Glendale

As the Avenues’ largest city, Glendale is a perfect place to begin your journey.

Boasting one of the nation’s top shopping and dining districts – it is also the same city that’s well-known for the largest sporting events, the biggest developments and the coolest amenities.

Glendale is known for football and hockey, but with the words “play ball” announced by Dodger great Vin Scully, Glendale is now the Spring Training home to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox, two of the highest-drawing, most well-respected teams in Major League Baseball. The state-of-the-art training facility is located just across Loop 101 from Glendale’s Sports and Entertainment District.

Visitors to the District can take a tour of Glendale’s Peter Eisenman-designed University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the NFL’s 2009 NFC Champions Arizona Cardinals, the NCAA’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and special events such as the 2008 Super Bowl, the BCS National Championship and WrestleMania XXVI. You won’t see a halftime show, but you’ll learn how the retractable roof and field work. A smaller, though no less impressive venue, sits next door, the Jobing.com Arena. Major concerts, ice skating shows and the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes call this building home.

Next door, the Westgate City Center sports and retail complex (often labeled the Times Square of the desert), plays host to a multitude of events, including concerts for New Year’s Eve, Fiesta and BCS Bowl games. Westgate’s WaterDance Plaza can accommodate thousands in a unique environment that includes high-style media boards and “WaterDance,” a spectacular Bellagio-inspired water feature.

At the Zanjero District, just north of the Westgate City Center, is Cabela’s – the world’s foremost outfitter. In addition to quality outdoor merchandise, the 160,000-square-foot showroom is an educational and entertainment attraction, featuring a décor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats.

A few miles east of all the sports and entertainment happenings, Historic downtown is wonderfully preserved in the shady Murphy Park and the picket-fenced yards of the cutest shops and boutiques. Historic Downtown Glendale is actually three neighborhoods: Historic Catlin Court with its white picket fences and mature shade trees welcoming visitors to the bungalows-turned-specialty shops, Old Towne boasting brick-trimmed sidewalks and glowing gaslights leading the way to the famous antique stores and, the newest addition, located in the center of Downtown, Promenade at Palmaire which features the Glendale Visitor Center, a parking structure with free covered parking and a growing lineup of shops and eateries. The neighborhoods span 10 square blocks which can easily be strolled in an afternoon.

Start your adventure at the Glendale Visitor Center and pick up a handy walking map. For a sugar rush, head down the street to Cerreta Candy Company. The owners delight in giving tours during which visitors receive samples of silky chocolate. But, if you need real sustenance, the downtown restaurants offer German, Austrian, Italian, Asian, Polish, and Mexican cuisine.

Glendale is home to one-of-a-kind museums that pay tribute to everything. Spend a day exploring these fantastic displays. Don’t miss the Bead Museum, which features more than 110,000 beads and beaded artifacts on display and the Glendale Police Museum, exploring the 100-year old history of the Glendale Police Department. Historic Downtown Glendale is also famous for its festivals and events. Some of the more popular are the Chocolate Affaire, Glendale Jazz & Blues Festival and Glendale Glitters. The Glendale Glitters Holiday Lights Spectacular begins the day after Thanksgiving and lasts through mid-January with more than a million multi-colored lights creating a sparkling canopy over ten square blocks.

In addition to Historic Downtown, shoppers can also delight at one of the largest malls in the region – the beautifully designed Arrowhead Towne Center. Conveniently located just off the Loop 101 freeway, the mall features water fountains, a movie theater and more than 170 shops and restaurants. This mall has spurred the successful development of the Bell Road Corridor, which now is the home to more than 100 restaurants. Glendale’s Northern Shopping Corridor – boutique clothing shops, wine shops and nightclubs are the scene here.

Glendale hasn’t forgotten its history and heritage. Cowboys, farmers and ranchers shaped the community. Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic area is one of the Valley’s oldest and most magnificent homesteads. It teaches about the city’s agrarian past at the preserved 19th-century farm. Walk through citrus orchards and a breathtaking rose garden, and then tour the main house. Tours are also available of Manistee Ranch, a Glendale Historical Society crown jewel.

Glendale is a visitor’s treasure chest filled with fabulous options. We welcome you to discover our beautiful city.