Thoroughly modern Phoenix, from 1870 to today


Since I collect and share old photos of Phoenix, Arizona, a lot of people jump to the conclusion that I'm pining away for the old days, when times were simple, etc., etc. But I'm not. I'm time-traveling, and I enjoy seeing the new, just like this QT that I've been watching under construction here in Peoria (a suburb of Phoenix).

At the risk of sounding like a commercial for QuickTrip, this place will have wide, safe places for cars, and people. Parking spots will be clearly marked, and there will be no need for people to puzzle which way to go, or where to park. It will be thoroughly modern, and even someone like me, who uses pedal power, will find it easy to use. And I just never tire of enjoying the modern, because I've seen what happens when cities try to squeeze modern life into antique places. It's awful, and I'll start with where I grew up, in Minneapolis.

My neighborhood in Minneapolis was built in 1926, and by the 1970s it was such a tight squeeze that I could only imagine what it would be like to have some space. The tiny garage that was squeezed into the alley behind our house was definitely an afterthought, as was the second toilet that my dad put in the basement. There were six people (two adults and four kids) living in that tiny three-bedroom house, and I often wondered if people were smaller in the 1920s? We just squeezed past each other the best we could.

I could tell you about Los Angeles, but I think that you already know. My apartment complex, which must have been fine when it was built decades earlier, was absolutely jammed. There was one (1) parking spot per apartment, and the only person who lived alone in an apartment was me. My immediate neighbors, across the way from me, had no furniture, and simply slept in shifts on the floor. I don't remember how many people were there, I'm sure at least eight, but there might have been more.

So, when I look at old photos I'm not wishing that things had never changed in Phoenix. I'm imagining being there to see the streets being paved for the first time in 1911, or watching the Black Canyon Freeway being built in the 1960s. And Phoenix will continue to grow, and grow out of its buildings and streets. It's been happening since 1870, and there's no reason for me to wish that it would stop.

Image at the top of this post: QT under construction, April 28th, 2021, southeast corner of 75th Avenue and Peoria, Peoria, Arizona.

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