Yesterday we decided to go look at the
Encanto-Palmcroft Historic neighborhood in downtown Phoenix. The neighborhood began its life as a planned community in the 1920s. It's situated near Encanto Park, which is one of the largest parks in the city. This would be Palm Lane, which leads you into the historic area. Once in the interior, the temperature drops 10 degrees and it becomes quiet. It's remarkable.
Prior to her death, Jim's aunt Win lived in this house. Jim remembers it as a very cool house on the inside as well. Note the deep overhangs to keep the sun off the house. The house wraps around a pool in the back yard.
This is the garage in the back. Note the fence on top of the garage. It was possible to jump off the garage into the pool, which Jim did when he visited in the late '80s.
We spent some time walking around the neighborhood gawking at the houses.
Is that cool or what?
More sun-deflecting overhangs on the porch.
Trees.
I really like the architectural detail of the horizontal rows of brick on the right.
This one is on the Register of Historical Places.
As cool as this neighborhood is, it's surrounded by this. Downtown has moved in and surrounded the park and neighborhoods with business and hospitals.
There is light rail running up and down Central, which is the main drag through the downtown core.
I have to say, the Phoenix Metro area is one of the most visually unappealing places we have been. While McDowell Mountain Regional Park is some of the prettiest desert we've seen, once you move west and north, it just goes down hill from there. We haven't been out towards the Superstitions yet, I read that it's lovely there. But we are currently in a very un-lovely part of the world.
We have one more day in Phoenix to endure. For awhile we thought we'd pull up stakes Tuesday and head north to Prescott, but Dr. Su was not really enthusiastic about that plan, so we're staying put within shouting distance of the hospital, and resting up.
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