Megalopolitan Life >>

• BEST PLACE TO GET NAKED
  El Dorado Hot Springs
  According to the Bible, our ancient ancestors Adam and Eve grew ashamed at their nudity in the Garden of Eden after sampling forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, and thusly, mankind was forever cursed with a sense of body modesty. Well, you can finally feel good about dropping trou... More >>
• BEST GARDEN OF EDEN IN THE DESERT
  The Wright House
  Phoenix summers are hell. By August, the only flowers left alive in this town are on night-blooming cactuses. Wright House proprietors Peggy and Michael Wright must have made a pact with Satan's gardener, because somehow their lush landscaping manages to stay green and flowering nearly all year.... More >>
• BEST WAY TO TURN YOUR BLACK THUMB GREEN
  Garden Territory at The Farm
  So your last houseplant turned black, you think putting leftover meat loaf in your orchid's pot means you've fed it, and you've now proven (multiple times) that you can, in fact, kill a cactus. No worries. The folks at Garden Territory have heard it all before. The shop offers gardening classes... More >>
• BEST COMMUNITY GARDEN
  Scottsdale Community College Community Garden
  How does your garden grow? Probably quite nicely, if you've hooked up with the folks at the cooperative garden at Scottsdale Community College. Spread across a couple acres on the northeast end of campus, a fragrant plot of tilled earth has provided fertile soil for SCC's students, faculty,... More >>
• BEST ECUMENICAL HISSY FIT (2 Comments)
  Father Francis LeBlanc versus the Diocese of Phoenix
  Father Francis LeBlanc leads a church in El Mirage that celebrates the traditional Latin Mass as well as numerous other ancient Catholic rites. The rest of the Valley's Catholics celebrate the modern Mass born out of the widespread modernization of the Catholic Church in the 1960s known as... More >>
• BEST KIDDY-DIDDLER
  Warren Jeffs
  Now, there's a lot of competition for this honor. We've read of pedophiles in Arizona who've each accosted scores of children. But Warren Jeffs, prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has not only had sex with minors himself, he's required multitudes of his... More >>
• BEST OVER-DIDDLING OF A KIDDY-DIDDLER (2 Comments)
  Dale Fushek
  To be honest, we're actually beginning to feel a little sorry for Father Dale. When New Times broke the story of the friar's alleged frivolity with naked young men, we went to great lengths to explain that the best evidence suggested Fushek only seemed to get really frisky once the young... More >>
• BEST SIGN OF GOD
  Calvary Community Church
  The Lord works in mysterious ways these days. Gone are the times of consulting a Virgin Mary-shaped potato or Dionne Warwick for a little guidance from on high. Nowadays, all Phoenicians have to do to tap into the divine for some instant encouragement is look up — at that big, bright sign on the... More >>
• BEST SIGN OF CHANGE
  Mr. Tile
  If urban life has taught us anything, it's that no savvy entrepreneur tears down a perfectly good sign. Remove that mammoth mid-century marquee from your frontage, and big government comes a-knockin' with updated display guidelines. Besides, have you seen what new signs cost? So we enjoy the... More >>
• BEST GRAPHICS
  Jason Hill
  We struggle every day to love Phoenix (or, as we like to put it, to "heart" Phoenix), and one day, we found Jason Hill — he makes it a little easier. Hill, a talented graphic artist, lends his own unique graphic style to iconic Phoenix buildings you never knew were iconic, 'til Hill got ahold of... More >>
• BEST PEOPLE-WATCHING
  Arizona Mills
  Hey, you. Yes, you! The one sitting at your suburban Starbucks, complaining that the Valley is bland. Head over to Arizona Mills on a Saturday night, and you'll be hit over the head with the fact that you live in a "real" city. Just about any time, but particularly on weekend evenings, Arizona... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SEE CHICKENS ROAMING THE STREETS (1 Comment)
  Harmony Neighborhood
  No doubt about it, this quiet east Phoenix residential district is for the birds. Namely, the neighborhood, located north of Thomas Road between 32nd and 36th streets, has been overrun by dozens of chickens, as well as guinea fowl, quail and peacocks. Having become fruitful and multiplied after... More >>
• BEST LOCAL MYSPACE FIND
  The Love Me Nots
  On a massive site like MySpace, which features millions of bands, it's not always about the number of hits a band's profile receives, but who's hitting it up. Local garage go-go band The Love Me Nots had only been together for a month before they posted a MySpace profile, and within three... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GET IN ON AN ENTERTAINING BITCHFEST
  AZPunk.com
  The Valley's premier punk rock community and networking site serves many purposes — promoting local punk shows, offering merchandise from local bands, and highlighting different local bands each week — but the site component that probably sees the most action is the Message Board, where P-town... More >>
