Mill Avenue District

Mostly a college town vibe, but a corporate vibe took over on the 2000s. Fortunately, when nearby Tempe Marketplace opened, many of those corporate retailers moved over there. As more tech and insurance businesses filled in along Tempe Town Lake, it has evolved again. During the day, mill is filled with people of all ages eating at restaurants and shopping at the local shops. At night, the bars are filled with college students and other younger adults. Tempe does a good job of having events and concerts at Tempe Town Lake Park. These crowds often overflow onto male avenue before or after the events. There are annual Spring and Fall Arts Festival that are also enjoyable for the streets are closed off. It's also a great place to go for Halloween weekend. A majority of the crowd dresses and costume.

When I visited family in Phoenix in the late 80s and early 90s, we did three things: Salt River, Hole in the Rock, Mill Avenue, and random volleyball bars. Mill Avenue is to Tempe what Second Street is to Long Beach, what Main Street is to Huntington or Seal Beach, what Campbell Avenue is Campbell, what State Street is to Santa Barbara, what Santa Cruz Avenue is to Los Gatos, etc.Back in the day, it was the best place to go for Halloween, and on weeknights for free concerts at Hayden Amphitheater, the biggest acts I recall seeing being Dread Zeppelin. I don't know what it's like now, but it can't change much from being a row of shops, restaurants, and bars. Looks like they still have Fat Tuesday, Urban Outfitters, Five Guys, Jack in the Box, and the Art Theater, where I saw "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" and "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark". What I miss most is the Graffiti Shop, Aahs, a hidden sundial, and the fountain outside Coffee Plantation where you could put your feet in on the metal grates, touch the fountain, and feel the electricity, even passing it along to people who would let you touch them. It worked on picking up girls. I guess you could say Sparks would fly. If you were a dad.

Mill Avenue is a street in the city of Tempe, AZ that runs north/south about four city blocks long. But, the most infamous section is the northern terminus that stretches two blocks from University Drive north towards the Salt River where the area is dominated by bars, chain and local restaurants, movie theaters, shops and everything in between. Part of the street also borders Arizona State University to the west, so simply put, it's a fun, young, energetic, happening spot in town. When I lived in Mesa back in '95/'96, I was still too young to drink but we'd cruise through on the weekends via automobile, lol.Enter present day, my spouse and I were in the city overnight after a weeklong vacay in Puerto Vallarta. Wanting to see the area again and show it to my spouse, we made a special Uber trip from our hotel in Phoenix to Mill Ave. to take in the sights and have cocktails before dinner back in the city.It wasn't as hopping as I remembered, but was still lively nonetheless and felt very safe. Numerous parking areas are peppered throughout the area. We ended up at Fat Tuesday https://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-tuesday-tempe?osq=fat+tuesday where we had amazing cocktails and apps!OVERALL:Entertaining, lots of dining choices, great nightlife.

This is THE place to go out in Tempe. Exactly where you want to go on Mill depends on your age, your taste, and the night of the week. Mill has an Irish pub, a beloved piano bar, college kid clubs, and places for beer pong tournaments, trivia, and karaoke. A friend of mine bought a painting off the street at 1am outside CASA before our group went to grab some late night Steak & Shake, and it still hangs in his living room. Classic Tempe stuff. You should know what you're getting into if you're on Mill Ave. If Tempe was New Orleans, this would be Bourbon Street. If ASU was NYC, it'd be Times Square. There are crazy people of all affiliations, and almost no parking spaces. Watch out for scooters, and give them a spin if you've never tried before - it's fun! Small, locally-owned businesses don't take up all the space here anymore, but there are still plenty to explore and support. As much as I love it as a going-out place, it's just as good for finding a brunch spot or a place to watch the ASU game. If you're already looking on Yelp, you'll find something good. Go local!

Marvels on Mill AvenueBy R. M. S. ThorntonIn the heart of TempeLay a part of town most bizarreA street whose crazinessRivals that of Roseanne Barr It has the beauty and allureOf Kate Middleton's wedding gownMixed with the dolor and lunacyOf an Amanda Bynes meltdown Always fun and excitingThere is no better place to beIt's like going to DisneylandWhile on heavy doses of LSD A boulevard which makes oneQuestion God's sanity in his creationsSurrounding a schoolThat's number one in innovation I traverse the avenueAnd encounter a vagrant who pleadsHe tells me "I'm not going to lieI just need money for weed" I pass a disheveled bearded manWho is in a fit of maniaScreaming at a bouncer that he'sThe prime minster of Saudi Arabia I see twenty year old girlsIn small scantily clad outfitsHolding one of their friend's hairWhile she vomits into a waste basket And as I see blacked out college kidsTaking intoxicated nose divesIt makes me think that maybe the voting ageShould be raised to twenty-five I get accosted by some religious zealotsWho tell me I need to prayAnd shout at me like Alex JonesYelling about the frogs being gay But the novelty wears offI get tired of these fundamentalistsSo I piss them off by sayingThat I'm a Scientologist I arrive at a video game barStart playing my favorite consoleBut get distracted when I see a sideshow performerStaple his balls to his girlfriend's asshole I go to my favorite restaurantPretend to be a respectable suitorWhere I witness a homeless manEat 120 wings and refuse to pay for them at Hooters I go back outsideGet approached by yet another dudeHe's dressed like Ash from PokemonAnd says he needs money to find his Pikachu I sit down on the Starbucks patioNear a man who likes to yellAt every couple who walks by himThat premarital sex leads to hell I journey a little furtherSee an eighteen year old drunkenly sobI ignore her and walk into Whiskey RowTo get myself a Cobb I spot a woman cursing at the policeSo I get closer to witness the frayShe then grabs the cop's horseAnd we all get doused with pepper spray I arrive home that nightFeeling a bit distraughtLike a parent who catches their kidDoing Tide Pod Shots Yet despite its nuttinessIt still has a special charmI love it with all the derangementOf Jason Voorhees's mom So if you've ever wanted to live outThe plot of a dystopian novelCome down to Mill AveFor you will surely marvel © Copyright 2018 by R. M. S. Thornton

