蜜柚直播

As our babies grow up, we鈥檝e all heard the typical sayings: 鈥渢ime flies,鈥� 鈥渆njoy them while they鈥檙e young.鈥�

So when we heard that one of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 shiny new toys is celebrating a decade of zipping around town, we couldn鈥檛 believe it. We blinked, and the Sun Link Streetcar hit the double-digit mark.

Despite being 10 years old, the streetcar hasn鈥檛 lost its novelty, serving an all-time high of 1.7 million riders last year.

The City of 蜜柚直播 is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the streetcar on Saturday, July 20, with a day full of events:

• Swing by Eighth Street and Fourth Avenue for music, games and giveaways from 9 to 11 a.m.
• Over at Main Gate Square, there will be games, prizes and discounts at local businesses from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• For the littles, there will be a 鈥淢oana鈥� story time at the University of 蜜柚直播 Student Union in the KIVA room from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
• The night will end with the Desert Haze Vintage Market, which will feature performances by The Charities and The McCharmlys, at the Hotel Congress Plaza, , at 7 p.m. (tickets are $5).
• Don't miss the Flow for the Soul Train: Streetcar Jubilee at the Mercado Annex, , from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets for the jubilee are $10 (benefitting the All Souls Procession), which gives you access to local vendors, DJs, live music and food trucks, plus discounts at select Mercado district businesses.

Connecting the community

蜜柚直播鈥檚 streetcar connects the Mercado San Agust铆n district, downtown 蜜柚直播, Fourth Avenue, Main Gate Square and the University of 蜜柚直播 with a 3.9-mile route. With 100,000 people living or working within a half mile of the route, the all-electric Sun Link offers a free and environmentally-friendly way for 蜜柚直播ans to get around.

Shellie Ginn, who was the project manager of Sun Link during its development, says that the streetcar serves as both a well-used form of transportation and a stimulant for economic growth.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been so much development that we鈥檝e had a combined amount of $4 billion of public and private investment along the 4 miles,鈥� Ginn said. 鈥淎nd then our ridership has just been amazing, as well.鈥�

Ridership on the Sun Link hit about 580,000 during 2014 when it opened halfway through the year. Between 2015 to 2019, numbers remained fairly steady between 873,000 and 993,000 riders per year. While ridership dipped during the COVID pandemic to an all-time low of 394,000, numbers are steadily rising. The Sun Link reached an all-time high of 1.7 million riders last year.

鈥淧art of that is, of course, that we have free transit now, and that allows everyone to just hop on and off and not have to worry about figuring out how to pay,鈥� Ginn said. 鈥淏ut also part of it is the development that鈥檚 happened along that whole 4-mile area that鈥檚 connecting all of these wonderful places to each other and providing great opportunity to ride up and down and take multi-functional trips of eating out (or) going to an event.鈥�

Ginn says that one of her favorite features of the Sun Link route is the art and poetry that can be found at some of the stops. Eight of the 23 stops are signature art stops and others have scrolling poetry. 鈥淲e coordinate with the University of 蜜柚直播 Poetry Center, and they provide poetry that scrolls at those stops,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o just something to be of interest while you鈥檙e waiting for your next streetcar to come along.鈥�

You don鈥檛 have to wait for Sun Link鈥檚 10th anniversary party to enjoy the streetcar.

A day using the Sun Link Streetcar as a 蜜柚直播an of four years who spends most of her time on the east side, I admit I have a lot to learn about downtown and west-side life.

So, I took a day to explore the area鈥檚 many eateries, shops and entertainment venues with the help of the streetcar. Come along with me.

STOP 1: CUSHING/CONVENTO

A clear view of 鈥楢鈥� Mountain from the first stop was the perfect way to start the day.

Across the street from this stop, you鈥檒l find the MSA Annex housing restaurants , , and , plus nine retail businesses within modified shipping containers. With patio seating and an area for live entertainment, the MSA Annex is a place to eat, drink and shop throughout the day.

STOP 2: CONVENTO/CONGRESS

After a quick ride on the Sun Link, a breakfast burrito and an horchata cold brew from were calling my name.

What began as a food truck in 2012 has expanded into three locally-owned award-winning restaurants, according to the Seis website. The restaurant has a delicious menu of breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner options made completely from scratch.