• BEST WAY TO MEET LIKE-MINDED NEIGHBORS WITHOUT LEAVING THE HOUSE
  ModernPhoenix.net
  They call themselves MoPhos, which is short for "Modern Phoenicians," and they're all about preserving the recent past by elevating our consciousness about the importance of local architecture and landmarks. They come together via the occasional home tour, but mostly through a Web site called... More >>
• BEST FLIER RACK
  Modified Arts
  Shameless self-promoters love this kick-ass rack, because Modified's smack in the middle of Roosevelt Row, and the Row is the hub of Phoenix's arts scene. What better place to get the word out about your band's next gig or that new experimental-art performance? And the grassroots advertising... More >>
• BEST SCOOP
  Desert Living's SCOOP
  We've gotten to the point where happiness is an empty e-mail inbox, but we're always glad to see SCOOP show up. The folks at Desert Living put together a beautiful magazine, and their weekly SCOOP — full of news about new restaurants, hot parties and good shopping — is always fun. We've learned... More >>
• BEST CHICKS TO HAVE YOUR BACK IN A BRAWL (2 Comments)
  Arizona Derby Dames
  Suzy Homewrecker. Joan Threat. All the Way Mae. These are just a few of the elbow-slinging, body-banging babes in this all-woman roller-derby league, whose motto is "Live fast, die pretty." When they don't have their game faces on, the Dames are regular Janes — with professions ranging from... More >>
• BEST SECRET SEX CLUB (9 Comments)
  Club Mistress
  Given that Club Mistress is purely a women's play club (a strict "no cameras, no men" rule is enforced at meetings and parties), it's not surprising that the members are so covert. After all, the Mistresses who run the show (other participants are subservient "Girls") are seasoned pros, not... More >>
• BEST LOVE STORY (1 Comment)
  Former Mesa Deputy Fire Chief Leroy Johnson's Lamb-Loving
  Firefighters! You gotta love 'em. They save lives. They put out fires. They make a nice pot of chili. And sometimes they screw sheep, too! At least that's what Mesa deputy fire chief Leroy Donald Johnson was accused of doing last March, when he was busted for allegedly screwing his neighbor's... More >>
• BEST FAKE LOVE STORY
  HBO's Big Love
  We love what Hollywood does with real-life miscreants, so this year's prime-time television take on polygamy really caught our eye. What HBO's Big Love series lacked in reality it made up for in high cheekbones and even higher-gloss soap opera antics, courtesy of co-creators Mark V. Olsen and... More >>
• BEST POLLING PLACE
  Freedom Inn at Scottsdale
  Voting ain't what it used to be, at least if the pathetic local and national turnouts in recent years are any indication. But given the choice of sitting on our behinds and whining about the sad state of affairs or casting our votes for whatever sorry sucker somehow strikes our fancy, we'll take... More >>
• BEST POLITICIAN
  Governor Janet Napolitano
  Janet Napolitano's the hands-down champion when it comes to political maneuvering around here. The mere fact that a woman who comes across as this butch can get elected governor and, before that, attorney general in Arizona (of all places) is testament to her political IQ. Plus, she's a bleedin'... More >>
• BEST NEPOTISM
  Don Goldwater
  The word "nepotism" comes from the medieval word for political favoritism shown to the nephews of prelates. What Webster's dictionary failed to do in its explanation was include a link to Don Goldwater's Web site, where the poster boy for nepotism begged voters to do for him what his dead uncle... More >>
• BEST HYPOCRITE
  Len Munsil
  Len Munsil is the shiny-happy-people candidate for governor. He's the golden boy of all the folks who pray a lot to a white-haired, white-skinned Christ-bearing God who — oh, wait, holy crap — conceived his first child out of wedlock. As one of the leading voices for Arizona's Christian right,... More >>
• BEST POLITICIAN WITH A FAMILY
  State Senator John Huppenthal
  Those of you in the East Valley have surely grown accustomed to the political campaign billboards of Mormon men. Often, it appears to be an arms race to see which candidate can get more children dressed in white on the billboard. In most cases, the children were sired by the candidate. That's... More >>
• BEST WASTE OF UNGODLY AMOUNTS OF MONEY
  The Kyl/Pederson U.S. Senate Race
  What's with Jim Pederson's mouth? When he speaks, his mouth looks disconnected from the rest of his head. Is it actually his mouth, or has it been replaced by a hand puppet on blue screen? Or is he speaking Japanese with the English dubbed over? So many questions. Don't worry, though. We'll have... More >>
• BEST MEXICAN BASHER
  Maricopa County Attorney Andy Thomas
  Where do we start with County Attorney Andy Thomas, whom we prefer calling Candy Thomas, because he's a wimpy-looking dude whom some have likened to (ahem . . . ) a candy-ass? Not that his tough-guy actions in office should've led them to believe this. At least not his actions against illegal... More >>
• BEST BIG MOUTH
  State Senator Jack Harper
