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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