Safe, fun, accessible recreation providing hours of time outdoors. What more can you ask for?!read more

I think it's very impressive to learn that the greenbelt project transformed a serious flooding…read morehazard into one of the valley's top residential and recreational areas. I feel it's like an oasis of parks, lakes, paths and golf courses across miles through the heart of the city, and it's so peaceful and chill to walk through the greenbelt area.

Neat little spot, industrial meets nature!…read more Came for a quick little looksie, of course the heat is a killer but seeing the falls & the short little walk around was lovely.

Ok, I'm going to give this place 5 stars because, technically, it is a cool place that not a lot of…read morepeople know about. It's actually a hydroelectric plant along the Arizona Canal. As we approached the building (you can't go in it), the smell hit us and I thought, oh no, I've made a huge mistake. I think I was just there on a bad day or something, because I didn't see many reviews mention the smell at all. What smell? Raw sewage, very sulphur- and trash-like. I mean, it STUNK. It was strongest at the top overlook, right next to the building. As we went down the staircase to the lower level, the smell began to dissipate and eventually, to my nose, disappeared altogether. On the lower level, we saw the waterfalls. You can walk under/behind two of them and there are "seats" made of stone blocks in front of the third. The water was flowing pretty hard the day we visited, so the seats and all the pavement was wet and there was a slight mist coming off the middle one. The overall place is like a mixture of industrial and environmental architechture. There are metal-looking columns holding up the upper deck, yet the waterfalls look like they were copied from Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, and there are large stones/rocks embedded into the walls everywhere. It sits on the edge of a small park with a decent sized lot and there are hiking paths. We only came for the falls, so I can't speak to the hike, but the area looked fairly nice. I'd like to see it at night as it looks pretty cool in pictures I've seen. If you're looking for something a little different to do or show your visitors from out of town, this is a neat place to go. Hopefully, the smell is a one off, but even if not, hold your breath and go down the stairs..... 13/2026

Created by Donald Lipski out of Ipe, Brazilian hardwood, these gigantic 28 foot tall doors are…read morelined with reflective stainless steel inside. At the top the illusion is of a kaleidoscope and it is beautiful. The decor on the outside makes for an ornate door design. You can see yourself reflected in all the surfaces as you spin around. And there is sound as well, created by Jim Green and made up of different music such as percussion, flutes and Soleri Bells at Cosanti. When I visited it wasn't that busy so I could walk around and stand inside and admire myself and the shiny surfaces. It was cool. I enjoyed the experience. The music added another dimension to the sculpture, making it magical. The kaleidoscope effect at the top looked like a diamond. I could have stood there a long time just gazing at it.

Super cool piece of art right in the middle of a shopping area. This art piece was created by…read moreDonald Lipski and is composed of wood and stainless steel. The overall appearance is of doors stacked up against each other, creating a hidey hole inside. Take time to go inside and look around at the reflective surfaces. Listen. Relax.

The tour was worth the five year wait/lottery! We had a wonderful docent and received a fantastic…read moretour of Tovrea Castle which was superb in every way possible. I have lived in Arizona, specifically the Phoenix area, for most of my life and have driven by Tovrea Castle thousands of times. It was so cool to be able to walk the grounds and get a peek inside. I would highly suggest entering the lottery, it's free and some people have better luck than I did and can get in sooner than 5 years. This was an insightful tour mixed with great storytelling and history. The basement with all the artifacts of the family and learning more about the area makes me proud to be a part of Arizona! Worth the visit!

