Downtown Tempe is well-known for its locally owned restaurants, bars and shops. Stop by Postino Annex to nosh on some bruschetta with a glass of wine on their beautiful outdoor patio or stroll next door to Snooze A.M. Eatery for some of the best pancakes you’ve ever had (we recommend the flight of pancakes). Over on Mill Ave., you can head straight for La Bocca Urban Kitchen & Wine Bar to enjoy their daily happy hour or walk across the street to The Handlebar Tempe where their friendly staff will happily assist you in finding a new favorite local beer. Pedal Haus Brewery has the biggest outdoor patio in Downtown Tempe with incredible food (their Bavarian Pretzel is a must try) and home brewed beer. Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row is great place to grab a drink, some food and watch the big game.

You’ll discover wonderful examples of public art in Downtown Tempe, displayed in the Post Office windows and embellishing ordinary, everyday objects like bicycle racks, utility boxes, bus stops, light rail stations. Watch for the newest additions to the streetscape, the “She Tempe” public art project that was commissioned by the Downtown Tempe Authority. Eight local female artists created custom works of art that are installed on news racks along Mill Avenue. Each news rack has a map so you can take a self-guided tour of these unique, colorful works of art.

Once you’re done, head north up Mill Ave. and explore Tempe Town Lake. Here, you can enjoy five miles of shoreline to walk, run, bike, roller blade, skip, tip toe and jump around. You can rent bicycles at Tempe Boat Rentals, located on the south side of the lake. Stop over and see the Tempe Center for the Arts while you’re in the area. They have a free art gallery inside that has great exhibitions featuring local artists. You can also catch a concert, comedy show or theater production here too.

Learn more about Tempe’s historic buildings, with some dating as far back as the 1800s.  Then take a walking tour of Downtown Tempe for a closer look at the historic buildings that have been restored and re-purposed as restaurants, shops and businesses. -City of Tempe