Dear Future South Phoenix Visitor,
The area considered to be South Phoenix is very large and still
growing. The northern border of South Phoenix is about where the river
bottom is, east is about 48th St., west is about 27th Ave, and the
southern border would be where the beautiful South Mountain Preserves
are.
During this class I had an opportunity to see the
true beauty of the South Mountains. Though I have lived here all of my
25 years, I never took advantage of the South Mountain Preserves area.
I was able to learn a lot of history about the park, like how the
Native Americans lived in the mountains and what animals are common in
the mountains. I could not forget to mention where our second class was
held, the Education Building at the Preserves, which is a building
where you can get even more information about the Preserves, and then
go outside to the picnic tables and have a bite to eat.
Would you like to see a small version of a melting
pot in Arizona? Take a drive just south of the river bottom in Phoenix
Arizona. South Phoenix is an explosion of many different cultures. In
any given shopping center located on Central Avenue you can have a
Mexican, Chinese, and Soul Food restaurant within that strip. There is
a McDonald’s located on Central and Southern Ave. where you could go
view a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The picture is actually
created in ceramic tile that is placed within the restaurant wall. Is
that respect for a culture and its religion or what! Speaking of
religion once you take a drive through South Phoenix you will notice
that there are many churches of all denominations. There is a church
band that sets up at an auto repair shop parking lot on Central and
Southern on Friday evenings. Sometimes the band is out there until
about 9 or10 p.m. .You can hear the band playing and singing if you put
down your car door window. The band also brings chairs for people to
sit in and worship with them.
Another restaurant on Central Ave. by the name of
Poncho’s has an interesting and important picture on its wall too. Our
former president Bill Clinton ate at this restaurant when he visited
the Phoenix area. Poncho’s has a room in the restaurant called El
Presidente, which means the president in Spanish. Inside the room you
can see a picture of Bill Clinton and a few of his agents painted on
the restaurant wall. The paintings were well done and very creative.
While you are in South Phoenix take advantage of the excellent food at
this restaurant.
I would also like to invite you to take a look at
the city of Phoenix web site, to which I have a link on my web page.
The councilman for district 8, which mainly consists of South Phoenix,
came to speak with our class. The councilman is Michael Johnson, who is
also my uncle. My uncle like myself was born and raised here in Phoenix
so he has an upper hand in knowing the city. My Uncle is also a retired
police detective from the city of Phoenix Police Department, and he had
been assigned to the South Phoenix area. I believe my Uncle was elected
because he knows a lot of the people in the district and they know him
very well. It is very hard to find a politician you know well and trust.
Well, this concludes my letter to you and Ihope you
enjoy South Phoenix just as much as my class and I did.
Yours truly,
Akesha Day
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