My go-to breakfast items from the Mercado location, , have quickly become the El Ni帽o burrito with birria, potatoes, pico de gallo, green chiles, eggs and cheese, and an horchata cold brew or one of their aguas frescas.

Other popular menu items include the avocado burrito, chorizo burrito, Seis nachos and the Surf and Turf Burrito.

鈥淎 lot of the food we source are done sustainably,鈥� said Seis owner Erika Mu帽oz. 鈥淲e are not purchasing or selling seafood that are overfished or not handled correctly.鈥�

The Mercado location has been around for about 11 years, and Mu帽oz says much of its growth has been because of the Sun Link.

鈥淥ur growth has simultaneously happened with the streetcar,鈥� Mu帽oz said. 鈥淭he ease of commuting between all of these awesome districts really opens everything up.鈥�

Other local favorites in the Mercado, especially for breakfast, include and . For those who are craving something small and sweet, these are two great options to grab before hopping back on the streetcar for the next stop.

STOP 10: FOURTH AVENUE/NINTH STREET

With a belly full and a caffeine fix, historic Fourth Avenue is the place to shop till you drop.

Bookworms can find something to enjoy along the avenue from the or .

The Book Stop moved to its current location, , in 2007 after 40 years at its original location on Campbell Avenue. The shop carries a wide variety of used, rare, out of print and scholarly books that are primarily donated by customers.

Antigone Books sells new books hand-chosen by three owners to provide an eclectic selection for customers. The solar-powered shop has always been along Fourth Avenue, but has been at its current location,聽, since 1991.

鈥淲e鈥檙e known for really unique books and gifts,鈥� said co-owner Kate Stern. 鈥淧retty much everybody comes here, all kinds of people.鈥�

Stern says one of the best parts of being along the avenue is the foot traffic and the atmosphere of local businesses. She says that one of the factors for an increase in business has been the Sun Link.

鈥淭he fact that you can just hop right on, even with your bike, is pretty cool,鈥� Stern said. 鈥淚t makes it more accessible for people to come here, go downtown or even to the Mercado.鈥�

Antigone Books is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Book Stop is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Those in need of more summer wear or back-to-school clothes have plenty of options to suit their style. , the and offer bohemian-style clothing perfect for the 蜜柚直播 heat. Goodwill and also offer various styles of recycled clothing for shoppers looking for a bit of everything.

and are great spots to shop for all of your spiritual and crystal needs. Celestial Rites offers incense, candles, herbs and teas, journals, books and divinations readings, while Aquamarine Daydream sells more than 40 types of crystals in tumbles, spheres, freeform styles, jewelry and more.

Lovisa Axtell, the owner of Aquamarine Daydream, says she never wanted to open a retail store. In the midst of COVID, Axtell was looking for a warehouse to work out of for her online shop.

When she saw the space open on Fourth Ave, she couldn鈥檛 resist.

鈥淚 love being surrounded by other local small businesses,鈥� Axtell said. 鈥淚 feel like there鈥檚 a lot of community with other business owners who want to see the avenue grow.鈥�

Aquamarine Daydream, , is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Celestial Rites is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and noon to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Selling vintage pins, figurines, VHS tapes and so much more makes 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s boutique a collector鈥檚 paradise. Owner Robert Hall, who also goes by Slobby Robbie, says he originally started by doing pop-ups throughout 蜜柚直播 and opened the brick-and-mortar on Fourth in 2013. He says there鈥檚 no other street he would rather be on.

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鈥淲e鈥檙e too weird for University, too rough around the edges for the foothills,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淲e like the foot traffic of Fourth Avenue without the pain of downtown.鈥�

He says he loves seeing the various customers, from college students to concert goers to tourists, come in and explore what his shop has to offer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 Fourth Avenue, you never know what to expect,鈥� Hall said.

Shoppers looking to browse at a little bit of everything can stop by , which offers local art, including crafts from recycled materials, reused products and refurbished goods.

鈥淲e now carry over 100 local 蜜柚直播 artists鈥� (products),鈥� said owner Libby Toby. 鈥淲e have anything from jewelry to wall art to soaps and apothecary to baby clothes.鈥�

With a home for music lovers at , a studio for all beauty needs at and dozens of eateries spread along the route, Fourth Avenue could easily take up a few hours to a full day of your time.

Find a list of merchants at .

STOP 14: UNIVERSITY/TYNDALL

Just up the Sun Link route from Fourth Avenue are over 20 restaurants in Main Gate Square that make great lunch spots.

