Community Links
This page is full of links to some of our favorite neighbors and friends. Please support local businesses.
Our neighbors at Tempe Square
Changing Hands Bookstore. The best indie bookstore in Arizona… but you probably knew that already. I assure you my wife and I and our band of book-loving kids knew it already. We are thrilled to be their neighbor, and we plan on “borrowing” every awesome idea they have.
Trader Joes. My wife and I buy at least six boxes of squeeze yogurts per week. Our recommendation is to freeze them and feed them to the kids when they get too loud. We recommend the wine if that doesn’t work (not for the kids… for the adults). You don’t suppose I will have to go shopping after work, do you?
Wildflower Bread Co. Excellent food, but as is the case with CH, you probably knew that. The fact the two are connected doesn’t hurt. They open a lot earlier than we ever will.
Efes Restaurant. Efes is right around the corner - same center - on the Guadalupe side of the center. Bob and Gayle swear by the place. Kris and Laura agree.
Mac’s Broiler and Tap. Tasty grub and lots of classic rock album covers on the walls. By the way, we can get you that Rush album (and wax poetic about seeing ‘em live… that’s right, I said “wax poetic” in the same line as I said “Rush”) if you need it… and we are right next door.
Salon Va Bella & Day Spa. After you are done shopping at Hoodlums (and all of our other neighbors), you are going to need to chill a bit. You are in luck… we’ve got a spa right about three doors down.
Other Tempe Community Links
Local First. We are a charter member of Local First, an organization of amazing indie businesses throughout the Valley. Support ‘em if you are a customer. Join ‘em if you are a local business. Arizona’s indie businesses are important to Arizona’s future.
Arizona State University. Our former landlord and the cornerstone of Tempe. We are going to miss hanging out on campus… so please come and visit. The staff is loaded with Music Junkies, so we know some of them will be in. Go Devils!
ASU Child Study Lab. This fantastic facility is ASU’s community preschool, and a part of ASU’s School of Psychology. It has an amazing director (my wife) and staff and kids absolutely love it. If you want to meet their “handyman”, I’ll be at Hoodlums.
Here… on the corner. Sharla and Lisa are our buddies. They have not one, but two cool boutiques. One in the ASU Memorial Union, and one in the Mill Ave. area. They go on cool buying trips across the country to bring the funkiest, uniquest stuff back to Tempe (yes, we have teased them about how tough that sort of “business trip” must be).
Casey Moore’s. This is where Hoodlums has our “business meetings”. I put the quotation marks on there because my wife insists that the words “business meeting” mean something else in the record store lexicon (and to think we tease the Here girls). Look for the yellow Hoodlums sticker on the pipes above the bar.
Channel 8/KAET. We love our PBS. If you are a parent, you know that the kids stuff alone is enough to justify supporting this station… but that’s just the beginning. KAET offers the Tempe area non-corporate news, excellent nature, and really phenomenal music that you can’t find anywhere else. Plus, no commercials.
Supersigns. You like our web banner? How ’bout the business cards? Those, and almost every sign we’ve ever had done, have been designed and made by the sassy Krystina at Supersigns, and her crazy band of signmakers. If you are going over there, make sure and give her a hard time for us… she like that.
House of Tricks. A really great place to have a nice dinner. Oh yeah, that bar under the tree is our second favorite place for “business meetings”… the fancy kind (you know, where we wear shirts with buttons instead of T-shirts).
Restaurant Mexico. For a zillion years, Kristian has been sneaking off to munch on the flour tortillas on Tuesdays. Another indie survivor… these guys have managed to make it three different locations.
Bill’s Custom Frames. Bills Frames is the epitome of why we love Tempe. One-of-a-kind characters, friendly service, and great results. You don’t have to ask for Bill, Paul, or Brian - because it will be Bill, Paul, or Brian. That’s kind of how it is at a little record store like Hoodlums… you get to know the hoods if you hang around much.
Beyond Tempe
Arizona Commission on the Arts. We hoodlums are civilized. Our state and federal government are civilized too (sometimes) and this website provides all sort of links related to the arts in our state.
Arizona Central. This is the online version of the Arizona Republic, and it has a wealth of information about the Valley. This link is for the Music Section, but there isn’t much you can’t find from