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Despite the searing July heat I’ve managed to continue some exploring and visiting fun places around the Phoenix area. Back in October, 2022 I posted about the Arizona Doll & Toy Museum and Sahuaro Ranch Park in April, 2023 both in Glendale, but for this post I’m going to focus on other cool things to see and do downtown. Since the late 1990s Glendale has been renowned as one of the best places around Phoenix for antiques and nostalgia shops. Some of these are located in the Catlin Court Historic District.
This area of downtown Glendale has charming, storybook-looking Victorian homes from circa 1890 which makes them ideal for antiques type businesses. This area also houses the Arizona Doll & Toy Museum mentioned above. This section of Glendale also has some buildings from the 1940s such as where the Doll & Toy Museum is located. The downtown circa 1920s business district just below Catlin Court has some delicious eateries I would highly recommend like Coyote Oaties Restaurant & Bakery.
They serve the best oatmeal & raisin cookies to be found anywhere among so many tasty offerings! Another place close by is Blue Corn Cafe & Bakery. I’ve heard only positive things about Blue Corn from work acquaintances but have never been able to go there yet. Their website looks so tempting though, with a delightful range of pastries, cheesecakes, brunch items and much more. Once I make it there, I’ll update this post. My favorite lunch spot around the corner from Coyote Oaties and Blue Corn is Pizza Old Roma.
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They always have tasty, reasonably priced lunch specials like a slice, soft drink and side salad for instance. It’s also family friendly and this makes it popular both with locals and out-of-town visitors. Getting back to antiques though (I get sidetracked sometimes!) Cottage Garden is mainly a women’s boutique that offers a wide array of gifts and apparel to suit a variety of tastes and Memory Lane which also has lots of trinkets and jewelry.
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For book lovers there is the Velma Teague Library branch in close proximity to all of the above. To sign out books requires being a Glendale resident, but for me (Phoenix resident) or anyone else, it’s still has a treasure trove of books for sale in the gift shop which is open to everyone. There are at least a couple hundred books or so for sale at any given time at bargain prices, so this is good for visitors to keep in mind too.
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One of the best things I enjoy about all the places mentioned above is that they’re all within walking distance of each other. None of them are more than 5-7 minutes apart at the most. However, I always warn readers — especially those from out-of-town not familiar with Arizona summers…always keep a big water bottle with you, sunscreen (if outside walking around) and a hat to protect your head and face from sunburn. Otherwise, outside of the April through September period walking around the Catlin Court-Downtown area of Glendale and checking out the sights is an enjoyable, memorable experience.
For more information ℹ️ about the above mentioned places and other things to see and do at downtown Glendale, visit this site: https//:visit downtown Glendale.com
Other websites to check out:
Coyote Oaties Restaurant & Bakery: www.coyoteoaties.com
Blue Corn Cafe & Bakery: www.bluecorncafebakery.com
Memory Lane Boutique: www.memorylanetrinkitsandtreasure.com
Cottage Garden: cottagegarden2blogspot.com
Velma Teague Library 📚: https//:library.glendaleaz.gov/home