If you live in the Valley it's highly likely that you have driven by this place. From the 202 fwy…read moreyou can easily see it. I often wondered what is that building? Finally after passing it so many times I was curious enough to look it up. I googled "cake shaped building PHX" and it was the first result. "Tovrea (said tov-ree) Castle aka A jewel in the Sonoran desert" Since 2010 the City of Phoenix purchased, renovated, and opened it for tours. The very abbreviated story with this place is that some homesteaders from the early 1900s owned the land, sold 277 acres to a wealthy Italian man. Alessio Carraro had built a fortune in the sheet metal business in the 1920s from San Fran. He planned to build a hotel resort surrounded by a housing subdivision on 277 acres, Carraro Heights. The castle was built near the timing of when the Great Depression set in. Carraro wanted out, he sold the castle and some amount of acreage (for a fraction of his investment) to Della Tovrea, wife of cattle baron E.A. Tovrea. She lived there until her tragic death in 1969. Nearby is the Stockyard Restaurant, built by E.A.'s son so cattlemen had somewhere to eat near the stockyards. That restaurant still exists today. I plan to check it out. If you want more details and full story, go take the tour :) however tickets are not easy to come by. Tours sell out many months in advance and they started using a lottery system. I bought my tickets months ago. However worth a try to go. I wouldn't say its the most amazing thing I've ever seen and the use of the word "castle" is a stretch. I've been inside some real castles in US and Europe, however it's interesting and a fun thing to do and it satisfied my curiosity! :) Per their website- The Ticket Lottery for Fall 2022 Tickets has ended and all tickets have been distributed - look for last minute cancellation tickets. Ticket Lottery for Spring 2023 Regular Tours closed on October 15, 2022 and Winners will be notified via email starting November 1, 2022. https://tovreacastletours.com

So for my thousand Yelp review I wanted to make it special. I wanted to chose a place that is a…read morestaple of the local community. I mean after all, isn't that what Yelp is all about? I wanted to review a local business that seemed to Ooooooze AZ identity. Sooooooo, I even put a call out to my friends and fellow Yelpies on social media. I asked them to think about it. When they thought of AZ, what local businesses came to mind? I got so many great answers. However, when I saw the list I realized that after 15 years being Elite, I had already reviewed all of them. When I went onto this page and realized I had not made a review of the David and Gladys Wright House. It seemed like a perfect Karma solution and partnership. I did not know how that was even possible that I had not already reviewed this local treasure. What a great way to complete my One Thousandth review with such an amazing place! To honor a great artist that is associated and influenced within the State of 48 is special. Wright is one of the Kings of American Architect. So let's begin. When you go you will be greeted to a unique layered circular shaped home. Some of you might recognize the ASU Grady Gammage cake swirl technique. ( do you like my fancy non expert architecture terminology there? Ha!) The driveway is the same. Take in all the glory of that breathtaking view of camelback mountain and the property. According to https://franklloydwright.org/site/david-wright-house/ the masterpiece of this Wright residential home home was Titled "How to Live in the Southwest" in the plans by Frank Lloyd Wright, the David & Gladys Wright House is one of three spiral designs realized by Wright. Raised on columns to provide a view of the property's citrus orchard, the house at the base of Camelback Mountain looked outward towards the surrounding desert and inwards onto a central courtyard with a plunge pool and shaded garden. David and Gladys Wright lived in the house until their deaths (David in 1997 at the age of 102, and Gladys in 2008 at the age of 104), after which the residence fell into disrepair. Saved from demolition, its current owners are restoring the property. In early 2022, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Definitely sign up for a tour and go and check it out. It is totally worth it for historical and artistic purposes alone. Oh, okay, who am I kidding? It is worth the price alone to just check out that view and the home. Just a quick note, you cannot just show up and expect to get in. You have to go with a tour. Enjoy your visit. Happy 1,000 review! I hope this was helpful to those architecture and history fans out there.

Came here for a holiday lights open house this year…read more You park at the south side of the church at 5225 E. Camelback and there is a door that you walk through to get to the Wright House. I have to share, it was a beautiful evening. The weather was warm and even before we got out of our car, we could see the hundreds of Christmas lights twinkling in the distance. As we walked through the door, we were greeted warmly by volunteers and there was a long, long driveway leading to a giant Christmas tree beautifully lit, the long driveway continues to the house. There was a string quartet playing and hot chocolate/ coffee & macaroon served by the Henry. I brought my 9 year old son & his friend with me. There were not too many kids there which was too bad since the look of wonder on their faces were priceless. They were old enough to appreciate the experience and the architecture. It created a memorable experience for them. The house itself is being restored and sits on I think sits on at least a 3 acre property. It's beautiful & worth a visit. Thank you for opening this up for the public for this holiday season!