  His gums rarely stop flapping, and sometimes that's a good thing. Like the time, early this year, when state Senator Jack Harper (R-Surprise) insisted on holding legislative hearings to investigate the controversial September 7, 2004, District 20 recount, after nearly 500 new votes magically... More >>
• BEST PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
  Sergeant Dan Masters
  Part of being a good reporter is being a pain in the butt when necessary. Part of being a good public information officer for a police department is not taking public records requests personally, and not losing one's cool when someone like us insists on getting his or her grubby little hands on... More >>
• BEST TV REPORTER (3 Comments)
  Mike Watkiss
  Some years ago, the great science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury was asked by an audience member after a speech at Arizona State University, "What's the first thing that you'd tell one of your space aliens after they landed on Earth?" Bradbury didn't miss a beat. "Don't watch local TV news," he... More >>
• BEST TV NEWSCASTER
  Lin Sue Cooney
  We don't know whether it's that '80s hair, the fact that she's Asian or that she projects that motherly TV charm, but Channel 12's Lin Sue Cooney gets our nod this year. We were always turned on by Donna Summer and the other disco queens of the day, and Saturday Night Fever is one of our... More >>
• BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR HOWARD STERN (1 Comment)
  Johnjay and Rich, KISS-FM 104.7
  We don't blame anyone for automatically dismissing a guy named "Johnjay" as one of those annoying radio personae not worth a listen. But this show, which hit the airwaves of 104.7 FM earlier this year after major success in Tucson, is far more amusing than its hosts' names let on. Like Howard... More >>
• BEST HOWARD STERN SUPERFAN
  Alice Rubio
  Plenty of people in Arizona listened to morning radio host Howard Stern obsessively, but not too many of them listened to him for all four hours of his show, every day, for 10 years. Or purchased a license plate honoring him. Or bothered to fly all the way to New York City to fete his farewell... More >>
• BEST NEWS RADIO
  KJZZ-FM 91.5
  In a city chock-full of nationally syndicated shock-jock talk and robotic rock, we're thankful for our National Public Radio affiliate, which broadcasts healthy doses of local Arizona news. Each weekday morning during "Morning Edition," we tune in to thoughtful, well-reported stories on subjects... More >>
• BEST RADIO TALK-SHOW HOST
  Joe Crummey
  It isn't that we always agree with Joe Crummey — after all, he's enough of a conservative to substitute occasionally for the nationally syndicated right-wing nut Glenn Beck. But what we like about KFYI's Crummey is exactly what we like about hosts like Howard Stern: He's smart, he's not always... More >>
• BEST INTERNET RADIO STATION
  Creamy Radio
  Kind of like college radio for the 9-to-5 set, Creamy Radio's mix of indie artists and local celebrities has pushed us through many a long day in front of the computer screen. Run by Dog and DboG, two self-described "wankers with too much time on their hands," the radio station is the answer to... More >>
• BEST LOCAL PODCAST
  Fox and the City
  Ragan Fox is the poster boy for gay overachievers. He published a book, became a university instructor and got his doctorate all by the time he hit 30, which probably explains why his podcast is so damn brilliant. Technically, he's Dr. Fox now, but his fans just call him Rag — pronounced rayg as... More >>
• BEST RADIO STATION FOR SWINGERS (1 Comment)
  KRZS-FM Star 97.5
  The swanky Gen X set that wants to find the perfect Roaring Twenties cigarette holder, wear zoot suits, and drink a mah-tini has the perfect soundtrack on Star 97.5. The station's self-avowed "sass, brass, and a whole lot of class" format includes jazz, blues, pop, swing, and standards, with the... More >>
• BEST RADIO STATION FOR NEW COUNTRY
  KMLE-FM 108
  Country's become a lot cooler recently, probably because it's become a little more cheeky. Instead of the stereotypical, twangy, "lost-my-woman-now-I'm-drinkin'" sob songs, we get flashy, hot cowboys like Big & Rich, and roaring ditties like Trace Adkins' "Honytonk Badonkadonk." The folks over... More >>
• BEST RELIGIOUS RADIO STATION (5 Comments)
  KFLR-FM 90.3 Family Life Radio
  This Christian radio station is pretty traditional in its beliefs, and those beliefs are reflected in the station's talk programs, specifically Dr. Randy Carlson's "On Call" evening program, where the venerable doc discusses such family topics as "Overweight Children" and "Coping With... More >>
• BEST POWER COUPLE
  Angela Ellsworth and Tania Katan
  Angela is an "interdisciplinary artist" represented by one of the most prestigious venues in town, Bentley Gallery in Scottsdale. Tania is a writer and playwright with an acclaimed memoir, My One Night Stand With Cancer. You might have seen her at a local 10K — running topless, fighting breast... More >>
• BEST LOCAL GIRL MAKES GOOD
  Linda Cobb, the Queen of Clean
