Lifestyle and Entertainment

A stay-in-town vacation at the Four Seasons? Aw, jeez, twist our arm. Located in the cooling embrace of the Pinnacle Peak foothills, the resort features no end of luxurious and otherwise transportive amenities. Start your day with a brisk 20/20/20 fitness class, or go for broke with a guided Sonoran rock-climbing excursion. Later, you’ll cool off with a tangerine-based spa treatment, or drink in the sunset with a pre-embargo Partagas cigar. If the killer steaks at Talavera don’t knock you out, you’ll finish your evening with a stargazing excursion led by one of the Four Seasons’ knowledgeable telescope jockeys. Trust us: It will be stellar. 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr., Scottsdale, 480-515-5700, fourseasons.com/scottsdale

 

The life of a “creative” isn’t all coffee shop bull-sessions and Flash-animated video résumés. Creativity takes overhead, baby. That’s where CO+HOOTS proves useful. The brainchild of Phoenix graphic designer/communal visionary Jenny Poon, this collaborative professional studio in the Roosevelt arts district is home to a growing roster of up-and-coming Valley photographers, web designers, writers and other assorted art-type people, providing a positively-charged work environment for a slim monthly fee. ’Cause hanging a shingle ain’t cheap. 825 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-688-2825, incohoots.com

 

It’s fitting that this popular event is called Ignite, because attendees and presenters alike are fired up from start to finish. Held every few months at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, it showcases 18 speakers – all selected from the Valley creative, tech and business communities – who give five-minute slide presentations on wide-ranging subjects, from “Social Media Stole My Liver” to “Arizona Wine” to “Lessons in Dating.” The talks are variously humorous, clever and sometimes even heart-wrenching, but wild applause brings it all together, and the result is the closest thing the Valley has to a pep rally for local pride. ignitephoenix.com

 

Indie comedies, edgy sci-fi flicks, artsy documentaries and epic foreign dramas all get equal billing at this Downtown art house cinema, a film buff’s dream that offers titles you won’t find anywhere else in the Valley. Just as appealing is the “bar” part of FilmBar, a dimly lit Moroccan watering hole with comfy lounge seating, ice-cold craft beers, and DJs spinning eclectic global sounds. If you’re up for discussing what you just saw on the silver screen, you’ll find yourself in good company. 815 N. Second St., Phoenix, 602-595-9187, thefilmbarphx.com

 

If there isn’t a concert happening on a Monday night at Tempe’s hippest tap room, chances are the mic is open to anyone with the guts to perform on the same stage as local pros What Laura Says and Miniature Tigers. Since the pressure is high and the competition is fierce, this music-centric event located off Mill and Southern avenues is one of the most pleasurable (i.e., least ear-busting) open mics in town. The fun lasts from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m., but if you’re serious about getting on stage, arrive early to put your name on the list, as it fills up fast. 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe, 480-967-4777, yuccatap.com

 

The Comedy Spot asks its open-mic comedians to cool it on the swearing and profanity, but there’s still plenty of funny to be had on the last Sunday of every month. The event is $10 to enter and shows are slotted at 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Volunteers are plentiful, so sets are limited to a mere five minutes, ensuring that the comedy newbies stick to their A-material. 7117 E. Third Ave., Scottsdale, 480-945-4422, thecomedyspot.net

 

Bars abound Downtown, but SideBar’s stylized, refined atmosphere truly distinguishes it from the dives. And we suppose the boutique liquor collection (think: absinthe) doesn’t hurt, either. On most nights, SideBar boasts the perfect balance of patronage – just enough people to satisfy the in-crowd but not enough to scare off recluses. Grab a handcrafted White Rabbit, then slide onto a chaise lounge to soak up the swanky loft’s exposed brick walls and moody lighting. 1514 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, 602-254-1646, sidebarphoenix.com

 

Though Kazimierz’s exterior is understated, its live music is anything but. After all, “the truth lies inside.” Within the unmarked wine bar, patrons can speak easy while listening to Valley jazz and blues acts nearly every day of the week. Mondays are particularly popular, when the sassy and soulful Margo Reed belts out fan favorites. By 9 p.m., Kazimierz’s bar and lounge are packed with first and 500th dates. But singles needn’t worry: Kazimierz’s cosmopolitan wine and cocktail menu will keep anyone company. 7137 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, 480-946-3004, kazbar.net

 

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace is alive and well. The Phoenix grocer/restaurant/coffee shop survived 2009’s near-catastrophic fire to emerge as a favorite uptown hangout. During prime weather, Luci’s raises the industrial-sized garage doors, transforming the retro emporium into an open-air masterpiece. Plus, the market’s community-style, integrated approach make it the perfect spot to wine and dine a new client or chat with an old friend over a latte and Funky Monkey French Toast. 1590 E. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix, 602-773-1339, lucishealthymarketplace.com

 

Orpheum Theatre has attracted unforgettable acts such as Tom Waits, David Cross and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, but the true draw of the Orpheum is the theater itself. Red velvet, gold embellishments, dramatic balcony seating and some seriously swanky restrooms adorn this beautifully restored historic building. 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix, 602-262-7272, phoenix.gov/conventioncenter/orpheum/index.html