World Famous Theater on Main Street > Creative Placemaking

A World Famous Theater here on Main Street in downtown Mesa?

The image to the right shows The Nile Theater days before it's grand opening in 1924. 

The top floors were offices and the side establishments are stores. Theater owners often created other form of use for the venue to continuously generate income.

What was true then is the same now: Lo-Fi Coffee is open in the sidewalk level front on Main Street, now serving more than freshly-brewed coffees and vegan baked goods - it has a liquor license.

Back in the 1940's it attracted crowds of kids standing in line for Saturday afternoon movies in the old image to the right
 . . .  fast fwd to 2015
this was the crowd waiting to get into The Underground today Sunday, July 27 - with people arriving from the parking lot and standing in line on McDonald Street under the shaded portico  wrapped around the corner all the way to Main Street.

It was the only location downtown drawing people to a show. Your MesaZona blogger was stopped by a cyclist, apparently surprised to see so many people, asking "What's goin' on?"

A change in shows taking place, with equipment being wheeled out while the crowd of ticket holders waits patiently in line to get in the door.

Some people might call this "alternative" or "rad" culture or "Millennial", but those labels miss the point that for creating a new urban downtown Mesa it's important to embrace everyone and be all-inclusive.

Contrast this to the Mesa Arts Center today taken about the same time just after noon.

There was no one