Last week, I was in San Francisco for two different real estate conferences. I had a great time, and enjoyed the convenience of utilizing San Francisco's public transportation system. I specifically picked a hotel that was between the two conferences and was adjacent to a BART station so that I could try it all out. From the airport, during traffic, I was at my hotel in less than a half hour and the cost was just over five bucks. The bus system on Market street was surprising to me as well. I recall seeing at least 4 different types of bus that stopped directly in front of my hotel. For a buck fifty, I could get to most parts of the city and yes, it took me within a block of my conference on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, I rode BART toward down town and exited within a very short walk of the other conference as well. Before my trip, I made sure to brush up on my etiquette by reading "Muni Manners." I think it came in handy a couple of times. :-) Here in Arizona, there is incredible opportunity to create some really cool things along the new light rail line. Some of the areas are largely un-developed and others are already pretty cool. Prime examples of where we have opportunities to create some really great new environments would be along Washington Street between Tempe and downtown Phoenix and along the Apache Corridor in Tempe. Tempe has done a really cool study along the Apache Corridor and there have been recommendations for creating transit oriented developments (TOD's) along the boulevard. These exciting new areas should incorporate street facing shops, café's and businesses along with pedestrian friendly access, off street parking (rear of buildings?) bike path's to access the area, ample shade and a vibrancy that we currently have very little of. RailLife.com, is going to be a great place to learn about the changes that WILL be coming to the areas along the light rail route. Keep up with some of the areas surrounding the new light rail line by joining this "Light Rail Flicker Group" which will be sharing all kind of pics of things on and near the new light rail line. There will be lot's of cool changes to these areas in our future!

We don't need to become San Francisco, we need our own face, our own identity but we will embrace a new style of living to enhance the other many options that our state has. Tourists will love the convenience of the light rail route. The ability to get to the Mill Avenue District and yet be a few minutes from Downtown Phoenix and see a play, a baseball or basketball game, get to the convention center etc etc.. This place is changing right before our eyes. It is nice to see the excitement building in these upcoming areas. With gas prices changing the way many people think about their commute, the housing demand near transportation (mainly light rail) has become very appealing to many people. These trends should continue well in to the future. Take a look at this video I shot at a light rail stop in the Mill Avenue District this past 4th of July. It was one of the rare times when the public has had access to the trains and the reaction was very positive! (they begin service in December)

Tempe is a growing, vibrant community with excellent access to amenities.. To Live, work and play, our great city is hard to beat! Tempe is very centrally located with easy access to our freeway systems and to the airport. Here, you will find some amazing housing opportunities, a great arts community, wonderful restaurants, great schools, lot's of different jobs, enthusiastic sports fans and a wonderful lifestyle in an amazingly convenient location that is close to many of the things our great state has to offer.

If you have any questions about the community of Tempe Arizona, please feel free to visit our web site at http://www.nickbastian.com/ or feel free to call us at 602-803-6425 or toll free at 1-888-343-6425.