• Arizona State University [5] - located in the heart of Tempe, ASU is a key factor in its the vibrant, diverse and progressive lifestyle. Started as a small teaching college in 1885, it has grown into the largest university in the nation, with several campuses spread throughout the metropolitan area. The largest of these campuses is the Tempe ASU Campus, a square-mile center of knowledge and cultural experience. [6]

• ASU Gammage, Arizona State University, Box 870105, tel: (480)965-5062 [7] is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed theatre that hosts international talent, Broadway shows and local entertainment.

• ASU Mars Space Flight Facility (480)965-1790 [8]. The facility supports the Thermal Emission Spectrometer experiment that was sent aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft when it launched in November 1996. The Mars facility has a visitor area with displays about Mars and a television tuned to NASA TV. Open 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday.

• City of Tempe Cultural Services, 3340 S. Rural Road, tel: (480)350-5287 [9] Numerous examples of public art dot Tempe's landscape. Additionally, Tempe presents exhibits featuring professional and student artists. Works may be viewed in public places, which serve as alternate spaces for regularly changing exhibits.

• Petersen House Museum, 1414 W. Southern Avenue, tel: (480)350-5151 [10]. Restored Queen Anne Victorian home built in 1892 by one of Tempe's earliest settlers. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission.

• Tempe Festival of the Arts [11] - massive twice yearly street fair featuring arts and crafts from all over the country, as well as a wide selection of carnival/sreet fair style foods, beverages and live entertainment.

In 2008, the Valley Metro Light Rail project is scheduled to bring light rail service through Tempe. [1]

By plane

Tempe is one of the most accessible cities in the Phoenix Metroplitan area and only 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport [2].

By car

Tempe is accessible via several main arteries, including Interstate 10, Loop 101, Loop 202, US 60, and surface streets including East Van Buren Street to the Mill Avenue bridge.

Tempe offers convenient bus service [3]as well car rental agencies and sightseeing companies. [4]

Tempe has a wide range of shopping choices from nationally known department stores to outlets and specialty boutiques. The heart of downtown Tempe and the main shopping district is the Mill Avenue District. This area is filled with specialty shops, bars, restaurants, cafés, pubs and is also the cornerstone of the downtown business district.

• Arizona Mills [20] offers more than 175 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues under one roof.

• IKEA [21] (the only one in Arizona) is in Southern Tempe.

• Tempe Marketplace [22] Tempe Marketplace's 1.3 million square feet of retail space is positioned as an open-air, pedestrian-oriented environment, creating an eclectic atmosphere for a memorable experience.

The Mill Avenue District offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona. Tempe restaurants offer cuisines including Middle Eastern, Asian, Mexican and, of course, American fare and many have received the Phoenix New Times "Best of" award.

• Caffe Boa [23] 398 S. Mill Avenue, tel: (480)968-9112 An original, casual, Euro-style bistro/wine bar. Award winning wine list with authentic Mediterranean styled food. Over 250 wines with full bar. Voted Best Italian Restaurant and Best Chef for 2005.

• Cafe Lalibela [24] 849 W. University Drive, tel: (480)829-1939. Cafe Lalibela is a family restaurant bringing Ethiopian cuisine to the heart of Tempe.

• Cereality at ASU [25] ASU Memorial Union Building, tel: (480)242-4743 Cereality is a patent-pending new restaurant. It brings a unique, highly personal, healthy eating experience where the menu is entirely built around brand-name cereals.

• La Fonda Mexican Food, 1126 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480 966 8001. La Fonda is a great restaurant if you're looking for Mexican food. The problem with posting this restaurant in the budget section is that many will instantly assume that the food is mediocre. The food is excellent, and the atmosphere is friendly; good pricing is an added benefit, not a factor.

• Four Peaks Brewing Company [26] 1340 E. 8th Street, tel: (480)303-9967 Arizona's largest brewery located in a turn of the century brick warehouse with award-winning food and hand-crafted ales.

• Grilled Expedition [27] 740 S. Mill Avenue, tel: (480)317-0600 offers classic favorites prepared over live oak and mesquite flames with unique flavors from around the world. Grilled on Mill welcomes guests to the new "X" bar on the main level and diners may experience the cozy dining room on the second floor. Patios are available on the main and upper level for sidewalk and balcony dining. Grilled on Mill holds a generous happy hour and reverse happy hour 7 days a week as well as 1/2 price bottles of wine on Mondays.