  How a retired woman made her fortune by recommending that one bathe the dog in Massengil, we'll never know. But we've gotta give Linda Cobb props. Not only can you see the self-named (and trademarked) Queen of Clean regularly on Good Morning Arizona (KTVK-TV, Channel 3), she appears on HGTV, the... More >>
• BEST LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD
  Vince Vaughn
  Yeah, yeah, yeah. So he was born in Minnesota and grew up in Chicago. Big freakin' deal. Since his dad lives in the Valley, and he has come for repeated visits in the past year or two, the big funny guy counts as one of ours. Getting pulled over in Scottsdale last December on a suspicion of... More >>
• BEST LOCAL GIRL DOES GOOD
  Hilary Griffith
  Hilary Griffith is not your typical beauty queen. Yes, she's a broadcast journalism major and she twirls a baton. But she also spins an amazing tale — all true — of what happened to her one night in November 2004, her sophomore year at Arizona State. A man broke into her Tempe apartment and... More >>
• BEST LOCAL BOY DRAWS GOOD
  Jon Haddock
  Until this, the closest we'd come to knowing anyone whose work had appeared in The New Yorker was the time our friend Doug was a finalist in the caption-writing contest on the magazine's last page. That was cool, but this was cooler: Picking up the January 16 edition of the magazine and seeing a... More >>
• BEST LOCAL ARTIST WHO BUYS HER SUPPLIES AT TARGET
  Lisa Albinger
  Over the past year, you may have been wowed by painter Lisa Albinger's stunning depictions of relationships gone wrong, womanhood, and growing up with scoliosis. Her work's been on view at monOrchid, Studeo Tad and Soul Invictus. But did you know that Albinger's painted women and rabbit guides... More >>
• BEST LOCAL ARTIST WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN SOLD AT TARGET
  Josh Wiley
  Joshua Dean Wiley was already known locally for his serene, high-color landscapes and lively abstracts before busting out big with a national distribution deal that brought his bright, metallic-tinged paintings to department stores all over the U.S. The 34-year-old Iowa transplant's work can be... More >>
• BEST NEW GALLERY, LOCAL ART
  Lords of Art Town Studio and Gallery
  Censorship? Totally against it. Controversy? Bring it on. Sex? Well . . . they'll just leave the hard-core stuff to Phoenix's other alternative galleries. "I wouldn't want to exhibit anything that I would be ashamed to show my kids," says Lords of Art Town co-owner Gaea Bailey. Luckily for us,... More >>
• BEST NEW GALLERY, NATIONAL ART
  Costello-Childs Contemporary Gallery
  How do you separate your new gallery from all the other "upscale, contemporary art" galleries on Marshall Way? Simple. Don't put it in Scottsdale. Michael Costello and Daryl Childs chose wisely when they selected the historic Gold Spot in downtown Phoenix as the location for their new gallery.... More >>
• BEST GALLERY, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
  Lisa Sette Gallery
  With all the talk about edgy Phoenix, we forget that some of the Valley's strongest art roots are, in fact, in Scottsdale — and we're not talking howling coyotes here. Try those equally iconic gussied-up Weimaraners, since William Wegman is a longtime member of Lisa Sette's posse. Sette is one... More >>
• BEST OPENING
  "New American City"
  Believe the hype. ASU Art Museum has catapulted itself into the 21st century with its latest exhibition, "New American City," making Tempe — for real — a new American city to watch. Curators Heather Lineberry and John Spiak panned the Phoenix metropolitan area for good stuff, and came up with a... More >>
• BEST STOP ON ART DETOUR
  a.ware Studio
  Julie Hampton's small studio was only open for a few months, but we'll never forget her Art Detour 2006 exhibition. In honor of a show called "Green," Hampton and her co-curators forked over some of their own green to lay the studio with sod, for a few short days. The inspiration came from a... More >>
• BEST MUSEUM YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO
  Arizona Doll & Toy Museum
  We thought we'd seen it all — when it comes to Phoenix, at least — until a friend brought us to the Arizona Doll & Toy Museum. This small treasure, tucked into a historic house in downtown's Heritage Square, is a wonderful monument to childhood. Antique dolls from different decades share their... More >>
• BEST MUSEUM YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO SINCE YOU WERE A KID
  Heard Museum
  In case you haven't heard, the Heard Museum isn't the place you visited on that Brownie field trip, back in third grade. Sure, the traditional Native American exhibits are still in place (beefed up, in fact), but now you can get modern with other exhibits, like the recent one-man show of the... More >>
• BEST NEW PUBLIC ART
  Art Is a Guaranty of Sanity
  Louise Bourgeois' amazing 90-foot mirror was the talk of the town long before its dedication in August, and Phoenix is right to be proud of the latest project in a rich history of wonderful public art. Funded by the convention center's Percent for the Arts Funds, we can think of no better way to... More >>
• BEST PUBLIC ART
