Radiate Phoenix September Gathering: Urban Grocery and Wine Bar

September 24th, 2009

Radiate Phoenix, a gathering of downtown advocates and urbanophiles will celebrate its two year anniversary next Tuesday, September 29th with an exclusive preview of the all new Phoenix Public Market Urban Grocery and Wine Bar.¬† RadiatePhx brings together architects, urban planners, city representatives, downtown residents, business owners, students, artists real estate professionals and placemakers like me. The purpose is to support the urban core, learn more about the downtown region, engage with other who are passionate about Phoenix’s urban environment and work to influence development and policy. Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month.

This months meeting has a special personal meaning for me.  The downtown Phoenix Market was where I attended my first RadiatePhx gathering in February 2008, when the Urban Grocery was little more than an empty storefront and a dream.  Since then, I have followed the trajectory of the Urban Grocery from a concept to reality with a special interest.  In some ways it mirrors my own progression from a lonely urbanite lost in the urban desert to a member of a fledgling urban community.

Through RadiatePhx, I have met some amazing people, many of whom have become great friends, received invaluable ‘behind the scene’ information on what’s going on downtown, and even been able to help influence future development and policy. Perhaps most important to me, however, is that the community formed through RadiatePhx have given me the courage to become an active placemaker.¬† Without the support of fellow Radiators, I doubt that I would ever have had the courage to the inaugural Jane’s Walk Phoenix last May, last weeks Park(ing) Day events, or started wiring for the Downtown Phoenix Journal.

So whether it is your first or 24th Radiate event, I hope you can make it out to celebrate this important milestone in the evolution of downtown Phoenix.

radiate-final-smallThe specifics on the celebration are as follows:

WHEN: September 29, 2009
TIME: 5:30 — 7:30
WHERE: Urban Grocery and Wine Bar @ the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, 14 E. Pierce St. (at Central Ave)

For more info, visit the Radiate Phoenix Ning site.