OG SUBURB: Dating to 1883, and sitting just outside the Downtown nexus, Garfield was one of Phoenix’s earliest suburban expansions, with middle-class families occupying adorable little bungalows, Period Revival homes and a large concentration of “pyramid cottages.” GOING TO SEED: Triggered in part by the construction of the I-10, suburban flight drained the neighborhood in the 1960s and ’70s, leading to blight and disrepair. COMEBACK TRAIL: Garfield arguably started its modern comeback in 2004, when restaurateur Sloane McFarland opened Welcome Diner in a vintage, micro-size Valentine Diner. A wellspring of bars and restaurants followed, along with home values that sometimes creep into the $700s.
Photos courtesy Bruce Yeung Photography; Gianluca D’Elia
3 Places To Eat
A Welcome Diner & Gallo Blanco
You can’t just visit one. Set across the street from one another in the heart of Garfield, these dining mainstays have supercharged the district’s modern rehabilitation.
929 E. Pierce St. 602- 495-1111
welcomediner.net
928 E. Pierce St., 602-327-0880
galloblancocafe.com
B Superstition Downtown
Jeff and Jen Herbert’s Phoenix imprint of this award-winning Prescott meadery is a must-visit… as much for the elaborate, wood-fired-oven-centric food menu as the scrumptious honey wine.
1110 E Washington St., 602-368-3257
superstitionmeadery.com
C Chez Gregory
The newest addition to the Garfield hospitality scene, this ridiculously adorable, mahogany-toned tavern is set in a renovated bungalow on Roosevelt Street, with a pleasant menu of wine-friendly noshes (e.g. vegetable board with spicy hummus and grapes) and one of the city’s coolest patios. Opened in April.
719 E Roosevelt St.
chezgregoryphx.com
3 Things To Do
D Children’s Museum of Phoenix
A proven imagination-firer for the little ones, with more than 300 interactive play areas.
215 N. Seventh St., 602-253-0501
childrensmuseumofphoenix.org
E Alwun House
Part art gallery, part performance venue, part sustainability-minded park, this community studio, set in a 1910 home, predates Garfield’s modern renaissance and is the heart and soul of the neighborhood.
1204 E. Roosevelt St.
602-253-7887, alwunhouse.org
F The Black Theatre Troupe
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, this Garfield-adjacent company presents groundbreaking plays that spotlight the African American experience.
1333 E Washington St., 602-258-8128
new-wp.blacktheatretroupe.org
PHOTO OP
No shortage of snappable street art in Garfield. Check out Nyla Lee’s BLM work on Third Street and Garfield Avenue.
Overnight Option!
FOUND:RE
You’ll find a smattering of reputable corporate hotels on Garfield’s southern extremis, but we suggest sliding across Seventh Street to a boutique operation like FOUND:RE Phoenix.
1100 N Central Ave, 602-875-8000
foundrehotels.com