  Bob Adams' Hall of Mirrors
  We probably shouldn't admit that we always check our hair as we pass by this gorgeously reflective work by local artist Bob Adams, but we do. Our vanity isn't so great, however, that we think we're any prettier than Adams' super-cool installation of circular, convex mirrors lining the walkway... More >>
• BEST COMMUNITY MURAL
  Chicano Mural at Guadalupe Market
  Next time you take a pass through the tiny town of Guadalupe, stop at the Guadalupe Market. Not for the fresh vegetables, which are pretty damn good, but to do a little urban sightseeing. The large mural on the side of the building is a window into the local culture. The mission-style Our Lady... More >>
• BEST REASON TO SLOW DOWN
  Loop 101 freeway, between Shea and Frank Lloyd Wright boulevards, Scottsdale
  If you have never traveled the 101 between Shea and Frank Lloyd Wright boulevards in Scottsdale, put your pedal gently to the metal and go there now. We say gently because there is a three-mile stretch of spectacular you don't want to miss. Both retaining walls display Southwestern relief... More >>
• BEST FRONT YARD
  Gary Parsel
  Maybe it's just us, but a majority of the front yards found around town are really quite boring. Sure, some folks might try livening things up by plunking down such cheap-ass tchotchkes as windmills or garden gnomes in front of their homes, but for the most part, the Valley's lawns bring nothing... More >>
• BEST ART AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
  Shemer Art Center and Museum
  This lovely stucco home with the breathtaking mountain view was built in the 1920s and donated to the City of Phoenix as an arts center in 1984. Its historic/pastoral/funky/luxurious vibe is unique in a part of the city that's better known for big houses and expensive resorts than for serene... More >>
• BEST WAY TO RELIEVE THE GUILT OF UNDONE ART PROJECTS
  Art Resource Center
  Macramé? Macra you, buddy. We know your dirty little secret. You've got a big ol' stash of fabric, beads, clay, yarn, paint, paper and whatnot, and you were going to make all kinds of fabulous things someday. Hey, buying craft supplies is supposed to motivate you, right? Well, when you've faced... More >>
• BEST ART BEFORE NOON
  The Breakfast Club
  There's an age-old stereotype that artists are nocturnal creatures, immersed in their craft 'til morning and sleeping the day away. Not the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed creative cats in The Breakfast Club, an artist group founded in 2003 by Beth Ames Swartz, Heidi Hesse, and Jon Haddock that... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN ON A FIRST FRIDAY
  .anti_space
  We've heard whisperings lately amongst art scenesters that First Friday isn't what it used to be, especially in the Evans-Churchill neighborhood (home to Roosevelt Row). These catty kooks claim the downtown district from where the monthly art walk sprang more than a decade ago has become too... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN ON A THIRD FRIDAY
  Tilt Gallery
  We had just become accustomed to tromping around Grand Avenue in the dark when galleries began opening off Grand. Don't be afraid of this one — Tilt really is just barely off Grand; you can almost see it from the main drag. Look for the bright pink walls. We love to hang at Tilt on Third... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN ON A FINAL FRIDAY
  Mill's End Cafe
  For the past few years, the hype surrounding the Final Friday Art Walk in downtown Tempe has pretty much centered on one venue in particular, namely the art supply store Wet Paint. But now the kick-back cats over at Mill's End Cafe are giving those pigment-slinging peeps a run for their money,... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SPOT ARTISTS ON A NIGHT OTHER THAN FRIDAY
  the untitled artist bowling league
  Cosmic bowling is so last year. Now the hot thing on the lanes is to actually start your own league. Case in point: a group of Valley art types who started bowling just to hang out with friends, and are quickly expanding into several teams. It all started when Neil Borowitz, an exhibit designer... More >>
• BEST REASON TO GET UP AT 4 A.M. ON A SATURDAY
  VNSA Book Sale at the Arizona State Fair and Exposition
  Picture a bunch of shivering folks willingly waiting in line during the middle of the night, exchanging friendly banter and warm coffee. Now, strip away the consumer-obsessed IKEA feel and the Cabela's "real American" quality and you've got the bookworm diehards awaiting the Volunteer Nonprofit... More >>
• BEST WAY TO SPEND FIRST SUNDAY
  No Festival Required
  The granddaddy of microcinema, No Festival Required, has brought underground films — sans the censorship of distribution, festival rules, or economics — to Modified Arts during each first Sunday evening for the past three years, and counting. The films run the artsy gamut of comedy, drama,... More >>
• BEST BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
  www.litchicks.com