Who knew a Cosanti was located in Paradise Valley! I've always traveled north to Arcosanti located…read morein Mayer to take visitors and purchase gifts. This has a much different vibe than the Mayer location. We were able to watch the Artisans at works, creating the various winches, bells and other metal art. The various rooms look like they were built right into the ground. I also felt the art was more interesting at Cosanti. Make sure you stop in for a tour, read about the history and find some truly unique gifts or decor for your home.

This was an enchanting work shop/art exhibit north of Scottsdale…read more I didn't expect such a nice arrangement of creative wind chimes that were cast metal and glass. The entire establishment is an art piece with the creator having envisioned the architecture to appear the way it is. The chimes are very expensive mind you. But they are beautiful and they sound terrific. There is a tour and there are classes on how to make the clay tiles, which they also sell. I would come by if you like creative arts. :)

2 generous stars for the state of Arizona. Where to even begin with this state? I've been to all…read moreareas of this state and I keep coming back because sadly, I am invested in this place. I have a higher education degree from this state and some property here. The weather is bipolar....the summers are hot. The winters are freezing cold. There is no in between. The air quality is not the best. With all the desert plants everywhere, you will have allergies you never knew you had. The driving, OMG the driving in this state could be its own trash TV show! A near collision every time you drive anywhere here! The snowbirds/blue-hairs in the winter....please flock somewhere else! People here love to hate on California and people from LA, but I've got news for you....I've never been around so many angry, irate, mad, mean, rude, and pushy people as I've been around in Arizona. Not to mention the amount of road rage incidents I've seen! What is with the on-ramps to these freeways being all left turns and double stoplights? No wonder there are so many wrong way drivers. Has anyone payed attention to the crime all over this state? Every day, multiple shootings, kidnappings, deceased bodies being found, murders, human trafficking, etc. It's also not cheap to live here! Groceries and basic things are the same prices here as in Los Angeles. Every plant growing here has a thorn on it and every bug bites, stings, or poisons you! After about a week here, I'm ready to leave. I visit often. I've been all over this state and seen tons of sights. Tried most of the food places. There are certain things here that are good: Ducth Bros, Andy's, Black Rock Coffee, Culver's, Egee's, and now Buc-ee's. However, this is not a place I could live full time. Places in AZ I've been to: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson, Yuma, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu, Ehrenberg, Quartzsite, Buckeye, Wickenburg, Grand Canyon, Peach Springs, Kingman, Hackberry, Sedona, Payson, Winslow, Tonto National Forest, Superstition Mountains/Lost Dutchman state park, Goldfield ghost town, Salt river, Saguaro Lake, Usery mountain park, Tortilla Flat, Roosevelt, Globe, Miami, Kearny, Winkleman, Hayden, Saguaro National Park, Benson, Tombstone, Bisbee, Eloy, Coolidge, Casa Grande, Maricopa, Sun Lakes, Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Mesa, Gold Canyon, Tempe, Superior, Goodyear, Avondale, Litchfield Park, Verrado, Kingman. I'm sure there are a few I've missed, but I've been all over this state.

On our way from Flagstaff to Phoenix, we stopped at the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark and man -…read morethe sight is incredible! There are other exhibits that you can check out, but the major attraction (the meteor crater) is breathtaking taking and MASSIVE. Pictures do it no justice. If you've can check it out, I highly recommend! The address is: Meteor Crater Natural Landmark, I-40 Exit 233, Winslow, AZ 86047

AC and free water. Who wouldn't like a quick stop at the Scottsdale Historical Museum. After…read morespending the afternoon walking around Old Town Scottsdale, we stumbled upon the historical museum. What a fun museum to explore the founding of Scottsdale. The staff were super nice as well.

Pretty cool little museum in between old town and the park. The people were really nice that…read moreworked there. There was some interesting information about scottsdale. I liked the baseball history of scottsdale. Best of all this was free!!!!