If you鈥檙e wanting a slice of pizza, some loaded tots and a drink, head to .

For tacos, burritos and nachos, grab and for poke, hot rice bowls and salads, have a bite from . And don鈥檛 forget to grab a drink from UA favorite .

general manager Jonathan Graham says he loves the diversity of the crowds he sees coming in.

鈥淲e get our fair share of the college population, but our main demographic is 25 to 55,鈥� Graham said. 鈥淲e wanted a place where families can go and enjoy the atmosphere, but at the same time we鈥檙e a college bar so we鈥檙e going to get our party on.鈥�

You can hop on the Sun Link anywhere along the route and fulfill any kind of craving, from Indian food at to sushi from , in Main Gate Square.

Learn more about the area has to offer at .

STOP 8: CONGRESS/STONE

After lunch, head west and beat the afternoon 蜜柚直播 heat with an activity downtown.

In just a 7-minute walk from the Sun Link stop, art buffs can visit the , also known as MOCA, at

Housed in a repurposed firehouse, MOCA is 蜜柚直播鈥檚 only museum devoted to contemporary art from around the world. The museum is currently displaying Los Angeles-based artist Fay Ray鈥檚 exhibition Portals. The exhibition features distinctive metal sculptures and debuts a new immersive black-and-white collage created with images taken in the Sonoran Desert. MOCA is closed for summer break through Sept. 4 but its regular hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

For those looking to do something more interactive, folks 21 and up can play old-school arcade games at ,

The 5,000-square-foot arcade bar showcases popular games including Mario Bros, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Joust, Dance Dance Revolution and Marvel vs. Capcom. The destination also has regularly scheduled events with DJs and game-themed cocktails like 鈥淚nky鈥檚 Drinky鈥� and 鈥淪andia Sunset.鈥�

Later in the evening, 蜜柚直播ans can watch a comedy show or film at or catch a show at the or .听

STOP 11: FOURTH AVENUE/SEVENTH STREET

Take the eastbound streetcar at night from downtown to grab dinner, a drink or have a late-night snack at one of the many bars and restaurants along Fourth Avenue. ( has loads of dinner options, too.)

The is popular for its monthly burlesque shows, burgers and goth music selections.

Owners Jasmine Pierce and Stephanie Johnston say that the pub, , has an alternative scene coming in for their '80s and Industrial DJ nights.

鈥淲e鈥檙e fairly eclectic and very welcoming and very inclusive of everybody,鈥� Pierce said.

The pub has been hosting burlesque shows for over 18 years, the owners say, with different producers coming in each month.

鈥淒ifferent cast, different producers, different themes,鈥� Johnston said. 鈥淪o every month is a different show completely.鈥�

The owners say they love running a business along the eclectic Fourth Avenue. Johnston, the original owner, said she knew from the beginning that if she were to open up a bar, it would there.

鈥淚鈥檝e been hanging around Fourth Avenue since I was about 13,鈥� Johnston said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a great community that鈥檚 lasted for quite a while.鈥�

Serving a more college-aged crowd, tiki bar has become popular for its tropical cocktails and live music.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really fun environment,鈥� said general manager Chris Newell. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 really friendly, our bartenders are really good and I think the whole general environment is friendly and welcoming.鈥�

Between 10 p.m. to closing time 2 a.m., the tiki bar鈥檚 dance floors are usually packed as local DJs play everything from The Cupid Shuffle to Super Bass to 50 Cent鈥檚 鈥淚n Da Club.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e got great local live DJs,鈥� Newell said.

The Hut鈥檚 most popular cocktail, The Fishbowl, comes in six flavors.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e big, fruity and tropical drinks,鈥� Newell said. 鈥淭he most popular one is our blue one, which is like a giant Adios.鈥�

Outside of the various bars located along the avenue, Fourth offers plenty of places to grab a quick bite or a meal.

, open until 2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, offers solar-powered fresh-baked pizza, garlic knots and wings daily.

offers giant hamburgers with crazy toppings from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

If a quick bite is more your speed, grab a $5 Sonoran dog or a burger at one of the many food trucks lined along the avenue at night.

Plenty of ways to use the Sun Link

Though we鈥檝e shared a pretty extensive list of things to do and places to shop and eat, 聽for more info on Sun Link rider rules, hours of operation, route options and more.