  What happens when a human resources manager, a fitness director and an accountant read a lot? Lit chicks! Kim Novotny, the HR gal, gathered a couple of friends together a while back and created a Web site devoted to reviewing good books. Novotny lives in Anthem, but she and the other literate... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO MINGLE WITH PUBLISHED AUTHORS
  ASU Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference
  Each year, established writers and hopeful scribes descend on the ASU campus for several days of intensive writing instruction, readings, panel discussions, and book signings. Participants can rub elbows with published authors during a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry classes, ranging... More >>
• BEST LIT GROUP FOR HIPSTERS
  PAGE 23 at Changing Hands Bookstore
  According to a recent National Endowment for the Arts Reading at Risk study, most people between the ages of 16 and 35 think books are blasé. PAGE 23 isn't going to let you fold up literature quite yet. Through guerrilla marketing and word-of-mouth promotions, a group of Changing Hands... More >>
• BEST CLASSIC PHOTO BOOTH
  Trunk Space
  JRC and Stephanie Carrico, co-owners of the Trunk Space, know they have a hot product when folks are making special trips to the exhibition space to score material for their MySpace profiles. The photo booth, converted from color to beautiful black-and-white, is one of a kind in the area, and... More >>
• BEST FILM SERIES
  OneNightCinema at Pollack Tempe Cinemas
  Following the closure of Chandler's indie-focused Madstone Theatres in 2004, the Valley's repertory film scene looked more desolate than a theater after the final encore. Enter OneNightCinema, the brainchild of local film buff Randy Montgomery. During its two years of existence, the quarterly... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CATCH A BOLLYWOOD FLICK (1 Comment)
  Pollack Tempe Cinemas
  You dropped a few shekels last weekend at Blockbuster to rent Bride & Prejudice and The Guru 'cause you finally wanted to learn about this whole Bollywood thing. After the drippy double feature zapped away four hours of your life, you're still left wondering what the deal is. Get a taste of... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CATCH AN INDIE FLICK
  Harkins Camelview 5
  Movie theaters in the Valley come and go, but inevitably, when we want to see the hot new movie, we find ourselves at Camelview. We don't always find ourselves inside Camelview — who knew Little Miss Sunshine was the movie of the summer? — but we always know we'll find the best, brightest and... More >>
• BEST NEW SPOKEN-WORD SERIES
  Divine Poetry at Entertainment Alley
  Divine Poetry isn't just the name of the Valley's hottest new spoken-word series. It also refers to the event emcee, lyrical poet, and organizer of sharp tongues, known simply as Divine. After Scottsdale's soul food and cultural haven Livingston's closed in 2004, the Bronx-born poetry diva... More >>
• BEST NEW SPOKEN-WORD SERIES WHERE YOU CAN WIN $100
  Greater Phoenix Poetry Slam hosted by Anthology
  Valley word-slingers needing to score some fast cash, look no further. Just put down the latte, scribble some chapbook strophes, and hightail it down to the $100 winner-take-all Anthology Greater Phoenix Poetry Slam. On the last Wednesday of every month at the Paper Heart, 10 performance scribes... More >>
• BEST NUTCRACKER (1 Comment)
  Ballet Arizona
  Living in Phoenix, we've learned we need to create our own holiday traditions. No sledding, no skating, not much bundling up by the fire (damn those no-burn days). That's why we're happy to have such a fantastic local Nutcracker to look forward to as the holidays approach. Ib Andersen, creative... More >>
• BEST HOLIDAY ALTERNATIVE TO NUTCRACKER
  The Snow Queen
  Nutcrackered out? Or looking for something to do the rest of the holiday season, other than stand in line to see Santa? We hear you. Which is why we're here to recommend The Snow Queen. An original production by France Smith Cohen, director of Center Dance Ensemble (the resident modern company... More >>
• BEST OUTDOOR HOLIDAY EVENT
  Las Noches de las Luminarias
  By the end of BOP, we'll have planted repeated mentions of our wonderful botanical garden, but we must take a moment to celebrate our all-time favorite Valley tradition, the luminarias. Each season, we're the first to get our tickets, the first to pull up to the garden and start the holidays... More >>
• BEST THEATER PLAYHOUSE SEASON
  Actors Theatre
  We almost lost this venerable company last year, in good part because people don't go to the theater often enough to support even the best playhouses. Which is senseless when you consider how truly impressive Actors Theatre's just-passed season was. It kicked off with a remount of the previous... More >>
• BEST EVENING AT THE THEATER
  Nearly Naked Theatre's Valhalla
  We're still remembering fondly this production of Paul Rudnick's remarkably funny Valhalla, brought to us last winter by Damon Dering's Nearly Naked Theatre Company. Rudnick's naughty comedy was elevated by wonderful performances from Dion Johnson as a degenerate yokel with a heart of gold; Tim... More >>
