Why Downtown Tucson Is The Place To Be

By Francine Fluetsch on October 20, 2014

This article is brought to you by The Cadence, an urban oasis in the heart of downtown serving the University of Arizona community. To learn more about The Cadence, please visit us here.

image via www.flickr.com

Do you attend the University of Arizona and are wondering what to do on a Friday night? Then this article is for you!

Downtown Tucson has many wonderful restaurants and attractions for students and people of all ages. Your head will be spinning with all of the possibilities.

Rialto Theatre:

If you love music and awesome shows, then this is the place for you! They have such a variety of artists that you are bound to find one that you really like.

I got an interview with Curtis McCrary, the executive producer of the theater, and he said “What I really love about my job is being able to experience all the variety of music that we showcase, especially since my music taste runs all over the map.”

McCrary went on to tell me more about the theater itself. With all those music genres, the theater is able to offer a wide array of cultural offerings, such as their new attraction, Rockin’ Espanol. They try and program things that students would be interested in, though their venue is for all ages.

“If there’s something with an audience that we know the people of Arizona will attend, we’ll definitely try to get it at our venue,” McCrary said.

On their FAQ page, which is quite hilarious if I do say so myself, there is a question about having your own band perform there. I was cracking up, but the awesome thing is that if you have enough “followers” to get a good amount of people to go, you can talk to them about playing there! How awesome is that?

Speaking of awesome events, on September 20, the Rialto Theatre hosted a show with the internationally acclaimed Electronic Dance Music artist, ARTY. The concert was free to residents of The Cadence and Next/Level, thanks to the partnership of those housing developments and Interscope Records and Insomniac Records.

The residents were given VIP access to the show and two student DJ’s got to open for ARTY! The students had competed in a contest to be recognized as the most talented DJ’s in Tucson. Sounds pretty cool, huh?

McCrary says they have been operating the theater how it is for ten years now, a theater that originally started as a silent film venue in the 1920s. If you are looking for a good time with great music, this is the place for you.

Check out their website to see upcoming artists and past events.

Main Gate Square:

Known as the college buzz, Main Gate square is the place to visit for all of your shopping and dining needs. There are tons of quaint little shops, live music, historic neighborhoods, and restaurants to satisfy any food craving you might be having, including many types of American and international cuisine.

There are also some brand name stores like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, and there is tons of parking so you won’t have to worry about circling the place for hours on end.

And I mean it’s super close to campus, so why not pay a visit?

 4th Avenue:

Yet another place to get your shopping and dining on. There are over 100 locally owned businesses that will be right at your fingertips (support local!), as well as an excellent nightlife.

There are also two street fairs held on 4th Avenue every year. The Winter and Spring street fairs are where you can engage in arts and crafts, groove to live music, be amazed by street performers, and of course gorge yourself on all the food!

Sounds like an awesome place to me.

Live Performance:

If live performance is what you crave, Tucson has got you covered. From operas to dance theaters, you’ll always have something new to see. You could pay a visit to Broadway in Tucson tonight, and then maybe Cirque Roots the next. This will be a great way to get some culture in your life and really enjoy yourself.

Museums:

Speaking of culture, why not check out some of the awesome museums housed in Tucson. From the Children’s Museum (which you know you’ll go to for the interactive stuff) to the Tucson Museum of art, there will be plenty of things for you to gaze upon.

Some art and history are things we could all benefit from having in our lives a little more often.

2nd Saturdays: On the second Saturday of each month, a group of businesses, artists, and restaurants work together to bring the public free music and artesian and food vendors.

They also have a showcase of restaurants and club offerings, which has helped revive Tucson’s Urban Block Party. Free music and awesome food? Better clear your calendar for all the second Saturdays!

As you can see, there are plenty of things to do when you find some spare time. Whether you just want to walk around and find new places to eat, see a film, watch a band, get your face painted, get cultured, you name it: Tucson is the place to do it.

So what are you waiting for? Get downtown and have some fun!

Looking for a great place to live off-campus, with access to the hip and urban downtown center? Come check out our fun rock & roll environment and see The Cadence in action. To visit our website, please click here.

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