictured), who played the seezy guy you love to hate in classic movies such as ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Die Hard.’

Happy one-year anniversary, Sticky Fingers. Don’t have any idea what we’re talking about? Why it’s only the Valley’s most muther-f’ing rock party. Hosted by DJ William F’ing Reed at Bar Smith in Downtown Phoenix, this hip-swiveling shindig celebrates a full-year of hot jams and cold drinks this Friday, April 28. As in tonight!

Can’t party on such short notice? We have a solution for you. The Remix Artist Collective (RAC) is coming to Sticky Fingers in downtown Phoenix on Friday, May 6. If you aren’t familiar with the RAC, we won’t look down on you through our thick-rimmed hipster glasses, but these are the guys responsible for mixing songs from bands like Block Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Edward Sharpe, Temper Trap, Surfer Blood and huge names like The Who and Pink Floyd. There are some other details that involve distinguishing club mixes from these remixes, but too much explanation just clouds the real objective: great music. Shake up your schedule and check it out.

Two companies, two plays, one theater and one playwright. The folks at The Herberger Theater are apparently big fans of the prolific yet mysterious, Rich Orloff (pictured), because they are producing two of his plays on one stage, back to back throughout May and June. Orloff, who has written more than two dozen one acts and 60 short plays, has been produced more than 600 times by theater companies around the world and is known for his humor and critical acclaim.

You can catch Funny As A Crutch (May 3-12) and It’s…Nothing Serious (May 17-Jun 20)at  the Herberger’s Lunch Time Theater series. Bring your lunch or order a boxed one provided by the theater for the 12:10 shows. Tickets are only $6 and you can get them here.

Earlier this year, Phoenix’s 12 News began broadcasting live from its brand new home in the heart of Downtown. Even cooler, the station now features a ‘state of the art’ street-front studio, so you and your friends can embarrass yourselves appear on live TV, a la the Today Show‘s studio in Times Square. Personally, we can’t wait to watch the 24/7 excitement that is Downtown Phoenix, including the occasional businessperson hustling by, and maybe a lost tourist or a hungover ASU student. We kid, (we hope.)

But real story here is the TV station’s new location, wedged into the 10-story tower originally built as the HQ of the Arizona Republic newspaper. In other words, these former local media titans have shrunk so much that they both fit inside the same building.

But hey, it’s a party right? Click here to get details on today’s all-day street festival, culminating with a fireworks show and concert by the Valley’s-own Gin Blossoms. [Update: A scheduled appearance by the Today Show's Al Roker has been canceled, and the event will now double as a blood-drive/fundraiser in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Tucson.]

Meanwhile, to learn more about this corporate spin job, click read more.

Image via AZ Central

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Heres the latest from Andrew From AZ. (This might shock you, but that’s not his real name.) Plucked from the obscurity that is our comments board, Andrew is snarky, single and a bit of a (reluctant) scenester. In other words, he’s the perfect person to document the trials and tribulations of life in the world’s hippest suburb.

Pizza isn’t one of those sexy ethnic foods (Korean BBQ! Tapas! Peruvian!) that people who live in real cities fail to fully appreciate, but there is certainly more to it than the ubiquitous Pizza Hut would suggest. Pizza has to be among the most popular foods in the US (what picky teenager won’t eat pizza?), and yet, too few Americans are willing to experiment and explore the flavors, textures, and variety it can offer.

I was a clueless kid when I first ate at Pizzeria Bianco. I’d just graduated from ASU, and at that point the most adventurous thing I’d ever eaten was a quesadilla from Chino Bandido.

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If a picture’s worth a thousand words, this photographer deserves a serous raise. Yes, the Arizona Center, a massive shopping and commercial complex in Downtown Phoenix that’s always been a bit of a bust, just sold for $136,500,000, reports the Phoenix Business Journal. Which seems like a lot for anyone who’s ever shopped at this handsomely-landscaped outdoor mall, considering the only tenants that have managed to stick around for the past few decades are pretty much the movie theater and the cheesy beer & hot wing joint, Hooters.

In fact, the mall parts of this mall were pretty much abandoned over the past two decades, as the entire second-floor food court was transformed into commercial space.

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As ASU Downtown deals with an outbreak of bed bugs, we wanted to take you inside the bugs’ handsome new home at Taylor Place dorms. Honestly, if we were a bed bug we’d choose to hole up here as well.