• BEST SURPRISE HIT OF THE THEATER SEASON
  Desert Stages Theatre's A Man of No Importance
  There were so many reasons Desert Stages Theatre's production of A Man of No Importance shouldn't have worked. There was the cramped quarters of the company's Actor's Cafe space, into which this odd musical was squeezed. There was the mostly amateur cast, an unusual, time-bending script, and the... More >>
• BEST ACTOR
  Kyle Sorrell in Stray Cat Theatre's Trainspotting
  Kyle Sorrell gave a powerhouse performance as Mark, the lead in Harry Gibson's dark meander through heroin addiction's dark night — no mean feat when one considers that Sorrell was surrounded by a superb cast. Sorrell shone brightest, though; balancing the horror and comedy in the text without... More >>
• BEST ACTRESS
  Lillie Richardson in iTheatre Collaborative's production of Death and the Maiden
  Lillie Richardson is among our finest local actors, and as Paulina in Ariel Dorfman's semi-autobiographical political thriller, she was called on to play a woman who's alternately jovial and condescending; who might be insane or simply jubilant in her finest hour. She played scenes that in the... More >>
• BEST CREATIVE USE OF YOUR LUNCH HOUR
  Herberger Lunch Time Theater
  Too busy to get to the theater? Well, you have to eat, right? So multitask in the most creative way and head to the Herberger's Lunch Time Theater. The show is only $6, and for a few extra bucks you can pre-order a bag lunch (salad or sandwich, with all sorts of choices, complete with sides and... More >>
• BEST PRACTICAL USE OF YOUR LUNCH HOUR
  Los Olivos Hand Car Wash
  For just a few bucks, you can eat a hot dog in the sunshine and head back to work with a sparkling car. We knew this was the best car wash in town when we ran into our boss (not just our editor, but the big boss) here one day at lunch, spiffing up his car and his shoes at the same time. We... More >>
• BEST HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
  Tempe In Motion's School Program
  Want to get us excited about public transportation? DO NOT TALK TO US ABOUT LIGHT RAIL! We already spend much of our day talking about light rail — to ourselves, under our breath, stuck in horrendous traffic. Yeah, yeah, it will make our lives wonderful. Maybe. We'll get back to you in several... More >>
• BEST WAY TO AVOID THE AIRPORT RUNAROUND
  Stage and Go Lot
  Here's another one we can blame on Osama. For the past five years, Arizonans have been shooed away from the curb, forced to drive in hellish circles from the South to North, in search of newly arrived air passengers. Finally, the think tank at Sky Harbor has found a way to save us from "You... More >>
• BEST SHORTCUT THROUGH RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC
  Sky Harbor Boulevard
  It's quitting time and you've gotta beat feet home to your East Valley domicile double-quick. Too bad Interstate 10 is a parking lot. But before you anger up the blood and throw another road rage, shave plenty of time off your commute by taking Sky Harbor Boulevard. The twisting thoroughfare... More >>
• BEST ROCK 'N' ROLL ART
  Rock Star Gallery
  This inconspicuous gallery in a Scottsdale strip mall is a music geek's paradise, and for the rock memorabilia collector, owner Michael W. Dunn's collection is downright enviable. The artwork hanging on the walls is most notable because the featured artists are people like Grace Slick, Ringo... More >>
• BEST ROCK 'N' ROLL TEACHER
  Abe Gil
  With apologies to Jack Black, Abe Gil is running the real School of Rock. When he isn't wearing wild outfits and crashing about downtown music venues like Holgas or Modified as the one-man noise polluter Treasure Mammal, the 26-year-old teaches music, math, and art to seventh- and eighth-graders... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SEE PHOENIX PD UNPLUGGED
  Mojo Music
  Downtown art scenesters have gotten used to seeing the long arm of the law in their midst since August 2005, when Phoenix police officers stepped up their patrolling of First Fridays along Roosevelt Row. Artists and gallery owners have peeped po-pos standing on street corners, checking out their... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO PICK UP A DAY LABORER
  Dr. AJ Chandler Park
  While we ain't doctors or anything, we're pretty sure if Minuteman Project spokesperson Chris Simcox drove past this downtown Chandler square on an early weekend morning, the immigrant-busting vigilante would suffer a heart attack. After all, more than a hundred unemployed Hispanics gather near... More >>
• BEST SHADE
  Clarendon Hotel and Suites
  Don't expect to find howling coyotes and Monument Valley vistas within the environs of the Clarendon Hotel's art-friendly lobby and spacious suites. From nude portraits by Chris Raboin to Leigh Merrill's abstract photographic landscapes, the stylish boutique hotel boasts a variety of local... More >>
• BEST WOMEN'S ROOM
  Scorch Bar
  Ever wonder what it would be like to wander around the inside of a lava lamp? The closest simulation might be a walk through Scorch Bar, with its shiny silver chrome and glowing red interiors, plasma-shaped tables, and futuristic restrooms. Not only is the ladies' restroom always clean to the... More >>