This review is for daytime only. It's probably a whole different animal at night. I've been to Mill Ave several times over the last couple years. We always get on the light rail at Christown Mall to get there. It's only $4 for a day pass to ride the light rail, which is a nice change of pace from driving to Tempe. Mill Ave has a different feel then most places you go. It's a nice area for a walk, lunch and window shopping. There's a variety of places to eat and some offer patio seating. Great way to relax and people watch. Overall, it's clean and there are usually security people on bikes. The only real negative that I've found is the vagrants. They've been worse the last couple times we went there. You just have to put them on ignore.If you really want to make it a fun day, head over to Tempe Town Lake Park and ride a pedal boat on the lake!

You're getting old. Your college days are over, and you have a crippling fear of "douchebags" or lightly dressed women who remind you how much weight you've gained since graduation. You tiptoe through the mainstay restaurants like Rula Bula while avoiding Sun Devils at every cost. Then you post unflattering reviews on Yelp while secretly knowing you've enjoyed every trip.Mill Ave falls somewhere in between posh outdoor strip mall that tickles every fancy to unnavigable, clogged road, full of drunkards and the cops who babysit them. Either way, I'll be having a blast. Think to yourself: Where else in this town could you stumble out of the bar at 2AM, find yourself in a hookah bar until 4AM, then grab some cheap eats and chat until 6AM, when the booze starts flowing again. It's a cycle that can last as long as your wallet or organs do.Seriously though, there's no place I'd rather be taking a stroll in the middle of the night. Paired with all the epic times I've had here with or without getting hammered, I'm afraid this is as good as it gets in these parts.

Mill Avenue is an interesting place. It reminds of a downtown area, but smaller. This place is popular because it is within walking distance to Arizona State University and has a ton of stores. Many artists/performers like to come here and play their instruments on the streets on certain nights (I believe often on Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays). There are so many different type of stores throughout these street that meet a variety of needs. There is a store called "Hippie Gypsy" that has tons of unique items you would think a hippy would use, but it is overall just a fun store. There is all kinds of ice cream places, restaurants, bars, clubs, convenient stores, high-end clothing stores, boutiques, and even a piano bar. For me personally, I get scared sometimes here because they are homeless people sometimes that asks for money, but they haven't given me a problem. I still personally would never go alone as women, but that's just my opinion. If you are a visitor, I would hit this place because it's unique for Arizona. :)If you want to see all the stores here, here is the link http://www.millavenue.com/directory/shopping

I love this place. My husband introduced me to this place. We come down here a lot to eat, drink, dance, and walk around. I enjoy Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Slices, Five Guys, Fat Tuesdays, Third Thursdays, Art Festivals, New Year's Eve Block Party, street performers on all the major corners, and night life. I highly recommend coming out here for New Year's Eve Block Party, if you are 15 and up. It's amazing. Tons of people but didn't feel crowded at all. Security could have been a little better. Some teens like to light people on fire with fire crackers. Come on peeps! There are kids out there in the crowd. I do not recommend bringing out your young kids to the block party even though they had a kids corner. If you are a night owl, this is a great place to hang. During the week, places are open late, but kinda quiet. Weekends are packed full of music and fun.

The Mill Avenue District is the ONLY place in Arizona where you can actually walk from place to place. You can park your car and spend all day there! It is also the only downtown area that is waterfront, so you can relax while walking along Tempe Town Lake, or even rent a paddle boat from Rio Lago.There a several great restaurants in the Mill Avenue District, such as Caffe Boa, House of Tricks, and La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar. There are also several major events that are definetly worth going to, like the twice annual Tempe Festival of the Arts! Downtown Tempe encompasses the Mill Avenue District (Mill Ave), the Lake District (Tempe Beach Park), University District (College Ave), and the Farmer Arts District (Ash Ave). There is LOTS to do.