A new dormitory on ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus has provided a new model for student housing thanks to the progressive design team at SmithGroup Architecture. There are a couple of words that were likely not part of your college experience: panoramic views, modern design, green building. For some new students attending Arizona State University and staying in the new Taylor Place dormitory, those words only scratch the surface of their next-generation experience.

Here’s a headline that will cheer Arizona Wildcat fans. It turns out there are some unwanted transfer students this semester at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. Namely, a bunch of blood-sucking pests that, once they show up, are almost impossible to get rid of. But enough about the fundraising arm of your college’s alumni organization. Hey-o.

Yes, ASU officials have confirmed that bed bugs were discovered inside the high-tech new Taylor Place dormitory, although the infestation appears to be isolated to a single room on the fifth floor of tower two, according to News 3 report. The bugs, which are attracted to their prey’s warm breath, are mostly nocturnal and can feed unnoticed on their hosts.

Reddish-brown in color and the size of an apple seed, the bugs are resistant to most pesticides, and prefer to raise money through a relentless series of newsletters and silent auction events. Wait, we’re getting them confused with our alumni association again.

Downtown Phoenix's new Province restaurant features bold Latin flavors such as shrimp and grits with Manchego cheese

Are you counting down the days until opening day at Chase Field? Do the D’backs have a chance to rebound from back-to-back awful seasons? If we knew the answer to that last one, we’d be in Vegas right now. But one thing we do know, there are some great new pre- and post-game drinking and drinking options in Downtown Phoenix. After all, just because you’re going to a baseball game doesn’t mean you have to settle for greasy nachos and (crappy) $12 beers. Hit up one of these sleek new hotspots featuring some serious culinary chops.

Tucked into the first-floor of the soaring new Westin Phoenix Downtown, Province restaurant is a stylish new spin-off of the Chicago original. Featuring a bold (and surprisingly affordable) menu of Modern Latin dishes, Province is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner up until 10 pm. Click here to see the full menu, including the killer-sounding shrimp and grits with Manchego cheese and a ‘BBQ’d Ten Hour Braised’ lamb with roasted eggplant, chorizo and cornbread.

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More than eight decades after it first opened, the Santa Fe Freight Depot is set to reopen in Downtown Phoenix. However, instead of workers packing fresh produce under layers of ice to ship back east, this historic 15,000 square-foot building bedecked with handsome Art Deco flourishes will house hundreds of government property auditors. (At least pissed off homeowners will now have a pretty place to come argue their case when they run afoul of ‘the man.’)

Image via Vanishing Phoenix

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The 4th Annual Phoenix Fringe Festival is coming to a Downtown Phoenix art venue near you this April 1-10. What’s a “fringe festival” you ask? It all began in Edinburgh, Scotland back in 1947 and has since frayed its way around the world taking place in hundreds of cities from Melbourne to Prague. Bringing together avant garde dance, comedy, music and theater, this festival has become a popular platform for emerging and experimental artists alike. Get more details after the jump and buy your tickets here for a cutting edge time. »READ MORE

For all the dreary news we’ve been reporting about Downtown Phoenix’s supposedly up-and-coming dining scene, we’re practically ecstatic to pass on some good tidings. Opening this Thursday, March 10, inside the lobby of the sleek-looking brand-new Westin Downtown Phoenix, Province restaurant is yet another import from the Windy City.

But this ain’t no Italian Beef joint. The original Province in Chicago helped introduce Miami-style Modern Latin food to the City of Big Shoulders and has been featured in Food & Wine. Which might sound a little funky (and pricey), but the menus sure look affordable and downright delicious. Literally. See a savory picture gallery after the jump.

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Did you catch the Phx New Times‘ in-depth report on AZ’s budding Medical Marijuana industry “Pot of Gold”? (Great headline BTW.) We did, all 5,464 words of it, although we may have started skimming at one point. It’s a solid breakdown of all the people and organizations scrambling to get a slice of this potential financial juggernaut, including allegations of shady shenanigans between wannabe dispensary owners and the bureaucrats in charge of regulating pot dispensaries. And like all local controversies involving politics and name-calling, there’s even a Jason Rose sighting.

That said, the only thing missing from this long, detailed (and long) story was any mention of the New Times‘ own massive financial stake in medical marijuana.

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