• BEST MEN'S ROOM
  The Rogue
  The boys' toidy at this popular punk paradise might be dirty, cramped, poorly lighted, and swelteringly hot, but there's a reason the guys keep making return trips — and not because they've got to drain all the PBR they've downed. Nope, it's probably because of all the gonzo graffiti covering... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GET MARRIED ON THE CHEAP
  Lost Dutchman State Park
  We think that outdoor weddings are the bomb, especially because we live in paradise for six months of the year. That said, some very deep pockets are required to get hitched at Desert Botanical Garden, nearly every outdoor-wedding buff's first choice. But Lost Dutchman is just as lovely, and,... More >>
• BEST HIGH-BUDGET WEDDING
  Royal Palms Resort and Spa
  If money is no object, get yourself hitched amongst the twinkly orange lights adorning the trees at Royal Palms, just beneath Camelback Mountain. This resort (completely rehabbed in the '90s; we miss the heart-shaped pool but otherwise love the redo) is the perfect blend of Mediterranean charm... More >>
• BEST EXTREME MAKEOVER
  Hotel Valley Ho
  We heard so much for so long about the remodel of the Valley Ho that, frankly, we never thought it would happen. But it did, and boy, was it worth the wait. From the moment you step out of your car in the driveway, you're transported back to the '50s, but with a 21st-century twist. Iridescent... More >>
• BEST EXTREME MAKEOVER ON A TEDDY BEAR (1 Comment)
  "Ursidae Anaplasty"
  Textile taxidermist Tara Logsdon engages in some fuzzy haps when she goes to town on her furry patients during "Ursidae Anaplasty" — Latin for "Bear Plastic Surgery." The Holgas resident artist scours Valley thrift stores and rescues teddies that are in grave need of physical and psychological... More >>
• BEST PROM DRESS
  Ally Resnick
  Leave it to Scott Jacobson — one of our all-time favorite Phoenicians — to be the one who donated his tie collection to the cause of his good friend Ally Resnick (daughter of Denise, another fave) so she could make her own prom dress. Ally wore the dress to the prom held at the Scottsdale Plaza... More >>
• BEST USE OF A 1979 PLYMOUTH FURY
  Way Cool Hair Salon & Art Studio
  Eye-catching decorations abound inside Tad Caldwell's combination fashion boutique, art studio, gallery space, and hair salon in east Phoenix. The walls and ceiling are covered with a vibrant rainbow mosaic of graffiti, the works of local artists are scattered throughout the establishment, and... More >>
• BEST TRADE
  Jody Gnant's Recording Contract
  When word about the red paper clip trading frenzy hit national media outlets, including Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and National Public Radio, it brought Valley musician Jody Gnant into the national spotlight. A year ago, a light bulb went off in the head of Kyle MacDonald, an... More >>
• BEST DROP
  Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office
  Sometimes life is about being in the right place at the right time. For instance, one morning in February, we found something interesting outside the Circle K at 16th Street and Washington. It wasn't a cash-stuffed wallet or a photo of Sheriff Joe in flagrante delicto with one of his deputies,... More >>
• BEST TATTOO INTERPRETER
  Tian Tang
  Tian Tang, a Chinese-born student at ASU's engineering school, has devoted his Web site, www.hanzismatter.com, to explaining to dumb Westerners exactly what the Chinese characters etched on their backs, arms, and ankles are saying. In many cases, it isn't pretty: One tattoo that ostensibly read... More >>
• BEST ARTWALK ANIMAL
  Noodle the Cat
  Of all the animals roaming Grand Avenue (biological and metaphorical), Noodle the unfixed tomcat may be the biggest scenester. The orange-and-blond tabby showed up on the 1500 block of Grand about a year ago (when he was just a kitten), and the gallery owners at Perihelion Arts, Art One, and the... More >>
• BEST LOCAL STAR WARS FAN FILM SERIES
  Spirits of the Force
  Despite the fact that George Lucas axed his Star Wars film franchise more than a year ago, the members of the Phoenix Fan Force — a cadre of local Obi-wanna-bes — haven't spent their time bitching about losing touch with the Skywalker clan. Nope, these sci-fi superfreaks have instead been busy... More >>
• BEST URBAN ODDITY
  MC Merv
  Supporters of the downtown arts district, meet your true enemy: MC Merv. According to the word on the street, this white yuppie rapper who was raised on the "mean streets" of Anthem is the dastardly developer who single-handedly shut down the Emerald Lounge, razed the old Planet Earth Theatre,... More >>
• BEST REFRIGERATOR MAGNETS
  Mike Miskowski
  Whenever our out-of-state friends come to our heat-blasted burg for a visit, they're quite taken with the kitschy Arizona-themed refrigerator magnets found littering gift shops and souvenir stands across the Valley. They seem so drawn to these tacky trinkets filled with howling coyotes,... More >>