• House of Tricks Restaurant [28] 114 E. 7th Street, tel: (480)968-1114 is a Tempe original accessible within walking distance from Mill Avenue. House of Tricks is hidden inside two turn-of-the-century homes, behind a vine-strewn courtyard. Eclectic new American menus and extensive wine list. Outside catering available. Private dining area or patios can accommodate 35-75 guests; semi private dining areas can accommodate 15-20 guest.

• IKEA Restaurant & Cafe [29] 2110 IKEA Way, tel: (480)785-8209. Swedish-American cuisine featuring IKEA's famous Swedish meatballs, herb crusted salmon, open-faced shrimp sandwiches, salads, delicious desserts and many more items to choose from. Kid-friendly seating area, a relaxed atmosphere for adults and cafeteria-style dining options.

• Monti's La Casa Vieja [30] 100 S. Mill Avenue, tel: (480)967-7594 Monti's La Casa Vieja (old house) is the largest full-service restaurant in Arizona. This adobe hacienda offers steaks, seafood and grilled options for almost 50 years. Banquet and catering services available.

• Phoenicia Cafe, 616 S. Forest Ave., Tempe, +1 480-967-8009, [31]. Delicious Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Relatively small and often packed, esp. while the university nearby is in session. Try the baba ghannouge (eggplant dip) and the baklava, made from scratch. There is also an attached small Middle Eastern grocery that has great prices, especially on spices, Middle Eastern/Mediterranean deli items, and bulk olive oil. Very good service and friendly atmosphere. Restricted hours June to September, call ahead to check. $15.

• Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant [32] 401 S. Mill Avenue, tel: (480)929-9500 Lively old world pub & restaurant built in Ireland. Four-star cuisine, pub fare, and ample pints of Guinness. Live music and courtyard patio bar. Seating for 130. Semi-private dining for 50.

• Three Roots Coffee House 1020 S. Mill Avenue, tel:(480) 966-4949 Close-knit Vegetarian/Vegan coffee shop with breakfast/lunch/dinner options, along with bagels/muffins/cookies. Has great espresso and teas, and is also a small art gallery, with the collection changing monthly. Free Wi-Fi for customers. Adjacent to an art framing shop south of 10th.

Tempe is situated amidst the Phoenix Metro area as a "college town," and considering this Tempe's nightlife constitutes a wide variety of people. Most prominent is a college-aged drinking crowd that congregates on Mill Avenue District (which offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona) seven nights a week. Popular spots include The Library [33], best known for its schoolgirl-clad waitresses and drink specials, Fat Tuesday [34], a Mardi Gras-themed daquiri bar, and the Mill Cue Club [35] which features billiards and beer.

• Caffe Boa [36] 398 S. Mill Avenue, tel: (480)968-9112. An original, casual, Euro-style bistro/wine bar. Award winning wine list with authentic Mediterranean styled food. Over 250 wines with full bar. Voted Best Italian Restaurant and Best Chef for 2005.

• Four Peaks Brewing Company [37] 1340 E. 8th Street, tel: (480)303-9967 Arizona's largest brewery located in a turn of the century brick warehouse with award-winning food and hand-crafted ales.

• Gordon Biersch [38] 420 South Mill Avenue (on the corner of 5th Street), tel: 480-736-0033. The second story New Orlean's style restaurant has three balconies overlooking the downtown district. Within walking distance from major business, ASU and Sun Devil Stadium and offers complimentary valet parking beginning at 5:00 p.m. every night.

• Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant [39] 401 S. Mill Avenue, tel: 480-929-9500 Lively old world pub & restaurant built in Ireland. Four-star cuisine, pub fare, and ample pints of Guinness. Live music and courtyard patio bar. Seating for 130. Semi-private dining for 50.

• Tavern on Mill [40] 404 S. Mill Avenue (just off the main commercial street) tel: 480-967-5887. Offers traditional and southwestern cuisine and is known for its well rounded beer selection, excellent service and great eats. The Tavern on Mill has almost as much seating space inside as outside. 30 television monitors and flat screens display the latest music videos, sports games and more.

• Casey Moore's Oyster House 850 S. Ash Ave. tel: 480-968-9935. Built in 1910, the Historic William Moeur house has been the home of Casey Moore's since 1986. With an Irish pub feel and an expansive front and side patio, Casey Moore's maintains a neighborhood ambiance. Often dozens of bicycles are locked up out front; it is a local favorite. Multiple beers on tap, free food with happy hour, and a full menu featuring fresh seafood. Rumored to be haunted.