The little pueblo of Tucson has been blossoming into quite the desert metropolis, and several newcomers are giving Tucson a serious revamping.
5. D&D Pinball: Fourth Avenue has been a main artery of funk and fun for decades. The newest spot to contribute to the vibe is D&D Pinball, a pinball arcade with about 30 machines varying from the 1970s classics up to more recent pop culture fun.
D&D offers something different for a change, and it really only costs change. D&D Pinball is on Seventh Street and Fourth Avenue, behind Antigone Books.
4. Cartel Coffee Lab: Outside the 1990s, what could make a coffee place cool or special? Because this spot is a lab — and that actually means something here. The roasts are developed with a scientific method and the coffee is extracted with precision.
Cartel has two locations in Tucson; the newest is on Broadway Boulevard, and Tucson’s flagship location is on Campbell Avenue. Both locals serve craft beer, wine and light menu fare like pizza and pastries.
3. The Cadence: The student housing that opened last fall has solidified what revitalization means. The Cadence is helping downtown Tucson thrive.
“I think it is great The Cadence is downtown and that were able to have a place for our students to live down there and be part of that great community,” said Dana Robbins-Murray, assistant director of marketing for Residence Life at the UA.
While The Cadence is privately owned, Robbins-Murray said the UA wants to provide support to the students living off-campus. This bridge of support between student life and real life is just another reason the property is so important to the community.
2. Tapingo: The Tapingo app is quickly becoming a favorite among college students. The application’s function is pretty straightforward: Order your food through the app, then go pick it up when it’s ready. But its true power lies in the side effect of the app’s function. The magic of Tapingo is how it saves time — not just for its users, but for everyone.
According to its website, www.tapingo.com, if students eat out three times a day, waiting in line for about 15 minutes a turn, that time turns into a crazy eight days per year just waiting in line. But if you use Tapingo, there are no lines. Now if we can just get the Starbucks in the UofA Bookstore on Tapingo, all would be right in the world.
1. Sun Link Tucson Streetcar: Due to start service on July 25, the Sun Link streetcar is the main driving force behind the economic boom and major downtown overhaul. Project manager Shellie Ginn said the official number of $800 million of public and private investment along the Sun Link route most likely needs to be updated because more and more businesses are joining the community, making downtown a great new niche to make a business or a home.
